I'm only in the planning stages of my '31 ford coupe build but i've been thinking about what to use as an engine. I like the looks and sound of a flathead V8 but I know nothing about them. Can they be rebuilt by the "average Joe"? Do they have babbitt bearings like the model "A" engines? What years are better than others? I realize a machine shop would need to do any 'fluxing, boring or milling, but would everything else just be a simple tear-down, replace, and assemble kind of job. Does it take special tools? What about transmission choices and adapters? I work on lawn mower engine all the time. To me, it seems a flathead V8 is just an oversized l/m engine. Looks very simple to work on. Skool me please.
The switch from Babbitt to insert bearing happened in mid 1936. Speed equipment is much cheaper and easier to find for later 24 stud engines. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
You'll need a valve guide removal tool, available from Mac's and other sources. You'll probably also want an adapter for your engine stand. Above all, get a good book, such as Rebuilding the Famous Ford Flathead: http://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Famous-Ford-Flathead-Insights/dp/0830620664 Have fun
Thanks guys. Anything else I need to consider? What about different transmissions. What all fit or can be used with adapters? Can a modern manual or automatic be bolted up? And finally, if I do find an engine, what problem areas should I look for and what's the going price of an average non-running, oil cruddy flathead V8?
Anything and everything you can imagine has been done to the ford V8. Most if not all of it has been discussed here and at the ford barn at one time. Use the search button to find some.
Oh, and how much money are we talking to do a stock rebuild if it doesn't require any machining and I do all the work myself?
...so if I found a flathead v8 out of a 1951 ford p/u for 400 bucks...complete, except for the fuel pump, that would be a good price if the block isn't cracked.
Flatheads, while possessing a huge cool factor, are expensive. The parts are way more expensive than for a SBC, so be prepared. Even rings, bearings, gaskets etc are expensive. Google Macs Auto to get an idea of pricing. As far as trans go, there are several companies doing adapters to T5 trans or C4 autos. Performance will be better with a manual. Wilcap, Speedway are two that spring to mind.
$400 is a good price for a complete engine. Cracks are common and fixable. The only ones to really worry about are the ones that go to either a valve seat or to a cylinder. Speedway adapters are useful in connecting a Ford AOD 4 speed automatic. As noted, be ready to spend money for small horsepower gains. A stock 51 flathead is rated at 100 HP. By doing some careful balancing, port matching and adding a supercharger, it's possible to get to 300 HP, but that's about the limit. H&H Flatheads, for example, will build a 300 HP engine for about $12,000. For that amount you could get close to 750 HP using a modern design OHV. Good luck.
Thanks everyone for their input. I'm not planning on building a high horse power engine. I did say "stock" rebuild in one of my earlier posts. It's going in a '31 ford coupe. I'm more after the "look" and sound. And i'm certainly not going to spend $12,000 for any engine. I just like the looks and sound of the flathead. I checked on Mac's website as suggested earlier and yea, it will cost more to do a flathead than a SBC, but the prices didn't seem that bad.
I am just building a 59A (my personal favourite flathead), purchased it as a running and complete engine. After adding the Thickstun manifold, rebuilt Stromberg 97's, Isky 1007B camshaft, N.O.S. Johnson Lifters, Mercury crankshaft, all new valvetrain, pistons, bearings, considerable machine work on block, crank, rods and heads, Skips water pumps, Bubbas distributor, 12V generator conversion, rebuilding the clutch and pressure plate, etc etc I'm probably around 7K and it is ready to fire up again. I wasn't after HP or fancy pieces but more a nice sounding, RELIABLE engine that I can drive a lot. I had a GREAT time with the project and it's not like you're spending the money in one shot, it's a gradual thing. I'd suggest buying some books before searching for an engine.
The info here about prices being "way more expensive than for a SBC" isn't a reality when you compare them in an "apples-to-apples" build. Let me expand on that some. A set of Edelbrock Flathead heads is near 550.00/600.00 for the pair, a decent set of (aluminum) SBC heads, nothing fancy, is double that, minimum. A set of Ross Flathead pistons with the "metric" ring pack is actually less than set of decent (SRP, J&E, etc.) SBC pistons with the rings added. Crank, standard or stroker, for the Flathead is less than a decent SBC crank, the rods (Scats recommended) are about the same. Brgs for the Flathead are the same as a set of "race" brgs for the SB. The Flathead stroker brgs, rods and mains, run around 170.00, very close to the SB's. The mains (MS909H) in a perf SB run 90.00/set and 8 rod brgs (CB663HN) run 76.00/set. You can see that the prices are really not that far apart! The HP numbers I can't dispute, but "it is what it is" with the engine design! Labor pricing is extremely close also, same price to bore/hone a SBC with a block-plate as the Flathead! Same for balancing, V/J, bronze guides, etc. It ALL depends on the "level-of-the-build", whether it be the Flathead or the Chev! We also now "pin" the heads and gaskets on the Flatheads, much like the SBC's using some 5/16" dowel pins. This is a "highly-attractive" added feature. Thanks, Gary in N.Y. P.S. I'm placing a link here to possibly one of the best Flathead Merc convertibles in the country, there's really some good reading about it and you can get some valuable tips from the overall build. I'm a little prejudice here, it belongs to a very good "long-time" friend. The person that did most of the work on the entire vehicle is also a very good "long-time" friend. www.stromberg-bulletin.com/merc-of-the-year-2011-also-stromberg-equipped/
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