Brumfield

B

BNewman

Member
I have a head on my '31 I am told is a Brumfield.
It has a small B just forward of the distributor and viewed correctly from the manifold side of the engine.
Does anyone know what compression ratio it might be?
Thanks
 
Brumfields were 5.9, but they usually had a BF marking. There were early heads with a B only on them.
 
Thanks for starting this thread.
The previous owner told me he had installed a Brumfield head. I was also wondering what the compression ratio was. I thought I had read that there were different ones, starting at 5.5, then 5.9 etc.

I went out and looked at my head and on the top of the casting there is a marking with B - R, with the dash in-between the two letters.

I thought these were just heads that were machined down, but it seems like they were cast this way, based on the marking on the head being raised letters, versus stamped.

So were there different compression head ratings or just 5.9 for all the Brumfields, or were the different ratings offered by other manufacturers?
 
B-F

Brumfield-Finney

Just mention his partner Finney to Larry and he has been known to get all "wound up". :D

5.2 (Bill Kenz told me 50 years ago that this was the compression on the "head with the large B" aka Police head, which I am still running on the Coupe.)

5.9

6.5

7.1

And almost any custom CR within reason ...
 
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Larry posted recently on Ahooga, a procedure of how to measure the head and then he could tell the compression ...
 
Benson said:
B-F

Brumfield-Finney

Just mention his partner Finney to Larry and he has been known to get all "wound up". :D

5.2

5.9

6.5

7.1

And almost any custom CR within reason ...
Click to expand...

I don't know the man, but from previous postings here on the FB before he left, or perhaps, was asked to leave, it didn't take much to get him "wound up". Hope it's happier over on Ahooha.
 
Hi Bnewman - If what you are describing is a raised capital B cast into the head just north of the distributor, and nothing else, then what you have is not a Brumfield but a so-called "police" head. These were an in-period Ford option and raised the CR to, if I remember rightly, 5.6. I've used one for 15 years and it just makes my A a little livelier.
 
here is the B-F on a Brumfield head. This head was bought in mid '90's. Currently on my 1928 pickup.
 

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Roughly speaking how much additional HP can you get out of a 6:1 head. From a standard model A Head? Can this increased compression damage the engine?
 
Some years ago there were dyno tests done and posted on Fordbarn. The 5.5 head added about 10 H.P. and was the best bang for the buck to increase horsepower. There wasn't too much gain using the 6.0 over the 5.5 head, as I recall.

You also need a good cam, and not one with worn lobes and tappets.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Some years ago there were dyno tests done and posted on Fordbarn. The 5.5 head added about 10 H.P. and was the best bang for the buck to increase horsepower. There wasn't too much gain using the 6.0 over the 5.5 head, as I recall.

You also need a good cam, and not one with worn lobes and tappets.
Click to expand...
Thanks

Does anyone know how The compression of a model B head compares with a Model A head. Is a model A 4.5:1?
 
I took a second look at mine and what I thought was a B-R is in fact a
B-F. It must be the glasses. (actually, it was more likely the time from reading the letters and walking back into the house to type my earlier post that changed it from an F to a R). Should have done like I do when we go to bed at night and check 4 or 5 times to make sure the house doors are locked. Now going into a room and forgetting why you did is another problem.

I believe this was also purchased in the mid 90s, around 1997, so should I assume its a 5.9. Just wondering.
 
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