I'm wondering if there exists any old/new books on 4-banger rebuild or hop up tricks. I know of SOSS and FAST. ...is there are any books for 4 cyl's like there is for V8's. Paul
For the A/B bangers there is very little. You have the two Dan Iandola books, The 100mph Ford Model 'A' and the George Riley Racing Scrapbook. Both are now out of print and have been for a long time. There is a brief chapter in the California Bill Fisher Ford Speed Manual. Thats pretty much it. Now if you wanted hopped up 'T' info, I believe there is close to 20 books on the subject!
SOSS has done a pretty good job of gathering old articles, ads, and catalog information, along with tips from modern practitioners and wizards. They leave you to rely on your own judgement, though, on which tips to believe--there is a conspicuous general lack of dyno and results data, and no real tech editing to evaluate things. You could do worse than buying all available back issues.
I have absolutely nothing on the theme exept some Hot rod annuals and other small books of the 50's. I think I wil have to join the SOSS and collect their stuff. When the time comes I'll rely on the HAMB for additional info.. Thanks guys Paul
I agree with Bruce, SOSS is a good source for old tech articles and some adds for speed equipment. I noticed in the last issue that editor Charlie Yapp has a freebie banger speed parts catalog. Another source for speed parts is Sacramento Vintage Ford. As was noted before, Bill Fishers Ford Speed Manual devotes about 18 pages on what to do to the A/B engines 50s style. You might check out the following link. Its a Dyno report comparing a stock engine with a modified engine and varies bolt on goodies. http://members.aol.com/gmaclaren/dyno.html It will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with anything else. Mike
There is a third Dan Iandola title which is a reprint of a 1947 Fisher book titled "California Bill's Four Barrel Manual". I picked up my copy years ago from Specialty Ford in Rosemead, no idea where you'd get a copy now, did a quick search on Google and came up with nothing. A fairly recent book is Les Andrew's "Mechanics Handbook II" which covers hopping up 4 bangers in amongst other upgrades for the Model A.
Really? Would that have been in the California Bills series of tuning books? I know the earlier versions of the Ford Speed Manual had alot more banger stuff in them. The re-print is the '52 edition, so is getting on abit for including 4 banger stuff.
I assume it was part of their list of titles, but to be honest I've not done any investigating into original California Bill titles. It's a 30 page booklet and is very basic in design and layout but should you be lucky enough to find a copy (reprint or otherwise) it's well worth having.
One of the most findable bits is the article in R&C about 1968 or so--anyone have a date on that? It covers basic block prep and such; Once you get upstairs on a banger, the available options become infinite! AV8 Rider--one thing to know about the SOSS opus: It contains a fair sprinkling of Scandinavian racing history, some still extant--locall made equipment, ice and hill climb cars, etc. I've got the 100 MPH book--I'll photo it for an increasingly large package heading for Scandinavia soon...Bruce
Thanks guys Realy helpfull hints here. I found the Ford Speed manual on eBay. on it's way over here. Wrong-Un? Does the Les Andrew's "Mechanics Handbook II" cover the B engine as well? I will most likely pic up a B motor when the time comes. I neigbour of mine has a sleeping 28 tudor restauration with a rebuilt B and he also has a complete spare motor I hope i can buy soon. Bruce Guess if I look forward to that package?? Cool to know about the Scandinavian made speed equipment in the SOSS publications. If this is about stuff made back then I have a hunch on who it may be about. There was a famous engine builder/mechanic i Oslo called Greger Strøm. He wrenched for a famous Lotus Cortina driver in the 60's among other merrits. He was one of the best rebuilders of 4 cyl and Flatheads over here. The last engine he build before passing away some years ago was klazurfers Flatty. There was also another guy in Oslo called Birger Knutsen who did Flatheads and 4 bangers. He passed away only a couple of years ago. I talked to him on the phone about tree years ago. He was then 82 and still going. Shortly after our conversation he got ill and from the day he couldn't go into his shop he went down hill FAST. A true mechanic. When I told him about my AV8 flathead project he said " This is fun and I would like to see, but please hurry up I'm getting awfully old" I where not able to visit before he passed. TO BAD. Mr. Knutsen made some speed parts for bangers. He casted some high comp heads in bronze among other things. The guy helping me out on my motor build-up knew Knutsen and had a deal on some of his machinery etc. When he died the relatives cleaned out the shop quickly. Who knows what they may have trown away. No speed parts though. I asked him about that and he had nothing left. Guys like this should have been interwied earlier. A lot of cool history wasted. I feel bad about it. These guys also did some Ice racing with bangers I've been told. I need to get hold of that SOSS publication. This is fun I love the hunt for info an knowledge like this Paul
I apologize for diverting this tread but does anyone know of anything for/regarding the late 20's Chev 4's??
I haven't got a copy of the book so I don't know if there are any specifics about the B motor, having said that most of the same principals apply to both so it would be worth getting anyway.
Anyone having a collection of late 60's Rod & Custom? I would love to know which issue to look for. Paul
The most detailed info came from George Riley in this April 1947 instruction sheet. Does anyone know the exact date when Flathead V8's started to go faster that the Four Bangers?
If you guys think you have it hard trying to find information about tuning fords banger then you want to try lookin over here in the UK more chance of finding a needle in a hay stack. a tip for you is to use the books printed for other 4 banger engines the principles are the same, eg Austins small Fords the engines that are more familier with English motor sport from the same era .after all this is the home of some of the fastest 4 bangers on the planet . I personally have a Banger motor in my model A rpu and have often wished of using a V8 but i enjoy the challenge. Sometimes it feels like we are pioneers from the old days .After all they had no books to refer to. A good friend of mine races what we call a baby Austin 7 Roadster with a 850cc sidevalve flathead the engine is so small you could use one as a starter motor for a bigblock .Once at a race meeting during a conversation about tuning he told me after i noted the noise of the little motor when he launched off the start line that he would'nt drop the clutch until the motor was reving out to 7-8000rpm .An awsome sight to see from such a little motor and has bean a constant insperation to myself .
The R&C article was in the May 1970 issue. There were also a series of articles in the early HRM's Sept., Nov. & Dec. 1950, and Jan. 1951
Not until the V8's got big, the '39 Merc was (I think) the first 3 3/16" bore. After the war all had the bigger bore and with some added stroke they started beating the bangers, but a few bangers are still competitive with them today.
I recon this is not any easier than for the Ford engine. The old racer, Bob Rufi did some fantastic runs with a Chev with a 3 port Olds head etc. I got a scanned article on his dry lakes streamliner that I got from another Hamber a while back. Will email it to ya. An extensive rebuild of an engine it was. 37Kid That sheet from Riley is not readable. Would appreciate if you could email it to me. [email protected] Tindog I live a little boattrip east of you. We don't actually drown in this kind of info either. But luckily we got HAMB, eBay etc to make the world small. Paul
You are right about this. The Merc and some truck/millitary got the big bore in 1939. I have two of those blocks. One is the engine I have build for my roadster. From what I have read the point of change where the war more or less. Mostly due to the avalabillity of speed equipment for the V8. I would also like to know more about what you got regarding Rileys. A cool OHV. Paul
I have been at work all weekend. Where about to call you regarding this. Thought you had it. Will bye it anyway. You know the feeling of having the orig mag. This is a keeper. You have told me that these +/- 1970 R&C are very usefull mags and this is a reason to start collecting. Paul
Found some more litterature. I picked up some random Speed Mechanics on the bay the other day. A fellow HAMB'er selling. Thanks. One issue had some Banger tech. Mostly bottom end issues. Mag claims to be "step by step do it your self" but I don't know about that. Nice info anyways. Paul
Cool. I got given an old Hot Rod special of some long lost 50's magazine because it had a 4 banger article in it. It turned out to be a full build-up on a twin cam HAL engine. I scanned it and sent it off to Secrets, Charlie Yapp said that the article had become an urban/banger myth because nobody had a hard copy of it! Any chance you could scan yours?
Yeah, of course. I planned to do so. If the scan don't work properly, I'll mail you a copy. Anyways, send me a PM with your email and streetadress. Makes it easier to remember I'd also love a copy of the HAL build up. I know a guy who's got one of those heads. Quite a lot of work neede, but never the less a HAL. What magazine was the artichel in. I'd love to look for it. COLELCTING COLLECTING Paul Paul
Here is what the HAL article was in.... Was going to send you the complete article, but I haven't got your email! Anybody else want it.....??
check out www.nwvs.org they have a article section that is getting better, alot of it is just articles about events, but there is some good speed equipment stuff on there.
4ever4 email me at [email protected] it's broadband connection so you can hit it hard THANKS fur biscuit I've seen that site, but have not realy dug into it yet. Thanks Paul
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