FlatCad Racing's Quest for 200 MPH-a Cadillac Flathead Story!

Wow Tim gets a "thanks" and I get....


" I am officially not talking to you.....".........

Hummmmm .................. go figure

 

Any news on the Dyno Dale???

 

Looks like bloodletting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLABwwmKdyc

 

just a little hazing around the edges...........

 

It's all good Trent! arl is just needling me with his Dale should drive comment! I think it's pretty funny!

Carl, I'm going to go through my stuff Tuesday, to dig out that fuel pump for you.

 

I was just commenting on that cool red color. I am not talking to Carl either

 

What is this...... OMA week (old man abuse)

 

Hi Carl.

 

I think Carl may need a hug.

 

I think Dale owes him the hug.......

 

WOW!! I always knew Buddy liked me more Sorry Carl Couldn't help myself Tim Jones

 

Were talkin about THIS Buddy Right??

 

Get this back on target when is the DYNO! and video, I want to hear this baby scream!!!!!

 

Cam, Thrust System, Lifter Blocks and Roller Lifters:

Fitted the new Dema Elgin roller cam into the block - what a fricking bumpstick this sucker is!

Had to redo the thrust system for more clearance - seems that the overall snout length of this cam does not match our last cam (even though both blanks were made by the same guy???). Needed about .040 more to not drag the front cam main bearing on the back of our custom steel thrust plate. The thrust system is a special setup - we used the Donovan BBC cam gear plate, then added a Timken roller bearing and two hard thrust washers behind it. What sets the overall thrust/backlash distance is actually the timing cover (which has another roller bearing for the mag drive snout). I have a shim that I clearance on my surface grinder to set the thrust on the snout of the mag drive - into the cover bearing. Works good and I end up with about .005 or so.





Don, Kevin, Cannister and others did a lot of work to build our new roller cam lifter blocks and roller lifter setup. Awesome stuff boys! Who the hell does stuff like this in a one-off fashion . . . . FlatCad Crew (goofy bastards that we are!).

I did the design work in SolidWorks, then Don took over from there. We're using Harley axles and rollers - with pressure fed oiling that comes down through a finely drilled hole in the lifter body and sprays into the axle and bearing. Do we really need this pressure fed oil??? Who the heck knows, but I'm a big believer in having oil as many places as possible. Buddy sent the dry-sump pump back to Barnes and they added a second pressure stage - it will be used for the lifters and the piston/pin oiling system (if I have time to get that done!).





Moving right along . . . like a mad dash to a very close finish line!

 

I'm guessing that as thorough as you guys are you have run the numbers as to how much hp is needed to meet your goal.

 

Outstanding work as always by the Flatcad crew!
In my humble mind, This engine with all its mods, should hold fine even if you're gone abuse it with lots of pop's
Best of luck from your fans in Norway Can't wait to see the video.


Kjell

.................................
Taildragger&fenderless

 

End of 4th of July Status . . .

1) Prep for Piston Oilers - If We Have Time:

Worked on the lifter blocks and added oil line ports on the sides (in the center area). I was pondering the best way to create piston oilers to squirt oil on the underside of the pistons . . . have finally got an idea that I like.

As we're bringing oil pressure to the roller lifters - we have a galley plumbed in the lifter blocks. I've tapped into the galley as a source for the squirters.

I may not have time to finish them, but I have a good plan - probably about 4 hours of work. It will be LAST on my list, but by having the ports/fittings in the lifter blocks --- IF I have time, I can add them right in. If not - just plug the ports with an 1/8 NPT plug.

Here is a mockup - this seems like a very nice way to do it.



2) Valves:

Got all the exhaust valves in - is a real time consuming bitch to do, but at least I have the tools I made from last year. Also, checked the new springs for pressure and length - they are exactly to spec.

1.8" length - pressure on the seat is 160 lbs.

At full .510 lift, they are 1.29 long and are at 345 lbs.

Dema made mild ramps on the cam - so this should be enough spring pressure. Also, as the cam only has 3 bearings, I'd like to keep the spring pressure low and deflect it as little as possible on the inward cylinders.

Okay - time to light of fireworks and drink beer!

 

Really lookin great Dale!!.........

 

July 5th Update - Sonzabitches!!!:

Great progress for most of the day . . . . but now, I'm just pissed at something that sets me back 3 hours! Sonzabitches!

So I get all the valves in, the cam back in, the timing cover system on (quite complex) and I put one lifter in on #1 intake. Mount my ginormous degree wheel, find TDC, find the closing ramp of the intake and I'm going to start finding the correct intake position - for 4 degrees advanced. (Talked to Dema today - that is what he wants).

So I start turning the engine over with the breaker bar - watching the Donovan gear drive gears . . . then, Holy Crap . . . the gears stop turning when the cam lobe hits the roller and pressure is applied.

WTF????

Then I watch - the crankshaft gear is turning on the crank! The fricking crankshaft grinder pulled the gear, ground the crank, lost or forgot the timing gear keys and put the gear back on anyway. I didn't notice - didn't think anybody would be that dumb. This is the kind of crap that just pisses me off and wastes a bunch of time. Arggggggghhhh!!!

So now I get to take the whole timing system back off - and try to find some damn keys tomorrow.

What a pisser! @#%$@#%#$%@

Glass of wine - time for bed . . . try again tomorrow!

B&S

 

Well the flatcad is officially on its way for an engine install


Chrome don't get ya home

 

Stupid Computer maybe its just operator error as i am dead tired ive put in alot of hours this last couple weeks on the flatcad, as I was saying the flatcad is on it's way to Ohio for an engine Install. Dale you better get busy the car will be in your driveway in the morning here are some pics we took just before we loaded her on the trailer. One thing is for sure the car looks fast even sitting still












Chrome don't get ya home

 

That looks GREAT!!! Nice Glass work,,Plus it's got to be faster with the Dragster on the Lazer Art World logo on the wing,,Have a safe trip,,,, Tim Jones

 

The front end redo looks great. I'm anxious to see how fast this thing goes.

 

Just Awesome looking! I needed some visual motivation this morning, still aggravated from last night. Okay - I'm better now, time to get humping once again!

See yah soon Buddy . . .

 

Just pulled the gear drive off - yep, no keys for the crank gear. Luckily Jeg's warehouse is 10 minutes from me and they willcall on Saturdays - only takes an hour. Amazing service at Jeg's - without them, there is no way the FlatCad would have made the salt the last 2 years - or this year. I make more runs to Jegs than one can imagine.

Working on the FlatCad is like a home plumbing job . . . starts out with optimism, then you make 6 more trips to Home Depot!

Luckily the cover came off with fubaring the gasket - as I don't have another and trying to find a .400 raised cam BBC timing gear gasket on a Saturday . . . fat chance!

 

Car looks great! Can't wait to see it in person!

Sorry about the key loss, that was a bit careless (stupid) to put the gear back on without a key. What's the point? or is he purposely trying to F you up?

 

Sorry about the key loss, that was a bit careless (stupid) to put the gear back on without a key. What's the point? or is he purposely trying to F you up?

x2 that is just fkn nutz

This is absolutly beautiful:

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Nifty.

 

Sunday Update #1 - Crank Gear Keys: Starts with the Speed Gods Looking after Me . . . Once I stopped the pathetic whining . . . Apology to the Crank Grinder Gods - have mercy on my poor soul!


After I ordered the hardened keys from Jegs, had a thought . . . "Hmmm - wonder if they took the keys our and put them in the crank box???". Sure as heck, they were taped to a piece of paper in the bottom of the box - didn't see them.

Now - I still can't believe they put the gear on the crank - if I'd pulled the keys, I would have left the gear off the crank and wired the keys to the gear. So somebody like me would have known what was going on . . . but hey, that mush just be me.

BUT - because they pulled the keys, while waiting for Jegs, I took the original keys to a file -- could easily file them . . . which means they were not hardened. Whups - that is not good.

So - one could say, that the crankshaft God took care of me . . . as this whole drama caused me to find out that the keys that were in it were soft, so I'm glad I know have the hardened ones.

With a gear drive, heavier spring pressure, etc -- definitely don't want a key to fail!

Okay Dale - that is exactly what you deserve for having a big pity party for yourself!

 

Sunday Update #2 - Top End is Done Boys!:

Here are a couple pictures of the lifter blocks with the roller lifters in them - as well as our custom roller lifter. I can't believe the amount of work we put into just the lifters -- Don kicked butt on them! Hopefully our design works out - we even added pressurized oil to the axles, etc..







Chris Daniels and I put all the lifter blocks and lifters in yesterday - and set the lash. However, when Buddy was over in the afternoon, he and Chris were looking at the adjusters we used (vintage Harley stuff) and they seemed a bit funny.

I surged ahead and we put them all in. Buddy - having plenty of time in his truck, kept thinking about the adjusters and was wondering if they were square to the tops of the bodies . . . as we thought we saw something a bit off when installed???

This got us all worried, so I pulled all the lifter blocks, lifters and adjusters back out of the engine and surfaced every adjuster in my lathe to ensure they were all square. Most of them were a couple thousands off - so I only had to cut about .004 or so from the tops to true them. In retrospect, I will do this on every adjuster going forward -- as you have a nice polished surface when done (I polish with 400 - 600 grit sandpaper) and it does make it easier on the 'feeler gauge' lash setting procedure.



Needless to say - this was about a 6 hour operation . . . but I started very early.

1) Pressurized Lifter Blocks and Rollers: Took some work to figure out the dang pressurized oil line plumbing for the lifter blocks. I'd bought a crap load of AN fittings - thinking I could get them all in the tight valley area. Not a chance. I finally decided to make hard lines to go between the two blocks (side to side) and a flexible line to feed the blocks in the middle.

Took a lot of screwing around to come up with a workable plan - even had to weld up a 'custom wrench' to fit in a tight place.




2) Lifter Block Strut Support System: When Don, Buddy and I discussed the new roller cam design and the new lifter blocks, we pondered my concern that the only thing holding the lifter blocks in is two cast iron bosses that hang out in the valley of the block (for each block assembly).

It really concerned us that with the added stress of bigger valve springs and the side-load of roller lifters that we may be in danger. If one of those two bosses broke off, we'd drop the lifter block into the cam . . . into the crank and the whole thing would be a blender.

I originally designed a strut system to go all the way up to the intake girdle, but Don had a much better idea. He found some long ARP studs that could be modified to do two things:

a) Bolt the lifter blocks down -- so he threaded them all the way down.
b) Go up all the way out of the valley to a set of new custom steel valley cover plates where we'd tie the studs in. This top plate is like a 'stud girdle' for the lifter block studs. It picks up all four studs for each side (as there are two of them).

We have ARP nuts on both sides of the plates - and I put about a .001 to .002 crush on them. The theory is that we've now tied all four studs together and we've tied them into the block cover plate . . . hopefully this will help stabilize the lifter blocks and reduce stress on the block bosses.

It actually looks like of cool when you look at the valley - like something that you'd have in a WWII tank! Guess we're trying to be true to the engine's roots and wartime service!





The beast on the stand . . . onto the heads and front gizmos . . .



Wish us luck - we have a HUGE amount to get done in a week - we're rallying the troops for next weekend.

B&S