Ford flathead V8

[KW]

I picked up a new motor for my '65 Chevy truck last night. I decided to go with a 1950 Ford 239 flathead. A couple of years a go I built a nice 307 for the truck and added a T5 transmission. But anyway you look at it, it looks like a 350, sounds like a 350 etc.. I don't want no stinking 350. I really wanted a flathead 6 but the V8 came along at the right price "fo free", we found it in the back of my brothers shed. The thing is all there and still has a standard bore and crank.

I think the only mods I'll do to it is to cut the shaft off the distributer and graft on a GM HEI and put a 4 barrle intake on do I can run a Carter AFB. It has a removeble bell housing so I will put a 700R4 behind it so I can drink coffee on the way to the dump. Everything else should be great left 1950 Ford.

What do you guys think?

 

[Pablo]

You don't sound like you are kidding. I guess I can just add that maybe you should dig up some 1950's Hot Rod mags. It's pretty interesting what those fellows did back then.

 

[Lance]

It's a hoot you're regreessing in engine choice. Most go the opposite route, putting a small block, short stroke Chev/Ford in an oldie with an undersquare/flathead motor coming out.

 

[XS650]

Sounds like fun. I had a 49 Ford with two Stromberg 97 2 barrels on it and dual exhaust. That combo was good for about 115 hp compared to 100 stock hp (then I put a 312 T-bird engine in it). About the same as you can expect. If that's enough power for you, you will have fun.

If you're going to have the heads off, you could have a machine shop take big healthy cut off the heads and get a few more hp. I don't remember how much you could mill the heads, but it was a lot. Old Henry wasn't shy at all about using lots of iron in his blocks and heads. Don't take off too much or it restricts flow from the valve side of the head into the cylinders. Unless you relieve them, probably a bit much for a drive to the dump truck

My brother ran a radical bored and stroked flathead with four two barrels in a channeled A roadster in the 1950s that would eat new 59 Corvettes alive. He is where I learned about diesel oil in gas engines. His engine was hard on oil, so he tried Chevron diesel oil, which was already called Delo then IIRC. It held up a lot better than regular oil. And he did it without BITOG.

 

[JohnBrowning]

If it is not rebuilt I would rebuild it with modern materials especialy valves and seals. Flat heads had horrable valve life and valve seat life. I would get the best valves and harden seats!! Any place you can get a Viton,Teflon or Neoprene seal to replace the buna, paper and leather seals go for it!! I would definately run a good HDEO!

 

[TallPaul]

I think the V8 Ford flathead had some cooling issues so spare no expense on a good cooling system. Recommend you visit the Ford-Trucks.com site. They should have a discussion forum on the Flathead V8. Just don't tell them you're putting it in a Chevy! Some of them are a little intollerent.

I would like to get a truck with an inline 6 flathead.

 

[Alfonzy]

I have a 1954 willys cj-3b jeep that the previous owner put in a 51 ford flathead 8ba V8 [239 c.i.]

Keep in mind this is AN all Stock engine. He rebuilt the engine before instalLing it in 1961. I has 27,000 mi and 43 years on this rebuit engine! I run it hard and drive it often. Plow snow in -10F and summer drives 95 +f and she don't burn or leak a drop of oil, water, or smoke...I don't even have to tune it up that often!

MAKE SURE YOU RUN A GOOD 15W-40 HD OIL. AND THE ENGINE COOLANT MUST ALWAY BE FLUSHED OUT AND HAVE NEW THERMOSTATS AND TIMING CORRECT OR IT WILL OVERHEAT. CARBURATOR MUST BE REBUILT AND SET PROPERLY. I GET ABOUT 15 MPG BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE LOW GEARING IN THE 3 SP. JEEP TRANS/DIFFS. THE ENGINES CAN SEE 20-25MPG IN THIER ORIGINAL APPLICATIONAL CARS.
P.S. AFTER READING YOUR POST ABOUT A DUMPTRUCK...LET ME SAY MY DAD BOUGHT A1952 FORD F-6 DUMP THAT HAD A BLOWN [TRUCK MOTOR] FLATHEAD V8. HE INSTALLED A 1951 FLATHEAD V8] THE OILPAN ON THE TRUCK MOTOR IS THE SAME, ECEPT THE REAR SEAL OPENING IS LARGER ON THE TRUCK...WE HAD TO CUT THE REARS OF THE PANS OFF

AND SWAP THEM OUT...

[ October 17, 2004, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Alfonzy ]

 

[KW]

Oh yes I'll go through the motor and set everything up right. My brother runs a machine shop so tanking it and a valve job is no problem.

With 6.8:1 compression I should be able to use about any type of fuel in it. And the HEI will provide plenty of spark.

I think for running around getting firewood, hauling trash off, and a little car trailor towing the little flathead will work great. I live in the delta part of Arkansas so hills are not a problem. I bet the little sucker would pull pretty good in the hills with a 700R4 and a 3.90 axle.

Now what to do with all the extra room under the hood? Tool box, jack and spare...

 

[Ray H]

The "classic" Ford flat-head V-8 can be a very sweet, quietly running motor. So much so that many old timers who'd run nothing but Ford flat-head V-8s for 30 years were in auditory shock when they weaned over to the first "Y-Block" OHV V-8s Ford came out with in '53 or '54 and discovered the joys of mechanical tappet clatter. Definitely stay on top of the cooling system though. Run the largest radiator in your truck that'll let the hood close.

 

[Terry]

My first "car" was a 52 F1 Ford Truck with the 239. I loved it. I paid $100 and a hay wagon frame for it.

Using a real Synthetic oil in 15 cSt range at 100C will allow good oil containment and STOP overheating regardless of the coolant system.

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TallPaul:
I think the V8 Ford flathead had some cooling issues so spare no expense on a good cooling system.

---

Good point, the flatheads rejected a lot of heat to the coolant. The combustion chamber had a lot of surfaces area and the exhaust ports running through the block also tranfered a lot of heat to the coolant.
In the olden daze, the good news was that a stock 100hp Ford flathead V8 cooling system was enough to cool a 250hp OHV V8 no sweat. All you had to do was block off one radiator inlet and one outlet and find some hoses to fit between the radiator and engine. Ford flathead radiator cores were big.

 

[mechtech]

Congratulations on your new 'marriage'- for better or worse.
At minimum, I think you'll be nickle and dimed for the forseeable future.

 

[Ugly3]

I think memories of old engines are just that, memories. Those were the most troublesome engines of the age. You will be fixing and adjusting that thing all the time.

Enjoy history!

 

[KW]

I don't know... I think with modern oil, carburation or fuel injection, and electronic distributer it should work well. Shoot nowadays we even have antifreeze that will help keep the bock from rusting and plugging up water ports.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ugly3:
I think memories of old engines are just that, memories. Those were the most troublesome engines of the age. You will be fixing and adjusting that thing all the time.

Enjoy history!

---

I've never worked on a flathead Ford but I'm inclined to think you are right. Most of the stuff from the "good old days" was just old. Poor designs and materials and a short service life...

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ugly3:
I think memories of old engines are just that, memories. Those were the most troublesome engines of the age. You will be fixing and adjusting that thing all the time.

Enjoy history!

---

I agree, they aren't long life engines.

KW said we was planning on replacing the distributor with a modern one, and the intake with a 4 barrel (hopefully a good one).

Put good fluids in the engine and good filters on it, and it should be low maint until it wears out. The only old routinely troublesome flathead parts left I can think of are the water pumps.

They didn't even require valve adjustments.

 

[KW]

Update on the 239 build.

Thanksgiving day my brother brought me a screw type blower and pulleys from a 231 Buick. Then he offered to weld me up a manifold for it too. So I guess the intake efficency issue has been solved.

Now the I have to figure out if I want to run a TBI or a carb. on it.

 

[michaelc80]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ugly3:
I think memories of old engines are just that, memories. Those were the most troublesome engines of the age. You will be fixing and adjusting that thing all the time.

Enjoy history!

---

I have to disagree.

I have a flathead in my 47 Ford 2N with the original 6V ignition system that has been in the family since it was new. It never gives me a minutes trouble, I tune it up once a year and change the oil twice a year. The engine was rebuilt for the first time in 1999 (52 years on the original engine isn't bad). And I can tell you that motor gets worked hard mowing in the summer and plowing snow in the winter.

As long as repair work and tune ups are done right, with good quality parts, flatheads are extremely dependable and trouble free engines. And there is nothing quite like the sound of a Ford flathead working hard.