Model A Cylinder Heads

Guys,

Thanks for the help on the cam. I wondered what you guys thought of cylinder heads, I know there are a lot of variables but from what I have seen, Charlie Yapp's Lion Speed Head appears to be one of the better ones. Who has had any experience with this. Also, suitable twin carb intakes? Feel free to email me at [email protected] or [email protected]

Best regards,

Greg Stokes
Auckland
New Zealand

 

Hey Greg, I'm running a repop Thomas head and have had great luck with it. I wish I could say the same about red plastic fuel lines!!Mike

 

Thats a very cool looking engine. What does the rest of the car look like?

 

Thanks. The body is the front half of a '27 T touring. It's metal covered with a bunch of bondo. Running gear is '29 A

 

4ever4 on here (no, not you!) is running a Lion Head. His car runs well but I think he had to get the head skimmed as he was blowing head gaskets for fun.

I'm running a Winfield 6.4-1 with no complaints whatsoever. If you ask 20 different guys you'll probably get 20 different answers and preferences.

For twin carbs, Charlie Yapp does a nice looking manifold called the 'Equaliser'. You can run it with twin carbs open or with one blanked and you still get even fuel distribution.

 

i hear the thomas is a good one to go with...
supposidly alot of the repop ones dont have a support over the cylinders and when it gets warmed up it flex's there and blows head gaskets....when it cools people mill it...put it back on and does the same thing

this is just things ive heard
good luck
zach

 

I haven’t had any head gasket problems yet, but I try and re-torque the head every now and again. The only problem I had with it was when I got it the machining wasn’t done properly where the stock water pump went. I had to do a lot of grinding and honing. I’ve since put an early V8 pump on.

 

if it was me i would go with a thomas or a brumfield. i don't like the lion head. i don't think the chamber and plug placement is very good.

 

I take it you want to go with DOWNDRAFT carbs not UPDRAFT carbs, right. As for the head, why not try to do this. (LOL)

 

Or one of these...Cragar DOHC...Bosch/Eisemann mag. ignition

 

Damn it, I love those things!!

 

Or how about the ONLY DOHC Gemsa head Joe made for the A...

 

I got rid of the Lion Head in favor of a Thomas...I thought it looked better, and has the Thomas side plates. Man that motor's dirty...I need to do some "house cleaning"...Steve

 

What problems have there been with the Lion Speed Head? I thought the spark plug placement was unique to its design but I want to make the right investment as Yapp has quoted about $100 freight to get it to New Zealand.

I have seen the Thomas ones on the H&H website and the Winfield ones on Red's Headers.
I am quite keen for an Equaliser intake though from Charlie Yapp.

 

I had heard the early Lion Head castings weren't very good, that problem could now be corrected. I had a Equalizer intake also...I replaced it with the Zepher.

The Thomas head comes with a flat deck...a piston relief might need to be cut in. I don't know about the Winfield's.

Check Dan4banger.com

 

I recently contacted Dan Price for an inlet manifold (I really like the shape of the inlets he has on his website) but he's sold the tooling to Snyder's and they're out of production at the moment.

Fordy, what was wrong with the Equalizer from Yapp?

 

I had the Zepher on the shelf, wanted to use it. Probably nothing wrong with the Equalizer, but the guy that bought the Lion Head wanted both.

 

Based on what I have heard and read for the last few years on the FORDBARN website and from some model A guys themselves...I'm gonna go with either a Lion Speed head or a Brumfield. I am staying away from aluminum due to warpage, and electrolosis issues that cast iron heads won't have. I like the Thomas look, but the compression at 7:1 is a bit high for a stock babbit setup if you plan to run it at speed very often as I was told by Charlie Yapp, Brumfield, and several model a club members in the bay area. They said to stay around 6:1 if I want longevity and performance. I am running a Tattersfield dual carb high rise intake with two Holley 92/81's. Fords version of the stromberg 81.
also re: the cylinder heads....I have also been told by the same guys above that they have had gasket sealing issues with aluminum heads, that they would give way alot sooner than when running a cast iron head. I have not gotten a high compression head yet, so I have no personall experience. If I were to get an Aluminum head, it would be that beautifully cast "CYCLONE" model A head......They are one of the nicest looking heads I've seen to date machining wise and they are THICK....got lots o water volume. I would bet it to be a bitchin head.

 

Check out this link, one of the few bits of hard data around. It'd too old to include the Lion head. My only conclusion on the Lion to date: It's HEAVY.
Iron has its benefits, but so does LIGHT. My Lion is only 20 feet from where UPS dropped it, and I walk around it...

http://users.aol.com/gmaclaren/dyno.html

 

PS--on all flathead and Model A stuff, remember that HP is a calculated number, and on engines running below 5200 RPM numbers are low because of the structure of the formula. Learn to look at overall plumpness of the toeque curve as your index of performance and range.

 

So heres what I have:
Stock A engine and bottom end with lightened flywheel and one of Charlie Yapp's smaller diameter crank pulley, alloy timing gear, adj lifters (probably a Brierly cam)

Bottom end is babbit, looking like its going to be a Lion head and equaliser manifold. I really dont want any head gasket sealing issues whatsoever. What do you guys think of this combination?

 

sounds like a recipe for FUN! Go for it! keep us posted

 

you need to go intake shopping now....get yourself a Single or Dual downdraft intake.....Zephyr, Ansen, Tattersfield, Equalizer...etc. Better ignition is good too..

 

Forgot to add that one, I am running a Mallory electronic with an MSD Blaster 2 coil.

 

Regarding gasket sealing issues, there are new head gaskets available (I bought one this Easter) that have something similar to silicone impregnated around the stud holes and the water-carrying areas.
My head has not leaked even the smallest amount of water since fitting.

Whatever hi-comp head you fit, don't forget to fit stronger head studs.

 

go with the brumfield! i have never heard bad thins about them! and many about the lion.

 

Excuse my ignorance but where can I find out about a Brumfield?

 

Hey Guys,

I think the banger motors are killer. I was suprise to read that the cam doesnt run on bearings but actually sits on the work hardned surface of the cast iron block. Bizzar!

Danny

 

You have a PM (with Larry's (Brumfield) E-Mail address.)

 

I love all the 4 banger posts lately, anyone know how i can get in touch with Charlie Yapp, he could find a web site.