Hi: My '52 F1 is my first flathead I've owned. Are there any issues with running modern unleaded and probably ethanol fuel in a flathead? Additives? Octane? Non-ethanol? What are the issues I may encounter? Very few gas stations around here offer non-ethanol fuel. Engine is a'47 Ford 239c.i. with Offenhauser heads and intake running two single-barrel carbs. I haven't identified any markings on carbs yet to ID them. See attached photo - ignore extra wires - I am in middle of a re-wire.... Carter? Stromberg? other? W.
2 Stromberg —-fuel pressure gauge to carbs from pump 2-2.5 lbs max. Aluminum heads need to have a sacrificial anode(boat shops)to combat electrolysis of aluminum(your heads will be slowly EATEN AWAY over a 5 year period in the water jacket area of the head where water p***es thru).The use of distilled water is better than tap water for the radiator. I have 60++++ years messing with flatheads and am offering “free advice” if u ask for it. Send me a message thru the Hamb and I will try to help u out.Been told u need to run hardened seats; been driving,racing, doing crazy stuff to many flatheads and have NEVER changed to hardened seats; maybe if u pulled a boat or were super dooper running hot over an extended period,maybe so, but not for meATTACH=full]6809835[/ATTACH]
Big box store most junk even says for ethanol use. Hardens in about amonth. Look for Good Quality and name brand like Gates Piranha fuel hose. Or PTFE line .
I use fuel hose for boats, on my flathead and never had an issue with "corn gas" for the past 30 years...
Use fuel injection rated hose. You'll be fine. Also those are Strombergs which are 2 barrels not singles.
I am lucky in that I have a gas station literally a few hundred yards from my subdivision that sells ethanol free 92 octane. It is all I run in my flathead roadster. Also, all I run in my 442, dune buggy, pressure washer...Basically if it has a carburetor, that is what it drinks. And those strombergs (little s) don't have logos.
I try to use only ethanol free in my flatheads. But sometimes when I take my cars on reliability runs in other states ethanol free can be hard to find. My flathead seems to run fine on ethanol gas. The big thing I have found is that you do not want to let ethanol fuel sit for more than a couple weeks. If you have a tank of ethanol gas that has sat in your car for more than two weeks, drain it out and put it in one of your modern cars and put fresh gas back in your flathead before you drive it
My 8ba coupe runs fine on corn but my built 59L flatty is happiest with non ethanol. Spark plugs stay good and clean with non ethanol.
I run ethanol in almost everything. Model T, Model A's Flatheads, tractors, riding mowers, wife's car, flathead Dodge Brothers 4 cylinders, you name it. I run non ethanol preminum in my 10.5 - 1 340 Mopars and diesel in my truck. Run non ethanol in my racing karts too. My 22 year old Honda generator has always had ethanol and has never had the carb off. It sets for months at a time and always fires right up. My flatheads will vapor lock but the same cars 50 years ago would too! Lucky I guess. We also live where humidity is low. Dave
My Australian 1953 8BA block is probably from Canadian origins and it only has the hardened exhaust valve seats and the intakes are cut straight into the casting. Will be fitting Manley SS 1.5" Exhaust and 1.6" Intake valves when I build it. Wondering if that combination will be compatible with Ethanol based fuels or will I need to upgrade the OEM Ford exhaust seats. TIA.
I prefer non ethanol in all my old stuff....B+S minibike project.....1968 Case tractor.....1953 Willys CJ3B Jeep.....John Deere 318 lawn garden tractor.....Stihl and Homelite chainsaws.....etc etc. I am 80yrs old and born a raised in Iowa the corn state. I can buy ethanol free at most rural Iowa and Wisconsin stations. I have a nephew that has been a small engine repair technician for over 40yrs. He has convinced me with lots and lots of evidence. We also buy some used gas powered equipment both big and small that has sat on farms and behind garages for many years without running. Ethanol very often is the culprit for non running. Flush system....use some Seafoam mix initially then 100% straight gas.....good to go. I know there is lots of discussion and controversy......I have choices and I chose to be 100% ethanol free in all my old stuff. Your results may vary. Have fun
If the right side of the carbs doesn’t say Stromberg on them, you have some cheap copies of Strombergs. Probably either Speedway Motors or Charlie Price. They both made copies with aluminum bases, and no number in the raised circle on the left. I always use non-ethanol gas. If a station doesn’t have it, I only put in enough to get me to a station that does.
I know not the brand...it's gray outside and black inside having a white braided material (nylon?) molded between the i.d. & o.d., which maintains flexibility...
I run Gates Barrier fuel injection hose on my vehicles, the stock Flathead runs fine on ethanol gas (almost impossible to find non ethanol fuel here at a station).
The only “rubber/flexible hose I use is the 6” from the frame steel fuel line to the fuel pump. From the pump to the carbs is steel/br*** fittings. I choose to use a fuel additive. My current choice is K100 at 1oz with every fill up which is 10-15 gallons at 45-60 days. When I have leaded SUNOCO 112 left over from Bonneville I put in 1 Qt every other tank. In 14 years I’ve never had a fuel related problem with a line, the Carter WCFB’s, or the stock fuel pump rebuilt with the correct ethanol related parts from Egge Machine.
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