August 2, 2016

Gearhead Heaven: A Flathead V-8 Rebuild

ShadeTreeMechanic%20%281%29.jpg

The Shade Tree Mechanic is not extinct. He's moved inside and gotten an air-conditioned shop with serious power tools.

Posted by gerardvanderleun at August 2, 2016 9:31 AM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

One summer when I was all of about 17 I pulled the transmission out of my '72 GTO and replaced the flywheel. No way I would try that today.

Posted by: Snakepit Kansas at August 2, 2016 10:46 AM

That painting looks suspiciously like an early model Corvette, which wouldn't know a flathead V8 from a ring gear. Wouldn't a painting of a moonshiner and his '36 Ford be more appropriate?

Posted by: BillH at August 2, 2016 1:19 PM

Bill,
On the internit you take what ya git and ya don't throw a fit. I took the first painting i found that seemed to sum it up.

Posted by: vanderleun at August 2, 2016 2:59 PM

At the 0:46 mark you can see what it means by "Flathead"..
the valves are not above the cylinder as in an overhead cam engine, but are set off to the side, inboard of the cylinders. The valvetrain including camshafts are located in the engine block casting, not in the cylinder head casting.

Posted by: steve at August 2, 2016 8:22 PM

A flathead V8 is an expensive way to go slow. I know that. I drive a 1950 Ford Crestliner

Posted by: bgarrett at August 3, 2016 3:47 AM

I had a '69 Cortina GT (damn, I envied the one guy who had a '66 Lotus) and burned out many a clutch plate racing.

Used to have to replace it every 12,000 miles or so and always did it alone including dropping the tranny on my chest and sliding in and out on my back.

What a fun car that was.

Posted by: Fuel Filter at August 4, 2016 9:30 AM