Winfield su1a

I ran a Winfield R1 in a 59A 60 years ago.
The idle was smooth as the stock cam.
A real Winfield, not a copy. A stock 8CM or EAB cam would probably perform better.
 
While digging through the internet I found a book with a bunch of old original cam specs! The book is “ How to build Ford flathead power” By George McNicholl. Has several different grinders. It seems the R1 is Windfields full race grind, and it doesn’t match what is on the cam card that Isky gave me back when I sent my cams to them. Mine might be a bad copy. Can you imagine that!
 
Winfield had the cams to have for flathead 4 bangers in the 20's and 30's and he did most of the winners for the Offy's but he was always way behind with the flathead Ford V8's.
The Isky 404, one of the most successful flathead circle track cams ever made was an almost direct copy of the Winfield #4 Offy grind.
 
Winfield's R1 cam was always advertised as a "3/4 Race" cam.
Much has been lost in translation over The last 50 years.
 
Pete said:
Winfield had the cams to have for flathead 4 bangers in the 20's and 30's and he did most of the winners for the Offy's but he was always way behind with the flathead Ford V8's.
The Isky 404, one of the most successful flathead circle track cams ever made was an almost direct copy of the Winfield #4 Offy grind.
Click to expand...

Pete

Not to stray too far off topic, but does the #4 grind need radius lifters like the 404?
 
Pete said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Pete's correct! I put together an Offy 220 in the mid 80's with #4 Winfield camshafts. They use radiused cam followers which slide over the valve and spring assembly that ride in keyed bore. The valve lash is adjusted by filing the valve stem with a "Filing block" or if the clearance is too tight the valve seat is ground. All of this takes a considerable amount of time since there are four valves per cylinder. Also, grinding the valve seat requires a "small sized" Kwikway or Sioux grinder since the cylinder head and block are "one casting" [non removable cylinder head] which is done though the bottom side of the block. I still have the Offy filing block.
 
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