Rucker Over Head for Model A

B

Bradensc

New member
Can anyone tell me when a Rucker Over Head was made for Model A. I found one in the rough. How much is one worth? Thanks
 
50 years ago or more, when I was 'fiddling' with Model A speed stuff, I heard of about 6 or 8 OHV heads for the 4-cylinder Ford engine. Roof, Riley, Crager, Miller, Christy, Hal, etc., etc. In all that time I never heard of a Rucker OHV.
 
Try contacting Charlie Yapp at the Secrets of Speed Society (google it). The name sounds familiar. If Charlie doesn't know the answer maybe he could post the question in his magazine. A picture would sure help (send it to Charlie for the magazine and post here).

Charlie Stephens
 
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The valve cover says Made in San Francisco. A friend of my Dad's had one on a Model
A Sedan when we were growing up. I heard his nefhew has the car now.
 
rucker 1.jpg

Rucker 3.jpg

rucker 2.jpg
 
A friend had an Alexander OHV set up, I know little about it. Saw it once, in a packing crate. I'm amazed how many companies produced OHV & even overhead cam heads. Brands of carbs were fascinating also. One even had a Japanese sounding name.
Friend, John, has an engine with a COOK OHV set up in his steel top pick up. The engine is reputed to have been run in a Dry Lakes car in the past!
Bill W.
 
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Cook, aka Cyclone, heads were made by the Cook machine shop just East of L.A. They made 104 of them, I don't know if this includes the 1 made of aluminum or not. They were made in the late 30's for racing, had no water pump boss or distributor opening. They ran great on gasoline but needed work to make them run good on fuel, because of the cartridge fire plug location. The last time I ran mine was in 2013, ran 167 at Bonneville in the 4 ever 4 Club lakester. Turbo-charged on alcohol.
 
In 1958, I bought a Rucker OHV conversion for $125.00 from an older Japanese man in Honolulu, Hawaii. I was working summers at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. It was almost exactly like the one pictured here, but had no provision for the oil feed to the rockers. The shaft was so worn that I had to have it Hard Chromed to build it back up, had the rockers rebushed, but before doing so I had the shaft drilled for the oil pressure. I used Chevy 6 solid push rods and adjustable lifters with a special bolt head to receive the push rod ends. Engine ran well. Wish I still had it
 
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