Question about using Brumfield head

[mcgarrett]

Yesterday I was fortunate to purchase a new Brumfield head from a private collection of Model A parts being liquidated near me. Apparently it was purchased new in 1995 according to a letter found in the box with the head from Brumfield-Finley in Waco, Texas. I see no trace of scoring on the head stud bosses or any other evidence that it has ever been installed. The letters B-F are the only identification marks cast into the head. It looks like the man that bought it was in the process of smoothing up some of the casting roughness in the combustion chamber and never finished. I plan to finish smoothing out the roughness of the last combustion chamber dome.

Questions:

-With a "B" grind cam and this head with a Model B carburetor and stock A ignition what kind of power increase would be expected from the stock 40 HP?

-What head gasket would be best when using this head? Any guesses about what the compression ratio is? I don't have any idea what the compression ratio is until I contact Brumfield.

-Who else is using a Brumfield head and what is your opinion of its performance characteristics?

[Marshall V. Daut]

I have owned standard Brumfield heads and even a Super Brumfield head since the middle 1990's and LOVE them all! You will be very pleased with the performance boost, especially improving the dead spot going from 2nd gear into 3rd. There's enough extra umph that the head will give you to smooth out that awkward place in the engine's power curve. VRROOOOOMMM!!!.
Marshall

[alexiskai]

Here are head installation instructions from the late Larry Brumfield.

https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/bru...structions.htm

[mcgarrett]

Marshall,
Appreciate the words of encouragement. I was hoping to get that kind of response. I don't know very much about Brumfield heads, but was pretty sure I made a good decision to buy it.

alexiskai
Many thanks for this link. It's exactly the information I needed. I would have surely messed things up terribly without it. I will follow his instructions to the letter!

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

I will follow his instructions to the letter!

If you end up also following his instructions on testing the strength of the threads in the block, it may be helpful to review a video of this procedure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibaPf0FQnZM

I made this video in collaboration with Larry before he died.

[Pete]

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Too bad he didn't live to bring out the new design.

[updraught]

Looks similar to the Snyder's 6:1.
A victim of covid?

[Bruce of MN]

[QUOTE=Marshall V. Daut;2283532] the performance boost, especially improving the dead spot going from 2nd gear into 3rd. There's enough extra umph that the head will give you to smooth out that awkward place in the engine's power curve. /QUOTE]

There's a small rise in a road that I use that is located after a stop just right to require a stock A to stay in 2nd. With my 6:1 Snyder head, I can go to 3rd, retard it a little and it pulls to the top easily. It is a small thing, but very satisfying.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Yesterday I was fortunate to purchase a new Brumfield head from a private collection of Model A parts being liquidated near me. Apparently it was purchased new in 1995 according to a letter found in the box with the head from Brumfield-Finley in Waco, Texas. I see no trace of scoring on the head stud bosses or any other evidence that it has ever been installed. The letters B-F are the only identification marks cast into the head. It looks like the man that bought it was in the process of smoothing up some of the casting roughness in the combustion chamber and never finished. I plan to finish smoothing out the roughness of the last combustion chamber dome.

Questions:

-With a "B" grind cam and this head with a Model B carburetor and stock A ignition what kind of power increase would be expected from the stock 40 HP?

-What head gasket would be best when using this head? Any guesses about what the compression ratio is? I don't have any idea what the compression ratio is until I contact Brumfield.

-Who else is using a Brumfield head and what is your opinion of its performance characteristics?

Adding a couple of other things to your questions...

Using a Model-B carburetor on your engine can add some power 'if' either a modified Model-B intake manifold is used, -or is a stock Model-A manifold is bored oversize. The stock Model-A intake up-tube is 1.000" ID whereas the Model-B intake is 1.250 ID. Using a MOdel-B carb on a stock A manifold restricts the flow. I actually bore Model-A intakes to 1.300 and blend the ends.

Purely a speculation however since the 'B' engine (-with its' slightly less compression than your BF and all of the other 'B' components) was rated at around 50hp, I would say your expectations should be around 50hp - 55hp. Where you will see the greatest improvement with your combination will be with a Stipe or Burtz camshaft, followed by larger intake valves and opening the bowl areas.

The biggest downfall I have ever experienced with a BF head was they all seemed to need to go thru about a half-dozen heat cycles, and then be resurfaced. From then on, they would always be within 0.001 - 0.002 when you pulled them off on a rebuild.

[kenparker0703]

I, too, have been running B-F heads since the mid 90's. Currently running two of them.
Brent is right about the heat cycles and resurfacing. Be sure and check for straightness before you install.


Most of the B-F heads are 5.9 compression ratio. There are a few 6.1. And some of the 5.9's have been resurfaced enought to give 6.0 or better.


Mr Brumfeld always recommended the FelPro 7013. I have had better luck with the Best 509. Less likely to create a gasket leak between number 3 and 4 cylinder.

[Gary WA]

Originally Posted by updraught

Looks similar to the Snyder's 6:1.
A victim of covid?

It was never noted in his obituary.He was against shots. I have two of his heads good for a little more pickup especially hills. RIP Larry this month he passed away.

[mcgarrett]

Ken & Brent,
Your specific technical input is MUCH appreciated. I'm surprised to learn about the protracted thermal cycle "break-in" period of this head, and a little disappointed about the prospects of having to remove it AFTER all the re-torqueing to have it re-surfaced, but I'll move forward with it as you guys have advised and see how it responds. The block I'm using was a fresh re-build done a few years ago (not by me) and was found in a man's garage after his death. The deck surface looks to have had a clean-up pass with a mill, so I'll check for flatness before proceeding. Also appreciate the tip on using the BEST 509 head gasket. The information on Vince Falter's website about Brumfield heads stressed using the FelPro 7013 copper gasket, so I didn't know about that option. I've sure learned a lot about the installation nuances of this head - things I thought I already knew, so I'm glad I asked!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Ken & Brent,
Your specific technical input is MUCH appreciated. I'm surprised to learn about the protracted thermal cycle "break-in" period of this head, and a little disappointed about the prospects of having to remove it AFTER all the re-torqueing to have it re-surfaced, but I'll move forward with it as you guys have advised and see how it responds. The block I'm using was a fresh re-build done a few years ago (not by me) and was found in a man's garage after his death. The deck surface looks to have had a clean-up pass with a mill, so I'll check for flatness before proceeding. Also appreciate the tip on using the BEST 509 head gasket. The information on Vince Falter's website about Brumfield heads stressed using the FelPro 7013 copper gasket, so I didn't know about that option. I've sure learned a lot about the installation nuances of this head - things I thought I already knew, so I'm glad I asked!

To be brutally honest, ...it is my opinion that Larry had his way of doing things that might not have always been the best way, -however it was the right way because it was just his way.

And with the above said, credit is due Larry because he started the trend of manufacturing modern-day reproduction cylinder heads. Yes, they were definitely better than anything we had available to us during the 70s and 80s however I honestly do not look at them as being the best of what is available today. Heads like Dan Iandolo's and Don Snyder's that came afterwards and had dyno R&D allowed the combustion chambers and slight spark plug hole location changes/tweaking done likely makes those heads equal to, -or possibly a minute bit better than the F-F. Early on, Bill Stipe used his dyno to flog the Snyder head, ...and to my knowledge, Larry never really flogged the B-F head.

As for re-surfacing, just wait until it starts leaking and then change the gasket while resurfacing it then.

[Benson]

I was told that Larry's head is based the original (5.2 to 1) "Police head" (the one with the Large B on the top of the casting) which Ford came out with in 1930.

The "heart shaped" chambers on the Brumfield head look very much like the original Ford Police head that I have been using since 1962 on the coupe.

The Police head really wakes up the engine compared to the the 4.2 stock head.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

and to my knowledge, Larry never really flogged the B-F head.

He did the new one.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

To be brutally honest, ...it is my opinion that Larry had his way of doing things that might not have always been the best way, -however it was the right way because it was just his way.

Can confirm, he had strongly held opinions and they were not always well-supported. For example I don’t think he ever acknowledged the warping problem. Attributed it to user error.

[mcgarrett]

Thanks, guys. I'm anxious to put it on and go out and burn some gas!

[Bruce of MN]

More gasket input:

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...te#post1145107

[oldspert]

Mike, Looks like he was polishing the combustion chambers to maybe equalize the CC's, much like hot rodders do when prepping heads for performance. I do have a burette to do this measurement if you need.
Ed

[Marshall V. Daut]

Of the many Brumfield heads I have owned and installed for friends/customers over the years, the only head gasket failure was my own darned fault. It was the very first Brumfield head I ever installed. My engine had been rebuilt only a couple years prior, so I didn't think I needed to install new head studs and nuts - as Larry advised to do in his installation instructions. So, I installed the new Brumfield head over my two-year old studs with the recommended head gasket. Sure enough! Even though I followed recommended heating and cooling cycle re-torquing procedures, the gasket blew out climbing a steep hill fairly soon after installation! After talking with Larry - for the first time - I changed studs and nuts and put on a new head gasket. No blowouts ever again, even with the 7:1 Super Brumfield head I later bought from Larry. I learned an expensive lesson: CHANGE THE HEAD STUDS AND NUTS!!!!
I'm sure that not all those new heads I bought were perfectly level without any warpage. The gasket compensated for some warpage and the re-torquing after heating up and cooling down compressed the gasket to conform to the head even more. Larry admitted that he stopped using a certain foundry that produced his heads for a while in Texas because the metal was not cured sufficiently. So, those heads needed to be trued. That defective batch might be where all the negative comments about Brumfield head warpage began. One bad report made public cancels out 100 positive ones. It's always the negative comments that people remember and make their way into urban legend.
Marshall