TURBOCHARGED FLATHEAD

[BillyShope]

I'm more comfortable in the suspension section, but I'll pop in here long enough to ask an engine question.

It would appear, to me, that a low production cost engine could be based on a small displacement turbocharged flathead design. The money saved on the head would go toward paying for the turbo and, if the manifold pressure was 30 psi or so, the inherent volumetric efficiency problems of the flathead would be minimized. Lower maintenance costs should also be considered. Any cost-conscious engine designers out there?

Yeah, I know. I should stick to suspensions.

 

[franzh]

BillyShope:
Ardun heads were originally designed for the trucking industry, to get more power out of the flathead engine. They indeed worked well and quickly found their way to the performance crowd.

When I was apprenticing to the auto repair industry in the mid 60's, I was introduced to the world of flathead Ford engines. We indeed adjusted valves by grinding from the stem end, and there was rarely too much clearance since the valve seat was cut too. We had a jig that calculated the amount of seat cut then cut the stem the same amount. If I got too crazy on stem cutting we just ground the seat a little deeper. I still have some of the keeper removal tools and what we still call "tappet wrenches".
Franz