I am sure there are a bunch of people that know a ton more about this
but the main reason for the conversion as i have heard it a long time
ago.. Was I thought that they needed more perfomance from trucks at high
altitude.. Denver and other places...
May be right or wrong just a story i had heard.
Dave Dahlgren
ARDUNDOUG@aol.com wrote:
>
> Keith,
> The Ardun was NEVER a factory Ford conversion. The Arkus-Duntov Bros
> (Zora and Yuri) were engineering subcontractors for Ford after WWII when
> Zora, a long- time fan of hemi engines like those used in early Talbot(sp)
> engines, hatched the idea of an OHV conversion for the trusty 24 stud 1938
> and later Ford Flathead V8.
> Being with FoMoCo had brought the problem of Ford passenger car block
> cracking, annoying in passenger cars but of epidemic proportions in trucks,
> to the Brothers Arkun-Duntov's attention.
> The brothers engineering firm name was Ardun, taken from the fitst
> parts of their hyphenated last name (ARkus-DUNtov").
> Sometime after WWII Zora designed a hemi combustion chamber OHV
> conversion for the Flathead, intended for trucks and marine applications, and
> the Bros. produced between 250 & 350 units.
> About the time the Ardun conversions went on the market, Ford
> replaced their troublesome F-7 & F-8 passenger car engine equipped truck
> engines with the new 337 ci Lincoln Flathead V8, eliminating a large part of
> the conversion market.
> About that time, Sydney Allard, who had been equipping his Allard
> Sports Car with Flathead Fords, started installing Ardun conversions on his
> British product.
> When Allard switched to the Boss Kettering OHV used in the 1949 and
> later Cad & Olds V8's, the Arkus-Duntov Bros. best market evaporated and they
> sold the business to Stephens Motor Co. in New York.
> Rumor has it that when the MoPar engineers designed the first
> Chrysler (331) Hemi V8 they had a Kettering Cad V8 block and a set of Ardun
> heads lying on the drafting table, hence, the similarity between the Ardun
> and early Chrysler Hemi heads.
> Anybody who wants a 3000 word brief history of the Ardun can send a
> SASE to: Doug King Enterprises, 25385 Palomares Rd., Castro Valley, CA 94552,
> and I will send you a copy of the article appearing this Fall in the Early
> Ford V8 Club Times magazine.
> If you're really interested, for $13.00 (postage included) I sell a
> 70 page booklet of all that was available on the Ardun from the 1950's thru
> the 1970's including a color Allard brochure.
> Please pardon the commercial. I get a little wordy where the Ardun is
> concerned.
> Ardun
> Doug King
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