Flathead

Hey guys, I'm new to this fourm, but from what I've been reading, you guys seem to give out a lot of help.

I'm a youngin' around here, only 17 years. I have a 1949 Ford Coupe that I'm looking to do some work on. I'm looking to pull the in-line 6 from it, and buy a flathead. Preferably a flathead WITHOUT a cracked block. Please? lol.

What i'm really looking for is a flathead that hasn't been rebuilt. I have a family friend who does all sorts of engine work and is really reliable, and I'm going to have him rebuild it all over. I don't want to pay extra for someone elses mistakes.

I would prefer pictures, and It is CRUCIAL that the seller lives in NY, for I would rather not travel too far. Send me e-mails to tbs8866@yahoo.com

Thanks a lot guys.

-Rick

Rick I'm working on one myself and I'll keep an eye out if I see another for sale. Well is Bellmore? Bart

Welcome to the forum. If possible, have any prospective block checked for problems like hairline cracks before you buy it. Many flatheads are unusable because of similar issues.

Don

Welcome ,here is some general flathead reading.
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...athead_engine/

Thanks a lot guys, that reading is interesting, and I can't wait to get my motor, and get everything done up for spring/summer. Thanks again.

-Rick

Got to ask, why a flattie??? For the money it takes to get a good one together, dollar for dollar performance on any small block Ford, Chebbie, or Mopar is going to be considerably higher performance level.... Flatties do have the nostalgic look, but IMO the $$$ can be better spent on a higher and more reliable performance level engine,,, buy hey, JMO.

A Flatty will eat up a small budget quickly. they look awsome but if your on a budget, look past a flathead. Buick Nailheads also look nice, you could find 1 in running condition in a '64-'67 Riveria, as well as some Buick Wildcats. a repaint and some nice valve covers, you'd have a nice looking engine. I'm 1 that goes for the non normal stuff, that's 1 reason why I'm turbocharging my '67 Falcon's 200 I6. keeping the 235 str8 6 in my '51 Chevy, rather than going V8.

To be honest, I'm not looking to put something out landish. I want something that captures the look, and can also perform the way I want it to. I don't want a small block in my Ford, I want a flathead. Thats it. Thank you for the ideas though. When I have something NOT so important to me I will do something radical like that.

-Rick

what are you looking for, in the line of performance?. getting the look is easy but expensive, as heads and intakes are still produced, you could get an offy intake and Edelbrock heads, probably the cheapest way to a nice looking flathead. www.speedwaymotors.com sells those parts, but be prepared to pay $$$ for them. problem with the flathead is they are prone to cracking and bad cooling carecteristics, so finding a good 1 is hard, you may go thru 3 or more blocks b4 you find a fixable block. you have to have them magnafluxed to check for cracks and that's $$$. they are awsome engines, they look great, sound awsome and will catch anybody's eye but there just so expensive to build. this is why I suggested the Buick Nailhead, still considered a nostalgia engine, can have the look of the '60's with finned aluminum valve covers, 6 stromberg carbs ect... yet finding a running engine in good shape is a lot easier. I come across a lot of Riveria's with 401's and 425's for 1k or less.

Well, then if you're prepared to spend the bucks to make a flathead work, have a ball. Last one I did I got most of the goodies from Flathead Jack out in Ca. Expensive, but good stuff.

So... does anyone have one in NY?

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Originally Posted by HotRodRick49

So... does anyone have one in NY?

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I don't know of any myself. Contact Flathead Jack, he may know of some, or have some you could buy. whatever you do, have them magnafluxed. Speedway motors has a flathead preassure checker, for 24 stud engines, $249 but it can detect cracks and leaks within the block, if someone would allow you to check it that way, buy it and then tear it down and have it magnafluxed or buy a magnaflux kit yourself, if the block is cracked and deemed not repairable after that, keep all the internals and send the junker block out into the pasture, get another engine, do the same until you find a good block.

Heres the thing. A lot of the work, I don't pay for. For I do myself, and my family is a bunch of motor heads so we have the right equipment. Whos FlatheadJack? I would love to contact him to hopefully he will know, what I have to know. Time is wasting, If I want to get this done by the end of the spring to have it goin for the summer, I gotta get a move on it. Thanks for everyone's help.

-Rick

http://www.flatheadjack.com. as long as sombody in your faimily has a motor/ machine shop you should be good, as magnafluxing is going to be your main concern on a flathead. but you may find yourself welding minor cracks, it's a special prosesse for cast iron, but a machine shop would know how. just be prepared to buy more than 1 block, you will go thru a few b4 you will find a repairable block. where is bellmore?

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Originally Posted by Matt167

http://www.flatheadjack.com. as long as sombody in your faimily has a motor/ machine shop you should be good, as magnafluxing is going to be your main concern on a flathead. but you may find yourself welding minor cracks, it's a special prosesse for cast iron, but a machine shop would know how. just be prepared to buy more than 1 block, you will go thru a few b4 you will find a repairable block. where is bellmore?

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Matt, thank you so much for all of your help. Being a young-gun around here, I'm gonna need help. Theres a guy up in Detroit that says his flathead has no cracks, and hopefully he has proof of it somehow. He said its been magnafluxed and such, but I can't trust anyone. Bellmore is on Long Island, about 35-40 minutes from New York City. What is the best setup for the carbs/manifold? And I know this is mostly a choice question, which out of the box carbs are the biggest bang for my buck? Thanks.

-Rick

well, there is no out of the box carbs that will bolt directly to a reproduced flatty manifold, except the 1's that accept a single 4 barral, get the offy 3 carb manifold from www.speedwaymotors.com get a block off plate for the center carb, get 2 3 bolt- newer 2bbl ( 5200 series carb ) adaptors, they sell them also, then go to www.stoveboltengineco.com and get 2 of the Holley/ Webber 5200 carbs he sells, there only $89 each.

Dig around on eBay and try a google search. Number of companies specializing in flattie carbs and such. The most sought after are the old Stromberg 97's, I've seen companies selling them with complete rebuilds and some updates to cure some of the old difficulties with the Strombergs. (Sticking floats and loose throttle shafts)

Just for general info, new 97's are being reproduced now with some fixes to the old problems; http://www.stromberg-97.com/stromberg97.htm

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Just for general info, new 97's are being reproduced now with some fixes to the old problems; http://www.stromberg-97.com/stromberg97.htm

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forgot that they are now reproducing the 97's.

Hi! Rick,
Just another Flathead comment. I went through 13 Flat Blocks and still haven't found a good one. but I haven't given up. A lot of these Blocks could have been repaired as it turns out. Check the 'Street Rodder' Magazine archive of articles on the Flathead. A wealth of info and contacts. Keep after it, nothing sounds like a 'Flattie' (My 06' Hot Rod Thrill this year was listening to a Dual engine (Injected!) Flattie Rail run the Quarter mile, not soon forgotten).
Two problems with Ford Flatties are Cracking and Rust out. There still seem to be plenty of blocks available, however at the high rate of Failure and the expense of checking them out (I have almost $3.000 in tanking and checking, and still don't have a good one!)), I would only conditionally buy a block. The condition being that if anything is found that would reject the block for any reason, then a refund is due, a FIXABLE block is not worth a lot around here the average cost to fix one is around here (NW) $1.200.00 to $1.500.00 and that still leaves a lot additional expenses before it Purrs.

Good! Luck, ............ 3Deuce27

Hi! Rick,
Just another Flathead comment. I went through 13 Flat Blocks and still haven't found a good one. but I haven't given up. A lot of these Blocks could have been repaired as it turns out. Check the 'Street Rodder' Magazine archive of articles on the Flathead. A wealth of info and contacts. Keep after it, nothing sounds like a 'Flattie' (My 06' Hot Rod Thrill this year was listening to a Dual engine (Injected!) Flattie Rail run the Quarter mile, not soon forgotten).
Two problems with Ford Flatties are Cracking and Rust out. There still seem to be plenty of blocks available, however at the high rate of Failure and the expense of checking them out (I have almost $3.000 in tanking and checking, and still don't have a good one!)), I would only conditionally buy a block. The condition being that if anything is found that would reject the block for any reason, then a refund is due, a FIXABLE block is not worth a lot around here the average cost to fix one is around $1.200.00 to $1.500.00 and that still leaves a lot additional expenses before it Purrs.

Good! Luck, ............ 3Deuce27
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Originally Posted by 3Deuce27

Hi! Rick,
Just another Flathead comment. I went through 13 Flat Blocks and still haven't found a good one. but I haven't given up. A lot of these Blocks could have been repaired as it turns out. Check the 'Street Rodder' Magazine archive of articles on the Flathead. A wealth of info and contacts. Keep after it, nothing sounds like a 'Flattie' (My 06' Hot Rod Thrill this year was listening to a Dual engine (Injected!) Flattie Rail run the Quarter mile, not soon forgotten).
Two problems with Ford Flatties are Cracking and Rust out. There still seem to be plenty of blocks available, however at the high rate of Failure and the expense of checking them out (I have almost $3.000 in tanking and checking, and still don't have a good one!)), I would only conditionally buy a block. The condition being that if anything is found that would reject the block for any reason, then a refund is due, a FIXABLE block is not worth a lot around here the average cost to fix one is around $1.200.00 to $1.500.00 and that still leaves a lot additional expenses before it Purrs.

Good! Luck, ............ 3Deuce27
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13 blocks!!

I think I would find another machine shop. Are you marking your blocks somehow so that you know it is your block they are rejecting?

Are you rejecting a block for cracks around head stud holes? The only cracks considered fatal really are pan rail cracks.

You may be your machinist's "supplier" of good flathead blocks at this point!

I have built several flatmotors, and have a crack rate of about 3 in 10 being severely cracked.

Sir Speedy!

Most of the Flat Head Blocks I rejected due to wanting a very good Block. The Machine Shop is absolutely Trustworthy and I reclaimed all the blocks. I'm also a Trained Machinist so I know what I'm looking at.

Nice Deuce ............................... 3 Deuce27

I have half a dozen Ford of Canada truck blocks that were not so prone to cracking. They do have the crack between the center head bolt and the small water passage, but that one doesn't matter much, they run good with that. Several 4" merc cranks, too, one's even standard and good,great for a stroker, and o/s pistons and rods. Too bad you're half the continent away from Saskatchewan, freight would be a bitch.
I found me a rebuilt .030 over 255 that purrs like a kitten full of cream, so I'm spared the expense of a rebuild, and have all these other parts available. Kinda looking for used speed stuff like heads and manifolds, will swap or buy.

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Originally Posted by 3Deuce27

Most of the Flat Head Blocks I rejected due to wanting a very good Block.
Nice Deuce ............................... 3 Deuce27

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I'm still a little lost -

So what kind of cracks made you reject them?

Sir Speedy/R POPE!

Blocks were rejected due to 'any' crack, rust-out, or not meat enough left to bore out. One is assembled as a Display Motor.

R POPE; Thanks for the offer of potential Blocks, I'm sure you will have no trouble getting them into the hands of 'Flathead Lovers'. I have picked up two more complete engines and what appears to be a Cherry 51' Merc block. Despite that I'm going to run a Flathead Cadillac, heavy, but absolutely reliable. I will be putting lots of miles (5000+) and Long High Desert Trips in August (Bonneville) every summer on my Swap Meet 27' Roadster.
I'm building a Mold/molds for a 3-Deuce Manifold for the engine. In the mean time I'm looking for an 'EDMUNDS' Duel Deuce Manifold and Finned Heads for the Caddy. Any lead would be appreciated.

....................................... 3 Deuce27