I'm about to start going back together with my Merc flathead 8CM. Will have minimal clean up, not trying to hog it out and stroke it. Pistons will be at most 30 over and bearing might be 10 over. Staying with the 4" Merc crank. and original rods. It will have Offenhauser heads and intake, running two Stromberg 97's. Question is should i reuse the original cam, there's nothing wrong with it or would an aftermarket cam be worth the money. I'm not trying to make a race motor or squeeze out every horsepower I can. Just building a good cruising around car with its original engine. Which by the way, no one has ever touched the inside of since Ford built it 51, until we torn it down last weekend.
As you have found out, flathead cams are not cheap. I'm facing a similar situation. If Henry had put the camshaft dead center it would be much easier to get a good regrind. Sorry I can't be of more help but this will kick it back up to the top. Pete
I've got an Isky 77b in mine as well. Good mild street cam, I'd recommend a new cam, especially if you haven't got your lifters in a row or are installing new lifters anyway.
You're best to use a new cam with new lifters. I know old lifters can wear out a new cam faster, but I don't know if the effect is the same the other way around. You'll be very happy with an Isky 77B cam.
I had a brand new Iskendarian MAX-1 cam and kit on the shelf. I was considering installing it in the '51 Mercury engine that I was putting in my '51 Ford. After much research, I decided to stay with the Mercury cam. It has .338" lift (just a little less than the "MAX-1"), while a stock Ford cam is .307". My engine is a stock bore and stroke with a set of Edmunds heads massaged to .050" squish, a Rochester 2GC on a bored out Merc manifold, and a Mallory dual point. The car runs perfect, has enough get up and go around town, and will easily hit 85 on the freeway (as fast as I want to go). I am glad I did this, and I didn't have to buy another cam for my "hot rod" engine. It sounds like you are going to run a mild engine in a heavy car. I'd say "use the Merc cam". If you don't already know about it, here is an interesting web page : http://www.tildentechnologies.com/Cams/FlatheadPerformance.html.
Some folks on the Ford Barn say the 8cm & eac Merc cam is better in a heavy car than a Max 1. Putting an 8cm in my 8ba, 30 over , 3 3/4 stroke. It pulled good even with 2 bad cylinders with that cam prior to rebuild. Just say'n. m
Have a GM distributor from Bubba. Engine is .030 over to clean up the bores. Guess I'll get the machine shop to give the original cam a good checkout and if there's no issue there, could run with it and save $350. So then that brings back up the question of old cam and new lifters???? Will be going back in with the Johnson style hollow adjustable lifters and new valve train kit from Red's.
I seldom use a hot cam in an engine that is not running a lot of compression and in a flathead I would relieve the block and shave the heads ( something I can do for free) before I spent money on a cam shaft. .010 under on the crank is common but I am surprised that it cleaned up @ +.030. You got lucky. If your cam is good I would run it. It will still sound good ( if you want lumpy just pull the choke handle) and your fresh mill should pull you around just fine.
Engine was completely virgin. So .030 over on the cylinders, main bearings .010 and rod bearings .010. When i tore it down, nothing was stuck and everything rotated nice and smooth. So yeah from the stories I've seen and read, i was lucky with this block. I'm not trying to do anything other than just make it run nice and reliable (as a reliable as a flatty can get anyway). These engines sound good no matter what cam they have!
I know that this goes against all hot rod knowledge but the flathead Ford is as reliable as an engine gets. The guys who have unreliable flathead engines fall into two categories, the ones who found one that has a million miles on it and threw it in a car or the ones who have built them way past what they should have as in 250-300 ponies ( the equivalent to a 900 horse SBC ). New and properly maintained that motor would have given the buyer 100,000 carefree miles and they normally got driven cross country. fresh motor of any brand should be at least as good as a new motor.
I agree and that's why I'm just making this one look a little cooler than factory and only doing the bare minimum machining to clean it up. Don't want to have to go back and do anything twice, do it right the first time. Which is why I'm trying to figure out the great cam/lifter debate.....lots of opinions in lots of different directions. All have valid points. Got to figure out which way will suit me best.
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