Flemming # 39; Fat Flathead
I do not know how many times I've heard people say they wanted someone throw new flatheads Well, the best thing that happened to the French army decided to divest their shares in modern flatheads and a lot of them are now here in the good old USA through engineering and Halibrand Motor City Flathead in fact, as it appeared, it was through a third party, but I did not know where Has been written.
I got to drool over a Heartland Hot Rod Reunion wants Halibrand 1500 each for a laid bare machined block that seems a lot to me, but I must say, they are beautiful LeJuerrne Richard, owner of Halibrand said he bought all warehouse french military blocs, whole engines and bouquets of parts he says he doesn t even know what all he blocks are packed in crates in a french version of Cosmoline.
They are quite interesting and not just as Americans flatheads, although all our flathead goodies apparently adapt them The first thing you notice is the quality of the castings No flash, no core changes obviously, not eaten with 50 years of decay the rear ends as a style of 59A with a cast in the bell housing and the main bearings are the style 59A Everything else as a 8BA style including the diversion of the water pump and elongated slots in the rear cooling passages, the work of the base machine is already on them and they have fresh cam bearings the idea was that the army could clean the cosmoline, put them together with a minimum of work of the machine, and drive.
The end of the exhaust ports are much nicer than the US versions If you stick your finger in the exhaust ports, you can feel that they are very smooth and corner exit There is a lot of metal on the ends where American units get thin and have this thread which held nuclei together the French blocks no thread, I think there is enough metal that if you wanted to move the end ports closer to end of the block, they could be milled down so that the collector surface was flat near the end of the block and still have enough meat to hold a new stud exhaust studs, by the way, are metric and are the only thing I know measure to date.
The central bolt which enters the exhaust port is quite different in these blocks the hole is not threaded where it passes through the shell platform and water with the son from a boss which goes all the way through the central exhaust port at first, I thought the bridge was floating freely in this area, but I have since been informed that I just suffered hallucinations associated with a geezer spent two days the sun to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, they said this arrangement was to strengthen a weak area in the block, but I did not know it was a weak point in substance, the boss cast form for the bolt a divider exhaust, but its shape and size can not be what we wanted there seemed to be enough meat in this pattern to allow a sculpture if you were careful not to go too deep - remains to maintain the torque bolt, vo us know a little ingenuity will be needed to more comprehensive separators in it seemed to me, although I did not have a block standard to compare with, the central exhaust port was more spacious than those of US blocks I can not bear this statement, however.
Much has been made of the additional holes in the back for a distributor control and speed, but what I noticed was an additional opening in the oil passage Pumps oil, which separated Halibrand look like they are very well made, and instead of having a slot that the oil comes out, a round hole which aligns exactly with a passageway which goes all the way to block the portion of the box fate is capped with a screw cap, I guess the main oil line stands out this passage that I could not say if other lines cross, but it looks like an almost complete to flow oil filter system would be a piece of cake because the block is already it operated for the primary gets back its oil directly on the space around the pump as the old flathead that we know and love the oil tube that runs through the valve chamber seemed to be screwed rained Earlier than being a tight fit the block I live didn t have the oil deflector that clips on the tube, but maybe because it was a bare block.
The intake ports are D-shaped with the flat part of D on top According LeJuerrne, tested Mark Kirby Motor City Flathead flow and a better sank intact the port of Kirby Street As an update, Mark Kirby said the bowl area is smaller and narrower than the bowl ford stock and the completely intact french stream flathead unless the Ford design stock If the statement of Richard LeJuerrne is accurate, it must have been referring to only runners and not the entire intake system.
The main treads looked stronger in the people gathered around and I guess I agree the main course center was certainly a lot beefier than the American version.
The block transfer area machined in relief, so if you think relief is a bad thing, you will not like this engine there is a single number engraved on each relief and I spoke to date can understand Does that mean that the number in the block I saw was 3.
I was told that these blocks weigh 30 pounds more than the traditional flathead There was speculation that it was because of the quality of the metal used in the casting - perhaps more nickel or perhaps steel cast iron instead Even if I could believe that the metal is a first-class military specification, I could not believe that there also just 30 pounds more metal in these blocks.
Among others in the loot were Halibrand stems resembled rods 8BA standard for me, adjustable and non-adjustable lifters, very light three-ring pistons, 3 3 4 inches 4 inches pedal, and all the other stuff you need to to a motor.
If your application requires having a rear end 8BA style, then you can t use this engine Otherwise, I think it has much to offer, I'm excited to see what people who have a lot more money and expertise I can do with them the only thing I have no reservations about is that the bolt through the exhaust port It can not be a problem at all, but I think a divider more complete exhaust port will be required and because the bolt will be difficult to build.
Halibrand intends to tour the major auto shows and nostalgia racing, so the chances are good that you can see one in the flesh thereafter But while Ford produced millions of flatheads in the 40 and 50 Simca didn t thrown close as blocks for the French army I do not know what the offer is, except that, even if it is a whole warehouse full, it can be infinity t.
So what's the disadvantage So far, the accreditation bodies for the speed competition not take kindly to these engines and The Denver Flatheaders SCTA both banned.
Update From the 2002 season, the Denver Flatheaders allowed the French block in their drag race events I do not think that SCTA has enabled them yet.
Update another source for these is flatheads worked headers Red Red many quirks of these engines and more information on its web page.
Update Halibrand went bankrupt and the original importer has bought, but you can always get s Red and others Check this site for the source images and a warehouse full of them In 2005, Denver Flatheaders leaves still compete and SCTA doesn t.
french Flathead, French, Flathead, exhaust port center, Motor City Flathead.
Флэтед Каунти, Монтана, США