I'd think it might be undercarbureted. even with 2 sets. looks like motorcycle carbs to me. I'd guess they did it just to see if it would work.
.............My guess is he did just what I sugested and he is running the Ford distributer to acomadate the now backwards running (but the right way for a flathead) cam
i cant remember all the specifics , i visited with the gut at btt fifties ! i believe they machined a adapter to run the flathead dist. which is run off the camshaft ! runs on ethynol ! one of those people said it couldn't be done so heres the proof kinda cars ! it does run and drive , he fired it up for me !
An ancient HRM (1952, I believe) has a one page article on such a flathead, with pictures. They ran it at Bonneville (or someplace similar), it got stuck in low gear, and they pushed it to 103 mph anyway.
i had found a few pics on the internet a while back and was woundering about how this would work. i was thinking the gear drive moving the camshaft back wards. but any way thought i would just post the pics.
Bobby Green and the Old Crow team did this to a banger used in the Old Crow Belly Tanker. It's been done before in years past. If you can only see rat rod when you look at that, you don't have any vision for the physics involved. Do some research.
I thikn tis setup would be pretty interesting with a big hairdryer (Turbo) mounted top and center feeding an intercooler up front and out to the Carbs on the outside of the motor, like the new Ford Diesel.
Some of those "old flatheads" with the exhaust coming out of the top of the block where acually Cad motors. As for why?? Funny a hot rodder would even ask that question. Ron
If some of you were at the Jalopy Showdown this year you would have seen one there too . Was also at the NSRA at York , Pa. It runs and sound pretty good too ! Just something different and that's hot rodding ! RetroJim
This is one of the exhaust out the top flatheads that have been pictured here before. It is not reverse flow however. The exhaust was rerouted out the top for a very real preformance gain. This is one fast flathead. The SBC with the reverse flow is not done for a gain in preformance. It is done for the "Gee Wizz" factor. Since I understand Hot Roding to be about increasing the preformance of some car and customizing to be about increasing the eye appeal or "Gee Wizz" factor. I say it is customs that have reverse flow for looks only.
the exhaust comes out of the top on a cadillac flathead so just buy one of those and you dont have to make one where it comes out of the top lol
I've wondered if you could run a trans backwards. A manual would seem more do -able. Would it shift? An auto would have to at the least have a different pump I would think
Its funny how people bag on something they dont understand. In the old days thier was a bennifet to the reverse flow motors. Flat heads,olds,chevy and the buicks had succes with it. As technoligy caught up it was lost to better. The front drive distributer was also used from a flathead on some things ive seen.
That's true, but some Ford flathead guys did it too, including "Mr. Flathead," John Bradley, who probably tried everything with a flathead...not sure that it worked so well because he returned to a more traditional setup.
The flathead just above your post was built for only one reason. To pound ground in XF cl***es at El Mirage and Bonneville. Something it does very well. A Cad would not fill this need.
that wasnt a cadillac above my post you can see the pipe holes covered. and the reason for the cadillacs having the exhaust come out the top, ell my dad told me but i cant really remember why but i think it was something to do with the heat
It can be done with the cam only, the engine does not have a reverse rotation. Just seems pointless due to the smaller exhaust valves being used as intake valves.
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