[Land-speed] OT: Old Flathead Engines

[Jim Dincau]

     I don't know but since I am also doing nothing I would be glad to 
speculate;
1. An irregularly shaped line to be sealed what with the detour around the 
valve pockets.
2. Copper asbestos sandwich gaskets.
3. Relatively thin head castings prone to warpage.
Jim



> Mayf,
>
> Six cylinder, I don't know...21 stud flathead Ford V-8s and then came the 
> 24
> studs per head in late thirties. Don't know why so many on a low 
> compression
> engine Fords. Block cracks were a bigger problem than head gaskets. My
> Desoto V-8 had 10 bolts that held the rocker assembly and head. Worked 
> well
> for me and lots of compression, had .040 off the block and .060 off the
> heads running shim head gaskets.
>
> Tom
>
> I am curious about something. That is the number of head bolts/studs on
> flathead engines.  I had an old car once that had a Continental 6 cyl
> and that sucker had about a million head bolts. Same with old Ford
> flatheads, lots of bolts or studs. And yet, with todays high compresion
> engines, greater dimensional tolerance requirements for flatnes, etc,
> most only have 10 bolts/studs for each bank of cyliners.  What's up with
> all the bolts on a low comp enigine?
>
> mayf, just in from the shop area...mostly doing nothing...