so as anyone ever heard of or seen anyone do this? i know flathead cadillacs already have the exhaust coming out the top. it would be pretty neat to do this to get a little more power of the ol' flatty being that they originally have such crummy exhaust flow. i saw an old picture of someone that did it, looked like back in the fifties. post some pictures or your thoughts on the matter, cameron
Been done for years with various results.. Was called a Tijuana flathead in the '50. Best results by Ron Main who reversed intakes and exhaust added a supercharger and ran over 300MPH in a streamliner at Bonnevile a few years ago.
Dozens of flatheads have been built over the years with rerouted exhaust ports. Ranging from the easy one out the top center, to out the ends of the block, to the full-bore Flatfire style with lotsa welding and reconfiguring.
You are so far from right, you aren't even wrong. He was asking about flatheads, that is clearly not a flathead. Scrolling down, #357 does fit the bill though The premise was that the exhaust was restrictive while the intake was free flowing. Restrictions in the intake could be compensated by compression (a blower) but not by porting. Taking advantage of the free flowing "exhaust" of a reversed engine solved both issues at the same time. It looks cool, too.
I remember a flatty dragster like that. Ran So Cal back in the 50's. Can't remember the name of the owner or car. (Oldtimers setting in). Maybe someone else will remember the dragster.
here is one with the upper pipe. that doesnt seem like it would do that much good but it was simple. and this one has got both the top, the side, and the stock pipes, anybody have any more photos or input or pictures of how its done?
That is how I plan to run the Flathead in my 29 pickup. The intake and exhaust valves are the same size so I will have a cam with the lobes swapped intake for exhaust. It will have a crank driven blower with a quick change box on it to adjust the boost. 2 SU side draft carbs and the blower outlet going into the exhaust ports and the exhaust exiting through the intake ports. The other advantage that is gained is not having hot exhaust running through the water jacket. Plus it will just look cool. Jim Ford
I too, would like to know what else has to (or should) be done to add the fourth exhaust port at the top of the engine. I am not a fan of dividers on a conventional engine, but think something similar would be used in the engine to force one of the center cylinders to exhaust out the regular center exhaust port, while forcing the other cylinder to exhaust out the top, thereby completely separating the exhaust pulses. From the one pic earlier in this thread, the top port looks like it could be made large enough to match the rest.
but the top exhaust port that runs into the intake is really small. I don't understand how the hole pictured in Roseville Charles picture would work? it looks like you would have to do some welding there.
This type of work was done back when you had to "think" and do your own engineering to gain horsepower, before the time of 1-800-buy-motor! Bill
not only welding but this block will be filled with alu its for racing only not something you would do with a street engine................
The first pictures are of Ron Main's and Jimmy Stevens flatheads. Both of them have gone 300 on the salt. Ron's uses the intake ports for exhaust and has new intakes welded in. Jimmy's engine uses the original intakes as is and has new exhaust welded in. Perhaps that is John Bradley's block, post #9, with the exhaust at each end, up through the heat riser and out the stock center port. Several of those have been built. Everyone I have seen were full of aluminum. So you pays your money and takes your choice. If you are up for all that, consider cam timing events. Assuming you are using a conventional lobe with split overlap, as are almost all flathead cams, You can replace the direct gear drive with a chain, jessel belt drive, or pete Jackson/Milodon gear drive with idlers. This will reverse your cam rotation and reverse which valve follows which. So you have a reverse port cam. Almost any cam drive gears and chain might work, or OHC pulleys and proper length belt. Or there is always the hand full of $100 bills, billet cam way.
When I was much younger I went to half Moon Bay to see John Bradley and his worlds fastest flathead. He was running in what now would be Top Fuel and was going around 150-160 in the 9s. years later i was in line at El Mirage and the lakester behind me said John Bradley on it. So I told the guy about going to HMB to see the Genes Brake Shop Special car and the guy said, "yeah. That was me". pretty cool i thought.
how far can you go without filling your block? Is the exhaust port that runs around the rear cylinder go directly to the outer wall? can you just drill into it? is there interface with the water pump
pretty awesome to see a flatty making that much power! I believe that that guy lives in Anoka or elk river which is only about 30 minutes from me
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