The Ford Barn

blucar · 12-04-2017, 12:33 PM

Myth's.. Some of which are so entrenched in people minds that they never seem to go away. As to why Ford stayed with flat heads, long after almost every manufacture, save Chrysler, had gave up on the side valve engine at least ten years earlier is most likely a matter of economics. The flat head Ford was a very reliable, inexpensive engine, ergo the SBC. Through out the life of Ford flat head, Ford made improvements to the design, maybe minor, but there were many, improvements, as we all know.
Overhead valve engines have been around since the early teens, Chevy had a V8 in 1917, Pontiac had one in '34, it only lasted a year and most of them were recalled by the Factory..
A lot of the big trucks, International for one, had huge overhead valve six cylinder engines in the 1930's. Several of the Nash engines of the '30's were overhead valve with dual spark plug ignitions..

12-04-2017, 12:33 PM	#19
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,466	Re: Ardun Heads Myth's.. Some of which are so entrenched in people minds that they never seem to go away. As to why Ford stayed with flat heads, long after almost every manufacture, save Chrysler, had gave up on the side valve engine at least ten years earlier is most likely a matter of economics. The flat head Ford was a very reliable, inexpensive engine, ergo the SBC. Through out the life of Ford flat head, Ford made improvements to the design, maybe minor, but there were many, improvements, as we all know. Overhead valve engines have been around since the early teens, Chevy had a V8 in 1917, Pontiac had one in '34, it only lasted a year and most of them were recalled by the Factory.. A lot of the big trucks, International for one, had huge overhead valve six cylinder engines in the 1930's. Several of the Nash engines of the '30's were overhead valve with dual spark plug ignitions.. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe