5 Flathead Myths Before You Buy!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ค. 2024
- Top Five Myths around Flathead Ford Engines.
5. Flathead Ford Engines are not good engines because they constantly overheat. 1:13
4. Does My Engine Have Vapor Lock 9:07
3. Flathead's with cracks are no good. 13:46
2. You can’t daily Drive a Flathead Ford 15:47
1. Sellers of old fords claiming they have a Numbers Matching Engine 18:54
Be Sure To Check Us Out At Myflatheadford.com - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Had a neighbor in the 70s that rebuilt flatties. After stripping down the block, he and his friends would pick it up and drop it on 3 layers of plywood on the pan side. then on the manifold side, then flip it around a bit. a lot of rust would fall out of the inside of the block passages.
I can't comment on V8 engine numbers, but in model A flat head fours, the engine number is stamped on the side of the block, and not the transmission. When the engine was assembled into the chassis, the number was stamped into the top left rail of the chassis. So, you can date the engine and chassis from these numbers as the dates for the engine numbers are known.
Many engines tend to get hot without a thermostat. One outlier is the second generation Chevy Stovebolt. The water passage that feeds the upper hose neck is a narrow slot - naturally restrictive.
I’ve never had a days problem with my 81A flatty. I rebuilt a 1941 lend-lease engine that came over to England back in the day. Everything was hot tanked back to new metal, one crack was metal stitched. Heads were machined down by 1mm to bring the CR up to between 8 and 9 as all fuel is 95octane here. Changed out cam and front cover for 59A to use the Crab distributor and electronic ignition. Electronic fuel pump set to 3-4 psi with a gauge to check, Ford 94 carb, rebuilt with new power valve, acceleration pump and jets from vintage speed in Florida. All other parts standard NOS. Runs great, no over heating on a NOS 1950s ford radiator with 4psi cap. Only problem I’ve had is carb icing in winter, I’m glad it has the inlet manifold exhaust manifold ports or this problem would be worse.
My only complaint is that you didn't make this video back in 1975 when I first got my 1940 Ford Fordor Deluxe. It took me well over 40 years to figure out most of the things you talked about in this video-the cooling thing was especially difficult to understand (with everyone telling me that the Flathead V8 was essentially designed wrong and would always overheat. Thank you very much for making a great video with excellent information sir! Extremely well done!
Good video, enjoying the flat-spot from the beginning
I love that the overheated car he shows has a SBC in it. 😂
Glad you caught that.
I helped rebuild one for small engine class for hs with my best friend rusty. One of two “As” I got in high school
Sir you do a very good presentation and you are very good soul.
I think Corvettes are the only pre 68 cars that can truly have a matching numbers engine. For other cars, it would be just coincidence if they matched, OR, a re-stamp.
I have 2 running .125 over 50 mercs that can idle all day without overheating with the new style water pumps
Old guy here who was driving in the 50's when flattie Fords and Mercs were around in the used market. Had a few. By 1960 you could buy a shoe box Ford with 100,000 miles for $50 with intact glass and a straight body. Gasoline was $0.19 for regular. And we lived in the Santa Cruz mountains. So lots of pretty good hills to climb. All those old flatties over heated. And that's where the urban legend came from - used cars. Pulling a grade in second gear with a worn engine pumping exhaust through the water jacket, yup they'd be bubbling away. But that was true of Chryslers flathead six's too. Every body wanted OHV used cars cause they were easier to keep cool 😅
These engines have come a long way with a don't of improved parts. That may have been the case in 1950s and 60s. But it is honestly rarely a problem with modern improvements.
Regarding the matching numbers thing, here in Australia, all cars were issued with an engine number corresponding to a chassis number. I had a friend years ago that built a 1938 Ford roadster out of bits (literally the body shell was in bits), he purchased a complete driveline rolling 38 chassis, and all the numbers matched up, well to the sedan that the chassis came out from! Ford Australia may have used the gearbox number for the entire numbering system...I think as it was the same #. All of our Ford mechanical pieces back then came out of Canada.
Very good point about matching numbers to me rhe biggest scam is when people say everything in this car is completely original all that really means is most things need to be rebuilt or replaced.
Chevy Small Blocks can also suffer from low fuel pump pressure, and for the same reason - a worn pump push rod.
These days, most machine shops can repair cracked blocks. I know one guy who repaired a perforated 1948 Jaguar 6 cylinder engine. They can be repaired, but it's going to cost you.
Correct, it comes down to cost vs value.
I ❤ old FORD Flatheads 👍🏻🇺🇸😊
well done!!
The Ford flathead won't overheat if you port out the center exhaust port diameter to equalize the pack pressure with the other exhaust ports. The Flathead Ford engine will overheat every time if you take it on the interstate, it wasn't designed for that. Henry should have made that center exhaust port bigger.
I don't disagree that this helps. But I have guys that run their engines daily on the highway in Arizona and have no problems. If the engine is running correctly and well maintained. It's a non-issue. With modern water pumps, better gearing options, Improved ignition, better tires, oil, and coolant. These engines only overheat when they are in need of maintenance.
Hmmm. Other than headers, dual exhaust and a stromberg 97 I’m running a bone stock flatty in my 40 Ford. I can drive it all day on the freeway at 60 mph with no issues. It can sit in the garage and idle all day with no issues. The only time it starts to run hot is when I get stuck in a traffic jam and start working the clutch to inch along a couple of feet at a time. I’ve completely gone through the distributor and as far as I know the point gap and timing are set correctly but I really don’t know how to verify that. I have a 12v timing light but the car is 6v. BTW, I have also replaced the water pumps even though the old ones seemed to work fine. I’ve also had the radiator rebuilt and recored. As long as I don’t get stuck in traffic or a long line entering a show, the car runs well.
Suggestions?
My dad used to change thermostats from 160 to 180 when he went from water to alcohol for the winter.
Back in the dark ages of dirt track racing, we would knock every other impeller off the pumps to slow the coolant down. LOL what did we know.
AKA 'fire-tube boilers'.
hahahahaha and the rear cylinder on buick straight eights isn't prone to overheating either hahahaha.
At 75 I had more than a few flatties over the years and we always got a bit nervous in really warm weather
We didn't have aluminum rads and high perf cooling chemicals back then though.
My 41 Ford shorty dump truck never liked long grades with, or without, a load and it was well maintained.
Everything has its' plusses and minuses.
Would Turbocharging with a 4 barrel intake with Electronic fuel injection and Electronic ignition be a good combination for a daily driveable flathead?
And I would consider 18 - 20Mpg "good" fuel mileage for a classic hotrod is that possible?
Especially whith higher geared rear-end in a light vehicle?
What type of oil should I use in a 1939 ford sedan?
What's the max street-able NA hp of a flathead?
my black 49 F1 can idle all day long in 100 degree heat and the temp stays normal.
My current project is a 48 F1. The serial number and the location of the battery tray tell me it came with a 6 cylinder. It came to me with a flathead with EAC heads and upon tearing down the engine, i found a mercury crank also. I have an 89 S10 T5 for it with .79 overdrive. I have a ford 9" with 3.50 gears i want to use as well. With 29" tall tires the math works out to around 2300 rpm at 60 mph. In your opinion, is the 3.50 gear acceptable? Not hot rodding, just cruising. Thanks, great video!
Yes, that is perfect. I am running a 3:27 and I worry that is to low. Yours is perfect.
Thanks. I was wrong about the rpm, it's actually 1900
I’m using 85 S-10 T5 with the 4.00:1 first gear and 4.26:1 rear axle gears in the Dana 41. I start in 2nd and it’s near perfect. I’d like 4.56:1 rear gears and am considering a switch to Ford 9” because I pull a boat trailer with my 49 F-1.
If you have a crack between the cylinder and valves can you weld it and machine it back down?
Some of the time, yes. But it depends on how much meat is left on the bone, so to say.
Does this information also apply to the Lincoln V12 flathead?
Yes and no. The v12s had other problems. Such as bad crank case ventilation and often over heating was caused by missing pump baffles.
How do you feel about fuel injection on a flathead Ford?
Currently in the process of installing that kit on my flathead. I have found that the 2brl sniper is better than the 4brl. 4 is to much fuel.
You didn't say anything about engine cooling that was specific to flatheads. All of your advice applies to any old car with a radiator, especially that it's smart to use a new thermostat rather than none. Car engines are designed to have a thermostat. It regulates flow based on temperature, and it's important. If your rig keeps overheating flush all the crap out of the system until it runs clean and start over. Removing the thermostat and keeping your cap loose is at best a stop gap measure to get home so you can service your car properly.
Ok... so you didn't watch the video.
@@THEFLATSPOT sure I did, and it applies to all engines with radiators. There's no way around routine maintenance.
i take issue with anyone that says "you cant daily" and then name a car or truck. hell i once met a guy that daily drove a retired semi truck as his personal vehicle. if you make the claim that it cant be driven daily. than i think it speaks to YOU as a person. not the vehicle. short of a trabant. i dont know of many vehicles id say you cant daily. but thats based on reliablity. or lack thereof. not creature comforts. want good fuel economy and ac? you probably dont belong in a classic. its that simple lol as far as "well fuel economy 😮💨" well. dont drive it. ill drive what i like lol i like c10 chevys. i dailyed my c10 till i blew the engine. 😒
You do a very good presentation but it is a poor design. I worked on some years ago. How about valve adjustment on a flathead weird is the best way to describe that.
I mean, modern adjustable lifters solve that problem. But most engines of that time were gound to fit.
I am a 71 years old man, bored and raised in the mechanical field, something that always puzzle me is how could it be that those old flat head engines always run smoother than the newer engines?, back then the technology wasn't as sophisticated as now.
pryus?😅🤣😂
So you have redesigned the engine and fire and flames no longer exit under the intake manifold interesting when you make statements like they rarely overheat some people have been programmed to buy things that don't work very well. Oh iget it it's not overheating it just runs hot sounds like when you try to get warranty work done a ford dealership. Some people refuse to acknowledge what they are actually looking at.
My engine runs 180-185 all Day Long. In Arizona heat. If your engine is overheating, something is wrong. Period. I have guys that daily these engines and have no overheating problems. Hell, people in the comments say the same thing. Your info is outdated and self-serving.
The flathead was one of the most poorly designed engines ever made they vapor locked because of the fire from the exhaust under the intake manifold no other reason. The thing speaks for itself.
I field about 30 vapor lock cases every 6 months. Only about 3-5 on average are actually vapor lock. Especially with aluminum intakes, it is almost not a thing.
What about the Oldsmobile diesel v8? The Ford flathead is lightyears ahead of that heap! Stretched head bolts?
Well actually the Ford flathead was a breakthrough in metallurgy and design in it's time and have Ford the most economically powerful cars of the time. It created millions of units in sales in it's time. If you compare it to engine design of 75 years later of course there are issues that have been sorted out but for goodness sakes there should have been upgrades in that much time. The Flathead was far and away the best selling engine of it's time period.
You can't argue with physics the valves are in line exhaust fire comes out of the exhaust valve goes under the intake manifold then between the cylinders and finally out of the engine thru the exhaust manifold. When I was a young man and worked in a garage when we pulled the head on a ford flathead the blocks were cracked some were expansion cracks which were accepted as normal. Usually the top compression rings were broken into many pieces. The basic design of the engine allows it to run too hot. This is normal for a flathead ford. The most informative thing you have said in your speech is the word STUPID.
Yeah, well, that is why I started our community. For people new to the hobby to learn, without people who always need to post self-serving comments and feed their own ego at other people's expense. We supply a friendly environment in which to learn. You clearly wouldn't last long.
This guy likes the sound of his voice a little too much.
Is that the official opinion of you and your 6 subscribers?
Is the flatty a ‘good’ engine design? No, it’s terrible. It’s nearly 100 years old, obviously it’s not a good design in comparison to an engine from 2024. Was it fine for the day? Yes, great engine.
I don't consider today's engines all that great. Would much rather have a Ford Flathead.
@@jamesbosworth4191 that’s an odd comment. I have a 4 litre v8 from 1997, it doesn’t leak oil, doesn’t suffer internal ware, has large running times between oil changes, has 200,000 miles on it, has never been appart, doesn’t get hot, makes 300 BHP. Has good emissions etc. The only thing that the flathead is better at is its smaller external dimensions… and the lovely exhaust note. My neighbour always comes over when my flatty is running on the drive to complement on how lovely it sounds.
@@alastairmcmurray4873 When I say "modern engines", I am talking about Japanese engines. I don't like them and would rather have a Ford Flathead over them.
Again you can't argue with physics you are as hard headed as Henry ford
Actually you can. Especially when I run a group of 30k people and this is rarely a problem. Modern coolant, better rings, harden seats and better exhaust. Sprinkle in improved water pumps and better formulation of oil, and the problems are practicly gone. The only hard-headed one is the guy pulling from 50+ year old information.