Del,
The head reconfiguration was among my "to do" things and had already investigated how much material I had to work with in different heads to accomdate the "dome" above the deck and using about .035-.040 relief for expansion. Actually, I'm still working on it.
I'll have to agree on the block reliefs as being of little benefit to overall performance increase. It may increase the flow, but at serious loss to static compression in a situation that doesn't lend itself to improvement in that area anyway. The die hard Hudson 308 builders would beg to differ(Jack Clifford) - but I just can't go for that huge cut in the block as being the right thing to do. I had much rather go with the area above a domed piston that takes up the space carved out; giving me both flow and compression.
I'll definately agree on the bottom end as being the differnce between an engine surviving or turning into shrapnel! We went through 12 rods before finding 6 that would do, then had them seriously reworked. Our block was thoroughly resurfaced and line bored & line honed. The real modification that allowed us to hit the high notes was the oil port modifications in the crank. We're hitting 6000 rpm regularly with the engine under load in runs that last 10-15 seconds.
The cam is a regrind done by a shop in Somerset, Ky: Reed Coronet's Auto Machine Shop.
It's possible to get some pretty radical lifts on flathead cams. One method would be to overbore the cam tunnel for a larger bearing from a different engine, sleeve the camshaft journal with a press fit bushing, Then build up the lobes with a sintered alloy by flame-spraying it on. The sintered alloy required just enough heat to bond rather than the radical heat of welding that may distort the cam and ruin the concentricity of the distributor/oil pump gear. One could also build up and regrind the journals to match the new bearing diameters. Remachine or swap lifters from another engine (Hudson lifters are shorter and same diameter as mopars). Just because you've been so good at sharing info - here's a link to my favorite sintered alloy applicators. I was treated to a demonstration in college and immediately thought of how to use this in engines.
http://www.castolin.com/Products/Coating/Coat_Prod.htm Getting lifts of .500 are possible without all those radical mods. But, the stock cams are limited in the amount of material they can give up if you decide to shift the lobe separation angles very much. You might want to give us a refresher on the evils of small base circles in cam profiles.
It is one of my pet projects to "rollerize" a flathead engine. I would like to use the hollow body type lifter and machine a drop in adjustable slug in a remachined pushrod hole. I also like the "H" type link bars that trap the lifters from the top. I still have alot of planning and researching to do on this one so don't be too hard on me. But, the more I look - the more possible it seems.
Hudson
