Author Topic: Questions about a flathead FED.  (Read 8997 times)

Offline novacain

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 10.80 @ 123 in the 1/4
  • Your Track: Gateway motorsports park----St. Louis, Mo
  • Your Vehicle: 166" FED
Questions about a flathead FED.
« on: April 04, 2014, 10:29:07 PM »
I've got a 168" car with a small block Chevy that won't cert. Only runs 10.80s. Thinking of upgrading to a new chassis that will cert. My idea is to keep the old chassis and put a flathead ford in it . Since I know nothing about flatheads I'm wondering what kind of time could I expect out of it. Stock motor with a cam, 350 turbo. 4.30 gear. Car weighs 1360 now with the small block. Any ideas?

Offline denverflatheader

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 333
    • View Profile
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2014, 08:39:29 PM »
novacain – here’s my guess; stock fh with just cam (e.g. similar to isky 400) on 90 octane at a track 5700 feet elevation, high 13s to low 14s.  If your track is elevation like Speedworld  (now closed) in Arizona, about 7/10s faster.  If you decide to go that route, you might help that little cubic inch fh last longer by switching to a 3.60-3.90 rear gear depending on your tire diameter : )  It would take a little more effort to add electronic ignition and raise compression and you could subtract another 7/10s, and add a few more cubic inches and subtract another 7/10s, and run fuel instead of gas and subtract another 7/10s and so on and so on…  I like your idea to keep it running.  DF

Offline novacain

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 10.80 @ 123 in the 1/4
  • Your Track: Gateway motorsports park----St. Louis, Mo
  • Your Vehicle: 166" FED
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2014, 12:00:46 PM »
Thanks for the info, DF, I'm still in the pondering stage on this but would like an idea of where I'm going before I start.

Offline denverflatheader

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 333
    • View Profile
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2014, 12:45:13 PM »
sure thing, plus I found it interesting you mention stock fh but "cam" in your post so I was thinking you knew a little bit about fh engines.  If you ran a stock fh with stock cam, they're good to about 4000rpms.  In the quarter, you'd hit the 1/8 mile and then... be like letting off the throttle the rest of the way, probably be high 16s...   DF 

Offline Tim Jones

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 143
    • View Profile
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2014, 02:46:06 AM »
sure thing, plus I found it interesting you mention stock fh but "cam" in your post so I was thinking you knew a little bit about fh engines.  If you ran a stock fh with stock cam, they're good to about 4000rpms.  In the quarter, you'd hit the 1/8 mile and then... be like letting off the throttle the rest of the way, probably be high 16s...   DF
Hi DF, I think he was meaning stock flathead with diffrent cam,, BTW I'm going to run a 3.70 in the comp coupe,, Tim Jones

Offline novacain

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 10.80 @ 123 in the 1/4
  • Your Track: Gateway motorsports park----St. Louis, Mo
  • Your Vehicle: 166" FED
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2014, 07:23:40 PM »
 I've got access to a complete running flathead. I figured on a simple overhaul to freshen it with a cam, intake and carb change.

Offline denverflatheader

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 333
    • View Profile
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2014, 12:32:03 PM »
novacain - one more fh saved, excellent engine to improve.  DF

Offline novacain

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 10.80 @ 123 in the 1/4
  • Your Track: Gateway motorsports park----St. Louis, Mo
  • Your Vehicle: 166" FED
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2014, 09:26:11 PM »
I've never driven anything with a flathead, but I want own one in my lifetime. The one I found is the engine, trans and radiator still mounted in the front half of a '34 (?) frame, currently it's the power plant for a sawmill on a friend of mine's farm. Thanks for the info. I'm sure i'll have a lot more questions when I get started on it.

Offline Tim Jones

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 143
    • View Profile
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2014, 02:56:56 AM »
I've got access to a complete running flathead. I figured on a simple overhaul to freshen it with a cam, intake and carb change.
  Good way to start , That's pretty much what I'm doing to start with and work out the new car bugs ,while I build the good motor,  Tim Jones

Offline tcarr

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 9
    • View Profile
  • Your Best Time: 7.12 @ 195
  • Your Track: Eagle Motorplex/Mission raceway
  • Your Vehicle: 2005 RH Racecars 225' FED
Re: Questions about a flathead FED.
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2014, 05:43:45 PM »
i have no insight on using a FH or what times it might run but you could always win a few bucks with it doing this at parties......