OHV for Model A engine

kenparker

kenparker

Well-known member
Can anyone give me info on a COOK Overhead Valve head for the Model A engine.? Have friend that has one and we can find Nothing about it. Where bbuilt? HP? How does it work? reliability? Anything? ken
 
You might check the back issues of "Secrets of Speed" magazine by using the on-line index (if there is one) or contacting Charlie Yapp directly via his website: http://www.secretsofspeed.com/. My issues stop at about 2002, so I can't speak to what's been in the magazine since then. I don't recall anything specific about the Cook head in my issues, but it may have been discussed in the Letters to Editor section.
Jim Brierley's Forever Four magazines are great, too. Maybe he can chime in here with some info.
Marshall
 
Jim Brierley owned one.

If I understand it right, Cook is for Cook Machine in Los Angeles, who made the Cyclone heads. They were made in the the late 30s / early 40s. There were 104 of those heads made. Jim Brierley briefly mentioned them in a "History 101 of the Ford Four-Banger" article from May 2000.

Jim Brierley ran a Cook on his Bonneville engine. Used Chevy valves, but had a little problem with his rocker arms mushrooming the tips a little bit. He also ran a Holley 4 bbl on it. It was a big motor!

Cached article here...
 
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johnneilson from Santa Clarita California worked on a Cook head for someone back in March 2016 and posted about it on the HAMB.

LINK HERE.....


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In the book "Old School HotRods" They feature the Bob Hayes/Wes Cooper roadster. It ran at Muroc, August 1941 with a Cook 4 Port on it and turned 107:52 on 8-28-41

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ARTICLE WITH PICTURES

..scroll up and down to see the whole article. The car is now in Colorado.
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A Friend ran one in a Pickup, but sold it & I lost track of it. The engine had supposedly been run in a car on the So-Cal Salt Flats.
Bill W.
 
I bought mine in 1956, still have it, last ran it on the Salt in 2013, ran 167 in our Club Lakester, on my 162 record. e-mail me at jimb4e4@gmail.com and I'll send you the chapter in my book that covers mine. The picture above by Jason shows the original combustion chamber, mine was modified a few times. They are very heavy, thick on the bottom, thin on top. HP depends on many other things, I estimate my Bonneville engine at about 225 or so? Cook made 104 iron heads and one aluminum. Steve Serr of Miller Hi-Speed is currently developing a head based on the original design but much improved.
 
Post 6 Bill, Bob S. has John R's pickup with the Cook. I thought I had photos of the engine but don't. Next time Bob has it out, I'll surely get some pics. Bob also has a sedan delivery with and OHV. I'm not sure whose. I'll be sure to check on that as ell when he next has it out. Russ
 
Jim Brierley said:
I bought mine in 1956, still have it, last ran it on the Salt in 2013, ran 167 in our Club Lakester, on my 162 record. e-mail me at jimb4e4@gmail.com and I'll send you the chapter in my book that covers mine. The picture above by Jason shows the original combustion chamber, mine was modified a few times. They are very heavy, thick on the bottom, thin on top. HP depends on many other things, I estimate my Bonneville engine at about 225 or so? Cook made 104 iron heads and one aluminum. Steve Serr of Miller Hi-Speed is currently developing a head based on the original design but much improved.
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Hey Jim:),
Wasn't that attempt to resurrect Cook(by Dan) , based on your original ?
If I remember, the one copy that ran, ran in the Richardson coupe or was it your car ??
 
I've always wondered what ever happened to all the OHV conversions that were made.
You hardly (if ever) see one for sale, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Paul in CT
 
1931 flamingo said:
I've always wondered what ever happened to all the OHV conversions that were made.
You hardly (if ever) see one for sale, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Paul in CT
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Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence:( .
 
OT but related; Went to a pre sale of T parts some time back, there must have been 10 plus engines with overhead or other speed related heads on them on display. I was thinking the same thing, too bad they were not out on cars to be used not just sitting static where only the owner and a select few could see them. There were only so many made. Don't know what happen to the collection, the whole sale was messed up (one of those family fight things).
 
hardtimes, Not based on my Cook, but one nearer to original. Mine has a modified combustion chamber, valve sizes, compression ratio, etc. I tried to get Dan to raise the compression ratio but he didn't. He did change valve sizes and rocker arms. I hear Dan's patterns are now foe sale?
 
Jim Brierley said:
hardtimes, Not based on my Cook, but one nearer to original. Mine has a modified combustion chamber, valve sizes, compression ratio, etc. I tried to get Dan to raise the compression ratio but he didn't. He did change valve sizes and rocker arms. I hear Dan's patterns are now foe sale?
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Hey Jim,
Thanks, very informative.
Missed you at the swap meet today.
When will your batch of your NEW alum flathead be available to us ?
Do you mind me placing a couple pictures of your creation ...here ?
Took pics at the last swap where I talked to you :) !
 
hardtimes, I'm estimating a couple of months before the next batch is ready, I have a waiting list of over 20 names on it. Post if you like, I've done so on Facebook.
 
Jim Brierley said:
hardtimes, I'm estimating a couple of months before the next batch is ready, I have a waiting list of over 20 names on it. Post if you like, I've done so on Facebook.
Click to expand...

Huh, what's Facebook.
Well, glad to see that you finally hit the 'bigtime'...whoohoo :) ! Now in another 100 years 'they' will look at this piece of jewelry and say..he must have been a real Banger guy :eek: !

BTW...does your plug location have anything to do with changing timing or tuning ?
 

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