rouge video 1960s

[gt350shelb]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMlPonSrqVo

[68stangcjfb]

That video never gets old! Love watching the FEs get made. At 17.15, look at the size of the ports on those heads. Gotta love those pre 66 heads!

[deathsled]

Incredible how fast they can assemble an engine.  By today's standards these engines are hand built. 

[crossboss]

That video never gets old! Love watching the FEs get made. At 17.15, look at the size of the ports on those heads. Gotta love those pre 66 heads!

The low riser ports are no bigger than say an Oldsmobile big block. About average across the board, for a big block engine. Yes, neat film. Kinda cool seeing grandma installing the engine bearings!

[68stangcjfb]

Typical production pre 66 head vs typical production 66 & up head (428 CJ & 427 MR not included). Who cares if they don't flow 300 cfm? They look cool when you pop off that intake! Nuff Said! (Sorry. I was watching Oceans 13 yesterday.)

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Good video - Their engine building methods hadn't changed much over the years - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVsCaHcKj14 They were building on average 100,000 Model A engines per month. Ford being able to cast the V-8 Flathead block in one piece was a game changer that allowed them to stay on top after 1932. It was cheap and powerful. The competition couldn't touch it until the Chevy small block caught Ford off guard in 1955.

Rouge plant made a lot ot Model T parts but no completed cars. In 1928 the entire complex was finished and they started building the Model A. Raw materials in one end and completed cars out the other. Even the huge Rouge (2+ sq miles) couldn't keep up with demand and Henry had sub contractors supplying many of the parts.

A lot of engine casting/building had moved to Cleveland (and Windsor Canada) by the 60s. My uncle spent his whole Ford career in Cleveland starting out as a gray iron casting engineer when they opened to over seeing the final refit in 1987 as a VP. Block, head and crank castings could be sent to other plants for assembly to keep the production flowing. The casting marks tell the story - https://www.mustangtek.com/FordDecodePlus.html

Do the Russians still own it?

Rouge Steel plant roared to life when 2 ½- year-old Henry Ford II struck a ceremonial match and lit the mill's blast furnace for the first time.

Rouge Steel, once part of the world's largest manufacturing complex in Dearborn, fell on hard times after Ford Motor Co. spun it off in 1989 into an independent steel company.

Now its new owner, Russian steel maker Severstal North America, is spending huge sums to convert it into what could be the continent's most efficient automotive steel plant.

After buying the assets of the bankrupt company for $280 million, Severstal spent $350 million to repair one of the blast furnaces.

[crossboss]

As I mentioned, the Olds heads look the same on the intakes...
No clue as to what the low riser Ford or Olds heads flow ratings are. Most likely very close, I would guess.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

As I mentioned, the Olds heads look the same on the intakes...

But should I start the canted valve BB Chevy as inspiring the Cleveland head discussion with Crossboss?

[Side-Oilers]

The only date I saw on anything in that film was a chalk scribe on a machine noting 3P (third shift?) and the date 4-2-61.   

Great film.  Did you notice in the scenes about making steel, where men without much protective garb are hurling, by hand, bags of limestone into the 3000-degree (I think that's what it was) cauldrons.  How'd those guys' lungs look after years at that post?

The dirth of protection for workers, or stanchions to prevent wandering into dangerous areas, and the general filthy atmosphere of the process up until the footage of the glass plant really shows the differences of that era. 

[crossboss]

As I mentioned, the Olds heads look the same on the intakes...

But should I start the canted valve BB Chevy as inspiring the Cleveland head discussion with Crossboss?

Sure! lol
Then we can discuss the Boss 429 and Hemi Olds heads too...
Did not intend to hyjack the thread. Lets keep it on the River Rouge plant then.

[68stangcjfb]

Come on guys! My comments were just light-hearted fun! No need to start a flow comparison! .  It's also cool watching the guy write the numbers in the Valley of the cylinder sizes.

[crossboss]

Come on guys! My comments were just light-hearted fun! No need to start a flow comparison! .  It's also cool watching the guy write the numbers in the Valley of the cylinder sizes.

Not to worry, we are old friends funning with each other! lol