V8 60 tuning tips

[sln123]

Hi
I'm looking for tips or advice to squeeze a little bit more power from my V8 60 motor & box. In stock form I get 50-55mph out of it on the flat & would like (if possible) a bit more power.
I'm thinking about fitting Reds Headers, an Offenhauser performance head and a twin carb set up, but don't want to waste my money as I live in the UK & these parts are pretty expensive. Appologies for posting in here (my car is a 1930 Model A sedan & was fitted with the V8 60 when I got it) but i've tried the HAMB etc & everyone justs says to junk the V8 60 motor & put a bigger one in. I don't want to do this so was hoping some of you guys who run V8 60's may have had good results with tuning them up a bit.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Steve

[Bruce Lancaster]

Start by optimizing what you have...see that you have right initial timing and a quick advance right off of idle, see that you have an air cleaner that is not restrictive, add dual pipes.
More compression will certainly help, dual carbs probably also, but think about gearing first:
Tiny engine...you want more ratios. 4.11 gears were in some A's (and some lower ones in AF cars in UK)and many '32's...that will give it more push than 3.78 ones but you will be buzzing at top end. From there...once that combo is running...does it feel like it could pull its cruising speed at a lower RPM?? If so, look into Mitchell overdrive that just swaps for your torque tube. Another route is the kit available to adapt a five speed trans to your engine and shortened torque tube...this route could give you lower gears in 1st and 2nd plus an overdrive!

[Gary in MN]

Hello sln123: What carb are you running right now. I have a V8 60 hp in a "A" roadster pickup. I started with a 81 Stromberg and while it ran fine and was easy on fuel it had trouble getting out of its own dust.

I had a 48 Stromberg on the shelf and switched them....felt like a 20% increase in power. 60 MPH is max on my car with a 4.44 rear end.

Fun to drive. Gary in MN2007 50's 28 RPU 009 (Medium).jpg

[JM 35 Sedan]

There have been a number of posts here on the pros and cons of running the little V-8 60hp engine in various types of vehicles. Here is one of these posts and I am sure I can find more... http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63570
Another
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...hlight=60hp+v8
If you do a search for '60hp v-8' it will bring many of these posts up on a list.

There is also a great book written by Rich Willim, "The Mighty Little 60hp Engine" or something close to that name. That book tells you how he and hid dad built those engines up to 100+ HP for their hydroplanes and midget racers. He has a website where you can order his book. Great read with lots of illustration's. Check it out....
http://willimvintageengines.com/

[sln123]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Bruce - a mate suggested looking at the gearing, which is something that I will do once it is running and breathing properly.
Gary - it's got the standard 81 Stromberg on it so hopefully a bit bigger carb will help.
John - yep, I did the search & have seen those threads which are mostly about the merits of fitting a V8 60 in a Model A. My car already has this engine fitted & I'm after real world tuning tips for a V8 60 using parts available off the shelf. Seen the book too but I want a street engine for a car, not a midget or race boat engine so haven't ordered it yet, although it looks a very interesting read.

Once again I would be grateful for thoughts from people who have used any of the available tuning bits on street engines.
Thanks, Steve

[Pete]

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The usual modifications that are done to the big flathead work very well on the 60.
Heads, 2 carb manifold, cam, ignition, headers, port and relief etc.
More cubic inches is probably the one mod that will give you the most bang for the buck. A Simca V8 crank will fit with mods and along with a .100 over bore will give you 165 cubic inches and around 9 to 1 compression.

[Bassman/NZ]

On a bang for buck basis, and in order of cost/effectiveness....1) swap the carby for a 48, 2) have the heads milled/ground to give 45 thou clearance over the pistons, 3) if your rear is 4.44 or 4.11, change to 3.78. If it already is 3.78 (unlikley) a change to 3.54.
Other mods that will benefit (but either have less benefit, or cost more) are dual exhaust with glasspacks or steelpacks (minimal performance increase, but big sound increase - very important haha), a five speed with overdrive top (Toyota Celica/Supra) or 4 speed with o/d top (Volvo), twin carbs, Mitchell overdrive (this is less invasive and a simpler install than changing the trans).
Offy heads will not compete against raised compression in your stock heads as far as bang for buck goes, but they look good, and may or may not offer some cooling advantage.
V8 60s were very popular with the speedway midget crowd back in the 50s and early 60s.

[john hamilton]

If a hotter coil would help with ignition several of the parts companies sell a replacement for the coil and condenser that use a normal coil. You could use a different, hotter coil.

[Kurt in NJ]

Only 50 ---something is wrong with it, how good is the baisic engine, how well was it balanced, what is the gear ratio? ---has the dist been set up on a machine with testing of vacuum brake operation ---

The reason I ask is because I had a 39 with the 60, when it was bought it had less than 5000 miles on a rebuild and it would barely get to 50, soon after it burned a valve and got a lot of blowby ---no power, no fun to drive.
Got another block, put in nos sleeves, pistons ---crank,rods, cam ---everything in the engine NOS except block, heads, manifolds ---checked the balance, the boxed set of rods were all within less than 1 gram--big end, little end and total weight, factory set of pistons all within 1 gram ---this engine ran like new, quiet, powerful (for a 60), the car became a joy to drive---yes it didn't have the low end of the big engine---or even a stock A, but once driving was adapted to it ---no lugging, downshift as soon as it slowed below 40, don't worry about rpm, top speed was close to 80, no problem all day at 65-70 up the parkway--or across the expressway ---the only thing the car didn't like was parades, it never finished one ---20 min into the parade it would quit, after it slept for 20 min no problem going home at 70 --liked it, fuel mileage went up, before the engine 15 was best, after driving at 70 would get 25+ ---if only it had mechanical brakes, no matter how many new parts it didn't like to keep fluid in it over the winter or anytime it sat for more than 2 months.

Most of the NOS parts came from a local guy that raced boats, he said that if He kept the engine to 7000 rpm it would go 2 seasons(stock valvetrain), at 7500 it might go 1/2 season ---somewhat hard to believe, but it gave me the confidence ro run to 39 hard.

The 39 got sold ----some 10+years later I saw it in the Hershey car corral, it had been driven down from Mass, and was just sold, I walked up to hear the seller telling the new owner ---downshift early in the mountains, soon as it gets a little under 40, don't worry about driving 65, it likes it ---the first time you touch the brakes it might pull a little---I introduced myself, gave the rest of the history of the car, it had 25000 more miles, looked the same, still didn't finish parades, and hadn't had any engine work.

You should be able to get away with a 4:11 in a light A chassis, but before you consider external modifications make sure the inside is done proper ---or have you considered going back to stock A engine, properly done a stock engine can make a coupe go over 70 with stock gearing, and compression ratio.( I have gotten 23 mpg at 65 --averaged over 1000 miles)

You should start with the dist --it is very important that the vacuum brake work properly, and that the advance works --see if you can get it run up on a dist machine, check the cam timing --perhaps the gear got pressed on a little off --it can be pressed on anywhere ---before you do modifications make sure it is at least to original specs ---modifications are not a substitute for proper restoration.

A stock 60 has less torque than a stock A engine, the 60 has to make up for it with RPM

[JM 35 Sedan]

"John - yep, I did the search & have seen those threads which are mostly about the merits of fitting a V8 60 in a Model A. My car already has this engine fitted & I'm after real world tuning tips for a V8 60 using parts available off the shelf. Seen the book too but I want a street engine for a car, not a midget or race boat engine so haven't ordered it yet, although it looks a very interesting read"

I only posted links to two of many pages of posts that came up on my search. I am sure there are plenty of other previous posts here that will give "real world" information like you are looking for, but then maybe you have read them all and nothing applies to your interest.
Also, the book on the 60hp is about much more than just building engines for hydroplanes and midgets. Much of the performance enhancement information could be used on a street engine as well.
Good luck, hope you find what you need.

[MARVIN, CT]

Just wondering if a vacuum line was not run to the crab distributor for the vacuum brake, what should be the the setting on the adjusting screw. My timing is set one mark advanced. Thanks, Marvin,ct