276 stroker from 35 years of parts

[38 coupe]

I have seen an 8BA cast iron distributor adapted for Model T use with every other lobe on the points cam ground off and a manual advance lever made up that attaches to the vacuum diaphragm opening. It looked odd, but probably worked. I wouldn't replace the factory vacuum advance setup since it works very well if you haven't changed the vacuum characteristics of the engine. The manual setup would be entertaining for those that are familiar with such things, but would cause problems for anyone who isn't familiar with driving Model Ts, As, or the like (and some drivers don't get those right either).

[Mart]

Manual timing sounds like a bit of a retrograde step to me. What's wrong with stock?

Personally I prefer crab and 59A type cam. My French motors have been re-done as 59A crab type.

[GB SISSON]

I think I was pretty much just having fun thinking about the manual advance. I'm a serial tinkerer and sometimes I don't know when to quit. My plan is to go with the cast iron distributor, get a new diaphram assembly, points and condensor and give it a whirl. If I ever actually DID make a manual lever, the vac advance would still be functional and involve a flex hose connection. This would allow fine tuning while underway for experimental purposes, and a straight rod through the firewall would greatly simplify things. Ok, done with all that and time to move forward.
I tried a ring in various cylinders coming up with an end gap of around .013-.014. Maybe a little big but I think .017 is the limit. This was a ring for the #2 position from the top. My question about lock washers on the main caps still remains and my five different books show torque specs ranging from 80-100 ft/lbs torque. Will be inspecting oil pumps next. Advice welcome or a link to a good thread. Never opened one up before. Thanks and wish me good speed on those stupid cabinet doors so I can get back to what really matters.

[51504bat]

IMO the easiest and best distributor solution is a converted Chevy or Mallory unit. I'm running a mechanical advance Chevy unit converted by Bubba (RIP)
The only issue is the appearance of the Chevy window cap. A Mallory conversion would solve that issue but I can't justify the cost for solely aesthetic purposes. Now that Budda is no longer with us Charlie NY is a good choice for the conversions. There may be others as well.

[GB SISSON]

Tim, there are very knowledgeble flathead builders in both camps here. Aftermarket or stock distributor with stock carb/cam and large displacement. Since I'm cheap and it's a really easy thing to switch out at any time, then add to that I have a really nice stock carb and distributer sitting on my bench for zero outlay, I will start out with the 'Maybe-O-Matic' setup initially and see how she does. Of course my only comparison bench mark will be the 'before' woodie with it's 221 and three speed. Somebody tell me to get off the damn computer and get those doors glued up, the weekend is looming.

[flatford8]

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Get back to making sawdust mistah!!.......Mark

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Get back to making sawdust mistah!!.......Mark

Got 9 more doors assembled and day ain't over yet. AND that includes the 25 mile round trip to town when I realized it was the 8th of the month. Gotta pay lumberyard bill by the 8th to get the contractor discount. It was a good excuse to crank up the 'staved up' ol truck and haul my ragged ass into town. Showed up all them 60,000.00 suvs in the grocery store parking lot on the way home.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Got 9 more doors assembled and day ain't over yet. AND that includes the 25 mile round trip to town when I realized it was the 8th of the month. Gotta pay lumberyard bill by the 8th to get the contractor discount. It was a good excuse to crank up the 'staved up' ol truck and haul my ragged ass into town. Showed up all them 60,000.00 suvs in the grocery store parking lot on the way home.

[GB SISSON]

Thanks Pete, and only 8 doors left until the 'weekend' starts.

[GB SISSON]

There is a lot of negative comments in forums about split lockwashers on main bearing caps and other highly torqued critical fastenings. It does seem apparent that for the majority of 8ba engines Ford used split lock washers on the center and rear main caps and a different bolt with no washers on the front cap. There are posts on the subject here from 2011 and again in 2020. I also found threads on FTE and Stovebolt about the matter. Perhaps they are like oil thread posts, works either way. I'm considering grade 8 flat washers as I was a middle child and prone to compromise. It would be awful if the bolts bottomed out before the caps were properly clamped.

[cadillac512]

Mine got hard flat washers. Never believed in lock washers on main caps, or cotter pins/safety wire for that matter, at least for a flathead Ford.

[GB SISSON]

In 50+ years of fixing mechanical things I have seen more broken lockwashers than I can recall. That's why I brought this up, For the record I just went down to look again at what is on my project engine.. Four thick headed bolts with lockwashers and the two thinner ones with dimpled heads that ford put up front without washers now have lock washers. Of the two thin headed bolts, one is in the front cap and the other in the rear cap. My guess is that I would enjoy happy motoring left as is, but I'm glad I searched the subject and will switch things around and buy six hard flat washers.. Might leave the front bolts washerless as I've read they are shorter. Will torque to 100 ft/lbs and move onward.

[Scotty's 52 F3]

I'm no Flathead expert but I have also found a lot of broken lock washers over the years so I won't use them on anything.

When I worked as a mechanic at a Caterpillar dealership, lock washers were an absolute no no on anything critical. Never on anything internal. Older machines had them on sheet metal. Otherwise it was proper fasteners against hard washers torqued as specified by Caterpillar.

Just my personal "opinion" on the matter.

[38 coupe]

I omitted the lock washers on Dad's 8BA. I checked thread depth by running each bolt into its mating hole and comparing to cap height, all tapped holes in that block were more than deep enough. I used Loctite on the threads since I wanted some sort of hold together guarantee on main cap bolts.

[GB SISSON]

Flat washers it is then. If the 2 thin headed bolts are shorter, I will skip the washers on them. I'm considering a set of 'store bought' ball bearing water pumps. It appears I will need 'big bore' head gaskets, as my Best set is for standard application. Hoping to find some in the composition type.

[cadillac512]

I'm running the ball bearing pumps that Speedway Motors sells and they've been great on both the original '41 engine and now the 8CM for several years and 27,000 miles. Michael at Third Gen may sell them as well. He may also have the big bore Comp gaskets from Best.

[GB SISSON]

I plan to call Mac Van Pelt about such things today as I also have questions for
shouldered cam gear bolts etc.. Woke up at 4 am so decided to get this party started. Now I have the rings and bearings set up on the piston/rod assemblies and ready to stab them in. Then I may make a town run for stuff to make an oil pump tester. I picture a short piece of (1 1/4"?)hydraulic hose with an 1/8" pipe fitting clamped through it. I was hoping to find an easy way to drive the gear with a drill and sure enough, an 1 1/4" 12 point socket settles down real nice-like on that drive gear as there are 12 spaces between the teeth. Now I won't have to drive out 5 pins. I have done a lot of searches about cam gear bolts. When I find them listed as such online they have no shoulder. I can get hardware store bolts at the the hardware store, but I want the shoulder.
Oh good, a parts run. Another excuse to double clutch my way into town and back.

[cadillac512]

You may be having too much fun!

[KiWinUS]

Send me your address and I will send you some cam bolts.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

Send me your address and I will send you some cam bolts.

Wow! Thank you so much! PM sent.