While Brent is right (there have been a couple of high horsepower flatheads built using that method), it's an extremely aggressive approach that requires an insane amount of work. The examples I saw also used a lot of epoxy, which I would not consider very acceptable for long term use.

If you're wanting a modern chamber design, this is about the only modern type chamber I've seen. This is an old head that you'll never find, but could be reproduced in a custom head. I saw this recently at the Early Ford V8 Museum. Can't say as I've ever seen anything that was more high tech than this for a flathead head.



One of the big issues is getting enough area above the valve to get good flow. If you open that area up, you lose not only compression, but much of the combustion pressure is wasted in the valve area. The head above seems to use a 'depression' from the valve area to the combustion chamber, to help promote that flow. It may not be the best design, but it's a sound idea that could be used in a custom head.

I hope you give some updates on this. This is the Non-FE area, so it fits here.

that's a really cool and interesting looking chamber. I wonder if it worked very well? It looks like it was designed to introduce swirl.

This is the lincoln/ ford f8 337 flathead.  I can't do valves in the head, and the cid limit is 375 - class rules.  So if the intake ports are small, can that be overcome with more boost, or does it hit a wall where more boost just makes heat and no more power?
We have a scrap block to cut up and look at the port wall thickness. I did sonic test it, and a .100 overbore is feasible.

Considering the risk of destroying blocks while racing, I would like to keep the amount of time and $ inverted into the block down. The major moving around of ports would be a last resort.

It's not going to be the Ford flathead that you are thinking of. It is the 337 Flathead. So not too many parts are available

The rule of thumb for FE's with stock style pans is to always fill it, then add an extra quart before making any drag strip passes. You could have run the pan dry, I know of a few instances where that has happened.
If your bearing clearance is on the loose side, only you will know it. If your clearance is on the tight side, everybody will know it. I usually shoot for 003 to .0035 on the rods and use h series bearings that give more clearance at the parting lines.
Good luck finding the cause and getting it all fixed, Alan

Just keep throwing converter at it, that 60' will come right down.

I think that's the way it was on DW 2009.

I used Klotz for the street driving on drag week.

Like this. The block is cast iron. So would an aluminum girdle be good, or would still be better. What grade of aluminum or steel?

If there is one thing I have learned about this forum, it is that there are a lot of smart experienced metal guys here. So my question is, if a guy was going to build a full main girdle that incorporated five main caps and pan rails, what material would you select and why? Assuming you had access to the CNC machining center, what would be your process? Thanks, Joel

P.S. not for an FE, but for a Ford