block comparison · FF-0332

What is the French Ford Flathead block?

As Steve understands it, Ford licensed the design abroad and it was built in France, used in Simca cars and then mostly in military trucks, with blocks made into the early or mid 1990s. He had just bought two. They use SAE fasteners, and he has heard and read that the block weighs 30 to 40 pounds more than the U.S. one, with a thicker deck, revised cooling passages at the front, and much smaller intake and exhaust ports suited to low-rpm torque.

Expert

Steve Coppock

Evidence

expert attributed

Component

French Flathead block

Applicable scope

French-built Flathead V8 block compared with U.S. Ford Flathead blocks