CarTech®, Inc.
838 Lake Street South
Forest Lake, MN 55025
Phone: 651-277-1200 or 800-551-4754
Fax: 651-277-1203
© 2016 by Tony Thacker and Michael Herman
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission from the Publisher. All text, photographs, and artwork are the property of the Author unless otherwise noted or credited.
The information in this work is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. However, all information is presented without any guarantee on the part of the Author or Publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of the information and any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Readers are responsible for taking suitable and appropriate safety measures when performing any of the operations or activities described in this work.
All trademarks, trade names, model names and numbers, and other product designations referred to herein are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification purposes. This work is a publication of CarTech, Inc., and has not been licensed, approved, sponsored, or endorsed by any other person or entity. The Publisher is not associated with any product, service, or vendor mentioned in this book, and does not endorse the products or services of any vendor mentioned in this book.
Edit by Bob Wilson
Layout by Monica Seiberlich
ISBN 978-1-61325-355-7
Item No. SA399
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thacker, Tony, author.
Ford flathead engines: how to rebuild and modify / authors, Tony
Thacker & Michael Herman.
pages cm
1. Ford automobile--Motors--Design and construction. 2. Ford automobile--Motors--Modification. 3. Hot rods--Design and construction. I. Herman, Michael, 1977- author. II. Title.
TL215.F35T53 2016
629.25’040288--dc23
2015006502
Written, edited, and designed in the U.S.A.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Title Page:
This cool little track-nosed, turtle-deck T, known as the Woody Lee T, raced in the late 1940s and early 1950s hitting a top speed of 133.136 mph at Bonneville in 1951. NASCAR and TV personality Ray Evernham now owns it. He hired H&H Flatheads to build the engine so that it can be raced again. (Photo by Tim Sutton)
Back Cover Photos
Top Left:
Vic Edelbrock was one of the first to see the potential of the speed equipment business. He experimented with his own parts before even World War II. Here’s a Bay Area hot rodder with Edelbrock heads and intake with three deuces. (Courtesy GhostracksUSA.com)
Top Right:
Before he does anything with an old crank, Mike checks the mains and rod journal sizes to see if it’s even useable. This one was good at 2.497 for the mains and 2.1385 at the journals.
Bottom Left:
A follow-up Magnafluxing operation clearly reveals the crack-fixing screw in position. Obviously, you’ve sealed a big crack by making a smaller one, creating the need to pressure seal the block after the stitching process.
Bottom Right:
A pickle fork compresses the valvespring. Note how the tangs of the fork go between the coils of the spring and locate in the machined groove in the bottom of the guide. The elbow of the fork pushes against the block.
Author note: Some of the vintage photos in this book are of lower quality. They have been included because of their importance to telling the story.
OVERSEAS DISTRIBUTION BY:
PGUK
63 Hatton Garden
London EC1N 8LE, England
Phone: 020 7061 1980 • Fax: 020 7242 3725
Renniks Publications Ltd.
3/37-39 Green Street
Banksmeadow, NSW 2109, Australia
Phone: 2 9695 7055 • Fax: 2 9695 7355
CONTENTS
Dedication
Foreword by Ray Evernham
About the Authors
Introduction
Chapter 1: A Brief History of the Ford Flathead V-8
Surviving the Great Depression
Chapter 2: Engine ID, Equipment and Tools
