A few weeks ago I posted a thread all about flathead F-head conversions. It was all inspired a couple months back when I came across a Madis dry sump for a Ford 4 cylinder and began scouring the online world for information. The pumps were used with the Madis F-heads, and I guess I just got distracted ... I had hoped that I could somehow find a wealth of information that I could share with you on the oil pump, but I have ended up with a thousand more question and not a single answer. So, here is the very little amount of information that I have come up with- if you've got something, let me know! What I know: -Madis Engineering Co. was out of Bellflower CA. according to the ID tag, but state records don't show that the business existed; and least not under that name. -Madis made mostly parts for 1940s-1950s single-seater hydroplanes. I talked to a gentleman who used to own the Frankie's Boy racer, and he confirmed that there was a Madis oil pump on the front of the Ford G-series inline six. He also said that he has had a few boats with Ford inline engines running these over the years, but he was never able find any information on the company. -Supposedly, the pumps were designed with the different 'ears' on them so that they could be mounted to the timing cover in place of the distributor or a keyed-spacer could be used to put the distributor on the front of the pump. Here is an article from the March, 1951 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. You can see the pump mentioned in the article, but the engine being used a an H series, which uses a distributor off to the side rather than the G series with the distributor off of the front. These pictures were shot and the engine has been sitting in LA since. To the best of my knowledge, it was never actually run in a car/ boat/ etc. This is from the article 'Speed Parts Review' in Fawcetts #129 Hot Rod Handbook (1951-ish ?). (thank you Bruce Lancaster for finding me the exact issue # after you posted about it six years ago!!). Notice, the same shots and description are used but the application of the valve cover is not even mentioned. Also, you can see the keyway for the distributor. Now, we get to what we have today. Here is the pump itself. Unlike the ones in the ads, it has a front cover (since the Model A's obviously don't drive one off the front). You can also see how some of the mounting ears have been shaved or removed, and the mounting holes have been moved as well. While some of it looks like it was done with care and patience, other parts look like they were done with a hack-saw. The lower inside surface has been clearance in the right area and at the right depth for a standard Model A crank pulley. BUT when in place, there is no way a belt would be able to from the crank pulley to the water pump pulley without an idler pulling it in. Furthermore, on the mount the generator mount is missing from the timing cover. So, if you can't run a water pump and don't want to run a generator, why even bother having a crank pulley?
Here are a couple shots of the timing cover itself. The casting is decent, but there are no manufacturer markings to be found on it. There has obviously been some grinding and welding on it. While the machined surface for the pump is beautiful, it looks like the casting was cleaned up with some 60-grit on a grinder. I found a few things really interesting about it. First, there are two plates fixed to the face for the oil pump to bolt to. I have no clue why they would use two pieces instead of one, or why they wouldn't just cast it as one piece (unless, of course, it was somebody else's front cover that had been modified). Lastly, there is a tremendous amount of weld built up on the front side where the bushing is located for the mag.
This is the side-plate for the magneto. Strangely, it isn't designed for a Wico or modern (at the time) magneto, but rather an early Bosch-type magneto with the large keyed-drive that mounts with four bolts on the bottom. Again, there have been a lot of welded repairs. If you look at the support spar on the bottom though, it almost looks it was cast separately and welded on. The aluminum is much, much nicer and doesn't have any of the same pitting and discoloration as the rest. Here are a couple more pictures of it assembled to scratch your head at ... Thanks in advance for you input, and a GIANT thanks to Bruce Lancaster for finding me the Fawcett ad. -Rob
Is this similar? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203820222098952&set=gm.181715225332557&type=1&theater
I'm just starting to look that thing over...beyond cool, and something I've only seen in tiny, grainy pictures. Look at the holes and undrilled bosses in the thing as shown in the pics. Looks to me like the thing was cast with provisions to drive off the front of a flathead, and looks like it could have been fitted to drive the distributor too. I haven't figured out what combos it would have fit if it had been built for that use, but the total possibilities could help date it. Looks at first glace capable of taking '37-41 as well as early, which of course would fit commonest magnetos, maybe even '42 types possible. Another HRM source for the period dry sumps...the issue on a GMC engine build for Indianapolis and I think tech in adjacent issues shows some. I know there were available elsborate front mounts for those engines to drive a whole array of race car appliances, I think maybe later sold by McGurk for sixes and later for SBC??? You should dig into Fawcett books from what you have up into about 1960. Lots of cool snippets, and in the later years they were put together by Race car and Miller nut Griffith Borgeson, who worshipped shiny pieces of aluminum and their purveyors. I can help you a bit with search technique, perhaps, and also look for any early McGurk stuff.
The Jalopy Journal
