Could Edelbrock cast a flathead block

Just to be clear I am a huge Mark Kirby fan and I tip my hat to what he has accomplished. He truely has built the "ultimate" Flathead.
 
I think the video shows why the project was aborted. In addition to Mark Kirby there was an additional brain trust involved in the project and they re-engineered the whole package. There isn't much they left on the table that is not unique to the MCFH aluminum block; d-ports, smaller, relocated head studs, roller cam and unique guides, proprietary heads needed for new stud locations, revised oil pan, water pumps, front cover, cam gears, Fluiddamper balancer and on and on.
It is for certain a complete work of engineering excellence, but all the upgrades made it out of reach ($$$$$) for the typical hobbiest and it's for that reason I think the project was shelved. Who wouldn't want one, but how many could pay for, or justify the cost?
 
Henry Floored said:
I spoke to someone last year that is involved to some degree with that project. He basically told me that a similar '34 Ford with a ZZ4 Chevy engine cannot outrun the '34 Ford with the MCF Flathead. This was about a year or so ago.
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I love flatheads as much as anyone, but I find this very hard to believe. There is more to this story if true.

In stock form, ZZ4's put out 350 h.p and 400 ft lbs of torque. Hard to walk away from that, even with a 300+c.i. normally asperated flathead.

Same trams, same rear, I think that story is an urban legend.
 
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Tim Ayers said:
I love flatheads as much as anyone, but I find this very hard to believe. There is more to this story if true.

In stock form, ZZ4's put out 350 h.p and 400 ft lbs of torque. Hard to walk away from that, even with a 300+c.i. normally asperated flathead.

Same trams, same rear, I think that story is an urban legend.
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Tim, you know I'm not sure about the Chevy combo. I will say this though, the most important way to look at engine performance on a dyno is to look at the "area under the curve". Simply put hp and torque averages are more important than peak numbers.

Thinking about it another way, the stock 221" Flatty in my '41 runs darn good for what it is. I doubt a 221" OHV V8 would put all that much daylight between us if the theoretical 221" OHV were similarly equipped induction wise.

"Flatheads don't breathe" is the mantra you hear. Maybe at stop light to stop light speeds the L head engine doesn't give up all that much in breathing and make up for it with better fuel mixing and combustion efficiency. Not to mention the 4 3/8" stroke in the belly of that Flatty. That's a dimension that a small block Chevy could never swallow. Just sayin'.
 
That's the thing about that ZZ4 combo, it was designed with a really useful torque and power curve. I don't doubt MCF flatty gave it a run for its money, but it's a tough package to beat. Plus, some of them had the LS4 cam package that jumped the performance up even more.

I really want this MCF project to happen. I think it would be awesome to have some of these big boy flatties running around.
 
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