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Old 10-17-2011, 05:50 PM   #21
Lawson Cox
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

I agree with PeterC. Well, upon further consideration, coming down Pikes Peak with it wide open and no brakes, maybe so. My bad.
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Old 10-17-2011, 07:22 PM   #22
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

You can tell how busy that speed is by the drop of 4--5 MPG from the 40 MPH spec.
I don't think Ford was advertising that as a good cruising speed...the performance services spec were designed to give the dealer written standards on MPH, acceleration, and MPG to apply in case of customer complaints of poor performance... if the car would reach that number on a flat road, it had at least normal power.
The MPG rating was probably the most important, as it was designed to distinguish between poor mileage due to mechanical fault and poor mileage due to bad driving; the test was done with a carefully metered 1/10 gallon on a flat road. If a car passed the standard, dealer could blame driving style or road conditions. If not, there was a mechanical problem.
The top speed was likely meant mostly as a general test of mechanical condition too...if your '36 could hit 84.5 it was making as much power as Henry sold you. You weren't supposed to drive home at 84.5...
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Old 10-17-2011, 07:58 PM   #23
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

PeterC asked about RPMs necessary to run the 85 mph. Assuming a 28" tire diameter (600 x 16 tire), 4.11 rear axle ratio, engine speed would be about +/- 4150 RPM. Not as bad as I initially thought
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Old 10-17-2011, 09:05 PM   #24
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

The charts are very interesting, comparing performance factors between 3.78 and 4.11 85's and then to 239 Mercs with 3.54.
The 3.54 with 239 seems the hot setup in almost all ways.
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Old 10-17-2011, 09:08 PM   #25
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

Bruce is there a 3.25 gear set for early fords or is that a later gear set?
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Old 10-17-2011, 09:51 PM   #26
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

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I'm interested in knowing what the MPG specs were. Could someone furnish that information?
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Old 10-17-2011, 10:06 PM   #27
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

My 33 fordor with stock eng 221 and std carb,If I go steady it will get 21 mpg on the hiway,I have the 3,78 gearset and 550x17 tyres
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Old 12-23-2013, 06:47 PM   #28
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

Keep in mind there was a BIG difference in gasoline formula back when those spec's were made and todays mixes.

If you try to match those specs I would use the premium at the pump and NO alcohol.
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Old 12-23-2013, 10:48 PM   #29
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

Ford didn't go any further than 3:54's I believe, so they knew the flatty would not support any higher rear gears
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Old 12-23-2013, 11:14 PM   #30
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

I understand his wanting to know how fast it will go. Hes really asking how slow is it. I bought a 1929 AA Truck I ask seller said drove it 50. Drove it in town, got home and 35 is all it will do. Now looking for a over drive, so i do not get ran over.

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good luck
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Old 12-23-2013, 11:58 PM   #31
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

Many years ago when I was curious about such things, I hung on tightly and established that my 49 F1 would do 85 mph with a stock tired 239 and 4.27 rear. With a (similarly stock tired) 272 it did 100mph. Today with a 265 flathead (otherwise stock) and a 3.73 56 F100 rear I have no doubt it could again touch 3 digits. I'm more interested in lowering cruise rpm though (3.54 is available for the Dana 44) but don't want to ruin that lovely low-down torque.
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Old 12-24-2013, 09:36 AM   #32
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

I've had my '34 roadster up to 70mph and the gas pedal wasn't to the floor! Prestone started spraying out from the rad cap so I slowed down. Had to clean that mess up when i got home so now i don't go over 65! That's plenty fast anyway.
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Old 12-24-2013, 09:56 AM   #33
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

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I have taken my '35 sedan up to 75 and I know I could have gone faster but didn't care to. This was with a rebuilt 030 over engine, stock 3 speed transmission, 4.11 rear and 750x16 rear tires. I usually run ~ 60 on the interstates. Most want to pass me but many just keep pace with me to check my car over.
As a followup to this post I made over two years ago, here is an update....
This past May, prior to making a trip from Maryland to California and back, I changed the rear gears from 4.11 to 3.78. Everything else remained the same. This change allowed me to cruise very easily at 60-65 mph, and gas mileage is now at 16-17 mpg average. I briefly took the speed up to 80 mph on Rt 50 in Nevada, just to see how the car handled, and know I could have gone faster. Changing to 3.78 gears has given very positive results, however, in hindsight, I wish I had gone to 3.54 gears instead. This would have allowed me to go back to the 600x16 tires and wheels that actually belong on this car and still get the same speed and mpg numbers as reported above.
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Old 12-24-2013, 05:04 PM   #34
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

My 32 with a well worn 33-4 85 and single 97, 3:78 rear and current 18" rubber willzip right up to 70+.
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Old 12-24-2013, 10:14 PM   #35
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

Bruce and Peter,

According to the Ford Service Bulletin for August 1933, engine rpm with a 4.11 rear axle would be approximately 4,250 at 85 mph. Of course, that presumably would be with 5.50X17 rims. I don't know if the overall height of 6.00x16's would be the same, but if smaller, it would mean engine speed would be even higher. I know some V8'ers would say that's well within the capabilities of a flathead, but personally, I wouldn't want to run mine at that high a speed for very long.
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Old 12-25-2013, 09:52 PM   #36
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

If you measure speed with the speedometer a lot of turtles have been changed with the wrong gears......... I always thought that the speedometers in old Fords lie but then I kept finding the wrong gear on the other end on various ones that I worked on.
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Old 12-25-2013, 10:38 PM   #37
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

85 MPH with a 4:11 rear end?? What are you smoking????
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Old 12-26-2013, 09:53 AM   #38
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

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Bruce and Peter,

According to the Ford Service Bulletin for August 1933, engine rpm with a 4.11 rear axle would be approximately 4,250 at 85 mph. Of course, that presumably would be with 5.50X17 rims. I don't know if the overall height of 6.00x16's would be the same, but if smaller, it would mean engine speed would be even higher. I know some V8'ers would say that's well within the capabilities of a flathead, but personally, I wouldn't want to run mine at that high a speed for very long.

]that is pushing it very hard, my 36 pickup has a 411 and 650 tires and I would never go that fast. I now a guy that has 354 rear and it lugges in first gear, from a stop it will go fast enough for me
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Old 12-26-2013, 10:13 AM   #39
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

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I'm interested in knowing what the MPG specs were. Could someone furnish that information?
If you can afford to restore vintage vehicles , are you really concerned with the cost of fuel .
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Old 12-26-2013, 10:13 AM   #40
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Default Re: What speed will I be able to get from a stock 1936 flathead?

What do you guys think of 700x16 tires with 4:11's?
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