Evans heads

[ford35lh]

Does anybody know anything about Evans heads ???
History; pros; cons; ???

Found a pair; probably have them checked for cracks
before I make the trade the guy wants to do.

[deuce lover]

There was great story on Evans in the Rodders Journal a few yrs back.
Here on EBAY:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/17545497216...Bk9SR6bJ3ZqvYg

[KiWinUS]

I believe both 60 and big V8 Smith and Jones heads are also Evans heads

[40 Deluxe]

Back in the day most guys ran plain water so aluminum heads corroded around the water passage openings and head bolt holes. Heads were then milled to clean up the corrosion, resulting in too much metal being removed.

[petehoovie]

[Flathead Fever]

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Earl Evans equipment was some of the best heads and intakes in the late 1940s. I was friends with SCTA Gophers Club members Jack Mickelson and Johnny Ryan. They both worked for Earl Evans at his foundry after the War, later they started their own engine building business. Thats is Earl next to Jacks '32 roadster, in 1947. That was one of the fastest '32 roadsters. It was used as the test car for the Evans equipment.

Evans employee parking lot in Whittier. Johnny Ryans' purple '32 Roadster with the white top in front of the Evans Foundry and Nellie Taylors blue '32 roadster, all ran Evans speed equipment. Those guys were so nice to me it made me a fan of the Evans equipment. I borrowed hundreds of photos and copied them.

Earl Evans, Dan O'Regan and Nellie Taylor showing off the Evans equipment.

August 31, 1947, SCTA Program. The fastest fifteen Class "C" roadsters. Fastest was Randy Shinn with a "T" body. Jack Calori, also my good friend had a '29 body on a '32 frame. Not sure of Warnock. I'm, pretty sure Jack Mickelson was the fastest '32 Roadster, followed by Nelson Taylor. Soon after this, Ed Stewart put a little nitro in his tank, and he became the fastest '32 roadster. He ran Evans heads and an intake too. The '32 roadsters could not compete with the "T" and "A" bodies running in the same Class, so there was always a separate rivalry going on for fastest '32 roadster bragging rights, but they did not set any actual records in 1947. If you look at the Gophers entries, you will see a lot of Evans equipment. They were a Whitter Club and Evans was in Whittier. Half the club worked there. A lot of the clubs were loyal to the equipment produced locally.

[deuce lover]

Thanks for your post FF.!!!

[Bored&Stroked]

If the heads are in great shape and have not been over-milled, I'd pick them up.

The chambers on the Evans heads were not much different than what everybody else was making -- Edelbrock, Offy, Navarro, Sharp, Edmunds, etc.. And all of them were basically what you'd get if you took a set of 59X heads and "filled/welded" up the transfer area to increase compression.

Some guys tightened up the transfer area widths (like early Eddie Meyer), but in the end, they were all quite similar (other than chamber sizes and final compression ratios).

Unless one was doing a lot of other experimentation and hand modifications (pop-ups, flat-tops, etc) - my bet is that none of them were really much better than the others.

I say, run what makes yah happy!

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

Earl Evans equipment was some of the best heads and intakes in the late 1940s. I was friends with SCTA Gophers Club members Jack Mickelson and Johnny Ryan. They both worked for Earl Evans at his foundry after the War, later they started their own engine building business. Thats is Earl next to Jacks '32 roadster, in 1947. That was one of the fastest '32 roadsters. It was used as the test car for the Evans equipment.

Evans employee parking lot in Whittier. Johnny Ryans' purple '32 Roadster with the white top in front of the Evans Foundry and Nellie Taylors blue '32 roadster, all ran Evans speed equipment. Those guys were so nice to me it made me a fan of the Evans equipment. I borrowed hundreds of photos and copied them.

Earl Evans, Dan O'Regan and Nellie Taylor showing off the Evans equipment.

August 31, 1947, SCTA Program. The fastest fifteen Class "C" roadsters. Fastest was Randy Shinn with a "T" body. Jack Calori, also my good friend had a '29 body on a '32 frame. Not sure of Warnock. I'm, pretty sure Jack Mickelson was the fastest '32 Roadster, followed by Nelson Taylor. Soon after this, Ed Stewart put a little nitro in his tank, and he became the fastest '32 roadster. He ran Evans heads and an intake too. The '32 roadsters could not compete with the "T" and "A" bodies running in the same Class, so there was always a separate rivalry going on for fastest '32 roadster bragging rights, but they did not set any actual records in 1947. If you look at the Gophers entries, you will see a lot of Evans equipment. They were a Whitter Club and Evans was in Whittier. Half the club worked there. A lot of the clubs were loyal to the equipment produced locally.

[jplutz]

Is there a specific reason why flathead spark plugs are NOT positioned above the pistons?

[38 coupe]

Originally Posted by jplutz

Is there a specific reason why flathead spark plugs are NOT positioned above the pistons?

Yes. The combustion chamber is actually over the valves and transfer area. Getting the area over the piston as tight as reasonably practical is one of the tricks for a better running flathead.

[Pete]

I always savor the moments whan I meet and shake hands with well known or famous people and I have met quite a few, including Earl Evans and Babe Ruth.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by Pete

I always savor the moments whan I meet and shake hands with well known or famous people and I have met quite a few, including Earl Evans and Babe Ruth.

I have met Pat Butram and Gabby Hayes; you win.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by tubman

I have met Pat Butram and Gabby Hayes; you win.

You win 75%. I was introduced to Gabby Hayes but there were too many in the circle to shake hands around.

[jplutz]

Thanks 38. JPL