Hot Rods ardun heads

let me preface by saying that I am not a fan of the flathead and never have,but that doesn't stop me from being curious,when you convert to ardun heads what happens with the valves in the? I have searched google but didn't really find a suitable answer. so let knowledge of the hamb school me

 

Nothing, the valves get moved to the heads. Look where the pushrods end up.

 

The article go to with the drawing that Tman showed in Post 2. The valve train area becomes the push rod passage.
http://www.ardun.com/ardun_histrory.htm

bit more of the actual history here http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/Ford-Flathead-V-8-Ardun-OHV-Conversion,9123.html

Somewhere In my boxes of books I have copies or the magazines mentioned in the article with the Ardun white pages article in them. Twenty + years of storage may have taken their toll on the though.

 

The holes where the in-block valves were are where the pushrods go to operate the now-overhead valves...

 

How do you plug the ports?? Block off plates?? Lead?? defcon ??

 

thanx for the quick replys after looking at the drawing it makes perfect sense thanks guys

 

Obviously, a relieved block could not be used.

 

Why do you have to plug them? The Ardun heads have all the necessary porting in them, the only thing to worry about is the small amount of oil that will leak around the guides and pushrods. The old flathead ports are now just "weight reduction holes". That said, there is an under manifold (valley) plate that supports the generator and fuel pump / breather stand, and most people put plates on the exhaust holes to clean up the side of the block.

 

The stock intake ports would now be a direct passage from outside to the pan. If you don't want crap dropping into the oil, a plate as shown is an easy fix.

 

of course now its no longer an L head and cannot be called a flathead.................

 

Sorry Carl, I have to disagree. A flathead engine with Ardun heads is most definitely a flathead. This is a flathead overhead valve conversion designed specifically for a flathead. The block is still a flathead block. A flathead engine equipped with Ardun OHV heads is still a flathead!!!

 

This is a hard concept to understand. I guess that if you had a white car and painted it black it would still be a white car?

 

Na completely disagree...... it is now a mini HEMI OHV not an L head anymore and the breathing is completely different exhaust is completely different not a Flathead by any means and will not be considered a flathead by me (or by many) at any time........

 

It becomes and OHV conversion, like a caterpiller to a butterfly.

 

Now that I might agree with Trent.......but I like Caterpillers............

besides it is inherently more difficult to get caterpillers to fly.......

 

Rich Fox, I fully understand the concept and design of the Ardun heads.( I have talked to Ron SanGiovanni at length about Ardun heads and I know the subject matter quite well). I also agree with Carl that the L head design of the flathead has now been replaced by the OHV design and the engine now has it's own exhaust system and it's own unique intake manifold(s) or induction system. My point here is a simple one. The flathead block is still being used along with many of the unique flathead components and it is my contention that since the flathead block is still the foundation for this OHV conversion this engine should still be considered a flathead even though the original L head design has been replaced. If George Kudash had cast up an Ardun block when the Ardun OHV heads were first designed along with an Ardun crankshaft and rods then this would be an entirely different issue. This engine would not be a flathead anymore and could be considered an Ardun motor. I stand by my original statement. This is a flathead OHV conversion and the engine is still a flathead. I remember a couple of months back there was a survey conducted here on the HAMB on this very subject. ( is a flathead still considered to be a flathead even though it is equipped with Ardun OHV heads) I don't know the final results of that survey but I remember that the group that considered the engine still a flathead was ahead in the polling by a comfortable margin so it looks like I'm not alone here. Rich Fox, TMan and Carl, I wish you all continued good health and all the best with your projects and endeavours. It's great to see all this interest in keeping all these flat motors alive and well.

 

I prefer calling the ARDUN a fathead.

 

Actually, these days you can buy a block purpose cast for Ardun heads. No ports or valve bowls included. I have no idea what it costs. But I know it's more than i want to spend.

 

Block is only about 8 grand then add the new heads for another 15. Dont forget shipping. Next throw in all the internals then add induction, igntion, exhaust and your only about 30 to 40 GGG'S.
Labor to do it all is not included.

 

yep and when you are done........ it still ain't a flathead

 

but they are cool lookin.

 

^^^^^ Nice flathead!!!

 

In reality, Ford NEVER called it a Flathead - It was advertised as "The New Ford V8". Internally Ford called the first ones the V8-18. That was followed by the V8-40, the V8-48, V8-68, V8-72, and finally the V8-78. These we all call 21 stud motors, but guess what? Ford never called them that either. They were then replaced by the 24 stud (again Ford never called them that) V8-81A, V8-91A, 1940 V8-01A, 1941 V8-11A, and the last civilian model, the V8-21A. Next came the 239" versions starting with the V8-99A, the V8-09A, V8-19A, the V8-29A and after the war the V8-69A or M (for Mercury) followed by the V8-79 and 89. In 1948 it was redesigned a bit and called the 8RT for trucks trucks and 8BA for cars with the V8-OBA and then V8-OB2 and OB3. Then you had the Mercury 255" which was either the BG, the V8-9CM, V8-OCM, 1CM, or The V8-MA and for the last year of production just called the V8. I probably forgot a few variations in there somewhere.
The name Flathead is a descriptor that folks took on to describe the engine configuration, and it was also called a Side Valve and an L-Head. Flathead is just the one that became popular. The point of all this is "Flathead" is not a Ford name for these motors and since it is just to describe the style of motor, once you do an Ardun or similar conversion, it isn't a Flathead anymore and it's pretty silly to call it such. It is now an OHV motor whether you like it or not

 

I could not tell you cost on it but I have heard that one complete and ready to run causes hemorrhoids.

I think we have actually had the flathead valve in head discussion before. I don't recall the official outcome as to what the SCTA calls them but the end of the day you cannot really call it a flathead, you can still call it a Ford though.

Not ardun and I don't recall who built them but there were conversions that utilized the original exhaust ports and only had valve in head intakes. There is a name for that type of a setup up I think an F head or something like that.

 

there were a few F-Head conversions Beaner - Alexander and Maxi come to mind. Oh yeah, and the Dixon

 

There was one called a wiggler or jiggler for the v8-60 wasn't there?

I think Alexander was one that I was thinking of, had really nice looking finned covers as I recall.

 

I think you mean the Smith Jitterbug


It had no water jackets and I don't know if any were ever run successfully - maybe on Alcohol, but they sure were pretty

 

Look at how far they got with it without CAD or CNC machining. Maybe they used some tracer mills or early NC verticals. But all the original drawings were done on vellum with pencil.

 

Yes that's the one I was thinking of. I think that they were made to run in the bull ring.

I found an Alaxander

 

You don't need to include shipping if you want to drive over to Wilmington Ca. and pick all of it up.