NEW flathead engine on Ebay

[crewcutkid]

Check out this flattie-NOS all the way, baby!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2486076850&catego ry=34202
-Crew

[Digger_Dave]

That won't go cheap!
Pictures solve one mystery, the piece at the left rear seem to be a speed governer. (in the extra hole in the block)

Kinda "off" on the date! Says it's tag said 1976.

[crewcutkid]

Well, it's new as opposed to a mid-century engine.
-Crew

[CheatersPete]

i'm driving one of those french flathead, with 4 speed muncie, it's run great, very smooth!

[Flat Ernie]

[ QUOTE ]
Kinda "off" on the date! Says it's tag said 1976.

[/ QUOTE ]

When did the French quit making/rebuilding them?

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[CheatersPete]

in the early 70' i think

[av8]

We've seen casting dates from the mid '70s on some blocks.

CAVEAT EMPTOR -- It may or may not be new (as opposed to rebuilt), and it may or may not have a 4-inch crank. Halibrand was a bit wreckless with their claims when they sold French crankshafts, representing them all as 4-inch stroke. They all have the large cleanout plugs so few thought to question it. Of four cranks that were shipped to Tardel in one order, only one was 4 inches; the other three were 3-3/4 inches. Red Hamilton was also had, although his ratio was a bit better.

[TV]

MR Cheaters is that one you built, or one like is being sold. The reason I ask is I've heard horror stores about the built new ones.--TV http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Digger_Dave]

[ QUOTE ]
When did the French quit making/rebuilding them?
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[/ QUOTE ]

This will start some arguments. The French military shipped a bunch of personel carriers (with the flathead engine) over to Canada (to a base called Suffield) in 1989 to conduct excercises. They brought a couple of spare engines that got "raided" for parts. Rather than ship the incomplete engines back to France, they were put up for auction.

When I attended the auction I used the "measure the large counter weight" trick to find out what the stroke of the cranks were.

Out of the three engines that had cranks still in them; NONE were 4" stroke.

The tags on the engines had the date 1987 stamped on them. I can't say if that was the manufacture date; or a rebuild date.

I passed on the remaining parts because it was a "lot" (all or nothing) and because of the hole in the back of the block, which I have since learned was for a speed governer.

They finally went to a scrap dealer. Had I known what I know now about the French flatheads; there would have been a pile in my shop.

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