The Ford Barn

foxfire42 · 06-13-2011, 12:54 PM

I just acquired a stack of 80's and early 90's V8 Times. Wow! it's sure been a reading experience. One article mentioned reversing the intake and exhaust on the V8. They called it the "Bleep" (Country name) Offenhauser. With a foot high stack I can't find the article to read it completely. Is it still done today or was it just and early experiment. If it's such a great idea why wasn't it done at the factory? Was it only for racing?

I guess I should mark the articles I want to read thoroughly while perusing through the magizines.

Fordors · 06-13-2011, 05:21 PM

http://www.autohistory.org/feature_1.html
I don't know if this is the same engine, but this one is upside down too! Ah, the good old days; that was when innovation was part of the fun, now everything is pretty much store bought in the racing game.

foxfire42 · 06-13-2011, 05:52 PM

Different article but no doubt the same engine. I grew up around my father who owned and raced Midgets and big cars. I'm wondering now if he tried this concept. I was too young back then to remember for sure but it seems he was running flat heads. I credit him with my love of old Fords. I don't remember mom and dad having any other brand in the driveway.

Ol' Ron · 06-14-2011, 10:13 AM

There was an attempt to run the exhaust ports as the intake and the intake port as the exhaust. Not sure why anyone would want to swap some nice short ports for some long convoluted ones. I think the upside doen engine was an effort to all engine torque to cornering. The normal clockwise rotation of an engine tens to force the car out of the turn. "Smokie" just reversed the rotation of the engine. Yes Money does make a difference, although it didn't help Miami.

Mike51Merc · 06-14-2011, 11:16 AM

I know that some marine engines run reverse rotation. Was that true for marine flatties?

Chris Nelson · 06-14-2011, 12:05 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Back in the early 50's, there was a hot rod club that ran a 33 or 34 drag race car that had a special 8 lobe reverse cam. They had created a 2 cycle out of a 4 cycle. By boring holes into the cylinders at BDC from the valve gallery, they tapped the holes and put pipes in them to a pressure box in the valve gallery. They pressurised the box with a blower. The exhaust valves were welded shut and the intake valves were replaced with exhaust valves. The exhaust (8 pipes ) ran out the top of the engine and out the hood. It was cantankerous as an old lawn mower and needed to be pushed sometimes at high speed to get it to start. It was fast off the line as it got its RPM's quickly. I often wonder what happened to that engine.

Ralph Moore · 06-15-2011, 09:50 PM

I read a story about a guy that did that and was pumping some 700 horse power out of a flathead. Although it may just be a story.

06-13-2011, 12:54 PM	#1
foxfire42 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: AZ and WA Posts: 764	"Bleep" Offy I just acquired a stack of 80's and early 90's V8 Times. Wow! it's sure been a reading experience. One article mentioned reversing the intake and exhaust on the V8. They called it the "Bleep" (Country name) Offenhauser. With a foot high stack I can't find the article to read it completely. Is it still done today or was it just and early experiment. If it's such a great idea why wasn't it done at the factory? Was it only for racing? I guess I should mark the articles I want to read thoroughly while perusing through the magizines.

06-13-2011, 05:21 PM	#2
Fordors Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Orland Park,IL Posts: 1,402	Re: "Bleep" Offy http://www.autohistory.org/feature_1.html I don't know if this is the same engine, but this one is upside down too! Ah, the good old days; that was when innovation was part of the fun, now everything is pretty much store bought in the racing game.

06-13-2011, 05:52 PM	#3
foxfire42 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: AZ and WA Posts: 764	Re: "Bleep" Offy Different article but no doubt the same engine. I grew up around my father who owned and raced Midgets and big cars. I'm wondering now if he tried this concept. I was too young back then to remember for sure but it seems he was running flat heads. I credit him with my love of old Fords. I don't remember mom and dad having any other brand in the driveway.

06-14-2011, 10:13 AM	#4
Ol' Ron Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chester Vt Posts: 8,860	Re: "Bleep" Offy There was an attempt to run the exhaust ports as the intake and the intake port as the exhaust. Not sure why anyone would want to swap some nice short ports for some long convoluted ones. I think the upside doen engine was an effort to all engine torque to cornering. The normal clockwise rotation of an engine tens to force the car out of the turn. "Smokie" just reversed the rotation of the engine. Yes Money does make a difference, although it didn't help Miami.

06-14-2011, 11:16 AM	#5
Mike51Merc Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Northeast Pennsylvania Posts: 1,582	Re: "Bleep" Offy I know that some marine engines run reverse rotation. Was that true for marine flatties?

06-14-2011, 12:05 PM	#6
Chris Nelson Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Poulsbo, WA. Posts: 356	Re: "Bleep" Offy Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Back in the early 50's, there was a hot rod club that ran a 33 or 34 drag race car that had a special 8 lobe reverse cam. They had created a 2 cycle out of a 4 cycle. By boring holes into the cylinders at BDC from the valve gallery, they tapped the holes and put pipes in them to a pressure box in the valve gallery. They pressurised the box with a blower. The exhaust valves were welded shut and the intake valves were replaced with exhaust valves. The exhaust (8 pipes ) ran out the top of the engine and out the hood. It was cantankerous as an old lawn mower and needed to be pushed sometimes at high speed to get it to start. It was fast off the line as it got its RPM's quickly. I often wonder what happened to that engine.

06-15-2011, 09:50 PM	#7
Ralph Moore Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: North Pole, Alaska Posts: 1,470	Re: "Bleep" Offy I read a story about a guy that did that and was pumping some 700 horse power out of a flathead. Although it may just be a story.