valvetrain · FF-0144

Are the lifter bores on a French Flathead taller than Ford's?

Only slightly. Steve compared the top of the lifter bore with a 59 block using a marked stick and found a difference of about the width of a Sharpie line, which he does not consider a major issue. He has heard that the original French lifters were very tall and the valves shorter by a quarter inch or more, and that some builders machine the bore tops.

Expert

Steve Coppock and Ed Smith

Evidence

measured

Component

lifter bores, lifters, and valves

Applicable scope

French Ford/Simca Flathead block compared with a 59-series Ford block