flathead dragster last weekend
- Thread starter Lawrie
- Start date
Bored&Stroked
Well-known member
Oh Yeah - with the boost comes the fun! We have ran the FlatCad up to 21 lbs of boost on Alky (the only way to go), the big problem (given you have a lower end that can take it) is sealing the deck surfaces on these old engines. The decks are so thin, that they want to "do the hula" when the boost levels get high. I think there are some ways to combat this problem - but it will take some innovations on the lower girdle, mains, heads and intake. If you ever want to talk about it, let me know!
Not sure if you know about or have followed the 'FlatCad' Bonneville project on the HAMB (1940 Cadillac that we run at Bonneville). I am the dumb *** who signed up to design/build the engine (with a lot of support along the way) . . . there went a couple years of my life . . . and my wife! HaHa. We hope to have salt conditions to run again this year - been in limbo for 2 years.
We explored quite a few concepts on how to take a 3 main engine and make it live with high boost, high horsepower, etc.. (Makes about 650 on alky).
Here are some design pictures - not trying to hijack your thread, just give you some ideas.
Not sure if you know about or have followed the 'FlatCad' Bonneville project on the HAMB (1940 Cadillac that we run at Bonneville). I am the dumb *** who signed up to design/build the engine (with a lot of support along the way) . . . there went a couple years of my life . . . and my wife! HaHa. We hope to have salt conditions to run again this year - been in limbo for 2 years.
We explored quite a few concepts on how to take a 3 main engine and make it live with high boost, high horsepower, etc.. (Makes about 650 on alky).
Here are some design pictures - not trying to hijack your thread, just give you some ideas.
JM 35 Sedan
Well-known member
Great video's Lawrie.....loved 'em!! That Flathead engine sounds and runs amazingly good. Thanks for posting.
Walt Dupont--Me.
Well-known member
I've built a few Cady and LaSall flatheads, there some tough engine . Walt
Ol' Ron
Well-known member
B&S
I'm impressed with the design of this project to keep the casting together under this kind of power out put. Have you considered bringing the front and center main bolts up into the valley area the early blocks and as JWL suggested in his book. also filling the block with something (alu, concet, epoxy, etc) to stabilize the bores. Supercharged engines are beyond my comprehension, once you get over 5lbs. Dick Landy got over 500HP out of them, I was there in the pits next to him at Biville with Flatfire, He had a trailer full of engines and used a few th get the job done. I wish you luck. And Keep em rinnin.
I'm impressed with the design of this project to keep the casting together under this kind of power out put. Have you considered bringing the front and center main bolts up into the valley area the early blocks and as JWL suggested in his book. also filling the block with something (alu, concet, epoxy, etc) to stabilize the bores. Supercharged engines are beyond my comprehension, once you get over 5lbs. Dick Landy got over 500HP out of them, I was there in the pits next to him at Biville with Flatfire, He had a trailer full of engines and used a few th get the job done. I wish you luck. And Keep em rinnin.
Lawrie
Well-known member
We have a Doug king girdle,home made solid heads ,solid copper head gaskets and a .040 stainless wire set into the heads around the chamber,this was a job to get machined into the heads as it is only .040 wide and .028 deep.
New engine will have the cooling passages in the block filled.
Lawrie
New engine will have the cooling passages in the block filled.
Lawrie
Bored&Stroked
Well-known member
Hey Lawrie, sounds like you have it figured out! If you're going to use something like 'rock block' to fill it, make sure you do that before your cylinder boring/honing operations. Sometimes the block fill can distort the cylinders a bit - so it is good to do it first. We have the FlatCad with a 1/2 fill (as it runs at Bonneville - where we need cooling).