New Guy I have no history of my 1948 v8 flathead C59A as far as a running engine, Turns over by hand easy to take out at this point. I believe it has 85 HP . I would like to drive as much as possible, I don't want to spend a fortune. I will be doing the taking apart and ***embly. What steps at this point should I take to make a reliable a little more HP , I will be adding a c4 automatic transmission unless this is a bad choice, Also a rear end most likely a cougar , Open to any suggestions at this point of the build ,Thanks
I'd leave a clutch behind it but that's just me... 4" merc crank , good cam and a bore job will bring it to life real quick , best performing is supposed to be one of those little 390cfm 4bbls, I like 2x2s for looks though
Some things that would help us answer are as follows (not trying to give you a whole laundry list, but some details would bring context to the conversation.) 1) What car? What rear end and ratio? 2) Regular street driving? In town, long trips . . . ??? 3) What matters to you the most? Cost, reliability, performance, good looks . . . some combination? 4) Have you ever built one before? If not, what engines have you built and ***embled yourself? Do you have the necessary tools, micrometers, engine stand, etc? 5) When you say not 'spend a fortune' - what type of number (total cost, not time) comes to mind? (Not including anything behind the engine . . . trans, etc). PS: Your engine should have had about 100 HP in stock form - more than enough to move the cars of that day down the road.
Everything bored and stroked asked is gonna be needed to make recommendations. Just my opinion, having driven a model A that had a c4 behind it, even a hopped up flatty feels like a pooch with an automatic. If you need the auto for medical or physical reasons there's not much you can do, but if at all possible a manual trans makes flatheads a lot more fun to drive.
The truck is a 1938 international harvister on a 1948 ford 1/2 ton frame . Th is is the info I need. Building the truck for my wife. If it will be a dog with an automatic then I will consider another engine. I have all the micrometers depth gauges etc. Built 327 365 horse. I never drove a flathead. I didn't want to put more than a grand into the engine in parts . I need to buy a transmission and rear end. I have the skills to build it. I have no idea about a flathead . Normal driver don't want a lumpy cam. I can take my c2 out for that ( standard )
It won't be a dog with the c4, but 1k in funds will be a ways short on the flathead build. The c4 needs a shift kit in it and away you go. And in a truck the slush box with column selector makes more room in cab. You need to pull the heads and see what condition engine is in that will tell you how much you are gonna spend. Been running a c4 behind this flaty for 15 years now ........
Unless for health reasons, I wouldn't put an Auto trans behind a flathead. No such thing as spending a fortune an a flatty even a basic buildup requires a little deeper pockets than a SBC.The S10 T5 seems to be a great trans for a flatty. Perfect spread between gears and an overdrive to boot. Plus, you can use a hydraulic throwout setup for a softer clutch. The T5 likes taller gear too, 3.78, 4.11's are fine. Reliability would prob mean, close to stock cam size, electric fuel pump, adjustable lifters, close to stock compression.. somewhere around 8-8.5 to 1, definitely a water pump upgrade, stay with a 9lb steel flywheel, get a distributor from GMCBubba.
Thanks what would be a reasonable budget for the engine . Where do you suggest to get parts. It was also mentioned to mill block to within .050 from top of piston. Calendar .060 bore over . No choice automatic .
Parts are readily available from many sources. Van Pelt sales, Speedway, EGGE..the list goes on. $ depends on wanted HP. I think 100-120hp wouldn't be asking too much. I'd look to spend anywhere between $3-4K for a decent reliable flathead, including parts and machining.
Last thing you want to do is deck the block any more than to make it flat those surfaces are already too thin, I would say 2k would be minimum investment on a decent flat motor , but just the adapt kit for a c-4 is I think 700.00 range plus a c-4 ... I think thought on another power plant for this project maybe a good idea
Not to mention shrouding the valves. They don't flow like a OHV engine so decking would make it worse.
I think the first thing you want to do is take the heads off of the flathead engine and inspect the cylinder walls to see exactly what you have. This won't cost you anything. You should also check the block for cracks as flatheads are prone to engine cracks. Don't forget you are in Canada and the winter temperatures can get extreme. Poor antifreeze can cause damage. You should be able to determine from a cursory inspection what you have and if machine shop work is required. If you decide not to build the engine a good crack free flathead engine block is always worth money.
probably best to stick with the stock crank, too. a good merc core probably will run $400-500, then you'll need machine work. i just had 2 of em done. one had already been ground .10 & .20 but to chamfer the oil holes and micro-polish, that was another hundred. i had the other ground .10 on the mains, offset ground rod throws for a 4-1/8 stroke, polished and chamfered for another $600. sounds like a lot, but i now have 2 quality cranks for less than the cost of one aftermarket crank.
We stuck a T5 behind our flathead in the roadster. It's the sweetest combo you can imagine. I plan to use a T5 in our next flathead build. You can check out the difference between the world cl*** and earlier non-world cl***T5's also. Either should be good for your project I'm thinking.
I waited around to jump on deals and built my flathead in my roadster with nos valve parts, rings, and gaskets for probably around $900. I wasn't in a big hurry to build it so it took like 3 months to find everything. Its put together totally stock with old bearings in the mains and rods which are within Ford tolerances for use. It also had absolutely no machine work done to it. It runs fine although it did develop a slight valve tick but I don't have adjustable lifters so I will just live with it. On the other hand I am building a very high performance flathead now and plan to have somewhere in the ballpark of $5k into it once all the parts and machine work are tallied up. I have no input on transmissions as I exclusively run early Ford 3 speed boxes
Total cost will come down to what condition your engine is in, how much machine work/labor is necessary at the machine shop and the amount/types of parts you put into it. If you want to save money, then you reuse as much as possible and don't put fancy heads, intakes and 'bling' on it. For a stock rebuild, it is going to be comparable to a stock rebuild on any other V8 (SBC, SBF) - hopefully using a machine shop that knows flatheads! My guess is that you could get away with as low as $1500 - but probably closer to $2000 - 3000. This does not include the C4 stuff! If you start going to a high performance setup, big cubic-inches, stroker crank, finned heads, new intake, new carbs, new ignition, etc -- then you can easily spend $5000 - 8000+ fairly quickly. Flatheads are really cool and fun engines - once you build one, you'll fall in love with it and be glad you did. So - go for it!
Thanks all I see the Flat-O matic kit is $675.00 plus shipping and I ***ume I would need a transmission mount as well . Not sure of the fabrication required. I have an old Rad , It might need to be re cored as well. Looking for a 68 Mustang rear end should fit 60 or 61 inches. Lots to think about during this cold winter.
Not sure of your radiator grill shell size but a cheap radiator alternative is a '64-'66 mustang radiator with a new upper and lower radiator inlet outlet installed so you can use the flatty. It's a common alternative and a lot cheaper than a Br***works or Walker.
Is there a standard color paint for the engine ? When I have it out I may as well paint it. Black now with gold heads thanks I understand as well when I add a c4 transmission I will have to rework the welded x frame were the tail goes through .
There were many standard OEM flatty colors. Remember, Ford used them in everything from '32-'53. Just by looking at your x-member on post #18, yeah it looks like you need some mods.
Flatomatic and C-4 is a great set-up. I have one in a '33 Ford pick-up with 9" rear. Most folks have bias for 3 pedals though. I think your wife would be very pleased with the set-up. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I think because of the cost of this kit as well as rebuilding the engine I will be looking at either a Ford small block or a chevy small block. depends on installation . looking ata 1972 351 cleveland out of a mustang not sure if this might be to large 500 bucks asking he also has a fmx transmission not sure if it will fit .
put cast piston rings, on the original pistons, grind the valves, new rod and main bearings. No need to spend a lot of money. Speedway sells all the parts, but shop around. Or do like I did to my 1939 Ford coupe, put a used 302 in it. you can buy them off craigslist any time.
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