New Flathead Engine
 

While attending a small car event today, I was told of a new flathead engine becoming available this year. That it is, or will be cast in China.
The source of this information is very credible and is in the NHRA "Hall Of Fame".

Has anyone any more info re this?

Thanks
Jim

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Chinese Flathead? There is something so wrong with that ;-)

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Jim:

Don't doubt it. We are into old hit & miss and antique engines and a Chinese company currently makes and sells a diesel powered hit & miss motor for stationary power so I don't doubt at all they are making a flathead.

Their air quality can't get any worse over there so they might as well look cool doing it.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

maybe it is the Mark Kirby engine finally going into production.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

This would be my guess.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I'd find it hard to believe, with Kirby's engines reputedly priced at $12K+, that there will be enough demand to require them coming over here by the boat load. DD

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Damn Jim, I thought this was a thread about you getting yours running.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I wouldn't trust a Chinese flathead as far as I could throw it.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I think I'll stick with this brand I found here in the states.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Hear that whirring sound???? Thats Henry spinning in hus grave!!!!..... Mark

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Many of you may be surprised at the number and types of castings, for all kinds of products, that are actually coming from China.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Buy American, the job you save maybe your own!!!

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

So I expect we shouldn't use those Scat cranks and eagle rods either. I just put MOPAR disks brakes on my truck everything except the seals came from China, they came from Mexico.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

There are still enough around here. And no one buying them. I won't have to worry about buying a made in China one.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I have 5 flatheads, (four complete spare 8BA's and one in my '51). I am 71 and probably won't live forever. I would wager there are thousands of guys like me around the country. When we are no longer here, there may be a glut of flatheads. (I never let a good one pass me by; you can never have too many if the price is right.)

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I scratch my head in wonder sometimes at the idea that no one at Ford Motor Company has come up with the idea of supporting the Flathead movement a little themselves. We have Ford licensed '32 and '40 Ford bodies. It would seem the next logical step to engineer a true Ford Flathead block, crank, heads and intake manifold that interchanges with original stuff. Might even curb the tide of brand x swaps that I hate so much. I think this hypothetical new Flathead could include some modern metallurgy, large bores, improved intake and exhaust ports and a bellhousing flange with early and late Ford bolt patterns. It would probably cost less than what they spend on a weekend in NASCAR or NHRA. Oh well like I said its just my opinion.......

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I ran into a guy the other day. His father in law passed. And he said he had a bunch of flatheads in his shop. He told me he needed to get them out of there soon. They are are going to sell his place. I'm going to try and get by there this week and see what all he has.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Sorry , thats not China !!!

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

"So I expect we shouldn't use those Scat cranks and eagle rods either. I just put MOPAR disks brakes on my truck everything except the seals came from China, they came from Mexico."

SO true Ron, just cant seem to escape it..
I look at labels where I can, but ..Pfft??!

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Well I think if a part such as a block or crank is engineered in the USA and maybe cast overseas then brought back for machining and final quality control, I'm comfortable with that. Of course good quality control is a must in the overseas part too. That's just me though.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

By the way another huge improvement would be longer head bolts that reach much deeper down into the block. That, I think, would be a much better head gasket clamping situation.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I think some minor improvements in the original would be good. A littke more meat in the deck and main bearing area, and maybe a small oil mod for full flow oil internaly. all this inan 8BA style block that fits all. The Mark Kerby block was over kill for a mild street engine.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I work on heavy trucks, and can tell you there is a major difference in the quality of parts, and the ones from China are crap, yes I've bought China parts for my own daily driver, because that's all that's available, but I would rather spend $ to have Henry's V8 repaired, than buy new Chinese junk.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Ron your describing the French flathead block its engineered perfectly with a lot more nickel for strength. The bell housing may be the 59A design but what I find is most guys want the 59 block.
Now if someone came across the French patterns that would be a perfect block.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Ron, yes I know that. I might like 1.6 intakes as well, However the 59 block is not a fit all, where as the 8BA with the Merc or truck bell housing will.
Might want 3 5/16 as standard bore.Then 3 3/8 x 3 3/4 would be a nice inexpensive engine. I guess we can all dream. Take care.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

If you want New flathead V8s talk with Tod Buttermore he is the man that will do it
and has a proven record take a look at his 427 engines , Clevelands , A Model Engines and heads
lots of other stuff

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

My Question is this, Did the Chinese come over and say we will cart you Flathead Blocks!
Or did ( IS ) some "AMERICAN" entrepreneur gone to them and say will you cast us some flathead blocks?
The Chinese reply We can and if you are not worried about Quality we can do it real cheap !!!
AMERICAN entrepreneur reply ~ GO 4 IT ~
Who is to blame The AMERICAN that can only see more $$$$$ in his pocket or the Chinese that are trying to get up to speed with the rest of the world and KEEP THERE PEOPLE WORKING.
Either way inferior workmanship is " CRAP "
When a Chinese sends crap our way it sucks!!!
But when an AMERICAN knowingly imports the " CRAP "
It's kind of like getting SH** on by one of our own.
We have to Demand that Quility can be imported & CRAP can sit on the docks.
Remember this is America & if any of us want they can open a U.S.Foundry and produce any and all the Quilty Widgets you want.
I think the last bullet that was shot after the Gerat war was the one the SHOT OUR SELF IN THE FOOT WITH.
saying to buisness NOT IN MY BACK YARD get out AND NEVER COME BACK !!!

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I agree - part of the problem is our own . . . and even though it pains us to NOT buy American at times, the price/value choices are a bitch.

Lets talk rods: I used to run 21A Ford 'stroker' rods on all my engines - by the time I buy a set, have them refurbished and have them ready to run . . . have about $500 in them. With that said - one still has to know how to set them up and a lot of folks don't. I'm still using them - but I bet I'm one of a few out there? :rolleyes:

So along comes all the H-beam style 'Carillo Copy' rods - can buy them any place in town for about $500 . . . so, we buy them and we look the other way as there isn't a reasonable choice that competes, bearings are available for cheap, etc..

I'd love to have Crower, Oliver or Carillo rods in all my engine builds - but we're talking anywhere from 3X to 5X+ the price of SCAT, Eagle, etc.. Hell, I'm in a mental quandary right this moment - just bought a huge cube Arias Hemi/BBC engine to help out a friend (he's going through tough family times - he needed the money and I wanted him to be able to keep his daughter with him). It comes with a brand new set of K1 7.100 inch H-beam rods. Guess what, I'm going to throw them out (sell them) and buy a set of Oliver rods for 3X the price because the K1 rods are not worth betting on for 1000+ horsepower, should never have been purchased for this engine . . . but somebody wanted to save money.

Problem is there is nothing in between that fills the price/value gap - would I pay $900 for a set of 100% USA manufactured Flathead H-beam rods . . . sure would - nobody makes them. I'm left with few choices - unless it is a very high dollar full-out flathead race engine, I can't justify stepping up to custom billet rods for about $2000 and a billet crank for another $3000.

Same with a block - we've been hearing about USA 'new and improved' flathead blocks for the last 10 years . . . nobody has brought one to market, let alone at a reasonable price. So - the door has been left open for competition from ANYPLACE to fill the gap. Would I love it if DART made a true new and improved one that was 'affordable' (would still be $3000 at a minimum) - but how many would they sell?

If somebody manages to cast a nice block in any country, and then we machine it here (with workmanship and quality), at a reasonable price - the professional engine shops and many builders would use it. They'd probably also spend a lot of time trying to ensure it "looked" like a Henry block. :eek:

I would LOVE an aluminum flathead block with good ports, thick deck, strong mains, bigger bore . . . would probably save up for awhile just to have one. But, not if it is going to cost $12K for one.

Okay - too much coffee . . . time to head to the shop and check the main bearing clearances on my 32 FlatCab engine, using a 4 1/8 Merc Crank, 21A rods and 42 Ford block. Crap - sure wish it was 330 cubes instead of 284! :D But then, all I'd do is grenade the Zephyr tranny and banjo rear end sooner . . . so who cares.

B&S

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Well said a perfect example is the CRAFTSMAN tools we all used and loved are all chinese crap that i refuse to buy. If everyone sticks together and refuses to buy chinese crap they would start making more stuff in the us

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

OK guys.....let's look at this. China crap is out....don't get me going on this subject...been there, done that, mega dollar high performance engine parts are great....IF....you are trying to set a new record at Bonneville ( French blocks are out anyway ) or the magic 1/4 mile. BUT....for most of us, being just a fun hobby and trying not to empty our bank accounts, since the wife controls the finances and keeps giving us the evil eye????....I'd rather take on the challenge of digging up a rusty/dirty Henry block and do what the guys did way back when it was great fun. I know it's always a touchy situation for the professional engine builder, in the fact that he prays for the engine to perform in a reasonable manner for his customer. BUT....what's the fun in buying a 'Crate Flathead’ engine, if it 'ain't real'. YES...the wish list is a mile long on improving this block, BUT...this is not what most of us are made of. Ron Sterbank builds a flatmotor in his home garage, does things to a junk block, re-routes exhaust passages, machines his own heads from a block of aluminum ( he keeps telling me that he is such a lousy machinist ) and has the fastest unblown dragster running Hilborn injectors and some Nitro.. and has a blast doing it. I don’t believe I need a 400 inch flathead producing umteem HP…I just want to have a great engine that sounds the way a flathead does and give me enough torque to chirp the tire a wee bit…..and YES….do not want to granade the L-Z tranny and banjo rear end. Are we having fun yet??

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Guys I hear ya'll but tell me if you could buy brand new Ford branded Flathead short block with big cubes and airflow to match for say five grand. Then put your cam of choice in and the pretty external bits that many guys already own, wouldn't you be tempted? Maybe for that special project we all have bouncing around in our heads? I know I'd be interested.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

1949 ford flathead. Complete carb to pan ,fan to bellhousing $800:.hear it run. Must be picked up. [email protected]

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Since this is an ad,put it in the classifieds

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Well while we stand back hemming and hawing about the idea of a fresh Flathead engine, The recently bankrupt General Motors is conjuring up all sorts of crate and junkyard engines which often find their way into our beloved Ford engine bays. No one complaining about that? Courtesy of our tax dollars I might add. So lets not ever make progress and turn all this business over to Gm.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Even if they do make an engine I will NEVER buy one. In my opinion, everything made in China is CRAP. Disagree if you want to, but I've had enough of it.

From poison dog food down to poison pork, you can have my share if you want it.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I purchased a single cylinder diesel 5500 watt generator made in China looks great but almost impossible to start if it runs out of fuel, shakes itself to bits, the wiring in the control panel is at least a guage too light, the voltage regulator dies once a year and as it turns out is totally non compliant with any standard, based on this I would never again buy a Chinese engined anything. Chinese flathead blocks got to be kidding must be a joke.

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

In 2o -30yrs we won't be able to moan about Chinese quality as I suspect it will be very good. Remember what was said about Jap stuff back in the the dark ages and now their engineering is up with the best in the world if not the best. Did I say 20 to 30 years.....perhaps 40 years....but then most of us will be dead by then so?

GB

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

None of you shop at Wal-Mart, right?

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

Nope,will not step foot in a Walmart due to their business practices,

Re: New Flathead Engine
 

I'm not a big fan of Chinese made parts for our cars/trucks but, remember that Ford Flatheads were produced in France, Germany, Russia and so on. A lot of the French blocks reside between the frame rails of a bunch of Fords here in the U.S. I think, if the quality control can be assured, the Chinese blocks could be a good thing. Having said that, I would still look for an actual USA Ford built Flathead before I resorted to a Chinese built block, etc.