You helped me a couple months ago when I "***embled" all the parts for my first Flathead engine - thanks again! Now I "need" to rebuild or better: replace the stock 36 Flathead in my coupe with a hotter version. Could buy these parts, nothing ***embled from a man with 40+ years of experience with this engines. So, I really would appreciate your comments on how this combo works, about how many horses I get and if it's more or less painless... and what would you pay for that? Thank you, Peter I,ve got a brand new maxed out flathead engine. option listed below. 1. shot tumble cleanned, magnifluxed , 1950 merc block bored .060,cleanned up decks, no cracks, deburred inside, port & polished int. & exh. ports with the exhaust port flapers on center exh. ports, stainless big valves,new melling valve guides & o-rings, johnson n.o.s. lifters adjustable, isky 404 jr. new cam & matching double valve spring, retainers etc., oil system modified for external oil full flow filter. arp head studs,washers & nuts., arp main studs, washers & nuts, new melling timming gear set. 2. virgin offset ground 4&1/8" merc crank, early style ford connecting rods n.o.s., new ross hi-compression stroker pistons w/3 rings, ring sets.pins etc mounted on n.o.s. early ford rods. 3. h/v new oil pump ,pickup & screen. n.o.s rear sump oil pan glyptol coated inside. 4.copper head gaskets with new bottle of sealer. 5. set of brand new aluminum "Baron" fully polished cylinder heads with top water rail also fully polished. 6.fully polished front timming cover 7. new truck water pumps 8. new aluminum flywheel, new pressure plate & clutch disc. 9. newly remaned 39 ford truck top shift trans( open or closed drive line your choice. 0 miles on it. all n.o.s. parts used inside of it. block to trans adapter, starter, big belt generator. 10.fully polished 3 duce aluminum intake manifold with 2 outside 97 strombergs center is 81 stromberg, all polished stainless progressive linkage,all carbs done in hot rod gold.n.o.s. polished carb air horns.new clear red fuel line. 11 . n.o.s. old mallory black cap dual point dist, new clear red plug wires. polished timming cover and i,am sure theres more. all goes pertainning to this engine trans combination
That version sounds like it would be well up in the performance factor but not as good for street use. Less low end torque but much more high end power. 8CM or 8BA motors may be harder to fit in a 1936 model due to difference in fan and water pump types. Horse power would be well above the 110 on an original Mercury from 1950. The 39 trans has better synchronizers than the 36 but works the same way. You could do a similar installation with a 59A motor and it would fit in there a lot better I think. Definitely more modifications with 8BA type motor and even more with open drive, although you could use a late 5-speed transmission with the open drive option.
Dang! The economic melt down must not have hit Switzerland yet. ! Sounds like a nice set-up. Good luck.
The Merc, with the truck ring b'housing should bolt up to the '39 trans. Add truck waterpumps and maybe a 1/2-3/4" slacer between the pumpd and m?mount biscuits to line up the lower hoses. I have an 8BA in my '35. The cam has stated above makes the torque higher up. There's the flathead forum and Fordbarn for lots more flattie stuff, but without a blower, you'll probably see in the 160+ hp range. But flatties aren't all about hp. RB
Sounds like a lot of good parts. Probably pretty pricey. I know Baron heads aren't cheap. Add up all the individuals parts and offer him some percentage. I would not use the double valve springs or hi volume oil pump.
it's an Isky 404 @rotorwrench: hhmmm...I wanted the opposite. good "daily driver" capability and low end torque...it's not a racer. the coupe is very traditional with a bone stock body. Have to get more informations and then decide. @banjorear: the economic is slow on this side of the water, too - believe me. But our banks just take money away if it's lying in their accounts...so why not spend it for real things??? Our bankers already have nice suits, millions and the newest porsche in the garage!!
If it`s really a 404 then it is a BIG cam.....not much low end torque...... But **** it , you are building a hot rod!!!!!!!! It will sound nasty BtW: I`m not sure about the dual springs.... i would try single 185Gs
If it is really a 404, you will need to get the lifter bores keyed so the radius lifters won't rotate. I would NOT recommend the 404 for a street engine due to the wear factor, NOT how it runs. It is a short duration cam with high lift...It will idle with a slight lope at 800 rpm. It probably will make more low off idle to mid range horsepower than any flathead cam ever invented. It has a VERY high rate of lift for that type of engine.(.010 per degree sq.) This is why it has a very steep side, opening curve with essentially a flat top. It was advertised as a "constant aceleration cam". That meant the valve opening aceleration, not the car as many thought and Isky let them believe...... If you use this cam, you will need 90 lbs. valve spring pressure on the seats with lightened valves. I have run this cam in many street engines but be prepared to tear the engine down periodoically to check the valve train.
Hi Pete, i searched for the specs on the 404 and hell, it has quite a short duration....!!! 90lbs is not a lot. Pete, how long will the lifter bores survive? Wouldn`t it be good to bush the bores?
90 is plenty with light valve train...It will spin 7K. We have never had a problem with lifter bore wear...Some of the engines had 3 racing seasons on them before they were retired. On one street engine that I did not put the keys in the bores, I had to install a new set of keys after about 7000 miles..I suspected the keys were a very early set of original Isky's and were made from mild steel welding rod. As far as I know the set I replaced them with is still running.
Thats why I asked him that. He needs the corect lifters. Flathead naturally make plenty of low end power. In my opinion you cant over cam one.
HhMmm ,you cant run radiused lifters without keys ,wire pins or grub screws to ride the slot ! what gives ?
He's not saying the keys weren't there... he's saying he is not the one who installed them and had to replace them after some ware occured.
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