Raising compression

[bobtcars@wildblue.net]

I am going to either rebuild my '53 Manhattan engine or do an engine swap.  My question is how much can I mill the 226 head.  I would like to get 8 1/2 to 9 to 1 cr.  Would the power increase be noticeable?  I am not trying to make it a hot rod, I just want to be able to keep up with freeway traffic.  The original engine has about 80,000 miles on it and it uses oil.  It has an automatic transmission.  Another problem this car has is when the speedometer indicates 70 mph the GPS indicates 60 mph.  The speedometer was supposedly worked on at some time and the transmission rebuilt so I don't know if the speedometer was calibrated wrong or if they put the wrong driven gear in the transmission.  Any suggestions?
Bob T

[Gordie]

I would not mill the head much as the increase in power would be minimal and you would be inviting overheating problems.  Someone over the years may have replaced your speedometer gear with one from a standard shift or at least the wrong ratio.  Many gearing options were available and they will be listed in the parts book which you can access from Jim Betts website. In the 1930's and '40's some of the manufacturers purposely set the speedometers to run fast so that you would think that you were going faster than you really were.

[joefrazer]

I would caution against milling the head beyond what it would take to ensure its surface is flat. There's not much space between the head and an open valve so milling the head may result in interference. I've seen it happen on a 54 Manhattan that an acquaintance worked on. I don't recall how much head had taken off, but it was enough to cause the valves to hit the head when fully open hot.

Regarding the speedometer, what Gordie mentioned is true. They read high, telling you the car is going faster than it really is. My 53 runs about 10 mph fast at what reads as 70 mph.

[bobtcars@wildblue.net]

Gordie:
What is Jim Betts web site address?

[njpatera]

http://circlekf.com/login.php

[Gordie]

Yes, it is circlekf.com   You will find as much Kaiser-Frazer information there as anywhere on the web.  It is for members of KFOCI but you can get access to much of the information without bring a member but it is also just one of the advantages of joining over a thousand Kaiser-Frazer owners in the club.

[bobtcars@wildblue.net]

Thanks, Gordie and njpatera.  I'll ckeck it out.  I am a member.
Bob T