Featured Technical WWAD (what would Anthony do)

Drink can rod shims

 

Oatmeal in your rearend!

 

I love it! So it’s not only me! Yes, the “GOOD” engine is going to be built correctly, and hopefully the stroker 327 will run hard and long. But just in case, I’ll have one of two 283s as backup. And who knows, maybe one will be like we’re all familiar with…

 

Guys who must have everything Perfect for their engine builds are missing out on all the fun! Going fast cheap is traditional.

 

Had a wheel bearing go out in my 49. Couldn’t find one
Had a parts truck. Used the bearings out of one bearing, the cage out of another and a race from another.
Greased em up, still there.

 

Took me a second. Thought maybe you misspelled "con" rod. No, you know how to spell. You were using pop cans cut up into connecting rod shims.
Awesome. LOL

 

Even measured em.
Nothing but the best around here

 

When I was rebuilding a BMC A engine I ran across an article on how the Brit’s squeeze the piston to take up slack on the trust sides of piston. They squeeze, measure, squeeze until they get the clearance they want. I’ve never tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t help.
Dan

 

Hey, we don't live in Cuba!

 

My backyard crank polishers - one for the mains, one for the rods. I use Scotchbrite pads as inserts. I think red pads are the finest grit.

OK, you do need a lathe to make it work.

 

If you have a willing mate, you can often do without a cherry picker.



Note the offset in the hangers. Sometimes I let her take the "light side".

 

What would Anthony do? That is the question. It’s simple really, he’d drive it.

 

That’s a better way than I used. Maybe I’ll try it out with one of the 283s just because…

You know, back when the small block was new, Hot Rod ran some articles about hopping them up with Racer Brown and Vic Edelbrock sr. One of the first things both did before any dyno runs was to open up the clearances. Then run them under light varying loads for the engines to loosen up. Rods and mains were set at 0.003 and the pistons (cast) were set at 0.005. So we might not be acting too rashly when we do these backyard rebuilds and the clearances seem a little too loose. I’ve got reprints of the articles and they are quite interesting.

 

That's what I was gonna say. Well... I was thinking it anyway. Not always sure I wanna say what I'm thinking. LOL

But I thought I had also read something to the effect that an engine with looser tolerances (within reason) can actually make a little more power.

 

I bet the factory engineers wondered what those guys were doing?

 

It was always said that they ran the best just before they blew up! Too loose maybe? I have/had ot cars with the British “small block Chevy”, the Austin A-series 4 banger. Picked up an Austin America engine/oilpan-transmission (anyone who has ever owned one understands), a 1300 cc powerhouse of an … okay so maybe 50 horsepower. And it did get one of those rebuilds like we’ve been talking about. Surprisingly it had no ridge, so just a few strokes with the hone to get some crosshatch in the cylinders, polished the crank and cleaned everything up. New cam bearings, had to cut grooves in the old cam “ream” them for clearance. New cam, lifters, fettled the head, long center branch header, big SU carburetor, and we got a runner!

As time passed I wanted “MORE POWER, R R R”! Bought a killer aluminium head, added a 45 DCOE and made a few other changes, but that short block stayed exactly the same. It turned 8200 rpm, and more than doubled the original horsepower. It never went BOOM! It’s been rebuilt and this time it’s got new performance pistons fitted to manufacturers recommended specs, professionally polished crankshaft, and the head has been further modified for better breathing. Still not complete and running, but it should be good for some fun with Frankenmini…

 

There is always a time when we have to abandon our shade tree rebuild and go to the machine shop. Funny you mention the A engine. On my A rebuild my original plan was to hone and go so to speak. However one cylinder had some deep scratches and taper right at the max allowable. So while at the shop I went down the rabbit hole. Bored decked head work etc etc performance cam by Schnieder Isky lifters I designed and built a long center branch header. Went from cheap to expensive in a hurry. I guess my point is a person has to know when to see the pros. I think this is especially true when planning to exceed the OEM parameters by a fair margin. I believe your A has a factory redline of 6000 so going to 8200 things need to be right not marginal. You’ll have make a video and post in the OT section.
Dan

 

My cheap crank polisher............

A modified old wood lathe (even tho I have a 15" Clausing metal lathe). I changed the motor to get a slow rotation (appx 40 rpm) for polishing. It also does several other handy things with heads and cams. Then I used the removed original wood lathe motor and with some bicycle handlebars and pulleys made the actual polishing tool.



https://www.google.com/search?q=Utu...ate=ive&vld=cid:aed2714f,vid:EtXB8mj1ZJs,st:0









And as I got it further completed and more versatile........




Can even check camshaft specs



Its all about using your imagination and mostly cheap or junk stuff.

 

I think I must have been talking something about cars to my dad one day when I was just a boy. His reply was to complain about the time my grandfather, his dad, made him polish a crank with strips of emory cloth when he was a boy. He said it took "forever"... rolling his eyes as he spoke. I was also rolling my eyes... to myself. I think it was right about then that I realized hot rodding probably wasn't something we'd be able to share.

 

There are several articles about pistons being "out-of-round", and why. Early automotive pistons were round because, after all, they were going in a round hole, weren't they? The following might explain why the British are squeezing their pistons.

 

....or when to see if you can find another block....

 

If you can some are getting pretty rare.
In some cases you can go with a whole different engine, really depends on your build objective. In the case of my A engine not a lot of blocks ready to go, most need a bore at minimum. I could’ve went two revisions up however the cost would’ve been as much and more likely more.
Dan

 

I have a spare A series just in case... it's locked up, but it's complete. It's insurance against my 65 year old A series going sideways

 

Might want to put some kerosene in the cylinders every so often and let it eat at the rust if the rings are frozen. Try to put a cup full in each cylinder and check it in about six months and see if you can turn it over. If not put some more kerosene in it and check again later on. Its pretty good at eating rust without harming anything else if you give it some time. Worst thing that can happen is you waste $6 for a gallon of kerosene.

 

Not running yet! Been fettling the whatever project, and the Mini is idling for now. As the current shell is a Mk 2, it’ll be verboten on the main page. BTW the current shell is composed of parts of a few different origins. Hence Frankenmini. There are parts from the early 60s to 15-18 years ago, I haven’t kept track of what or when. The next engine will have a 1275 Cooper EN40B crank and rods, obtained when I cleaned out an old racer’s garage years back. The block is a 1275 automatic block that I’m working on making a spacer for the oil pump, in modern lingo iykyk, at least I think that’s how the kids put it!

I’ve got a Cooper S cam that will be going out for regrinding, also makes the oil pump deal easier to effect. So like you said, this one is going out for a lot of the work. If it’s done before I get too old, it should make a good vintage eligible engine

 

Sounds cool you’ll have to post your project in the OT section.
I’m an old fart
Iykyk?
If YouKnowYouKnow?
I do know about the cams Pin drive?
Dan

 

Good idea! I keep forgetting about that section.

I’ve got versions of all 3 pump drives. 2 generations of transmissions, remote shift and rod shift. Too many ancient technology heads, one aluminum head, still 5 port. Somewhere along the line, I somehow managed to get a Cooper S exhaust header, made from two stamped steel sections welded together! It’s on a 998 with rod change transmission right now. Probably should start culling the herd. I’ll never get around to using most of the stuff other than what I need to get the car finished before I go to that great car show in the sky!

 

Hello,

One day I was out driving around looking for a specific shop. But, in my wanderings, I came across this scene. I liked the huge lowered Cadillac with the wire wheels. A little low, yes, but top notch in security. So, what is parked next to the Cadillac?

A very old Metro Van that was supposed to look like a custom Winnebago from those old RV popularity days, but a little custom hot rod touches. Again, a little low but who is going to try and steal these two old cars sitting outside day and night?

Which one would @anthony myrick like?

Jnaki

He is always in the thick of things for the young teens and 20s kids. So, he would have time to go cruising in the Cad. But, could we see him driving around in a lowered Cadillac? Ha! The large Metro Van pulling up into a parking lot during the cruise would be more to his liking.

I can already smell the aroma of something cooking in the back. At least he could rig it like a rolling café and make money while cruising…YRMV

 

Metro

 

Something tells me that Anthony would take the Metro. And use it to tow the Cad…