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Hot Rods Flathead build advice needed

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Desoto291Hemi, Oct 22, 2019.

  1. Aaron D.
    Joined: Oct 27, 2015
    Posts: 1,037

    Aaron D.
    Member

    @Pete1 is the guy that can regrind your cam.
     
  2. Thanks Aaron,
    Already contacted him at the Barn.

    Tommy
     
  3. Cliff Ramsdell
    Joined: Dec 27, 2004
    Posts: 1,343

    Cliff Ramsdell
    Member

    I agree with this 100%. I have a 276” motor in my Model A and with a pair of 180 degree thermostats the car never runs over 180/185 degrees.

    Getting the cooling system passages good and clean is a good tip also.

    Cliff Ramsdell
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  4. F3DDB250-146B-4C44-919B-1FC2C6E445F3.jpeg A4D27AFE-589B-49F9-864F-055B421C5310.jpeg Here is an update on my crank.
    I have read where some builders remove the sludge trap cup plugs and tap the holes for threaded pipe plugs.
    So I thought I would give it a try.

    As t turns out,,,it was really easy.
    On the Mercury crank,,,the holes are already the right size,,no drilling to do.
    You just have to tap them with a 3/8 pipe tap,,,it turned out great.

    Tommy
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2021
    Aaron D., waxhead and Hotrodmyk like this.
  5. C7BD0ED8-5A3C-48E8-80E9-1A25D7D84480.jpeg A151FF79-A902-4D37-863D-5499EF20D900.jpeg Okay guys,,,,I have been reading about the oil filter upgrades to Flatheads.
    I was gonna just use the factory model,,,,but after reading about the needed mods,,,,I decided I could just do this myself.
    Here are some pics of the method I used to do it .
    First pic is stock holes .
    Second pic (green arrow ),,,is vertical oil galley from pump,,,I enlarged it to .500 inch,,,,the reason being I had to open the holes for the larger pipe plugs,,,,and I wanted all the volume I could get to the filter,,,I didn’t have to open it much .
    But,,,I was very careful on drilling it,,,keeping it straight and true .
     
  6. The next pics are after I added a radius to the oil passage to blend the flow from the vertical galley to the line to the filter ,,, (the radius is in blue ). CEB030BB-87A4-43BE-8662-946FF7089962.jpeg 38690055-75F4-403F-8BD7-F9EFC6FE45E3.jpeg
    I believe it helps maintain good pressure and keep the oil flowing smoothly.
     
  7. 2873F3CA-4216-4F1F-BAFE-BB11073FF4D3.jpeg 18C933EE-82FC-46AA-B9C2-AA5274D2E187.jpeg 36C358E4-CC73-4537-B484-4ACEFA6E0F30.jpeg The next pics are of the transfer galley,,,where the oil goes from the vertical passage to the main galley .
    I enlarged the passage to .465,,,,i only took it about half way the length of the galley.
    I inserted the bit to show about the distance I covered.
    The reason being,,,I knew I would enlarge it to tap for the plug,,,so why not.
    I did blend the point where I stopped the drill to match the original size galley.
    And I went to a 1/4 pipe plug instead of a 7/16 screw,,,I just felt better about the pipe plug staying tight .
     
  8. 230049C6-69C1-4A13-A478-411E74348455.jpeg The next pic is the hole for the return line from the filter .
    I shifted in inboard,,(toward the front ),,,about .050 thousandths just to be safe and leave plenty of meat around the casting .
    I marked it in red to show where I shifted the hole.
    The hole was gonna be larger than the transfer passage anyway,,,,so I blended it all together to make it match .
    It turned out very well .
     
  9. I finished these holes by drilling them all to .575 and tapping to 3/8 pipe .
    Again,,,I blended all passages in the direction of flow,,,,to aid the flow of the oil to and from the filter .

    Tommy
     
  10. A44219C1-C920-4A2E-8325-88F4206888E9.jpeg ECD03D07-F7FC-4BF4-A617-C58F7897867E.jpeg 12DE80DD-E96A-4254-BDAC-74519C89DAA4.jpeg I opened the feed hole for the rear main to 5/16 .
    The rear main has its own dedicated oil passage,,,and receives oil directly from the pump.
    Since the main bearing is 2 inches wide and 2.5 inches diameter,,,I felt it needed all the volume it can get,,also,,,it feeds the two rod bearings at the back .
    I then relieved the transfer slot and added a radius to aid the oil flow to the bearing .
    One pic also shows where the oil passage is located in the block directly beside the oil pump.
    I had read where it said to open it to 3/8,,,,but I felt that 5/16 would do just fine for my use .
     
  11. 7FAA4F86-B2EB-43F4-9A0F-466B1234F99E.jpeg C3006605-57A7-4361-AFC9-84C272D1A53C.jpeg The middle main was opened to 3/8,,,it feeds 4 rod bearings and could use extra volume .
    I opened the front main to 5/16,,,,it is at the end of the line and feeds two rods,,,,I felt it was a good idea . These mains are 1.5 inches wide .
    That was what the article said to do as well,,,they turned out great !
    Just be cautious and stop drilling when you get through to the main galley,,,you don’t want to drill too deep and blow through the pipe there .
     
  12. hemihotrod66
    Joined: May 5, 2019
    Posts: 968

    hemihotrod66
    Member

    A few years back there was an outfit selling new french flathead blocks... Think it was called Motor Ciy Flatheads....Might be worth the price to try to find one...
     
  13. 2379CD11-DE51-476C-A726-5974DF531943.jpeg FA586CD4-5602-47E3-8E32-3B28862F7717.jpeg These last pics are from the screen on my borescope ,,,they are of the holes that intersect the main oil galley pipe to the mains .
    There will be a burr left after you drill out the main passages,,,but don’t worry,,,there was one from the factory as well .
    There was a nice burr sticking up from 70 years ago,,,until I removed it .
    I ran a 3/8 aircraft drill through there,,,,the passage is clean now,,they are marked with a yellow circle .
     
    Cliff Ramsdell likes this.
  14. If you choose to do this,,,,just take your time,,,drill slowly .
    I would drill about a quarter and then remove it and make certain I was straight,,,then drill another quarter and double check again .
    After about and inch,,I knew I had it aligned well,,and then went further,,,nothing to it .
    Just be careful and take it easy,,mine turned out great .
    I will still use plenty of bore brushes and make certain all the debris is gone.
    And besides,,,I still have to have it bored before I can go any further with the build .

    Tommy
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2020
  15. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I suggest you stick to hemis.:( err.... maybe not.
     
  16. Lol Denny,,,you got me tickled !

    Tommy
     
  17. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Nice work, Tommy; keep it up!:)
     
  18. Thank you Denny,
    I try to keep the pics to a minimum,,,,I don’t want to bore people .
    I usually take many,,,,and then transfer them to my iPad,,,,where I can see better and edit or delete as needed .
    Then I try to match them up with the writing I am posting,,,sometimes it gets a little hard to match the details with the pic .

    I am still learning about all this Flathead stuff,,,,but I am constantly impressed with these old engines ! Flatheads and Desoto Hemis
    Especially the Flatheads,,,,the casting for the blocks was pretty intricate,,,considering the water passages and the exhaust passages went through the same area . It had to be a sand casting nightmare !
    Those old engineers were pretty darn good,,,,and the people on the line that put them together so fast too !

    Tommy
     
  19. hemihotrod66
    Joined: May 5, 2019
    Posts: 968

    hemihotrod66
    Member

    Yep I built a few flatties but was always a hemi guy....
     

    Attached Files:

    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  20. Bert Kollar
    Joined: Jan 10, 2007
    Posts: 1,232

    Bert Kollar
    Member

    After having to buy four blocks and machining two that I had to scrap to get a good one for my hemi, I would just order a guaranteed machined short block from H& H Flatheads
     
  21. Flathead Freddie
    Joined: May 9, 2021
    Posts: 806

    Flathead Freddie
    Member

    Hi ,
    Did this motor turn over with the timing set intact ?
     
  22. Oh yeah,,,,,it was in terrific condition.
    There are pics on here somewhere,,,,,it turned out to be in excellent condition.
    I think it might be the thread you got my quote from .
    I have been in a kind of limbo for some time,,,,health issues .
    I hope to get back on it in the near future .

    Lol,,,,I just realized this is my thread,,,,,sorry guys ,,,,I thought it was Freddie’s thread.
    I had just woken up,,,,,and it’s the medication,,,,please forgive me,,,LoL.


    Tommy
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2021
    leon bee likes this.
  23. Hi Fellas ,
    It has dawned on me that I haven’t added any pics in a while ,,,,,sorry .
    I went to my library and here is a little progress .
    This is my cam that I received from Pete1,,,,,it is a regrind with a 3/8 Potvin profile that he does .
    It looks awesome and was very reasonable money,,,much cheaper than a new cam .
    He also relief ground the shaft between the lobes,,,it should be a very strong runner.

    Tommy

    2D726AD4-F5FF-41A3-9765-508075D40705.jpeg 8D7E5016-2F9D-4BF2-9034-7DB6CBC2E725.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2021
    Cliff Ramsdell likes this.
  24. Okay,,,,here are some pics of my pistons I received a few weeks ago .
    I was going to go with Ross forged pistons,,,,,they are excellent,,,,,but I had a change of plan .
    After some careful soul searching , and coming to the realization that I am not made of money,,,,I decided to be realistic on my goals .
    My engine will be a nice hot street engine,,,not a racing mill .
    The top HP might hit 200,,,,I’m hoping,,,but probably a few short of that ?

    So I decided to go with Egge cast pistons,,,.060 over ,,,,the pistons and rings were less than $300 total.
    They are an excellent piston,,,,made in America,,,,and will hold up to more power than I will ever apply to them .
    So,,,I saved about 200 bucks and am really pleased with my purchase!
    They are 4 ring pistons,,,weigh just a few grams less than stock,,,,,and I plan on using just 3 rings and not the fourth one .
    I had decided to go just .060 ,,,,instead of .125,,,,,to save the bores a little bit ,,,who knows ?
    Anyway,,,I am very excited about the quality and appearance of the Egge pistons,,,,I think I made a good decision.

    Tommy

    949A3935-C7BA-471B-B731-49479CD30E77.jpeg 13A69C6F-72F3-49C0-B4BA-1E6E448044CF.jpeg
     
  25. Cliff Ramsdell
    Joined: Dec 27, 2004
    Posts: 1,343

    Cliff Ramsdell
    Member

    Tommy,
    Nice to see you posting again. What are the specs on the camshaft and is this something he’s doing these days? My 276” could use something a bit hotter.

    Cliff Ramsdell
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  26. Hi Cliff ,
    My grind is a 3/8 Potvin profile,,,,,the lift is .375,,,,,that’s where they get the 3/8 designation.
    I can’t remember the duration off hand,,,I have the card downstairs,,,,,,I will try to look it up .
    Yes,,,,Pete1,,,in Washington,,, does this work,,,,,and it’s excellent work .
    He can give you as much as your engine can handle .
    I sent him a PM,,,,,,I gave him my engine plan details and what I was going to use it for and he recommended this profile .
    I’m very pleased with it .

    Tommy
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2021
    Cliff Ramsdell likes this.
  27. Flathead Freddie
    Joined: May 9, 2021
    Posts: 806

    Flathead Freddie
    Member

    Great work Tommy be meticulous and haven't read your complete thread yet but with a cam that breathes well I would consider cleaning up the exhaust ports and polish a little inside them also don't take much time and anything to help heat escape is a plus . Are you going to relieve the deck ? I've kept it under 1/8 " . A little here a little there does it . Funny I've never built two engines the same let it build itself and use great advice always works well . Have a good weekend
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  28. Hi Fred ,
    My next pics will probably be when I grind the notch in the lifter bores ,, and drill the bores for a wrench to hold the lifters still while adjusting the lash .
    Then,,,,my next plan is to grind the ports and smooth them a fair amount to help the flow .
    After that comes the boring ,,and then a light decking just to smooth things up ,,and help compression a little .
    I’m hoping I will be able to bore it come Spring time,,,,that’s the plan anyway ,,,,LoL .

    Tommy
     
  29. Karl_William
    Joined: Nov 20, 2021
    Posts: 83

    Karl_William
    Member

    Love the potvin! Mine was ground by Schneider
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  30. Karl_William
    Joined: Nov 20, 2021
    Posts: 83

    Karl_William
    Member

     
    Flathead Freddie likes this.

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