V4 & V4F Engine Rules

[JohnR]

I am curious as to the history of the v4 & V4F engine classes. Here are the 2005 SCTA rules for the V4 & V4F engine designations.

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Vintage Four (V4) class consists of any pre-1935 American-made four cylinder automotive production engine, up to 220 cid. Specialty heads are allowed.
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Flathead Vintage Four (V4F) class consists of any pre-1935 American-made four cylinder automotive production engine, up to 220 cid. Only flathead type cylinder heads are allowed (valve in block). NO specialty OHV or OHC conversion cylinder heads are allowed. This class is to be available at El Mirage Dry Lake ONLY.
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I am looking at a few of these motors for a possible buildup but I have almost no idea what I am doing (that makes it more fun!). My knowledge of the history & evolution of these early flathead fours is basically zero.

So, with  that in mind, I have a few questions.

1. Why is "pre-1935" a requirement? Was there some basic improvement in technology that makes this a logical switchover year? Are 1936 flathead 4 cyl engines inherently better than say a 1934?

2. What would be considered to be the "best" basic engine to use? Of course, the Ford Model B comes to mind but there were many others, how do they stack up?

3. Why the limitation of the V4F to El Mirage only? What other options are there for 4 cyl flatheads on the salt?

The evolution of these rules would be interesting so if anyone knows how they came about please chime in!

john

[dwarner]

John,

I'm not a source on the V4F stuff but, I can answer #3. One of the rules proposals to be voted on this coming Friday is to drop the El Mirage restriction of El Mirage only for the V4F engines. This will allow vehicles using this engine to compete for records at Bonneville.

Contact Roy Creel, cree@antelecom.net, he is the pro when it comes to a build up of these engines. Puttin' this thing in your Honda?

DW

[Dynoroom]

Puttin' this thing in your Honda?

DW

Naw Dan, he's get'in together with Franky on a vintage prop job.

[JohnR]

Puttin' this thing in your Honda?

naw, We (franklin and I) couldn't get it mounted high enough to let us put a decent size prop on it! I got a surplus P51 prop lying around and we figured a Model A engine is just the thing to twist it up. Should hit 400 easy. har har...

Actually, I'm looking ahead to my next car. It's at least a couple of years down the road before completion and I want it to be a dual purpose rod (street legal & lakes racer). Since I got the modern "rice burner" import thing covered I want a 29-32 Ford with a Flathead to offset it. Since I can't count well and only have 5 fingers, I long ago learned to stick to 4 cyl engines and smaller!

[trader]

The 32-34 Ford Model B, was just a mild improvement on the 28-31 Model A.  It still had Babbit mains and rods, and I believe a counter-weighted crankshaft.  It had 14 studs, holding down the cylinder head, and 7/8" sparkies.  Ford reintroduced the 4 cylinder again in 41-42.  I believe I read somewhere that they had been working on (developing) a L5 as an alternative to the 4's and 6's.  Any way the later 4 had inserts for both mains, and rods, and shared a lot of the same internal parts (rods, pistons, cam gear, lifters, valve hardware) with the V/8 from 39-41.  It had 18 studs to clamp the cylinder head and 18mm plugs.  The motor was available in passenger and commercial vehicles, but I can never recall seeing one under the hood of one.  There are however, still many thousands of them in use around the country, and most parts are very available for them.  They are the power-plants used in the 2N, 8N, 9N Ford Ferguson tractors.....trader

[JohnR]

...Ford reintroduced the 4 cylinder again in 41-42.  ... Any way the later 4 had inserts for both mains, and rods, and shared a lot of the same internal parts (rods, pistons, cam gear, lifters, valve hardware) with the V/8 from 39-41.  It had 18 studs to clamp the cylinder head and 18mm plugs.  ... There are however, still many thousands of them in use around the country, and most parts are very available for them.  They are the power-plants used in the 2N, 8N, 9N Ford Ferguson tractors.....trader

Great info. I guess that explains why I find lots of info & parts for the 8N & 9N motors. But, I guess that brings up the earlier question, If flathead V8's from well into the 50's are allowed, why the 1935 cutoff for flathead 4's?

[Rex Schimmer]

John,
Drop me an E mail and I'll send you some pic's of my "soon to be running" (I hope!) lakes roadster with a 4 cylinder in it. Not an old banger though, I'm using a Ford Zetec with TWM injection and I hope one of your AEM controllers. My plan is to drive it to B'ville this summer.

Rex