For many years I have wanted to build a T or A with a mild banger but after driving a late model 4 cylinder motor on a trip this past weekend I am beginning to rethink that,the motor in the car I drove had to be above 3500 to make decent power so are the old 4 cylinder motors the same way or is it comparing apples to oranges. I was wanting to know if the older 4 cylinder motors had more low end torque then the modern versions and maybe I am too used to V8s and straight sixes to even think of a old four..
The Model A and Model B motors have 200 cubic inches. How big was the modern 4 cylinder you drove? You are going to have to find someone to give you a ride or let you drive theirs. Charlie Stephens
They don't spin much over 3500. So yah they got more torque, their all about torque. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The longer stroke of the A and B make more low end torque. Around 1800 rpms is considered the hp sweetspot. So you do not have to wind them tight to go anywhere. Your not going to get the V8 power feel without spending some cash. Cam, head, oversized intake valves and downdraft carbs are all good investments for waking them up. Rod
I have never driven 4 cylinder motors much before last week and was a little disappointed and probably never take a old one on such a long and hard trip I was on,the car I was in would go up past 4000 staying at legal speed going up a long grade when kicked out of o/d. I will try to find someone who has one and get them to take me a ride before even thinking about building one but was curious on how those old fours are,I have never been in a stock or modified A before so I know nothing about them.
Have you ever driven a Air cooled VW or perhaps a late 70's early 80's subaru or a tired 4 cylinder diesel truck like a ranger?
A friend of mine who builds antique engines ( among other things) for a living told me if you build a banger up correctly, it will almost match an early 8 cyl. flattie for output ( 80-100 HP). "A" block ( heavier casting) with a "B" crank, insert bearings, pressurized oiling system and a high compression head with a good intake ( Zephyr with 2 94's ?) And probably a later tranny with synchro?? Problem is cost- lots of machine work PLUS parts = 4-6 grand. (+/-) That's a lot of juice, and you still get 80-100 HP. Each to his own though; I love to see bangers in cars. Good luck with it. Mike from Mass.
R&C road and drag tested a restored B and a restored V8 '32. The drag test nicely illustrated the different curves... B immediately took the lead off the line, then V8 passed it. At the shifts, The B noticeably lunged forward more than the V8, but V8 ran away in the top half of each gear. V8 was quite a few lengths ahead at the lights. B can obviously have its top end improved by normal hopping, but short of good OHV conversion it will never be all that great at higher RPM's, and some hopping like a radical cam might well substantially hurt its low end performance...which is great in stock form. I think road use would best be approached with a mild engine, carefully studied selection of rear gearing, and one of those torque tube overdrives to widen the range of available gears. Citation and some discussion of the test: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193345&highlight=road+test&showall=1 Notes on the test...the cars were perfect resto's by Harrah, a Casino owner, and the actual test was pretty gentle. The R&C staff obviously did not want to break anything and wind up in an unmarked grave in the desert... Some numbers were from a 1932 road test in a British Magazine, and they suggest that the cars were driven pretty gently too.
I have had both A banger power and V8 Flatty. V8 Flatty hands down. Now step to a very early 265/283 SBC Way less money involved Parts at your local store..........
For more information on reworking A/B motors for power/reliability you might want to 'hook-up' with the people over at FAST: they have lots of experience with what to do(& especially what NOT to do! LOL!) to wind up with a reliable & driveable 'banger'.
Poorly tuned or Overcarbed. I get around 19 mpg!! Another thing to remember is that it wasn't until after WWII that the V-8 started to dominate the Lakes and Salt. Before the war the little Bangers were top dogs
I never got that motor running and am now planning on using it in my roadster. I did pick up a police head recently that will go on this one. Sent from my SM-G900T using H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've got the same head. Mine is waiting till I pull the motor to check the babbit. Don't want to pound that babbit out with the compression! The current head gasket is leaking to the outside pretty bad, not inside the motor though. This summers project. Sometimes I think we might be brothers from different mothers!!
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