Posible Engine Modifications

[Ford1931]

Has anyone tried to design a new crank and camshaft that would allow the engine to fire more like a modern engine, this would make the engine smoother and have a higher rpm range. The stock engine has two pistons up or down at a time. If there was a way to change the rotation and fireing order like one of the modern four cylinder engines with a crank and cam change, it could be a win, win combination. At the same time the stroke could maybe be changed. Could open a whole new avenue to more speed and horse power options.

[Russ/40]

It just wouldn't sound the same.

[pooch]

Originally Posted by Ford1931

Has anyone tried to design a new crank and camshaft that would allow the engine to fire more like a modern engine, this would make the engine smoother and have a higher rpm range. The stock engine has two pistons up or down at a time. If there was a way to change the rotation and fireing order like one of the modern four cylinder engines with a crank and cam change, it could be a win, win combination. At the same time the stroke could maybe be changed. Could open a whole new avenue to more speed and horse power options.

Huh?

A 4 stroke 4 cylinder inline engine must have 2 up 2 down.

You could change the camshaft to make it 1342 but it would not make any more power, maybe sound different is all.

Impossible to have it any other way since Otto invented the 4 stroke cycle which takes 720 degrees to complete each cycle in 1876.

[tbirdtbird]

how much stroke do you want?

as to cranks, we are having enough trouble as it is getting new cranks; which is why we are all going to counterweighted A cranks or better still BB weighted A cranks. Such cranks are way smoother and allow increased rpm

if you want a single cheap mod to increase HP just bolt on a Snyder 6.0 head. The stock 4.2 compression is practically a joke, except that the gas quality was crap back then and anything higher would ping like crazy. Kettering was just figuring out lead as an anti-knock in the early thirties, too late for the A

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

I wonder what an A motor would sound/act like with a cam and distributor that let the two "up" pistons fire simultaneously. Maybe 1 and 4 together and then 2 and 3 together.

I guess kind of like a big two cylinder motor or something?

(Need to go get my morning meds! )

[Kevin in NJ]

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A stock motor runs 60 MPH all day long if it properly rebuilt to factory specs and you should expect more than 50,000 miles out of it running it those speeds.

Add a B cam or one of the new slightly modified cams and it runs 60+ MPH all day long. Just a bit more pep.

Add a bit of a high compression head and it runs a bit better. Too much may not be as good for the average car.

So how much more do you really need?

Usually the biggest upgrade needed is to bring the moving parts back to Ford specs for balance and accuracy. That is probably the hardest thing to do as it is like building a racing engine.

[kelley's restoration]

Originally Posted by BillLee/Chandler, TX

I wonder what an A motor would sound/act like with a cam and distributor that let the two "up" pistons fire simultaneously. Maybe 1 and 4 together and then 2 and 3 together.

I guess kind of like a big two cylinder motor or something?

(Need to go get my morning meds! )

it would blow out the center main.
it wouldnt work so well with the shared intake ports as well...i think
tk

[George Miller]

If you do not use the flat crank you will have a uneven fire engine. If you used a 90 degree it would not be even fire.

[Jim Brierley]

ed winfield built a 2-up, 2-down model T engine, that allowed the ports to alternate. it was a world-beater at the time, even beating 2-cam engines. ed said it shook a little at low speeds but smoothed out at speed. there are at least 2 guys building similar engines today, one in australia with a '28 chevy head that has been winning hill climbs for a couple of years.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

ed winfield built a 2-up, 2-down model T engine, that allowed the ports to alternate. it was a world-beater at the time, even beating 2-cam engines. ed said it shook a little at low speeds but smoothed out at speed. there are at least 2 guys building similar engines today, one in australia with a '28 chevy head that has been winning hill climbs for a couple of years.

Hey Jim,
So, for Winfield or anyone else to build such engine, that would require a completely different cam AND crank, eh

[johnneilson]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Jim,
So, for Winfield or anyone else to build such engine, that would require a completely different cam AND crank, eh

Rick,

yes, different crank and cam, no mixing up these with stock.

I am not sure why the Chevy head would require the 2 up/2 dn crank unless it was a siamese port head like the flathead.

Hell, if I am going to bolt on a OHV head, it will have 4 intake ports and 4 exhaust ports.

It has been a busy day, I just finished putting the sparkplug holes in the new head. Best part is I didn't hit water. Whew!

Merry Christmas to all, John

[JackA]

Personally, I don't want to go 60 in a Model A! And, the sound is why I love mine.