FH sparkplug locations

3

3W Hank

Well-known member
I got insight that Edmons ( don’t know under what era, 40’s or 50’s ) as they moved the sparkplug location more to centre of chamber.
If a gain I can’t tell as I try look how Edelbrock, Offy, Navarro did and no one or( few ) did this.
If I got it correct head flow dont matter much but get some CR ( ex 9;1 ) head need be around 65 CC.
So porting and sparkplug location is more important.
As I been in racing I think reduce friction from 4 rings and wide cast rings might get some free HP and a stroker crank get less C-H ( light low height piston )

So whst is the case or ’experiance’ on moved spark plug location.

I shore would like see 200 HP from 275 cu;in ( 3.25x4.15 ) and a 3 carb set up.

How wild is a Clay Smith 282-2 cam on aplication ?

My guess find a set Edmons heads might be hard ( if the idea gains )
 
To my knowledge, The vast majority of the aftermarket have the plug in the Original location Ford went to in the early 30s. Why the rest of the industry didn't research this was there was no reason to. several people did, but even they didn't take advantage of a "Better" location. Check JWLs book?????
Gramps
 
Hi Ron.

I did try order it here but no one had that book here in Sweden.
( Amazon USA )

------
So Ford had it at the location that most copy ( as ex Edelbrock etc ) but one thought about it and Edmunds came up to that idea and move it.

Question ;
Has this been on a dyno to see any gain over the years ?
Now one can say, I need a street engine and this is not for HP, so if HP one can use any SBC, but fun is HP even in this FH engines.
Another can argue flow gets its way by a blower.
Blower is cool but I will be traditional NA.
It took many years until the 70’s style V8 got moved sparkplug locations in after market heads, so in the FH I guess it’s very hard get it moved now as few have this engines for extra HP.

When I build my Hemi ( they has a high bobweight and I go 8.5K RPM )
I has a blue print plate with dowel pins, and that I put on the head, then I make new chambers in CNC exactly right numbers in the dome design that piston manufacture made ( I use CP )
Then I bore block whit this plate so piston come up in head on the money.
Whit good rods ( H-beam and good valvesprings ) I has 0.40" piston to head and +0.40" intake and +0.60" on exhaust valve to piston.

I has use AFR a long time and has Racepack VC300, I has 8 on dyno and on race a sensor in one collector.
It's a big difference in Lamda from dyno to race, but a Very good tool to find HP.
Dyno room is also of great importnt ( air, vent )


-How to locate up a set of Edmunds heads and if I find a pair, would passenger side has 3 CC less ?
 
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I got my 2 1/2 sets of Edmunds heads off eBay. I just checked it and there are two sets of 8BA heads for $850 and $1000 respectively on there. The $850 heads seem to be excessively milled; the $1000 heads look a lot better. My heads are "Edmunds Custom" while these are just "Edmunds" I don't know what the difference is, if any.

2 1/2 set because I have a left side head in usable condition and am hoping that there is a matching right side head out there somewhere. As to different volumes per side, that doesn't matter to me because I modify the heads to exactly match the engine before installing them,
 
I has the 59A engine and that fit my style better for a late 40's style racer.
I could easy has a set on of the Edmunds Custom heads and a 3 carb intake if they made those.

-Anyone know if someone has the molds of the heads to FH ?
 
Hi Hank, did you ever drive a flathead , or even a stroker Flathead ?
You ask on various forums and you wont get a perfect answer.
Instead of asking 1000 questions , build something and see what you get.
There are proven combos , but you seem to want to build the ultimate Flathead
And that is not gonna happen.if you want lots of proven easy power , build a SBC
You need your brain and not books to build a good flathead.
You simply can not compare any modern OHV to a flathead.....
This is the reason why they are still a challenge to make power at a certain rpm
I love it....
Will never run a different v8 engine.
So much money... so litte power :-)
 
HotRodmicky said:
Hi Hank, did you ever drive a flathead , or even a stroker Flathead ?
You ask on various forums and you wont get a perfect answer.
Instead of asking 1000 questions , build something and see what you get.
There are proven combos , but you seem to want to build the ultimate Flathead
And that is not gonna happen.if you want lots of proven easy power , build a SBC
You need your brain and not books to build a good flathead.
You simply can not compare any modern OHV to a flathead.....
This is the reason why they are still a challenge to make power at a certain rpm
I love it....
Will never run a different v8 engine.
So much money... so litte power :-)
Click to expand...

Excellent point Hot Rod Micky I know for sure if I took the time to ask lots of questions getting lots of advice from may people which many times ends up being different advice on the same subject I doubt any real success would be accomplished.
So 3W Hank just build your flathead start with something and then improve as you go along its worth the effort and also fun.
Ronnieroadster
 
Gee.

I did ask on pinching a frame and about the Brockville body at HAMB before get into the chassie and the Henry body, but this is also engine related and there one told me to ask at Ford Barn = better source.
So I’m not asking on various forums.
I had a thread there at HAMB on FH, but get that rolling nothing more, and that’s all ( did I do something wrong ? )

Second, I’m not after invent the wheel of a FH.
I has never own a FH but I has been into some friends street rods.
I’ll did read allot on hot rods as a kid in Sweden but I always was into dragracing as my father.
That become my work and hobby.
But the case in world now did lead me restore and get some 40’s Ferguson tractors ( just for fun ) and that did lead me to pre 1950 real hot rodding and Ford coupes from 32 always was the hot rod for me, and when I saw Larry Rollers coupe I did know what to do.
I has some friends here build this style of cars so it was not something new.

When I start something I ask.
Why should I just jump into something - test and see where it leads and maybe made mistakes ?
Misstakes is made anyway, but I ask.
This is a forum and I can ask, but your advice is as good as any – even if I found it ‘odd’.
If you find it strange/odd, wrong, irritating, why even read it ?
I never said I was into a SBC, I’m fully aware 100 HP or 150.
I’ll also said I’m not ‘after’ HP, this is a build up car as a racer but the limited time I will use it, I will use it locally ( just for fun )
This is not a car I take down to Germany alps by Autobahn.
I build it for fun as I like the 40’s style and I like a Flathead in this car.
As I never came across it before in a build-up ( I think I balanced a crank in mid 80’s maybe )
So I like ask and learn of cool stuff and the history.
Why should I not do that ?
I run a company, if I get a customer and said to them ; well why are you ask me questions, young man go home and test something.
But as a engine guy I like to use my experience and this will be something what the guys used back then - but I might work on friction, will use new pistons and probably new rods as for me it make sense.
I’ll really enjoy see this old school heads as they are so cool, but I also like Henrys cast iron.
So when it’s time go to work I has shoes to stand on, and thank’s guys here help me so far.

I hope this explains, otherwise my advice to you is not read my threads.
Thank’s.
 
Ronnie,
What is told I will even do what other advice me, I has 30 years in build engine professional but i ALWAYS respect others people experiance and advice.
Get over to thread topic's - please.
 
3W Hank said:
Gee.

I did ask on pinching a frame and about the Brockville body at HAMB before get into the chassie and the Henry body, but this is also engine related and there one told me to ask at Ford Barn = better source.
So I’m not asking on various forums.
I had a thread there at HAMB on FH, but get that rolling nothing more, and that’s all ( did I do something wrong ? )

Second, I’m not after invent the wheel of a FH.
I has never own a FH but I has been into some friends street rods.
I’ll did read allot on hot rods as a kid in Sweden but I always was into dragracing as my father.
That become my work and hobby.
But the case in world now did lead me restore and get some 40’s Ferguson tractors ( just for fun ) and that did lead me to pre 1950 real hot rodding and Ford coupes from 32 always was the hot rod for me, and when I saw Larry Rollers coupe I did know what to do.
I has some friends here build this style of cars so it was not something new.

When I start something I ask.
Why should I just jump into something - test and see where it leads and maybe made mistakes ?
Misstakes is made anyway, but I ask.
This is a forum and I can ask, but your advice is as good as any – even if I found it ‘odd’.
If you find it strange/odd, wrong, irritating, why even read it ?
I never said I was into a SBC, I’m fully aware 100 HP or 150.
I’ll also said I’m not ‘after’ HP, this is a build up car as a racer but the limited time I will use it, I will use it locally ( just for fun )
This is not a car I take down to Germany alps by Autobahn.
I build it for fun as I like the 40’s style and I like a Flathead in this car.
As I never came across it before in a build-up ( I think I balanced a crank in mid 80’s maybe )
So I like ask and learn of cool stuff and the history.
Why should I not do that ?
I run a company, if I get a customer and said to them ; well why are you ask me questions, young man go home and test something.
But as a engine guy I like to use my experience and this will be something what the guys used back then - but I might work on friction, will use new pistons and probably new rods as for me it make sense.
I’ll really enjoy see this old school heads as they are so cool, but I also like Henrys cast iron.
So when it’s time go to work I has shoes to stand on, and thank’s guys here help me so far.

I hope this explains, otherwise my advice to you is not read my threads.
Thank’s.
Click to expand...

Hank,

You are posting a ton of questions across two forums that I know of. We all respect your previous experience, but don't be jerk. You're last comment is very off putting. There are guys on here who have made it their life's work getting every last hp out of our flatheads and they are willing to give out their advice for free.

Like others have suggested, sit down and think about your ultimate goal for your build and come back with some specific questions.

Right now, you seem to be all of over the board with what direction you want to go.

Best of luck, but I'm out.
 
Tim, I made specific questions and I also got good answers - very good.
Specific on what parts that was used and for me that is HAT OFF.

My goal is a good sound FH that look as they did and most parts as they used.
One example, say I got a advice to use OE rods and I read that and should be working all Ok, but I respect that but if I think I like use new rods I will do that.
Say one say, dont use a old crank, use a new crank, well I might like to use the old Merc so I do that.
That is not to be a jerk or not credit that answer and it's not to be all over the board.
To me it sounds strange and ol' Ron said it was a great thread and intresting so for him it was all OK, but if soneone thinks it is wrong for me to ask, well what can I say.
Instead of this, get over to topics as that must be way more fun.

P.S. For the records, I made one ( 1 ) topics at HAMB on FH.
 
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-I would like jump back to thread topics if you don’t mind.

I think I read a older thread here at the barn how ; JWL made his sparkplug locations ( or ideas )
I has order his book ( not here yet ) but was he a engineer to and machine something about spark plug location ?
Any feed back on subject is intresting.
 
No experience with Eddy Edmund's products, or the HP value of the relocated spark plug, but I can share my experience with the original spark plug location when you run a 1007B cam, and mill Barney Navarro's "Nostalgia" heads .040 over the pistons, and .060 over the valves to get a good compression ratio. The original location is over the exhaust valve and, in this case, the valve hit the plug, result 0 gap plug. The solution was to try different plugs with less reach and counter sink back several of the closest threads to to the combustion chamber to reduce the potential for a hot spot, but give up a little compression.
 
So the plug is inside the head, hmm.
Is that the common way it will be run low clearance in a 65 CC head and a 0.05” gasket.
-Maybe Ron can put more lights in this subject.
Shore would like to know what JWL did found out.
 
The relocated plug location in an Edmunds head (shown) that allows the use of an extended tip plug has GOT to be better than one recessed up into the head and shrouded. I have been running this combination on the '51 Merc in my coupe since 2016 with no problems. Also, they designed the aluminum heads to use longer reach plugs than iron heads for a very good reason.
 

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