Flat head combustion chamber

These are the changes that I intend to make once I purchase a Rambler American to use as a hobby driver several times per week… Not as a daily driver… Not for motorsports

I am looking for the “reliability”and “bang for the buck” as expressed by comments before in this thread.

I hesitate to refer to this List as “improvements”… (Just changes)… Until they have proven themselves

My assumption is an engine with good compression… Automatic transmission… And a vehicle only needing routine maintenance

  1 install Holley/Weber 2barrel carb… I have a NOS

      Ford Pinto carb on my shelf along with an aluminum 2bbl to         1bbl adapter

  2 Cold air intake

  3 MSD ignition with compatable coil… One I used on a Ford 6          pickup for many years...the points last forever since they are       just a trigger... minimal current draw

  4 Longer reach spark plugs… Try to move the ignition point             further down into the “dome” in the combustion chamber

  5 Clutch fan with shroud

  6 Header with 2 1/4” exhaust through lower restriction                  muffler

  7 Air fuel ratio gauge with O2 sensor

Looking for your feedback… Ideas… And comments

Thanks!

Good points… Well taken!

Will advise of any results and post them

Of course you are right -- I guess I overstated it. Of course there's plenty of room for improvements but often you're exchanging one thing for another. But metal and fuel were cheap.

1. That carb might help as it's not very big, and the original one may well be about worn out. Better yet, you can get a new Carter YF from Daytona. Wit the little Pinto two-stage Holley Weber you will hardly ever need the second barrel as the engine doesn't pull much, but it won't hurt.

2. The cold air intake is really a moot point. The flathead originally came with a totally open air filter, at least the later 61-63 models did. Not exactly a cold air intake, but nothing restricting it either. With the intake built into the head it gets warm pretty quick without heating the incoming air.

3. The old MSD spark will work fine, and as you said, only uses points for a low voltage trigger. I must contend that the Pertronix II is a much better solution, but if you have the MSD already you may as well use it.

4. There is no "dome" of the combustion chamber on the flathead. Hard to describe -- just look at one. This link shows an aftermarket (and very rare today!) Edmunds dual carb head. you can see where the sparkers are. They are right between the valves, over near the cylinder. If the spark plug hole were moved over it would be over the valve head itself. A longer spark plug probably won't help, but as long as it doesn't contact anything I don't think it would hurt.

5. The water pump wasn't made to support a clutch fan. Might not last long with the extra weight. If anything get a flex fan or one of the Flex-A-Lite single piece nylon fans. Better yet an electric fan. A shroud with the stock fan will improve cooling noticeably though.

6. Those things have a 1-7/8" head pipe. That fit neatly inside a 2" pipe. All I'd do is run a 2" exhaust and turbo muffler. The original muffler was a large three pass that's very restrictive and quiet. Opening up the exhaust won't help much, but may a little at higher speeds. Edmunds made "fittings" that bolted to the block where the exhaust pipe clamps are and had fittings for 1-7/8 pipes so you could make your own headers. Only seen a set once! You could put a T between the first and second exhaust ports and run a second pipe, or just cut the end cap off the front and run a second pipe from there, then into a two in one out muffler. Not going to be much help, nothing noticeable over the single 2" with turbo muffler for sure, but would be neat looking.

Oh, there is a brace rod from a bell housing bolt to the exhaust pipe. That HAS to be there or the head pipe will crack at the rear exhaust port. Don't ask how I know...

7. A/F gauge will be helpful when tuning the carb for sure!

That plastic RV fan is most likely a Flex-A-Lite. Haven't seen one made by anyone else, but there may be (or may have been) another manufacturer.

Smallest I could find is a 14". The original fan is only 11-12", IIRC... may have been as little as a 10" across (diameter). Four blades unless with AC.