1st.... I need to know the bolt size for the bellhousing and the gearbox (when i moved i trashed all my nuts and bolts) 2nd.... Is there a better type of finned heads? 3rd.... Is there a better intake? I am almost finished making a stand for my merc flattie and then i'd like to snoop around for some nice goodies... Thanks! Leon
I have offenhauser finned heads which have worked great for my 8BA flathead.I got mine from H&H in california.But you have your choice of edelbrock and navarro as well.I heard that the navarro heads made by H&H are very good.My intake is a offy regular dual carb..again great for a street flathead i have never had any problems with the offenhauser brand
Leon - you have to give us a LOT more information to work from! What year flathead, what transmission, etc.. There is a TON on information on the HAMB, I suggest you take a bit of time and do some 'flathead searches' -- there will be more information than you can possibly digest. What is your application, rebuild or just some "top dressing" - how much money are you looking to spend, etc... A lot more details will help folks get a clue as to whether or not they have any information to help your cause.
49-50 Merc flattie that was running smooth and flawless and a 3 speed with it. So i guess that rebuild wont happen unless it needs it. I guess the money will be dictated on how good or rare the piece is....you have to understand, we dont have ANY parts for these motors around here so asking around the locals will bring you up short. I'm sorry if i dont seem to have it going on with knowledge of these,.....because i dont! But, i would like to stay with the old tried and true performance parts over the new parts... The bolt size would be a nice start...lol I have been searching the threads...and it's an overload of info and opinions...so i cheated by asking...lol thanks Leon
I can't help you with the bolt size. But I've got 49-53 speed parts for sale. fenton heads, fenton 4x2 intake, Edmunds 2x2 intake etc...........
You need 3/8" NC bolts, grade 5, about 1" long - and lock washers. The transmission case is about 3/8 inches thick and the bell housing is about 3/8" thick as well, so with a lock washer, that should do it. Since your engine is already is good running shape, the question becomes whether or not you're looking for just dress-up stuff, more horsepower . . . or both. The parts that are the most valuable (from a performance perspective) - to be bolted into/onto a stock engine are as follows: 1) Good 3/4 Cam, adjustable lifters and Lincoln Zephyr type valve springs.l 2) Dual Carb Manifold and carbs that are correctly setup 3) Tubular headers and dual exhaust 4) Higher compression -- usually achieved by new heads, filling and milling, etc.. All of the above require a GOOD ignition . . . so going to 12 volts and making sure you have a good solid ignition is key. I like to go electronic or magneto, but either one is a fair amount of $$$. No performance mods can work without good spark - so don't make the mistake of not taking care of this area. There are many opinions on flatheads -- and some will not agree with the above, but in almost ANY engine . . . what you'll do for performance follows the same general path. Fuel, air, spark, compression, ignition, flow and cubic inches. Once you've considered the above . . . and maybe want to rebuild the engine, then there is "no replacement for displacement". If you already have a Merc motor, then you should already have a 4" stroke crankshaft (you're at 255 cubic inches). On a rebuild, consider boring top 3 5/16 -- then you'll have 276 cubes. Once you get to bigger engines, then bigger valves (1.6" stainless), street porting, relieving and other "breathing" work really comes into play. Hope this helps . . . it is my flathead short story of the day
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