stock model A flat head 4 ?

[grass hopper]

i tryed doing a search for info on hopping up a flathead 4 but did not find any info on doing so. i was told way back in the day some of the guys would hop up the stock 4 banger with over head cams. is this true? and if so can some one help me find info on doing it?i have finaly got the money to buy the model A and i am planing on picking up my father inlaws 1930 model A in the next week or so. i have been on up and down about what kind of motor to put in it. i was leaning toward a inline 6. he told me tonight that when he was a kid they would use the stock motors. so what do ya'll think? i don't want the run of the mill set up and i don't want to spend $2500 on a built up motor. so please help.

[coupeHEAD]

grasshopper, try www.secretsofspeed.com (http://www.secretsofspeed.com)

[grass hopper]

thanks i have doing some surfing on the net and came up with a lot of info and trey were on of the ones i booked marked. thank you

does any one have any pixs of 4 banger set up on there cars that they could send me or post? i think i can make some of these parts by hand (intake & exhaust manifolds) but just not sure. oh well if i do i will post up pixs. i have a idea using 4 motorcycle carbs on the stock motor well see. think it would work?

[Deyomatic]

There is a book called Dry Lakes and Drag Strips by Dean Batchelor that has a chapter in it devoted to the banger motors. You might want to check it out. A good book with some kickass pics anyway.

[Artiki]

If you are thinking about an OHV conversion, you are going to be spending a shit-load of money. Riley and Ardun conversions are around $3,500 and that's just for the top half of the engine! You still have to provide a short block that can take the grunt.
Four-bangers are cool - remember, there were modified bangers long before V8's - and they can be made to really scoot. They are very torquey engines even when standard. Fit a high compression head (Brumfield, Winfield, Thomas etc), a downdraught carb (97, 94) and a header and you're really away. There are plently of people around grinding cams for them and Mallory still produce a good dizzy for the A.
There is a whole industry alive in your country just building and supplying parts for these engines, and they have a massive following around the world.

[Artiki]

Try these links.

www.dan4banger.com (http://www.dan4banger.com)
www.handhantique.com (http://www.handhantique.com)
www.taylorengine.com (http://www.taylorengine.com)
www.4bangersforever.com (http://www.4bangersforever.com)
www.modelatrader.com/brumfield/brumfield.html (http://www.modelatrader.com/brumfield/brumfield.html)

[grass hopper]

hey thanks guys for your input. i geuss i will just run the 4 as is until i get the inline 6. it looks like i would have to spend alot of cash to go ohv. ho well thanks for all the help.

[The37Kid]

I was into the Ford Four Banger stuff back in the 1970's. I think you would be better off using a 4 and not get involved with a 6 from what I gather from your first post. You could upgrade the stock A with a high compression flathead and nice intake and have fun. Don't think of installing an overhead conversion without a rebuilt full pressure oil block. Might as well start with a B block and build from there.


Want to race get a Cragar, want to win get a Riley!

[Darwin]

Grass hopper the inline six is going to be more of a hassle than you think. A V8 in an A requires about a 4" firewall recess to fit and a straight six would obviously require more than that. You might think it wouldn't have to be as wide as as the V8 recess but on most sixes the intake and exhaust manifolds are on the the driver's side so allowances have to be made for that. You could stretch the frame to accomodate the six but that would knock over a fairly long row of body and frame work dominoes. Bottom-line on a frame stretch--no biggie on a fenderless car--fendered car is a major pain in the tookus. Think hard on the six but definitely hop that banger up. It ain't cheap but it would be crunchy trad cool.

[Deuce Rails]

Take a look at a 7:1 head from www.dan4banger.com. (http://www.dan4banger.com.) $350 will be a good increase in bang for your buck.

--Matt

[modeltsteve]

Welcome to the wonderful world of four bangers! Keep the rpms down (remember it's not an sbc) 3000 is about tops for regular driving and 6:1 cr and that babbit will last. If you want more your into insert bearings and full pressure oiling system and your budget is blown. One down draft 97 mounted on a manifold with some heat in it, modern points in the dizzy, 12 volts, and your down the road with a big smile on your face and under budget! Don't forget about FAST: Ford A Speed Technology-we are a part of the Model A Ford Club of Amereica and we drive our cars. Look at our web site: www.hotforhotfours.com (http://www.hotforhotfours.com) The new cataloge from Sacramento Vintage Ford has a huge section on goodies we are interested in.

[Digger_Dave]

Never thought the 'ole 4 banger was still so popular!

Makes me think that maybe I should have kept the original engine in my '28 A!!

Thanks for the look guys.

[Smokin Joe]

I was doing about 75 on the freeway in western montana a few years agocomming back from the Car-D-Lane and I got passed by a string of stock looking Model T cars. Stopped and talked to a couple of them while they were gassing up in Superior. They all had hopped up stock Model T engines.
They were in a cross country race so I didn't have time to shoot pics of the cars but I've gotta admit I'm impressed by anyone who can do 75/80mph cross country with a Model T banger. Best I ever got out of my model A was about 55mph on the flat. Always wanted to do a B engine and double that 40hp. Couldn't afford the head and the build to pull that off tho. Banger Roadster racers used to beat the V-8's on the circle tracks pretty regular. 24 or 27 T bodies on A frames with hopped up A banger engines and juice brakes were the hot ticket for quite a while on the dirt tracks.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

There's a Zephyr intake with two Strombergs and linkage on eBay right now. "model a intake"

[Deuce Rails]

Smokin Joe,

What were those Model T guys using for brakes? Rocky Mountains?

[Smokin Joe]

Didn't get to look them over very long, but these guys had the spoked wheels and looked pretty much like stock Model T's to me. They'd just come over lookout pass from north Idaho so whatever they had for brakes must have worked.

[manyolcars]

read the Model A forum 'ahooga.com' for a while and all your questions will be answered. A straight six will not fit. A chev v6 will bolt in with the adapter. The original 4 can serve you well. I have one