History Dave Crane's "Quigley" SOHC - SBC ! from the 50's !

The question from c-10 simplex about the lifters....They are now right under the valve lobes, pushing directly on the top of the valve. No more push rods or rocker arms. I worked all day with cleanser trying to get through the grease to figure out how this thing is ***embled. It appears that it has been run hard and never been taken apart. It shows lots of hard use, the inside of the valley and the bottom of the pan is a half an inch thick with s***. The motor was stored on it's side in a wet ba*****t, and one side of the motor has filled with water, and the intake ports are badly rusted. I won't dig deeper into it, just clean up the outside and the gear and chain setup, and display it in my museum with the front cover off. It would destroy the originality of the motor to tear it apart, and I don't think it would prove anything. It's better left as it is. Dave

 

If that thing ran in the late '50s, early '60s, my guess is this was a way to get past the limits of valve spring, lifter and pushrod technology at the time. Things were fairly primitive back then--I can't see being able to wee a 265 dirt track motor all that high with pushrods and rocker arms... not with the springs available then. I'd bet this was designed and run before SBC rev kits.
The builder would also not be limited by the 1.4/1.5 rocker ratios of the time, and he'd be able to get more valve lift than with a flat tappet.
It also does away (or severely limits) the lifter jumping off the lobe at high rpm, and with the valve being directly actuated by cam lobes, I'd expect valve float at high rpm to be reduced or eliminated as well.

-Brad

 

Ah-so Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. This is why I come here...lots to learn!

 

Great looking engine. I too,would like to go to Dave's and check out what he has collected. Very cool collection!

 

just in case someone DOES want the mostest badest ***(est?) sbc heads, there's an unused set of Dominion 4 valve heads for sale at a local shop in town.

 

that really is a testament to what can be achieved at home in ones quiet little shop .. There is a guy in Escondido CA, that has adapted porsche cylinder heads to a BBC with timing belts instead of chains .. He wad featured on MY CL***IC CAR with Dennis Gage ..

 

Sweet setup and idea.

I'm guessing that the weak link is the chain. I'm surprised it held up. One long *** chain snaking and driving everything including a couple of 80 degree turns.

I agree with what 54 said though about eliminating the rockers, etc and gaining high lift profile with little or no float over a conventional late 50's valve train.

 

While I do understand it's yours to do with is you please, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to restore it back to new condition and make it run. I do know that if I had been the original builder, that's what would please me the most.

 

That is too cool!

Mr. Quigley appears to have been some machinist back in the day.

I'd love to see some more pics of the details of that engine.

 

It would be neat to see it restored inside and out again,.... but for now just being able to see it at Dave's Museum will be great, I think the purpose of this thread was not only to show off a little Hot Rodding history and appreciate the ingenuity of the car guys in the 50's. But most importantly to see if there is any body that has any knowledge of this particular engine (more than was originally posted in the opening email), as the builder and his sons have long sence ***umed room temperature.

 

RE: lifters.

What i meant were the stock lifters in the stock sbc positions; i'm not quite "getting it" when you say that the lifters are right under the "valve lobes."

We'll talk more later---i got to run now. i can sort of understand not wanting to take it apart, but we'll get into that as well later.

 

Twofosho......I have over 20 display motors, 5 dragsters, 4 23 T altereds and a whole museum full of stuff. On my small retirement I just can't dedicate myself, and my money, to a motor that has serious water damage inside. I am doing my best to preserve racing history, and preserving this motor as is is the best I can do. At least it has been saved. My museum is open to all, no charge, so you have to know this is a non profit setup, with no money for rebuilding motors. But yes, hearing it run would be neat. I can't live forever though, so someone else will eventually get the motor. Then again, if I live to be 144, I'm just middle aged now..........Dave

 

jxnslotcar.....You only live 40 miles from me, email me at davecranemuseum@sbcglobal.net. If you want to go through the museum it would be my pleasure, that's why it's here. Email me and I'll give you my phone number. Dave

 

Harms Way, Just great stuff, Plan on visiting Dave in the spring. Thanks for the email!, Dave. Happy Holidays. Slim

 

c-10-simplex....I meant under the cam lobes. The cam tower has lifter bores below the cam and contain early Ford flathead lifters pushing directly on the valve stem. I think they are Johnson adjustable lifters. The lifter bores in the block are empty, but filled with terrible rust. It would be a serious effort to try to do anything with a motor in this shape. This thing is kind of like a beautiful women....Nice to look at but not worth the problems......... Dave

 

Whats up Dave .....Is this the one with rubber camshafts ???...

 

Great article. I never heard of this engine before but I am sure there are many out there that we never heard of until after the fact. Thanks for posting the info and pictures.

 

After a good cleaning, I have located the bolts holding the metal structure containing the chain and gears, to the front of the block and to the front of the heads. The heads of the bolts have been ground down to clear the chain. There is no way to put a socket on them, there isn't that much left, just enough to hold the thing together. This confirms my earlier thoughts that the motor was never torn down. It was run, for quite some time according to the sludge in the valley and pan, until it needed servicing, and that was the end. It was put in the guy's wet ba*****t where it sat for 40 years. Several have written to tell me they saw it in his ba*****t, laying on it's side, in the water. At least it never went to the dump, and will be here for all to see. I have removed the flat steel front cover so the chain drive can be seen, and I have put it on a rusty engine stand. You wouldn't put it on a shiney new stand, it just wouldn't be proper. Dave

 

Mr. Crane, if I were closer to you I'd be your shop monkey. IMO, you should take it apart and at least clean it immaculate, oil it all up and put it back together mock up style until further refrurb or copying can be done. You don't want old oil and sludge in there any longer. Doesn't oil turn very acidic after a long time? IDK. Super neat piece tho. Let's copy it.

 

Hey Dave, check your Private Messages (up at the top, right hand corner)

-Brad

 

nice

 

Brad 54.....Nothing there, I checked. Call me if you have to......Or email me dave

 

love it!!

 

This is so cool. I saw pics of that motor a few years ago on another board. But they didn't have much of a back story to it at the time.

 

Very cool!

 

you need to see this, its pretty amazing stuff, when you consider the time frame! its very close on design of the caddy northstar engine. kool stuff.

 

Not really...

But a very cool engine indeed, I'm surprised that long single chain held up so long!

 

Found some more pics of this Frankenstein motor on the 'net;

 

I am wondering why a race engine would have sludge in it? Sounds more like this engine was in a neglected tow vehicle or gopher car/truck..I also doubt that it was cl*** legal/accepted for any racing but sure is a neat piece of endeavor!

 

Cool stuff. would be neat to see it run again.