Unknown FORD V8 engine

[ajmac]

If it is free to rotate by hand that's great but without seeing it running you don't want to pay top money. I sourced a low hours generator set Flathead which seemed fine, easy hand rotation etc. On strip down the block was cracked and so was one of the heads. The head was scrapped but the block was repairable.
French flatheads are well known for being a strong block casting, but I am not sure at which point Ford France moved to the improved blocks which were used up to the end of flathead engine production and spare production in the 70's.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by ajmac

French flatheads are well known for being a strong block casting, but I am not sure at which point Ford France moved to the improved blocks which were used up to the end of flathead engine production and spare production in the 70's.

The most widely-known "French Flathead" engines which have seen a bit of a fabled cult following in the States are the SIMCA V8s that were fitted to the SUMB trucks. These are a very different design to the US/Can/UK built Flatheads in that they are a latter-day redesign that incorporates a hybrid of features from the "classic" pre-war design and the 8BA design of the 50's. Some weak points have been improved upon by the SIMCA engineers, and modern ideas applied. If you were to be honest, SIMCA is not technically Ford France, and could even have claim to be called "Chrysler France"

Not to detract from the Matford engine, but it does not feature those improvements and is a more faithful copy of the original engine, warts and all.

[Harlé Sylvain]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

The most widely-known "French Flathead" engines which have seen a bit of a fabled cult following in the States are the SIMCA V8s that were fitted to the SUMB trucks. These are a very different design to the US/Can/UK built Flatheads in that they are a latter-day redesign that incorporates a hybrid of features from the "classic" pre-war design and the 8BA design of the 50's. Some weak points have been improved upon by the SIMCA engineers, and modern ideas applied. If you were to be honest, SIMCA is not technically Ford France, and could even have claim to be called "Chrysler France"

Not to detract from the Matford engine, but it does not feature those improvements and is a more faithful copy of the original engine, warts and all.

Hello
I agreed with you, It is not an simca ford engine that's sure, there was two types of engines built only for the army ,the sumb marmont V8 4,1liter and then the simca cargo V8 3,9liter. (I have a cargo in my FAT but needs to be modify)
Matford is an other factory ,its in fact ford and Mathis, They built V8 trucks and cars from prewar to the early 50 but the engine are different from the simca ford engines ,but I dont know how different they are from the US and CMP engines...

[Petr Brezina]

Its 100HP french flathead. Postwar, but uses old style pre 48' block. Industrial engine, very reliable. You will have to change many parts but core is OK.