sealing · FF-0307

Why is fitting ARDUN heads to a Flathead block harder than it sounds?

Steve says the heads were advertised as something a competent mechanic could fit in three hours, but just bolting them on caused problems. In the Flathead, the combustion chamber in the head covers both the piston and the valves. With the overhead valve conversion the valve guides are gone and push rods come up through those holes, so the old valve area has to be sealed off from the cylinder, or combustion pressure goes down into the engine.

Expert

Steve Coppock

Evidence

expert attributed

Component

head gasket sealing

Applicable scope

Ford Flathead V8 with the ARDUN overhead valve conversion