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Flathead 50's Style

5K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  junkyardjeff 
#1 ·
My name is Pat.

I bought a 49-53 mercury flathead last July, with the intetion of making a 50's style hotrod. I want at least 200HP out of this baby whith a mild lope. What manifolds types were around bake then? I have see the 4bbl manifolds from offy,and edlebrok but i don't know if those were around in the 50's? How about a 3 duce set up? I haven't gotten a body but I'ld like to get a early 30's type.

Thanks Pat

I'm new here and have been looking for car clubs in MN to join even though I have no vehical and the Flathead is at the machine shop would it still be posible join a car club?
 
#3 ·
I have had two 2 barrels, three twos and one big four barrel - all on flatheads.

By far and away, the best set up - most power, least hassel, best idling etc was the single four barrel.

If you can latch onto a 4 barrel manifold and about a 650 cfm carb - go for it.

Be sure the port size of the manifold is the same as the engine block and that the ports are reasonably shiny.

Regards.

Know Nothing Rodder.
 
#4 ·
I don't remember seeing any 4 barrels on 50s rods, but there were lots of two and three deuces. Three may have been over kill, and I'm sure the 4 barrel setup would be the most dependable today. Gotta remember all these rods were running on 100+ octane, leaded gasoline so two hundred HP is a lot to expect from an origional 115 HP motor. I know a guy running a really tricked up 50 Merc with all original drive train, including overdrive and it cruises along pretty good. Doubt he has more than 160 HP.

Trees
 
#5 ·
Yes. A 4 barrel manifold for a flathead was really rare.

They used to run them on what was then called sprint cars (dirt track).

Re. HP out of a flathead - If you bored a 51 Merc out to the limit ( the crank was already the tallest stock crank available ) you had about 235 cu. in.

With 235 - 240 cu. in. we used to do quite a lot. Offenhouser 10 to 1 finned (for extra cooling) heads, offenhouser headers to open pipes, ported and relieved intake ports, champion spark plugs, dual points, dual coils, big carb(s).

If we could not do a honest 200 HP back then, you did win too many from the lights.

Regards.

Know Nothing Rodder
 
#6 ·
flatheads

The stock displacement of your Merc engine is 256 cubes. If you bore it out to 3.375, with the stock 4 inch stroke, you will have a 286 cube engine.
4 bbl manifolds were rare back in the 50's for flatheads, mainly because there just werent a lot of 4 bbl carbs to be had until the late 50's.
Most of the 4 bbl intakes of that time were homemade jobs, requiring a considerable amount of machine work.
With the 286 cubes, an Isky 404 Jr cam, Edelbrock heads running 9:1 compression, a good porting and relieving job with headers, and 390-450 cfm in carburation, you will easily hit the 200 Hp mark and probably around 225-230 realistically. The Isky 404Jr is about as big a cam as you will want to go on a street driven vehicle.
On the carburetion issue, having run a 600 CFM 4 bbl on a 50 Lincoln Flathead that was every stout, that proved to be even too much carburation for that 337.
For a 4 bbl intake Edelbrock makes one, part # 1107, designed to run 390-500 cfm carbs.

In fact, getting 200 hp from the stock 256 inch displacement isnt that difficult.
One of the common misconceptions years ago and still today that running higher octane fuel will increase HP, and that just isnt the case, running excessive octane will actually decrease power. With 9:1 compression (high for a flathead), you should easily be able to run on 91 octane pump gas.
The biggest limitation is due to the head design, hot spots do develope, and running hi compression, as in 10:1 and above does create detonation problems, and running the higher octane gases was a cure for that, where having lowered the compression some would have not only relieved the detonation problems but would have increased power by unshrouding the valves.

Other things to consider, having the flywheel shaved is a big booster in power, as well as a balancing job of the rotating assembly.
Im curious as to the kind of vehicle you are planning to put this engine in.
 
#7 ·
50's Flathead

Frank Oddo has written a book called, "Ford Flathead V-8 Builders Handbook, 1932-1953". It is published by Fisher Books and retails for about $20. I would highly recommend it as Oddo has been and is one of the mor authoritative persons on building Flathead V-8's. I have a copy and highly recommend it, if nothing else than for just the pure reading enjoyment. The guy writes in plain english, with a no non-sense approach to it all. In the book is listed current cams that are in production, as well as many inside tips that even some of us that cut our eyeteeth on Ford Flatheads didnt know about.
Just thought I would toss this little tidbit into the frey.
Thank you.
 
#10 ·
mercflathead said:
My name is Pat.

What manifolds types were around bake then? I have see the 4bbl manifolds from offy,and edlebrok but i don't know if those were around in the 50's? How about a 3 duce set up?
There were quite a few manufacturers of aftermarket intakes in the '40's & '50's for the Ford/Mercury flathead V-8's. The most popular style was two-two barrel intake with the carbs mounted close together. This style allowed using the generator in the stock location. A variation of this was with the two carbs spread further apart. Generator had to be relocated to one side but this setup seemed to give better performance. Three-two barrels were also very popular. Four-two barrels were usually used on much more modified engines. There also was a four-two barrel intake that mounted the carbs side by side and slightly staggered rather than inline. This intake was actually designed for marine use. It evidently is very rare as I only have seen one that a friend had mounted on a '48 Mercury block. There were single four barrel intakes available but were not very popular. Probably because of the design of four barrel carbs at the time and/or because the "COOL" factor of multiple carbs wasn't there. Most everyone used the tried and true Stromberg 97 carbs and as they became harder to find the 94's were utilized. :D
 
#11 · (Edited)
mercflathead said:
Anybody know of a company that still makes zepher gears?

Pat
I don't think so. You might check with Speedway Motors as they have quite a few parts for the Ford/Mercury flathead V-8 engines. Used Zephyr gears are still available but very hard to find and will be costly.
 
#12 ·
yeah speedway has em, "new 26 tooth zephyr gears" part # 919-1500 they cost $595.95 if you have the new catalog #230 its on page359. they seam to have alot of cool old flathead parts...

-Leo-
 
#14 ·
Even for a 50s style hotrod I would suggest adapting a later trans and rearend in it as the early ford trans and rears were weak,I have seen mid 80s ford F100 four speed overdrive trans behind flatheads as they are a floor shift and a early shifter can be welded to it for the old time look and you would have overdrive for highway cruising. A 8 or 9 inch ford rearend looks similar to the olds and pontiac rears that were used back then and with a 8 or 9 inch brake parts will be easier to find,just my two cents worth but I think you would be happier with the newer trans and rearend. I have a 37 chevy p/u that I am planning on keeping the 235 six and adapting a 5 speed and later rear as the original drivetrain sucks to put it mildly. Jeff
 
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