Shaving flathead Ford heads-cheap power?

Is it a cheap alternative to $600 heads?

 

It is a double edge sword. Shaving the heads raises compression which is good for power, but it also brings the head down closer to and around the valves, which negatively impacts air flow. The trick is to find the happy medium were you can raise the compression the most with out stiffling flow. This means that anything you do to help air flow (relieving the block, clearancing the heads, etc) with also drop your compression back down. Aren't Flatheads Fun!!!

Good Luck.

 

Go with a blower. If you have the $$$$$$.Best power for a Flathead. Or change to a mercury intake. Use a chevy 2bbl and a chevy distributer.Duel exhaust. Helps a little.

 

Stock iron heads have a bunch of good characteristics, but except for some rare small chamber ones cannot be reduced much. A major limiter is having dome clear piston by enough, most would consider about .040 to be just enough. More can be had by cutting dome quench area a bit deeper, but amount is small AND normal machine shops aren't likely nowadays to have a suitable cutter.
Probably best use is on bored and stroked engines that can build enough compression with close to stock chambers.

 

If he doesn't want to spend the money for aftermarket heads, I doubt that he's going to want to spend the money for a blower setup.

 

What year engine have you got? If it's a '49-'51, '52-'53 heads will bump your compression in stock uncut form.

 

First I found a solid '50 shoebox 4 door for $800 with a junk engine and then a friend said I could have a spare '51 Ford flatty that was a great runner.He also has a '53 Merc flatty bored sixty over with Offy heads and dual carb manifold that he's thinking about selling to me.If I only get the free stocker,I'd like to hop it up some cheaply.Of course,I'm hoping for the hopped up one for a good price!

 

just curious what/how would a merc intake help power output do you mean an alum intake or just a stock iron intake?
what chevy dist? and what carb?

i have a 50 shoebox with its original 8ba im going to put headers and dual on it

this is my first flatty

 

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I dunno unless he's talking the bigger merc 2 bbl carb, best off with a small mill job and a couple carbs, mabey some stroke too, that'll increase compression

Also on an 8ba, junk the stock distributer, and go to an aftermarket, or as mentioned a remachined chevy. Or even if you are a stickler for old stuff, have an old mallory dual PT for a SBC recut to fit. If you dont feel comfortable on a lathe GMC bubba can set you up too

 

TheMerc with the heads and carbs sounds like the best bet but if you're relly hard up and can't spend that much, find a set of EAB heads ('52-'53 like the man said) and a Merc manifold and carb. The Merc stuff is bigger and will provide more airflow with no tuning h***les. And yes, use the big old ugly Holley 885 that came stock on the '49-'51 Merc-it may not look neat but it works.

 

A Rochester 2GC carb will also fit the Mercury 4-bolt manifold.

Kerby

 

i was going to run the electronic conversion in the stock dist is this not a good idea? whats wrong with the stocker? just a lousy design? or because its 60 years old? or???

 

The problem doesn't lie with the method of firing the points, it lies in the fact that the stock distributor has no centrifugal advance mechanism--only vacuum.

 

Have GMC Bubba put a Pertronix in a Chevy distributor for you. I've got that on my 8BA and it is great. The stock Ford distributor in its finest form just don't get it.

 

can you angle mill flathead heads?

 

Just plain lousy design, if you want it to look stockish, GMC bubba can modify a stock chev for pretty reasonable. I think HEI's look a little outa place though. Anouther option is getting a early mallory dual PT modified, but caps and rotars are almost impossable to find these days, but they are really durable units so they never need replacing anyway

http://www.lindertech.com/bhrs/services.htm

 

According to JWL's book "Flathead Facts" milling stock 8BA heads by .050 reduces the chamber volume from 76cc to 69cc. His tests show a 4% to 5% power gain with milled heads. Looks like an inexpensive way to get a power boost. I'd clay the stock heads before you mill to be sure there is enough open valve clearance to handle the .050 cut.

 

I worked with a guy who raced flatheads in stock cars. All he did was mill the heads and put in a hotter cam. But he was limited by the rules as well as by his budget. The Merc intake and 2g Rochester is a cheap way to get more airflow, if you have access to them.
Good Luck!

 

ok so what chevy distributor am i gonna be looking for small block or bigblock or does it matter? im not a chevy guy

 

Don't need to look. Bubba has a dumpster full of 'em.

 

where is bubba located? i thought i saw a post that said he is in indy thats not that far from me is his user name gmcbubba?

 

never mind i found his info on another post just sent him a pm

 

Thanks for all the info guys!

 

can someone tell me how to tell a cast iron merc intake from a ford? what makes a merc flow better?

 

A Mercury intake (starting in '49) had a four bolt carburetor pattern, which means that you can bolt a small base Rochester 2GC from a 283 Chevy to it for more airflow.

 

I'm getting the Merc engine for $400.00!The dual carb manifold is a Fenton.I'm not sure what the carbs are but they say Ford.It was a good runner when he took it out of his F1 and it's been sitting in a barn for a few years.I might just clean ,polish,paint and put it in when the car is ready,I dodn't think it needs a rebuild.I know it was never abused because he dosen't drive anything hard.I gotta figure out the carbs to get rebuild parts ,I know they need rebuilding.

 

where u at in pepperell man? I work over at auto
clinic

 

Carbs...doubtless 94 Fords, but post Model number on left side of bowl, size info from back.

 

Are those carbs any good?Does it sound like a good price I'm getting on this?I thought it sounded really good.What's the best book to teach a flatty newbie?

 

Hyacinth drive.I grew up here in Pepperell and lived 48 of my 53 years.I've known Bill Murphy a long time.