So far, these are very in depth programs for the dedicated professional OR the really smart engine builders and racers who don’t want to waste time or money. Redesignated V8-82A in 1938, V8-922A in 1939, and V8-022A in 1940, compression, power, and torque remained unchanged. Changing the camshaft to a higher performance version required head removal so that the valves could be held up out of the way, so this was usually done only as part of a substantial rework of the basic engine. The block metallurgy, being much later, was also stronger than the originals.[21]. Although the V8 configuration was not new when the Ford V8 was introduced in 1932, the latter was a market first in the respect that it made an 8-cylinder affordable and a V engine affordable to the emerging mass market consumer for the first time. So you can test something like all the lobe separation angles from 108 to 117 by half a degree at a time. For these reasons, the flathead Ford became a favorite among hot-rodders, and this in turn led to a rich supply of aftermarket performance parts. There are a number of other consumer-aimed dyno programs for the curious gearhead. A similar 221 flathead was used in Fords for 1937 and 1938 but the block was revised to have the water pumps mounted on the block. By this point, over 2 million Ford flathead V8 engines had been produced for Ford automobiles and trucks, and for commercial use in other vehicles. During the engine's first decade of production, when overhead-valve engines were used by only a small minority of makes, it was usually known simply as the Ford V‑8, and the first car model in which it was installed, the Model 18, was (and still is) often called simply the "Ford V‑8", after its new engine. For powering the fuel pump, the camshaft is fitted with an extra cam located in the bearing on the flywheel side.[11]. As the trend of building big-inch small blocks continues to grow, he got a call from a guy building an engine that had dimensions outside what the software was originally designed to do, so Brandt promptly rewrote those parameters to help that guy and the engine building community as a whole. A popular modification for the flathead was conversion to an overhead-valve configuration, and many such modification kits were available, including the Ardun heads[13][14] from Zora Arkus-Duntov who was to go on to fame as the "father of the Corvette". This software is built on dyno experience and not just theory. Business and Management: Chassis vs Engine Dyno, Business and Management: Tradeshow Season, Business and Management: OE Parts vs. the Aftermarket, Business and Management: Setting Up an Instagram Account, Video: Turbocharged 6.7L Cummins H1 Hummer Swap, Engine of the Week: Four-Valve Suzuki Racing Engine, Engine News: Michael McDowell Captures Daytona 500 and First Cup Series Win, Engine News: Lucas Oil Receives the O’Reilly Auto Parts Supplier Award, Oil Clearances and Options for LS Engines. The 2013 Mustang continued to build on excellence by delivering a new exterior design, updated technology, and new driver tools. When Ford Motor Company assumed operations of Lincoln in 1922, they were already producing a flathead engine with Fork and Blade connecting rods which remained in production after Ford took over until 1932. Collectively all 239 engines are referred to as "100 horse" engines, although the horsepower was increased in 1952 to 110 horsepower in cars and 106 horsepower in trucks. [18] The block was cast as a single piece (monobloc) for durability, and a single-barrel carburetor fed the engine. [19], The 1948–1953 255 cu in (4.2 L), referred to as the model BG,[citation needed] was achieved by use of a 4 in (100 mm) stroke crankshaft in the 239 cu in (3.9 L) 8BA/8RT engine. Joe taught us all as kids: knowing is half the battle. Performance Trends started off in 1986 with the Drag Race Analyzer program, followed shortly by the Engine Analyzer software. Many people in our industry might not be as comfortable clicking a mouse as they are a torque wrench, but I assure you the results will make you a believer. Oh, the hours of my youth I spent flipping through cam catalogs and lobe profile charts are now just a click or few away! [18] It became the V8-68 in 1936, with compression, horsepower, and torque unchanged. The Ford Blue Advantage website is operated by Autotrader. It is spur gear driven; the camshaft's spur gear is made of plastic. One of my favorite features is the series of pop-up boxes that offer suggestions that steer the user to the optimum port characteristics. Nowadays, everyone has a smart phone in their pocket that has more computing capacity than the Apollo space program, and there seems to be an app for everything. In fact, in the 1950s, the flathead block was often fitted with crankshafts of up to 4.125 in (104.8 mm) stroke. From my experience, the virtual calculations have always fallen within 0.5% of actual dyno testing, all of which are well within the margin of error of any dyno. It was initially designated the 8BA (see above) in automobiles and the 8RT in trucks. As I discussed with Kevin, this is a great tool to help you get closer to your goals. The capacity of the block for over-boring (beyond normal boring for wear compensation) was limited by the configuration and the metal available. CamQuest is one product selection program that allows you to quickly and easily drop in some basic vehicle and usage parameters – it will then populate a selection of COMP Cams that will greatly narrow down your search time. It was the first independently designed and built V8 engine produced by Ford for mass production, and it ranks as one of the company's most important developments. In 1939, as the V8-91A, compression increased to 6.15:1, power rose to 90 hp (67 kW), and torque reached 155 lb⋅ft (210 N⋅m);[18] the ratings remained the same for the 1940 V8-01A, 1941 V8-11A, and the last civilian model, the V8-21A, which saw compression rise, to 6.2:1. These are generally priced under $100. The most complex part of the block was the exhaust passage routing. The engine was intended to be used for big passenger cars and trucks;[2] it was installed in such (with minor, incremental changes)[3] until 1953, making the engine's 21-year production run for the U.S. consumer market longer than the 19-year run of the Ford Model T engine[3] for that market. [8] The simple three-main-bearing crankshaft attached two connecting rods to a single crankpin, one rod from each cylinder bank. Stay up to date by signing up for the Engine Builder newsletter. When these were decommissioned around 1990, they provided a new source of little-worn engines for the hotrodding community. The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. ), so you really have to look closely at any other available opportunities to make (or conserve) power. [10] Charles E. Sorensen lived up to his longtime nickname at Ford, "Cast-Iron Charlie", by leading this revolution to bring Ford's first V8 to market. A lid made of cast iron covers the camshaft spur gears; the ignition distributor is placed on top of this lid and is driven by the camshaft spur gears. For this reason, bank robber Clyde Barrow preferred to steal Fords as getaway vehicles. Shop the latest Engine Builder merchandise. The routing of the exhaust through the water jacket put an extremely heavy load on the cooling system and led to frequent overheating, especially on early models, if the cooling system was not maintained. This is a tool like any other, to be used as an integral part of your engine building program. There are thousands of inputs available that can affect your virtual engine build. To help you find your ideal certified used Ford vehicle, Ford is partnering with Autotrader to bring you the Ford Blue Advantage website. At most, each bank of the V was an integral block, but many V engines had 4- or even 6-cylinder blocks, with cylinders cast in pairs or triples. The modern OHV V-8 powered vehicles available also contributed to the demise of hot-rodding's original culture (affordable modifications by working-class car owners), as new factory cars became capable of much higher performance than most hot-rods. This offered a significant performance advantage, as full pressure lubrication allowed for continuous use above 3500 rpm and not starve the rod bearings for oil, which was necessary for high performance applications, such as racing. “Over the years, I’ve written code for helping in my engine building, and recently, within the past few years, developed some software and started giving it away for free, in hopes people will become more involved in engine building. The exhaust outlets in the 1932–48 cars and the 1932–47 trucks were near the front of the manifolds aiming down and sometimes out. Their programs will help you utilize that weather data that is collected from multiple sources, and tune your setup for maximum performance. I started this simulation for estimating piston to valve clearance, and just added the capability for estimating camshaft to connecting rod clearance, given camshaft lobe diameter, connecting rod length, crank stroke, and crank to camshaft centerline distance.”. Ford flatheads are still hot rodded today, with a special land speed record class for flathead engines. The 1932 V8-18 with 5.5:1 compression[18] produced 65 hp (48 kW). Some of the software allows you to input these variables, but what happens when you’ve actually got your engine built and you’re ready to race? One variable that can make a huge difference is weather. Step 4: Use a brass drift and a dead-blow hammer to insert the woodruff key into the crank snout. Clearly Chevrolet isn’t doing any better in this department as the 5.3 is severely undertuned, and the 6.2, which should be available across the board at … AERA offers its Prosis Engine specification program to members of the association. Those tests plotted out on a graph and the resulting trend lines are the basis of his software, not some hypothetical theory based out of a book written when steam engines ruled the rails, but actual real world tests in modern times. One other neat feature of the Performance Trends software suite is the ability to do chain calculations. The answer to that can be found at http://airdensityonline.com where you’ll find links to ProCalc and ProTune. The crankshaft development for the Ford flathead V8 was pioneering. You just go back through the results, find what you’re looking for and you’re there. In 1952 Ford France (who called this engine the Aquilon) created a somewhat bored out version displacing 144 cu in (2.4 L). If the air density or temperature changes much, you can see huge effects on the power output and tuning. These selections will help, especially those situations that aren’t so common, like blower applications, high stall convertors, or high torque/low rpm tow vehicles. Ford flathead V8s were notorious for cracking blocks if their barely adequate cooling systems were overtaxed (such as in trucking or racing). While some may see the cost of the programs as a large expense, I’m here to tell you that the money saved will FAR outweigh the money spent. COMP Cams lets consumers use CamQuest for free, but they have also purchased a number of other engine and cam simulation software with greater capabilities that are for sale: Desktop Dyno 5, Dyno 5 Sim, Dynomation, as well as a few racing software programs as well. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to modify the terms of this plan at any time. Bob Szabo is a retired welding engineer, long-time drag racer, and author of six books about racing mechanical fuel injection at RaceCarBook.com – he has also written several articles for Engine Builder. When Lincoln could not produce the V12 engine it wanted for the 1949 model year, the 337 engine was adapted for passenger car use. In early blocks, some cylinder walls were extremely thin due to cores shifting during casting. Mercury's 239 cu in (3.9 L) version was introduced in 1939. With 2.6 by 3.2 in (66 by 81 mm) bore and stroke and 6.6:1 compression,[2] the engine was rated 60 hp (45 kW) and 94 lb⋅ft (127 N⋅m). Valves for each bank were mounted inside the triangular area formed by the "vee" of cylinders. Know your stuff when you get here, or you’ll already be behind. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot. [1] A fascination with ever-more-powerful engines was perhaps the most salient aspect of the American car and truck market for a half century, from 1923 until 1973. The new design also relocated the water outlet from the front of the heads to the top center of the heads. One variable that can make a huge difference is weather. [18] The 239 was redesigned in 1948 as the 8RT for Ford trucks and in 1949 as the 8BA for the cars. The Ford flathead V8 (often called simply the Ford flathead, flathead Ford, or flatty when the context is implicit, such as in hot-rodding) is a V8 engine with a flat cylinder head designed by the Ford Motor Company and built by Ford and various licensees. This style exhaust was also used legally in sanctioned drag racing and illegally in unsanctioned performance demonstrations. In 1934 a two barrel down draft carburetor was introduced. These engines can be identified by having the water pumps located at the front of the heads. In late 1938 Ford introduced V8-81A,[18] commonly called the "24 stud" engine because it uses twenty four studs to hold down each head. The Ford flathead V8 (often called simply the Ford flathead, flathead Ford, or flatty when the context is implicit, such as in hot-rodding) is a V8 engine with a flat cylinder head designed by the Ford Motor Company and built by Ford and various licensees. Know your stuff when you get here, or you’ll already be behind. That library is constantly growing with new applications as well. And super nice, too! COMP Cams lets consumers use CamQuest for free, but they have also purchased a number of other engine and cam simulation software with greater capabilities that are for sale: Desktop Dyno 5, Dyno 5 Sim, Dynomation, as well as a few racing software programs as well. One of the most important innovations in the Ford flathead V8 was the casting of the crankcase and all 8 cylinders in one engine block. “I’m an aerospace engineer by trade, but paid for my education as a certified engine repair mechanic and engine builder,” Hulderman says. Somewhat primitive water pumps used until the advent of the 1948 8RT and 1949 8BA models also contributed to the overheating problem. The engine was on Ward's list of the 10 best engines of the 20th century. Well, there are applications for that, too. I’ve had quite a bit of experience using a number of these programs and I’d like to share some highlights that you and your shop may find useful. Oh, the hours of my youth I spent flipping through cam catalogs and lobe profile charts are now just a click or few away! The current record holder achieves 700 hp (522 kW) and 300 mph (480 km/h). Making it practical for the latter was an example of the production development needed to bring a V8 engine to the widely affordable segment of the market. For more information, contact the Vizard team at: To check out the full array of software available from Performance Trends, visit their website: We’ve discussed quite a bit about virtual engine builds and all the variables and inputs you can use. It was used in Mercurys in 1939 and in Fords in 1946. In the seminar, once you’ve covered the subjects thoroughly enough to gain full understanding of the different variables and how they each can affect each other, you’re shown how they plug into the software and get you the results you’re looking for. These conversions were not initially demanded by hot rodders looking for extra power, as they had not yet exhausted the capabilities of the flathead configuration, but were demanded by users of the engine in trucks and other such high load applications, where the constant flow of hot exhaust through the block to the exhaust manifolds caused the entire engine to overheat; the overhead-valve heads routed the exhaust out more directly, and away from the block. In the song "Hot Rod Lincoln", the engine referred to in the original lyrics was a Lincoln V12 not mentioned in the Commander Cody version. Other websites with software offerings and programs worth mentioning are: Michael McDowell Captures Daytona 500 and First Cup Series Win, Lucas Oil Receives the O’Reilly Auto Parts Supplier Award, Austin Cindric Pulls off Overtime Victory in Beef It’s What’s For Dinner 300, UltraSonic LLC Ultra 3800FLT Cleaning Machine, Melling High Performance, High Volume Oil Pump for Ford EcoBoost, Moroso Multi-Inlet, Compact, Billet Aluminum Breather Tanks. Other websites with software offerings and programs worth mentioning are: www.quarterjr.com, www.gtisoft.com and www.virtualengine2000.com. It was a staple of hot rodders in the 1950s, and it remains famous in the classic car hobbies even today, despite the huge variety of other popular V8s that followed. [17] They sold many converted Ford N-Series tractors and conversion kits using Ford industrial inline-6 engines and Ford flathead V-8 engines.[17]. [18] The designation changed again in 1939, to V8-922A, but the specifications remained the same. The answer to that can be found at, Bob Szabo is a retired welding engineer, long-time drag racer, and author of six books about racing mechanical fuel injection at, CamQuest is one product selection program that allows you to quickly and easily drop in some basic vehicle and usage parameters – it will then populate a selection of COMP Cams that will greatly narrow down your search time. [22], harvnb error: no target: CITEREFSorensen1956 (, V8 engine produced by Ford for mass production, Ward's list of the 10 best engines of the 20th century, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, as this video on the Ford flathead V8 shows, "Pennsylvania S.A.E. These shell main bearings are made of a cadmium silver alloy. A 136 cu in (2.2 L) V8-74[18] version was introduced in the United States in 1937. Very much appreciated sir! So instead of making one change and running a simulation dyno pull, then doing that over and over manually each time, you can set the program to make those changes for you. I have no experience with the current 5.0 or 3.5, but if this is truly the best engine then that’s a pretty p poor job by Ford. This engine was used in Ford's transit buses during the most productive years of the company's short stint in the transit bus business from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s, most notably in the 1939–1947 version of the Ford Transit Bus. Now there’s no excuse for not utilizing a tool this powerful for free. Some seminars start off with the basic building blocks of a subject, whereas Vizard and team know that if you’re serious enough to be there and commit, you’ve already mastered the basics of engine building and they jump right into the meat of the subject, so no time is wasted. For example, the different modules of the program are written so that inputs meet real world possibilities. [20], French-built 255 engines were fitted to the Simca Unic Marmon Bocquet [fr] (SUMB) light trucks of the French military. The 337 features a 3.5 in (89 mm) bore and a 4.375 in (111.1 mm) stroke. For more information, visit www.aera.org. We’ve discussed quite a bit about virtual engine builds and all the variables and inputs you can use. The cooling jacket reaches down to the bottom dead centre, which is unusually low. The exhaust valves were on the inside of the V and exhaust flow was initially downward and passed around the cylinders through the water jacket to exit on the outside of the cylinder block. Most of the programs offer a free trial or a limited edition version that you can test. Go to. For instance, you can import files and data directly from your Cam Analyzer or Port Flow Analyzer into your Engine Analyzer program for exact calculations, then drop that virtual engine build into your drag race or circle track analyzer program for a complete picture. Many variables that you’ve heard of over the years, like port mach numbers and specific port energy density are clearly explained and you’re given real world applications of how to use them to your advantage. The water inlets and thermostat housings were moved to the front end of the heads, and the 24 studs and nuts that attached the heads on the old engine were replaced by 24 bolts. [18] The 1948 to 1953 engines have a revised cooling and ignition system. [10], As with any V8, the block was relatively light for the displacement supported. A common conversion for the 1949–53 Ford cars and 1952–53 Mercurys was to block off the right forward manifold entrance and route the left side exhaust to a new pipe to form a dual exhaust system with better flow characteristics. American engineers at the time believed this would improve the piston cooling. The blocks with the factory 3 3/16 in (81 mm) bore can usually be safely bored 1/8 in (3.2 mm) over standard to 3 5/16 in (84 mm) and sometimes can be bored 3/16 in (4.8 mm) over standard to 3 3/8 in (86 mm), increasing displacement a little over 12%. The Ford flathead V8 was licensed to other producers. Another great program is found at http://enginebuilderprofessional.com. Kudos to Brandt for helping the engine building community at large for nothing more than the love of our industry. The engines were essentially identical. A Y-pipe took the exhaust gases to the right side of the vehicle to a single muffler, then to a single pipe out the back on the right side. As a side benefit to a prospective purchaser of a used vehicle, this also enabled the condition of the connecting rod and main bearings to be determined indirectly by observation of the analog oil pressure gauge after the vehicle was warmed up, provided that oil of normal viscosity was in use. Go to http://www.camquest.com/ to get started. [18] The 1932 through 1938 motors used twenty one studs to hold down each head and are known as "21 stud" motors.