When is it time for a "SBC"????

Simple and inexpensive alternative to AN fittings and braided line: Brass inverted flare fittings and steel brake tubing.

 

Oh yeah, on top of the 235, 302, 327, 350, 351, 352, 360, and 455 ive had, I also got a 54 Newport in the backyard too... with the original running 331 hemi in it... you bet im a "chevy guy".

 

I'm still bored. Even with my own. Yawn.

 

Don't get so butt-hurt about it there scooter..

It'd be a pretty boring world if we all liked the same thing now wouldn't it.

Shawn

 

Anything that moves it forward and backward and puts a smile on your face.

I had a flathead powered Merc, couldnt have thought of a SBC. Now? Who friggin cares.

I wrecked 2 324s with my 55 Olds, put a $500 Chevy drivetrain in it, done deal. Still kickin.

 

what about a inline six got more power then a flathead

 

Hmm....................what if you use a SBC because you happen to like them? I'll be putting one in my Comet this Fall/Winter. Why? because I love the body style but I dont like the running gear.

 

SBC all the way

 

That's funny, I don't care who you are .... !!!!

 

If you want a crank I have 5 or 6 good ones and you can have one if you pick it up. Don't do the SBC, you will never have anything to talk about when you open up the hood. An old ford with a SBC is just not worth talking about, IMHO. If you want real dependability stick with the flattie and build it for driving.

 

This is a thought that go's through my mind every time i see one of these threads. I like them, so i run them. Boring or not, dosn't matter. The last thing i'd do is spend my money so someone else can oogle over what's between my frame rails. Beside's if it get's your car down the road, aside from you who give's a shit what powers it.
The time to run one is whenever you want.

Disclaimer, yes i know there are a LOT of really cool powerplants out there and i have a couple hidden away..i do like different and plan to use them eventually, but i also like to drive so i do what i can afford and enjoy.

 

This argument will never die.SBC is great engine but not the only one out there in my opinion.I have had real good luck with 307 and 350 Olds as well as SBF as well as SBC in my younger days.Its hard to beat the avalibity and price of SBC parts .Not to mention the interchangibilty of parts ,plus the fact that nearly every Meth head and Redneck with a 3rd grade education can work on them .I personally wouldnt use the Flathead (just cuz i dont like them) ,but there are plenty of other options than SBC for a dependable cruiser...

 

I guess no one has taste then if were gettin more looks and awards (all the awards we got were peoples choice awards too) than the hemis and flatties with our "old ford with a sbc"

Like another poster said, i'm not gonna spend more money for a few more looks.

Whats the point of hot rodding? Building a car YOU like, can maintain, and afford OR... building a car other people will like, thats out of your budget, and has little to no parts availability.

How many of you guys are running a automatic? a ford 9"? radius rods? shorty headers?

If I was rich, you can bet i'd be running something besides a sbc, i'd be dropping potvin blown flatties and v12's or blown SOHC 427's and Boss 429's in all my rides, but until that day, i'll do what I can within my budget.

 

a 350 can be done tastefully and theres nothin wrong with em'

 

I think the dependabilty factor is the reason he is considering a SBC.

 

Hey 35 rat! was the crankshaft in the flatty turned on the rod journals??? If it was turned is there a nice radius or is it knife edged?? And by any chance was the journal that broke welded?? Just curious>>>>.

 

Why is the leap always from Flatty to sbc? What's wrong with keeping her all Ford? I mean really, I've heard stuff like this before, "the Flathead gave up so I stuffed in a chevy". Almost like the guy wants to punish Ford for building an engine that breaks after only 70 years!

Really a Flathead Ford is one of the few antique engines that is dependable enough to keep pace with modern traffic. What makes people think Ford's more contemporary offerings would'nt be just as good? I just got back from a 1300 mile round trip in my Flatty powered `41. My buddy Vic did it in his 8RT powered `53 Ford panel truck.

Flatheads are also one of the easiest engines to fix if you do have a problem on the side of the road, especially the later ones like your Merc. Fix your engine, put on some Skip Haney water pumps, convert to 12 volts and be done with it.

 

Ok
heres the update. After disassembly it apears the problem was with the welded up stroker crank. I bought the engine from a friend that came in a car he bought. he didnt know how it was built and i didnt care, i just wanteda runner to put in my car.
I pulled the rest of it apart today and found that it had Jahns pistons, 8ba rods and after close inspection of the crank you can see where it was welded and turned down. it looked to me like it had been turned down too much. it broke right at the fillet/ radius.
I will have to admit that for a stroker i wasnt that impressed. But with such a heavy car what can you expect.
The only reason i even posted this was because the sbc was FREE. I know hemis, Olds, Nailheads, etc... are equally cool and i agree a Ford in a Ford is the way to go also. I really think the overall car and what your after makes a big difference.

Anyway doe anyone have a Comp Height chart for all the stroker Flathead combinations to tell what stroke i really had???
And yes i did look at the crank for the stamping and i cant find it.

 

Engine Pro 5X

It was a welded stroker. do you have a Comp Ht chart for different strokes.

Lets see if all the experts will chime in with a comp ht chart.

 

What's the distance from the top of the pistion to the center of the piston pin?

 

Tudor
It measures 1.300, it was measure with some calipers so it is probably + or - a few thousanths.

 

As I looked real hard at the pic I thought that the crank had been turned and the radius was overlooked or the crank had been welded and the same with the radius. Either method in my opinion is borrowed time!!! The 3.750 stroke ch is1.561,the 4.000 stroke ch is 1.436,and the 4.125 ch is 1.374. When I read the reply of yours that said the car was a survivor I about shit myself. That being said I would most deff fix the flat-head. People are quick to throw an engine to the junk claim the design is no good when the fault is usually caused by something else. I know that the flathead will do the job with the correct choice of parts and machine work,assembly,and opperation. When we look back at the failure of this engine it had nothing to do with it being a flat-head at all>>>>.

 

This is from Ross pistons http://www.rosspistons.com/custom_compression_height.php

I am not sure if this applies to flat heads or not - but I am not sure why it wouldn't

To calculate the compression height, use the following formula:

Block height minus 1/2 the crank stroke, minus the rod length, minus the deck clearance (amount piston is "in the hole").

For example, a 350 Chevy engine with a stock 3.480 stroke, stock length 5.700 rod, standard .017 deck clearance and standard 9.025 block height would be:

3.480 stroke divided by 2 = 1.74

9.025 - 1.740- 5.700 - .017 = a compression height of 1.568

​

 

So if i do the math correctly- i had a 4.25 strroke flathead! based off Engine Pro 5x last bit of info. based on the following math 4.125 ch= 1.374 minus 4.00ch=1.436 = .062 difference. so there is .062 per 1/8" stroke, Correct? so if i take 4.125ch/ 1.374 minus .062 i get 1.312 ch and my rough measurement with calipers measures 1.300. i got the 1.300 from measuring the piston top to the top of the pin hole= .925 and than the pin hole measures .748/ 2 = .374 + .925= 1.299

know i am really sick to my stomach knowing i broke a 4 1/4 stroker. but it was inevitable when looking at the crank. it was only a matter of time. i think ill get another crank and a set of pistons, balance, hone it and throw it back together.
2 of the pistons had some scuffs and locked the oil rings which explains my oil consumtion problem.

 

sbc are a great engine ,flatheads are cool, but to me the most boreing are the people that say put a ford in a ford or a mopar in a mopar or a chevy in a chevy we are not stockers were hot rodder,s use a body that we like and a drivetrain that we like and have fun

 

I personally dont see the big deal in swapping in a sbc. if your looking for a strong driving car something u can jump in and go then a newer rebuilt motor is the way to go. That and when something does break on you, you can run to the local auto parts store and get it up and running instead of hunting for a motor that lacks power and reliability

 

Oh Chris......you don't really think this way do ya???? You outta look at some magazines from '56-'65....lots of SBC's and no patina'd, trailer'd banger powered cars.

Not fixing and painting yer car could be considered LAZY and CHEAP too......

 

Ooooo, uh oh, yep, It's time for a small block Chevy right now. Hope there's shit tickets. It's been smellin' like Chevy all morning. Oh yeah, no doubt, it's a steamy Chevy.

 

That's the spirit! Glad to see you're going to keep the flatty.

I've referred to mine as an eight cylinder water heater, which the by-product happens to propel the car in a forward motion. Fast? No. Reliable? So far. Cheap? I'll let you know if I have to fix it! Fun? OH HELL YES!

Then again, you do have a FREE SBC laying around....

 

survivor, then redo the flatty..

the problem wasnt that it was a flatty, it was the poor way it was done...