Been spending some time around an old Ford flathead lately getting ready for dyno testing.
Steve Coppock’s Supercharged Ford Flathead 59AB (1946-1948 Series)
We’re planning to test several different induction setups, including dual Strombergs, a 4-barrel configuration, and vintage supercharger combinations.
The interesting part to me is seeing how hot rodders solved problems decades ago with limited tools, limited information, and a lot of experimentation.
Of course, old engines usually fight back a little.
Right before testing, we ran into a strange issue where the spark plug gaps on one bank appeared to be closing unexpectedly. That started a whole round of troubleshooting involving valve clearance, plug reach, and all the little details that can turn into big problems on vintage engines.
That’ll all be coming up on the channel.
Also editing the next Ask Ed episode now. Some really good questions in this one.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that a lot of the old-school engine knowledge still turns out to be correct once you strip away the noise.
It’s surprising how many younger people have never actually seen a Stromberg 97 carburetor in person anymore. There was a time when they were everywhere. Today, they are almost always going to be the newly manufactured version, not vintage original. Those are getting rare.
More soon.
— Barry