flathead 60

Flat-O-Products, Salem Oregon, 503-364-2934 sells an adaptor to bolt a T-5 to a V8-60 block, also supplies throwout bearing, clutch arm and 9" clutch. If your engine has a 8 1/2" clutch set into the flywheel, suggest you machine off the flange to fit a 9" clutch.
All their products worked well for me on a 60 to T coupe project.
 
Great power plant in a light car. Edlebrock's 60 powered midget used to eat the Offy's lunch. Built by Bobby Meeks.
 
A 60hp with a T5 is in my 3/4 scale roadster. Kinda low on torque on take off, but clutch is a bit touchy. Runs out great thru the gears.
My daughter has quite a few new parts for the 60. Trying to get a list of bearing sizes, and piston sizes from her now. I know there is one set of piston/rod assemblies ready to go. There were at least 10 cams. gasket sets, water pumps, and one cast block. Problem is 1700 miles to fetch the stuff back to Okie land.
 
Lowest price I've seen lately for a rebuilt 60 was $3,750 without all the accessories. $4,000 seems reasonable. Everybody says they are expensive and you can compare this to an 85 and see why. They're expensive because they are cool.
 

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russcc said:
Great power plant in a light car. Edlebrock's 60 powered midget used to eat the Offy's lunch. Built by Bobby Meeks.
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And the B&G Ford powered 22 car used to eat the Edelbrock midget. They ran 30% nitro and the 22 ran straight alcohol. Circa Dec. 1958 Saugus.
 
3/4, do you have a tach on that little deuce? I am just curious what rpm range these 60's are comfortable running at. My 8BA hums at 2600 at cruise and that is the number I've always heard is where the "big" flatheads like to cruise at. I understood that the 60's were meant to run at higher rpm to compensate for the 4.11 rear gears.
 
My mind is a little fuzzy on this. I know the 37-8-9 engine had a smaller crank than the 40 engine. I also know the the early 60 had a smaller trans and a smaller clutch spline that the 40. I guess my question is, does the 85hp trans bolt right to the 40 engine with out moderfing for the starter? If I remember right when I was a kid 15 yr's old, my friends father had a 40 pickup with a 60 in it. It didn't take us kids long to ruin that engine. I remember putting an 85 hp in the truck and not touching the trans. Does that sound right. Walt
 
36tbird said:
3/4, do you have a tach on that little deuce? I am just curious what rpm range these 60's are comfortable running at. My 8BA hums at 2600 at cruise and that is the number I've always heard is where the "big" flatheads like to cruise at. I understood that the 60's were meant to run at higher rpm to compensate for the 4.11 rear gears.
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I think it was just the opposite. Ford didn't use the 4:11 they had to go to the 4:44 behind the 60 hp to get it to rev more to compensate for lack of torque in the heavy cars,trucks even went to a 4:54 I believe.
 
Walt, the back side of the '37-'40 V8-60 engines are the same. The V8-60 '40 sideshift trans was different than the 85.
 
37, I pulled the "4.11" ratio out of the air 'cuz I couldn't remember what the correct original stock ratios were. So, what is the rpm for the desired torque range of a 60?
 
IIRC - the 85 trans will bolt to a 60, but you have to cut the "cup" off the side of the trans to clear the starter bendix...
 
Gary in La. said:
Walt, the back side of the '37-'40 V8-60 engines are the same. The V8-60 '40 sideshift trans was different than the 85.
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Gary, I'm trying to remember 60yr's ago, In think this 40 pickup of my friends father had a floor shift. But I'm sure the 40 cars with the 60engine had colume shift. Did the 40 cars with the 60 have the 1-3/8 clutch spline or did thay have the smaller spline like the earlier 60"s? I'm sure us 15yrear old kids didn't change any clutch to put the 85 in to that 40 pickup to replace the 60. Walt
 
Just remember: All that talk about how well they performed in a midget racer has no bearing on how well it will work on the street. The racing engines had VERY high compression ratios and ran on methanol (plus nitro in some cases); they were cammed to produce peak H.P. at something like 4800-5000 R.P.M. and geared to do that while racing. In a 900-1000# car they could run that way repeatedley for 10 or 20 laps on a 1/4 mile track---which was all of 2 1/2 -5 miles. They might get away with 2 weeks worth of racing before they had to be pulled down for new bearings, rings and maybe a valve job.


You want to run one on the street in a car weighing double (or more) what the race car did with only half the horsepower and you don't want to tear it down for "freshening" everytime you turn around. It has less low end torque than a Model A 4 banger and off- idle torque is what makes a car drivable on the street. I submit that after you do every "streetable" hop up trick you can think of, you will NOT enjoy driving anything more than a stripped "T" speedster with that engine. I'm sure, for 4 large, you can find a good full-size (239-255) Flathead which you'll be a lot happier with.
 
Walt,
In 1940 both the side shift and the floor shift trans had the 9" clutch and the bigger input shaft. The gear sets in these trans were the same as the 85. Putting a "hot" V8-60 in a street car was best served using the commercial trans and 9" clutch and flywheel. And yes as 3738 said the 85 trans would work if you did some cutting on it.
 
Thanks tbird. My daughter did send the sending unit for the Sun tach. Bad thing is that I re-did the dash for the gauges I had, and no room for it now.
 
Hang it off the column, old school. That's the way I have it on my '36 pickup. Williamson's might have the buckets and mount, too. Or, it is always a cool piece for another old car. Or, if you are interested in getting rid of it, please PM me.
 
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