Technical Need flathead schooling

I've never driven a car with a flathead or ever even heard a car with a flathead. Please tell me the pros and cons of one? The only two things I've ever heard is they sound really neat and tend to overheat.Thanks.

 

Flathead you say? Doesn't ring a bell housing. This is mostly a Small Block Chevy site.

 

Running hot is a myth. They will run forever as long as you keep oil and water in them and make plenty of power for an early ford. Down fall is price. If you can find a decent runner you'll be ok... rebuilding one gets pricey quick. There's guys who drive them cross country and daily them. Just an engine when it comes down to it.

 

I think my immersion into rebuilding my flathead brought me a lot closer to an understanding of vintage hot rodding. Not saying it has to be a flathead, but there is so much history and a mystic ***ociated with this engine, that it became my natural choice. So, this is a definite pro. Another pro is the aftermarket support and almost limitless ways you can personalize your engine to make it stand out from the crowd. The biggest con as mentioned is cost, but surprisingly for myself, it was also the lack of actual technical info during the rebuild process. Lots of info on building up a “high” hp version, but not so much on the more mundane aspects. It seems they “***ume” you know “everything” flathead related. Also, as a con, it’s getting harder and harder to find folks who understand and who can work on these engines and accessories.

 

The guy to talk to in Western Canada is Bill Boomer in Regina. He is @flatcat on here. Last checked in a couple of weeks ago so he still looks in once in a while if you wanted to message him.

 

I’m not a flathead v8 expert but my advice is get one that is running
I like you was fascinated by the flathead, and was lucky to get a good one
Have been driving one for four years now and really can’t get enough

 

Ford flathead V8 motors were used in lots of hot rods until the OHV motors came out for the big three. There were millions of them made and people drove them everywhere. The downside is that they do not make a lot of power. You can build them to get some decent power, but it will not be cheap. They have a unique sound.

 

Start by first researching cracked Flathead engine blocks…if you are comfortable enough after that, keep going.

 

Now Billy, good friend.
I actually think there are quite a few flatheads here. More than many years ago.
I’d guess there’s at least two flathead posts per week on here.
I remember 20 yrs ago I made a statement that real traditional Hotrod’s do not have overhead engines. I ruffled a few feathers

 

Don't let that scare you away. Do any of you have any idea of the number of good, crack-free flathead blocks that are squirreled away under benches and staircases, on pallet racking, and in other miscellaneous places around this country? I'm a rank amatuer at this, and I even have one (it used to be more). The owners of these are all approaching an age when these are going to become available, some at rock-bottom prices, or in some cases free.

 

I know of a rebuilt one with ****** for sale for 2 grand right now about 20 miles from me.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DdmQxfGtw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Think of it as 8 Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engines welded together. Nothing to it.

 

I bought two C69As. My first one in 2018 for CAN$100. At the time I had no idea about anything flatheads and knew nothing of the “big” issue of cracked blocks. It was crack-free. The second one was purchased in 2024 for CAN$150. Had no idea of its condition (was an industrial engine), but now knew of the infamous “cracks”. It was seized, but entirely complete. It also turned out to be crack free. Not saying it doesn’t happen, and plenty of folks have had bad luck finding a good block, but I agree, and I wouldn’t let that alone stop you from getting one.

 

OK...
This is my experience with Shoebox Fords, an F-1 and 8BAs.

Sound? They sound like what the Lord intended a V8 car to sound.


Running hot...
Just about any HAMB era Ford will run on the hotter side especially if your summers are very hot. Fords were made for Detroit winters.
Mine run 170-180. Now in hot weather redlight to redlight with idling.....It might creep past 200 but it quickly goes back down at speed.

Another reason for running hot is being out of tune. This is very common with 8BA 1949-53 flatheads with the "modern looking" distributor. Ford used a system called Loadomatic where the distributor and carburetor were matched pairs. The advance on the distributor was entirely vacuum controlled. This is designed to work with a single Ford 8BA Holley/Chandler Groves 2bbl, commonly known as the Ford 94. Now it's not manifold vacuum or metered vacuum that's on a conventional carburetor you are familiar with. It's different. Only a LOM compatible carburetor will work with the LOM distributor.
When people slap dual or triple carburetors on an 8BA without changing the distributor to one with mechanical advance, the car will have no functioning spark advance and run hot.

Also if LOM system on an 8BA is not working properly, it can cause overheating. On stock 8BA the system works very very good.
Pre-49 V8s use a mechanical advance distributor, so dual carbs is not as big of an issue.

Cracks can cause one to run hot because it can blow all the water out of the radiator.
A blown head gasket can do the same.

Others have mentioned cracks.
If you have a flathead car, it’s always a good idea to have a spare, crack free engine.

Performance…..
Use discernment. Stupid money can be spent on a flathead. It’s real easy to spend 2k on just carburetors and linkage.
You can find a running and driving shoebox Ford for what heads, intake, linkage, carburetors, cam and a distributor costs.
The thing is….the stock car may run almost as good.
You can blow a lot of dough on foot-foo stuff.

Power…..It’s a car of the era and it is what it is and it ain’t bad.
It’s had a 52 Chevy Business Coupe. I had a 50 Ford Business Coupe and I now have a 51 Ford club coupe.
The 6cyl Chevy is an old elderly car. It was torquey. Too speed 55 mph. The car loved 50.
The Fords?
They can mix it up in traffic to this day.

They have kind of a magic. The guys that build them for performance will tell you this. They make power where they should not. It’s hard to explain.

Driving my pretty much stock coupe, stretching out, it will go. It wants to go. It’s got more. Over 70….
It’s got more, like I said it wants to go.
I have more sense. Just because it can, does not mean it should. 80-90 mph in a 75 year old car????
Not smart. It can. It’s enough. I don’t have anything to prove.
Rowing through the gears…..
It’s just a real pleasure.

 

> I've never driven a car with a flathead or ever even heard a car with a flathead >

What's wrong with you?

 

> Flathead you say? Doesn't ring a bell housing. This is mostly a Small Block Chevy site. >

And what's wrong with you too?

 

Billy Bandit is the Will Rodgers of the HAMB.

 

@Bandit Billy is just funning you as he is a die-hard Flatty fan. I am working on pulling the 302 SBF out of my 53 and putting an 8BA back in. Why? Because I can. Although it has been 50 years since I fooled with one, I am coming back up to speed quickly. Cost is dependent on your desires. A stock rebuild is not much worse than any other engine as long as 90 HP works for you. More HP gets pricey quick.

Try putting together a healthy Buick Nail Head and see what that costs.

 

Playing 'Stick Shift" on occasion still puts me back with a smile in the late '50s/early '60s.

 

Thanks for your input guys and great info!

 

The ad calling it "totally rebuilt" is a bit of stretch when it then proceeds to say there is a problem with the current block and it won't hold pressure so there is another engine for a block included. Needs another rebuild is probably more accurate.

 

Flathead Ford's have the best sounding exhausts of about any engine. They are also very quiet, no lifter noise or other engine noises. The ones I have had start instantly regardless of weather. The only drawback is that they aren't very powerful is stock form, even though they were considered powerful back in their day. A friend had a 39 with a hot flathead. I thought it was extremely fast (I was about 12). I helped work on the car and got rides as payment. He sold the flathead and put in a 322 Buick. I only thought the flathead was fast, it wouldn't hold a candle to the Buick. But, the flathead didn't break drive train components like the Buick did.

 

Yep. Just now working on a dual carb setup. Trying to do it on the “cheap”. Will rebuild the second carb myself like the first, and cob together a progressive linkage from individual parts from Vintage Speed. I will buy the foo-foo Edmunds air cleaners $69/ea), and Edmunds choke brkt ($39) to match the Edmunds intake I got at Hershey back in Oct. Cost of the bits from Vintage Speed is around $500. Intake was $400. Two used Holley 94s was another $75. So, yeah, cost can escalate quickly, especially if you have someone do everything for you. I could have never afforded that route.
Speaking of the engine sound, this is my flathead. I think it sounds pretty good. lol!

https://youtube.com/shorts/F-BkIh1ZcGo?si=WYFRUIPlTz01foWW

 

Hahahhahhaaaa! That's rich...

2k for a rebuilt 8ba??? I'd snap that up in a minute if it was closer to me.

I've only had flatheads for the last 10 years or so. It was always OHV engines before that. The 59A in my pickup was running fine when I got it. I've done some tuneup work and gotten it to run better, but that's it.
The 8ba in my roadster is a completely different beast.

Flatheads ROCK!

 

About spit out my coffee!

 

A 292 flathead with the right gearing and a 5 speed and speed gear in a light car like our avatar will definitely give a stock sbc a run for its money . But it does cost to get there ,but a heck of a lot of fun. I gave our 32 to a buddy to drive some back roads 6hrs up country. He was amazed at the torque, some steep twisty roads he had to shift to 4th but he said it simply ate up the road.

 

What kind of flathead?

Inline 4 cylinder? Model A



Inline 6 cylinder? Ford


Inline 8 cylinder? Studebaker



Flathead Ford V8



Flathead Cadillac V8


Flathead Cord V8

 

Nice, but don't forget the 327. Not that 327, the flat one! McCulloch supercharged flathead Packard.

 

Not a flathead expert but I've had a bunch of them, 50 Merc, 48 F1 pickup, 28 Model A with a V8 60, 50 Ford, 53 Merc and my 30 Coupe with an 8BA, they are money pits but great engines. If the cooling system is in good shape they don't over heat, the run smooth as gl***, sound great with a set of Smithie's mufflers. Problem is that to make more than 150 to 175 hp costs a small fortune' my 30 coupe has an 8BA flathead bored .060, 3/4 H&H cam, Offenhauser heads and intake with dual Holley 94's Makes a nice driver but not a tire smoker!