- Thread starter npowell
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Andy Martin
Well-known Member
Interesting observation. Certainly JD 2 cylinders and IH tractors had OHV but so did Chevrolets from the 216 on. Chrysler, Ford, and Continental stuck with flathead until the 50's.
I wonder if it had anything to do with tractor fuel requiring hard seats. The old Farmalls seemed to all have hard seats in the 30's.
I wonder if it had anything to do with tractor fuel requiring hard seats. The old Farmalls seemed to all have hard seats in the 30's.
X-Y switch
Member
Yes, I think you are right, the reason for that was the flat head engine was so much more quiet. Who cared how much a tractor engine valve train clacked and rattled. I remember Ford and Plymouth owners making fun of the old clacking babbit beating Chevs. Then came hydraulic valve lifters. The rest of course is history.
Dave in Tx
Member
A 37 Buick had hydraulic lifters.
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
It appears they did go with overhead valves rather early.
I suspect automotive engines leaned toward flat head was cost reduction, as cars were produced in larger numbers. But there were a lot of early cars with overhead valves.
Also ease of service would have been a factor. Lot easier to take the head in for service than to take the whole tractor in or have to pull the engine, especially the larger models.
I suspect automotive engines leaned toward flat head was cost reduction, as cars were produced in larger numbers. But there were a lot of early cars with overhead valves.
Also ease of service would have been a factor. Lot easier to take the head in for service than to take the whole tractor in or have to pull the engine, especially the larger models.
Richard G.
Well-known Member
Andy, I had a 25 Chevy with overhead valves and saw a 17 Chevy V8 with them.
Richard in NW SC
Richard in NW SC
wildcat445
Member
1937 Buicks did not have hydraulic valve lifters. Hydraulic lifters were introduced on Buick Straight 8 engines during the 1948 model year, and then only on the Roadmaster series with the 320 engine and Dynaflow transmission.
coonie minnie
Well-known Member
The Waterloo Boy had overhead valves in the 1910's. Deere, who inherited the Waterloo lineup used overhead valves in everything except the GP, which was not the most successful of tractors.
I think you will find that the desire to burn distillate, Kerosene and what not influenced the head and valve design more than anything.
I think you will find that the desire to burn distillate, Kerosene and what not influenced the head and valve design more than anything.
1904 Buick had overhead valves. So did many other early cars. Ther were still flathead tractors engines in the 1950s too. Just a mix with cars and tractors it seems. From what I have read and seen, tractor tech usually copies auto-tech. I cannot think of any technology that was used first in a tractor and then an auto. Well - except a Stanadyne Roosamaster rotary-distributor diesel injection pump. Hercules and John Deere used it early on, and then later General Motors and Ford-IH used it on some diesel cars and trucks.
General Motors had turbo-charged gas engine cars in the early 60s. I cannot think of any turbo gas engines in tractors at or before that time.
And diesels? Europe had turbo-diesel trucks in the 30s. Cars in the 70s and maybe a few before?
Mercedes had supercharged cars in the 20s.
And diesels? Europe had turbo-diesel trucks in the 30s. Cars in the 70s and maybe a few before?
Mercedes had supercharged cars in the 20s.
rusty6
Well-known Member
- Location
- East central Sask.
Seems to me Allis Chalmers was the first to put a turbo on their tractor in the early sixties.
rustred
Well-known Member
i would say that is a yes question. other than the old fordson and ford 8 and 9 n's amd ih cub and i believe the little case r had flatheads and few others, tractors pretty much came out with valves in head even the old titan had valves in head in the teen's before the 1920's. there was a lot of automobiles with valves in block. like the ford v8 for example. much harder working on them to set the valves also. plus no pushrods either. plus when its time for a valve job you just remove the head. plus the manufacture's must have know that valves in block would give more problems.
Something I've never figured out.The original and beautiful Caddy V16 was an OHV engine.Their V12,OHV.Both discontinued in the early '30s.Caddy's V8 from the '20s,a flat head right up to the late '40s.A much later V16 also a flat head.I can see going from flat head to OHV. Why go the other way?
rlp in Co.
Well-known Member
Was Honda the first to go to overhead valves in small engines? I had a 7hp Wisconsin engine in my garden tractor, when I put in a 6.5hp harbour freight Honda clon, with overhead valves, it used a third less gas.
J. Schwiebert
Well-known Member
We went to a seminar one night and were told that the cost to put the valves, etc in the block was less money than for building an OHV engine. If you compare the number of car engines produced to tractor engines you can see where a lot of money was saved on the L-head engines by the manufactures.
oldproudvet
Well-known Member
Interesting discussion. Remember a couple of things though: If you had a successful engine, it cost $ to engineer and change production. Tractors didn't have self starters, generators or lights well into the late 30s because the farmer, or farm economy, wouldn't pay for them. Flatheads are simple and have less parts than an OHV, hence a cheaper engine. OHV engines can make more power, but only when combined with the higher compression you can achieve with them. There was no high octane fuel, until Eythel became available around WW II and even then folks bellyached about the price difference of a couple of cents. The lower priced automobiles, for the most part, stayed the same for years because change raised costs. Styling became yearly in the 30s, and folks paid for it. Tractors were not stylish so there had be a reason for change, and it usually was hopeless obsolescence. It wasn't until the early 50s with live ptos, hydaulics, and the pressure to provide more power to quickly work more and more land, that the industry seemed to explode
I can't recall hearing about a Twin City OHC engine, what model was that?
What I AM familiar with is the Twin Cities that are OHV and have FOUR valves per cylinder, just like a modern diesel.
I have two 12-20's in pieces I wish I had the time and energy to make one running tractor out of!
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