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Non-Ford Flathead Motors

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hefty Lefty, May 7, 2013.

  1. Hefty Lefty
    Joined: Apr 30, 2013
    Posts: 170

    Hefty Lefty
    Member

    The recent post on Continental powered flat head engine driven welders had me thinking.

    If you want a flathead, four or six, those old Continental Red Seal motors are cool. They don't overheat like a flathead Ford V8. They used them in fork trucks, welders, gensets ground support units, tractors, and in a lot of small make cars. Early Checker cabs had them, some Willys Jeep products, Kaisers, Grahams, etc, etc. There were aluminum heads and intakes for them too.

    What other non Ford flatheads are underutilized? I figure Hudsons for sure.

    Studebaker had a flathead six but if memory serves they were troublesome. I had a cousin who bought a Studebaker at an estate sale and promptly hauled it out and junked it for a different six. But that was maybe the overhead valve version. Were they different except for the head?
     
  2. 1952henry
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,365

    1952henry
    Member

    Plymouth/Chrysler flathead sixes, Pontiacs, IHCs (Green Diamond)...
     
  3. turbostude
    Joined: Nov 8, 2006
    Posts: 342

    turbostude
    Member
    from minnesota

    The Stude Champion motor was used in all sorts of race cars due to its short block (siamesed cylinders) and massive mains. I set records on the salt with one... now it is in my Tribaker. Check out my URL's below and this link
    [​IMG]
     
  4. jkeesey
    Joined: Oct 12, 2011
    Posts: 652

    jkeesey
    Member

    The early continental engines were made of poor metal. I was working on a 1915 museum car with a 4 cyl conti and at 20ft lbs the head studs started pulling from the block.
     

  5. hillbilly4008
    Joined: Feb 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,924

    hillbilly4008
    Member
    from Rome NY

    I'm a fan of inline flatties. I had a 251 in my Desoto, great motor that suprised the heck out of me.

    Someday I'd like use one of the 134 Continental motors in a small rod some day. They use to make "speed parts" for them back in the day. When I say "speed parts" I mean dual carb intakes. Shave the head a bit and find a good 2wd tranny to go behing it and your golden. Those little shits are HEAVY though.
     
  6. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Chrysler - DeSoto had a well built six but certain features not conducive to performance like only 3 intake ports and valve chamber laid out for long life not performance. Up to 265 cu in and reliable. Parts easily available.

    Hudson Hornet 1951 up had the most performance oriented flathead six with valves tipped toward the cylnders. Up to 308 cu in.

    Jeep flathead 4 was a tough motor, also used in Willys Americar and Kaiser Henry J. The last flathead 4 motor used in an American car.

    American Motors (Rambler) flathead six, last flathead in American car (1964). Hot performer for the time in the original Rambler because the car was so light, and the motor was designed for the heavier Nash Statesman.

    Continental made 3 port (industrial) and 6 port (auto) versions of the six. Used in Jeeps up to 1961 or 62. Kaiser actually built their own engines under license from Continental. They developed some improvements of their own that the Kaiser version is slightly different from the Continental.

    Packard straight eight (up to 54) had a valve layout similar to Hudson and had a good performance potential. Last one, with 4 barrel carb and aluminum head, made 212HP with 359 cu in. I think this was the most powerful flathead stock car.

    Pontiac six and straight eight had a great reputation for reliability and good performance.
     
  7. plym_46
    Joined: Sep 8, 2005
    Posts: 4,018

    plym_46
    Member
    from central NY

    Graham Paige, Oldsmobile, Essex, Diamond T, White trucks, REO cars and trucks, Nash, Hupmobile, Hercules, Federal Trucks.
     
  8. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    The fastest non Ford flatheads I have seen at Bonneville would be the Hudson Boys @ 252 and Dave Doziers Chrysler straight eight @ 250.
     
  9. 50shoe
    Joined: Sep 14, 2005
    Posts: 640

    50shoe
    Member

    The hudsons were hot engines back in the day, didn't they have tricarbs from the factory on some models.

    having built and driven several flathead and F-head jeep motors they were always more like driving a tractor than a car to me, with that long stroke.
     
  10. Ocean56
    Joined: Oct 5, 2009
    Posts: 128

    Ocean56
    Member
    from Michigan

    My dad had a '62 Checker with a Continental 6/auto combination. It was S-O S-L-O-W!.......:D
     
  11. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,560

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    Burns made an intake, and Hickey made both intakes and heads.
     
  12. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 894

    tractorguy
    Member

    Great thread......just for clarification since I am considering using a flathead 4cyl. Jeep "Go-Devil" with some speed stuff in a rail frame midget. Since Continental did engines for many companies to install in their vehicles, was the Jeep 134 done by Continental or was it actually done by Willys ?? Also, is the Continental 134, the same engine that was used in the Case model VC tractor in the 1940's before Case built it's own overhead 4cyl. for the VAC??
     
  13. Caddilac flathead?
     
  14. ParkinsonSpeed
    Joined: Oct 11, 2010
    Posts: 429

    ParkinsonSpeed
    Member

    Packard straight 8, always wanted it in a roadster.... But common sense has led me to using a y-block on most occasions.
     

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  15. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,213

    sunbeam
    Member

    the old Packard 8s were so smoooooooth.
     
  16. 2935ford
    Joined: Jan 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,843

    2935ford
    Member

    Dort: Engine built by Lycoming (yes, the airplane engine builder today) designed by Eitenne Planche who worked for Louis Chevrolet back in the day.
     

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  17. Truckedup
    Joined: Jul 25, 2006
    Posts: 4,661

    Truckedup
    Member

    The 134 Jeep Go Devil was developed by Willys from the 1929 or 30 Whippet engine. A lot of the blocks out there are cracked around the head stud holes and valve seats so look closely..
     
  18. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    One good thing about the flathead Willy, is that you can turn the intake upside down and use the exhaust hot spot for a larger carb base. I guess you could do the same with other inline engines.
     

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  19. Hefty Lefty
    Joined: Apr 30, 2013
    Posts: 170

    Hefty Lefty
    Member

    I THINK this is the engine used in boats as the "Atomic Four" a lot of which are changed out for diesels on sailboats. Gasoline and boats with deep hull spaces are a mix that leads to kaboom so this is good. So marine cores should be available. Don't know about cracks.
     
  20. Hefty Lefty
    Joined: Apr 30, 2013
    Posts: 170

    Hefty Lefty
    Member

    Lycoming and Continental stayed successful in the aircraft engine business mostly because they were protected from competition by type certification rules. Both built a lot of terrible aircraft engines, the Continental Tiara and the 76 Series Lycs were poster boys for garbage. But I don't think Lycoming's car and truck engines were ever considered very good. Continentals were better but again, certain ones were trash. Several car makers, Graham Paige, Willys, Kaiser built them themselves under license or had major modifications.
     
  21. Here's my 218.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Bryan G
    Joined: Mar 15, 2011
    Posts: 190

    Bryan G
    Member
    from Delmarva

    The smoothest, quietest engine I've ever seen run, anywhere, was the 6 in a 52 Dodge.
     
  23. Barn Find
    Joined: Feb 2, 2013
    Posts: 2,312

    Barn Find
    Member
    from Missouri

    Hudson Twin H-Power was a daul carb setup.

    Dad's '47 Willy has awesome low end torque. It has a Kaiser head (Henry J) on it, which is higher compression.

    [​IMG]
     

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