Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

What are the pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads, parts interchangeability, design issues etc? I don't know anything at all about them. I am just wondering if they offer any advantage?

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

No real ones that I can think of. Big, heavy and few speed parts available . . . so in the end, unless you REALLY want one, probably not worth it (unless you have an original Lincoln car).

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Hi, are you referring to the 337" Lincoln V8's or the flathead V12's?

If you are asking about the 337 V8 let me get in here quick before the naysayers shoot it down. The 337 is a large and advanced Ford Flathead engine.

There are features on the 337 that are very good. A few key ones are obviously the ample cubic inches. To go with the added cubes there are improvements to the breathing of the engine to feed those cubes.

The negatives are that they are bigger and heavier than the regular Ford Flathead. They are about the same size as the Caddy flathead V8's but better. Nobody bats an eye about their heft and the Cads were used in some hot rods back in the day.

The Lincoln 337 engine conquered "La Carerra Pan Americana" a couple times powering the cars through a tremendous torture test.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Very little interchangeability between the 337 and other Ford flatheads. Carburetor parts and a few ignition parts and that's about it. They also used a solid tappet version in trucks but only in the very large F7/F8 classes. Damn good truck motor but a bit too heavy for a car unless it was built for it like the big 49-51 Lincoln Cosmos and baby Lincolns. They had a few more inches in the engine compartment than the Mercs to house the big thing. They also used different transmissions, clutches, and rear axles.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

I'm pretty sure the pistons are the same as the V/8 60, maybe the
rods. There was speed equipment made for them but may be a little
hard to find now. It's one of the smoothest running engines. G.M.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

The cars were not powered by a 337 Flathead but by an OHV engine first used in 1952.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Did a Google search for "Lincoln 337" and found some information. Here are a couple links I copied:

http://www.route66hotrodhigh.com/BBF-Flathead.html

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/f...s-337bigV8.htm


Here are a couple pictures I took of a little track roadster at TROG West, Pismo Beach, Ca, in October. The 337 engine did not look that big or out of place to me in this roadster.
Also, we saw Austin finned aluminum heads, and multi carb intakes for the 337 on the shelves for sale at H&H Flatheads.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Another plus is you get to sing "Hot Rod Lincoln" while your driving down the road.
There is no substitute for cubic inches........

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

They are about 25% bigger so not huge in that way.
The big issue is that they are built for torq and there´s a lot of rotating mass in them.
If you want to convert one for speed in a light car i figure you have to start cutting down the weight to get a real fun engine out of it.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Interesting thread. It makes you wonder why Ford invested in an engine that was only used for four years?

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Heavy trucks.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

WeThey are talking about the 49 to 51 lincoln flathead that was used also in ford trucks f7 and F8.
The 52 ohv was either a 279 or a 317 and looks like a big Y block. Same deal lincoln cars and ford F7 f8 trucks starting in 1952.I had two big trucks with them . A 55 ford tandem t750 and a 61 ford F800.

Or did you mean the winning road race car was a 52 lincoln and they never raced the flathead lincoln?

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

I wouldn't run one of them unless it was already under the hood in running condition. Heavy weight (850lbs), scarce parts, no bang-for-buck, etc.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Yes, but still, not much use out of that investment. Maybe a short term fix as they were expanding into the larger truck market.

Given all the changes that Ford was going through at that time, it probably made sense, given the in house talent. It's pretty remarkable. Ford, and the other manufacturers, totally revamped their product lines post war. Ford had many more problems, though, and got new management top to bottom during that period.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

JM35Sedan- Thanks for the links, very informative. I was surprised that they weigh 850Lbs but I did like the torque numbers of 265-275 Ft Lbs. I prefer my power at the low end of the RPM range since that's where I generally operate. Given my very limited flathead/transmission experience, it seems like having power at the top end would be lost during the painfully slow shifting of the original transmissions.

Thanks to everyone for your insight.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

About fifteen years ago I met a guy at a car show who was from the Walden, New York area I believe. He was building a monster 337 and had it bored out to 400 c.i. He was going to use chevy pistons and rotating assembly and had a machinist grinding away at the block to get the weight down. I never heard more about it. Lefty Rodan

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Just received the new H&H Flatheads catalog and they show heads and intakes for the 337 and V12 engines if anyone is interested.

http://www.flatheads-forever.com/catalog.html

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

The 337 Lincolns were raced in '50 and '51. While they didn't win overall they ran very competitively with the new OHV Gm V8's most notably the Olds 88.

There are pictures of these 337 Lincolns getting airborne during the race. They couldn't have been all that bad.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Airborne? I don't think of that as much of a performance benchmark. We used to do that in a friend's '59 Galaxie with a 292, and five guys in the car.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Those Olds V8s were ONLY 303 CU IN. DD

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

The Conforth Lincoln racer was the car to beat at TROG. Fast as lightning.


http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attach...6&d=1482040216

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Hi Ken Austin developed the Lincoln parts in the '50s, and sold the product line to H&H. It's all good stuff for your Hot Rod Lincoln. Those 337's are cheap to purchase to get started. Newc

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Ready to get serious! DD

http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...99-970x627.jpg

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Don't know what to make of this. The Hudson Hornets used to give 'em fits.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Very cool. So I take it this car did well against the tough Chevy six powered Chev roadster? Not sure of the fellow's name.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

49 to 53 were 303 ci. 54 it went to 324

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Does anyone else see the irony of all those lightening holes in that axle holding up that heavy Lincoln mill?

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

This guy is smoking some good stuff wanting $800 for a 2x2 intake! LoL! The guy he gotten the molds from originally had these for $300.00... Look around you find parts and some speed parts for the 337's....

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

That's an effort to reduce "unsprung" weight. This would help the axle react to bumps on the road easier as an example.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Then they went to 370, I worked for the Olds - Cad Co. in 57 to 60. Walt

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Walt I mean this with all due respect either OHV Ford engines were actually terrible or they they had an undeserved terrible reputation during the 50's because it appears to me that hot rodders would convert to any brand OHV except for Ford.

This has bothered me my whole life. Seems like a shame that Ford let their reputation as a V8 company go to hell after the Flathead era.

It is kind of an ironic twist that for two years straight a Ford Y-block has taken top honors in the "vintage engine" class at the Amsoil Engine Masters competition. The class is only two years old.

Now the winners were pretty well built Y-blocks obviously created by two different true "engine masters", but there were also solid performances by less aggressive combinations and even a surprise result from a 368 Lincoln and a 430 MEL.

What was wrong with OHV Fords in the 1950's?

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Someone forgot to tell this guy that the 337 Lincoln sucks and is too heavy.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

I'd love to hear a V12 Lincoln with an L-100 cam.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Whats wrong with early Y blocks. Answer = junk oil, lack of oil changing. I remember
those so sledged up when they were only 4-5yrs old. Sad as it is, many back then
poured #90 gear oil in them. On or about 1964 the PVC valve came in, big improvement. I look back and people did stupid things back then - putting saw dust
in rear axles corn and pepper in radiators molasses in the crankcase. oh well thats
what was done. I have 4 big Y blocks 332's clean no problem at all. They really have
more power than my 460 injected 'dog' in a late F350. So now If one has a $30,000
vehicle would you do those things to your engine? NO

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

We have 3, 337's in stock of which one has 12,000 miles. My above reply on the
460 'dog' I have been working time to time milling an adapter plate 337 to AOD
4x4. Thinking re drilling 460 to 337 flex plate keeping starter housing. Why, can't
deal with 3mpg down hill 460 fuel injected junk. Yes gone back to dealer with no avail.
Snow Sat plowed & got 4 hrs, tank of gas. thats not acceptable.. Meanwhile a F6
sander runs all night and use couple three gallons

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

FoMoCo came out with the FE block in the late 50s but it didn't really come alive until the 390 cid was developed. That was one of Ford's "light bulb on" better ideas. The Y-blocks were good torque engines and could be built to be even better but the later 390 FE block was good right out of the box.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

The '36 roadster we built recently has a Lincoln V-12, and before going to GNRS we didn't have the chance to get mufflers on it, so it was just straight piped.
I loved how it sounded, it sounded like an airplane.
However, I don't know what cam is in it. Are there performance cams available for it?

Hearing that engine really solidified my want to do a lakester with a Lincoln V-12 in it.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

Well, they were low on HP compared to other engines and as someone said, a little sludge clogged the oil passages to the top end and that would quickly kill the valve train.

I have a Snap-on tool used to forcibly eject the sludge out of the top end oil passages for Y blocks, so it was a known problem.

It really wasn't until the 312 did Ford get their OHV engine worked out. Unfortunately, their reputation preceded them. Plus, weren't they heavy and long compared to other OHV engines?

It's hard to even compare a 283 SBC to any Y block. Shortly after the 283 came out, guys had a lot of tricks to wake up those 283's. Plus, there was a host of A/M support for the Olds and SBC engines, not so much for the Y-block.

Ford's OHV engine was a day late and a dollar short.

I think that about sums it up.

Re: Pros and cons of Lincoln flatheads
 

I wasn't there but here is a '57 Ford putting some work in. This is a Y-block pure stock drag racer against a 60's muscle car.

https://youtu.be/LS37qHLtVrs