FLATCAD RACING Bonneville 2011 Build

Hell buddy its gonna be a kick in the *** just to see it in person let alone hear it and see it run!!!!!!!

 

Hey Gang: Well, I can't say that I enjoyed the weekend - spent the last three days porting the FlatCAD block. It is just about the ****piest job that I know - takes days, seems to go on forever and bores that **** out of me. I told my wife, if I ever mention that I'm going to port ANYTHING other than my own engines again - hand me a pair of rusty bolt cutters, I'm going to cut my gonads off

Anyway - wanted to complete it this holiday weekend, but these FlatCADs are big *******s compared to Flathead Fords . . . a TON more work and of course I was optimistic and thought I could do it in 30 - 40 hours . . . NOT! Not only are the ports much bigger, but some of them are long *******s - with funny shapes and bends. All this makes it about 2 - 3 times harder/longer than I imagined. I figure somewhere around 60 hours or so -- that is a LOT of time with a damn air grinder . . .

I've got about 36 hours into it so far - probably 16 - 24 or so more to go @#%#$@#. I'm going to work nights this week - really need to get this to the machine shop by the end of the week.

Here is where I'm at:

1) All of the bowl side work is done - extensive amount of material removed (especially in the floors).

a) Hogged the heck out of all the bowl areas and the transitions into the ports. Used the sonic tester to validate thickness and get some clue as to where I was at. The thinnest section is about .110 -- which is as thin as I want to go. Most of the stock ports are fairly consistent in thickness (.200 - .300) - though I found two that had some core shift and I had to be very careful. My average final thickness is around .150 or so.

2) Cut out a big chunk of cast iron that was in the center two exhaust ports. (see the picture - compare the two sides). It separates the manifold from the heat riser. I cut it out with a saber saw and then ground all of the rest of it away. This will allow me to get into the center exhaust ports and clean them up. There is plenty of room in there - will probably run ONE big tube for the center two ports.

3) Die-Chemed the top intake ports and set their sizes to 1.5" x 2" -- scribed them as such.



4) Ground the living heck out of the intake runners to blend everything in, take as much material out as I felt safe, etc.. I'm hoping to get as much flow as possible in the bottom of the ports. They're pretty damn big now - I believe that with a blower, we'll have plenty of flow. This thing should flow much more than a heavily ported flathead Ford - due to the amount of port volume I now have, size of the valves, etc.. Wish I had a flow bench to measure it . . . maybe some day.

Here are the four intake ports (manifold side) on the one side that I completed -- that took 8 hours today.


Here is a close-up of two ports:



The sonic tester has really helped, but porting this thing still makes me nervous as I've never done one of these beasts before and I really don't want to hit water. I know I'm pretty close in some areas - hoping there are no porosity issues that I can't see.

I'm going to bolt some heads on it and pressure test it BEFORE it goes back to the machine shop. You can bet my sphincter will be a bit tight during the test . . . hope to hell it p***es, or I'm going to commit suicide

If it p***es a pressure test, this block should make some horsepower -- hopefully we can get everything done and make it to the salt.

It is going to be a thrash my friends . . . lets keep at it!

B&S

 

Wow- you sure know how to spend a three day weekend!

No really, that's awesome. The port work looks great, and should really wake this beast up. That sonic tester sure is the ticket, letting you know what your grinding into!

Great job! Time is running short, but with that kind of diligence, we'll make it!

 

that should really help, certainly opened them up nicely, job well done.....can you taste anything other than cast iron yet? let alone feel it?

Cheers, and keep at it, certainly expect at this rate you'll hit the ground running,

Drewfus

 

wow Dale that looks really nice, what are your plans for smoothing the block chamber, or relief work if any?

 

I'm definitely following the porting process on this block. I'll be getting two blocks back from the machine shop before long, they're in now getting tanked, magged, and the valve guides removed. The ports on both of them look like a rust forest though, full of scale and I'm hoping that porting them will clean them up without thinning too much.
Thanks for posting the progress, and I'll sure be thankful for any information you provide on the process and problems with it.

y'all have a good day, Keith

 

Have you thought about dividing that big exhaust port so each cylinder has its own port? Maybe someone could make 180 degree headers, on a flathead!

 

Yes - sure have. I believe that in a Bonneville blown motor, that it won't make hardly any difference (we're not looking to scavenge like a NA motor). The ports don't blow into each other like the flathead Fords do. With that said, one never knows what I might decide to do in the end!

 

Haha- no ****! Hell I don'e even know! lol!


Only the Shadow knows- or in this case B&S.......

 

Okay, I'm sure you guys are sick and tired of hearing about my FlatCAD porting and relieving escapade . . . it is like the 'Eveready Bunny' . . . it goes on and on. Trust me, I wish it was over - just takes longer than I'd thought. Truth be told, if I a guy really knew the amount of work . . . one would probably never start. I'm at about 65 hours at this point . . . believe I have about 10 to go!

It will be done by Tuesday night as it has to go to the machine shop on Wednesday . . . nothing like a deadline.

I completed all the rotary file work today, polished the ports on one side and completed the relief work on one side. I have the rest of the polishing to do and the reliefs on the other side.

Relief Work - Partial Example

I'll just show a couple pictures of the completed relief -- there will be a new post of 'Flathead Block Relieving' to cover all the details . . . figured the m***es might want to know a bit more.

Anyway - here are some photos of the completed reliefs. The style is a 'full relief' - about .170 deep. I'm being a bit conservative on depth - as we just don't know the strength of the block in this area and I really don't want a crack at Bonneville. With that said, I'm happy with the results and I know we have a lot of flow in the transfer area of the head as well . . . so we should be cool.

My main objective was to use the relief to unshroud the valve and enable as much flow as possible at low-lift. The FlatCAD has valves at a 7 degree angle and there is a deep pocket on the cylinder side . . . this is bad for flow as the gas has to come up/over the pocket to get to the cylinder.

Here are some pictures - check the full post in the link I'll add later:

Here is before I started - notice the deep pocket the valve is in . . .



Here are the completed reliefs - final polish at 600 grit:







Full Post Here:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6623451#post6623451

 

thats one way to make some HP...and lighten that pig..... lol
bet is down a few lbs just with the porting
tk

 

You, sir, are my ****in' hero!

 

Amazing porting work. Did this to my Harley some years ago and I noticed it revved considerably more.

 

Hi Mo, good to see you here!

Dale, superb work, once again! I can't wait to hear this baby roar- looks like she'll have good lungs! See you next week.

 

Well my part of the heads are done. Don stopped by a picked them up this morning.

 

Awesome- Thanks again, Kevin.

I'll bet you're glad to see them go!

 

A little, time to get those machines back to work making money. But I enjoyed the whole process.

 

Hey Kevin . . . thanks for all the work and support on this -- you've been a heck of a good team member to work with! Can't wait to get my paws on the finished designs!

B&S

 

oops I almost forgot I am making one more thing I am making for you guys. Here is the first one.

 

Damn, Kevin, those are sweet!

 

Finished the 'relief' work on the other 4 cylinders this evening . . . only took about an hour per relief.

The end is near gang . . . the great porting/relieving journey is nearing completion. I think one more evening of polishing the ports and I'll be done -- if the hogs don't eat me and the creek don't rise . . .

B&S

 

Hey Mo . . . come see us at Bonneville . . . we'll buy you a pint or two!

 

Thanks for the invitation. I'll see what I can do .

 

good job Dale and flatcad crew.... Those are huge ports now, unbelievable, I especially like the relief... very clean looking, again, great job! How did that sonic tester work out for you? if/when you have time it would be nice to hear the pros and cons.

Buddy, I know how you feel, there's still a couple months left!! Im almost done porting my flathead as well but still need to talk with Pete about cams/valves, just so damn busy right now.

 

plan9, you better call Pete! I know he's been busy planning for B'ville!

Well, since Dale seems to have taken the 'glory' jobs, I'll show you the non-glory stuff. lol!

I've been putting this off, because I hate it, but it must be done. I made a trip to the steel supply yard, and bought 2x2 tubing, and cut it in 12' lengths.

A quick trip to my favorite tire store netted be 10 gallons of lead weights. A trip to my buddy's house netted 150 lbs of processed ingots. Total cost of the lead was $50 and a 12 pack!

I'll process the lead, then fill the 2x2 tubing for ballast. I'll probably be at this 2-3 days.

Actually, I think I got the better end of this deal- it's way better than porting!

Oh yea, before anyone mentions it- I'm standing upwind, with boots, heavy gloves, and safety gl***es on. Really!

 

Thats a lot of ballast Buddy, are you trying to keep from flying?
Dale great work on the block. If you ain't doing anything this week I've got a few flat blocks.................

 

Yippeee! FINALLY . . . the porting, relief work is done and the block is back at Fowlers Given my last two months in 'Cast Iron Porting Hell' -- I'm happy to be "out the other side"! Been working till midnight the last 3 days and took the day off today . . . so I could be DONE. I've added it up - over 100 hours on the die grinder . . . now that ****s!

Fowler and I went over the block today, the complex main saddles work and all that jazz. I think he was actually a bit excited about the motor -- also thinks I'm a ******** crazy nut for working on this ancient stuff. He's done a lot of porting back in his youth -- completely understands the drudgery of it.

So --> this is the picture that makes me the happiest I've been so far - as it is the block on the floor of Fowler Engines . . . he gets to be busy now!:




Originally I wasn't going to show much of the port work, but decided WTF . . . who the hell cares, it is just port work. I've not invented anything, just done a lot of a job that needed to be done. Without flow, you can't make horsepower . . . so I've given it everything I have to get as much flow as possible. This block better last for a few decades -- as I'm not inclined to do one of these again for . . . . maybe ever

Here is an ***ortment of pictures - from just about every angle. It is tough to see what is going on inside of the ports . . . guess that will keep some of my ideas secret . . . or not.

Exhaust Stuff:







Intake Stuff:





Both Ports and Other Shots:











So there you have it . . . cast iron fun . . . hopefully of high value to our efforts at Bonneville.

Now - back to the top-plate, front timing cover plate, exhaust elbows . . . lots to do.

Have to head out of town for a my favorite Aunt's funeral - won't be back until mid next week . . . so keep cranking along boys! Lets make sure we make the salt in August!

B&S

 

WOW, that is B utiful. Fantastic work Dale. I cant wait to see the intake after matching and the (has to be amazing) exhaust system.

 

Beautiful Block!!! A real work of art!

 

ditto on the block...looks great!

I will look for you guys on the Salt when I am there. Good luck!