Projects FED with killer Flathead

Thanks Lippy

Lests see, the wires are for;
Electrical Sun Greenline tach, 2 wires pluss light.
Electrical Sun Blueline water temp guage, 2 wires pluss light
Mag kill switch, 1 wire
starter button, 2 wires
2 wire from sending units on engine(right and lefthand side), then one back to the temp guage.
Need 1 seperate wire to temp guage( normally 12v) but here we use 6V from an external power adapter. I could not find the right sending units for the blueline, but when i use 6v and standar sending units, i get almost normall readings Just need to make a mark for the correct readings.
Gona also use a shiftlight with rpm selector, don't trust me reading the tach at high speeds!?
Have also ordered a mag. signal converter for this, autometer 9118.
The other Autometer box, is the rev limiter.
See, alot of wire here!

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Ahhh, I see.

 

Does anyone make alum rods for flathead fords? Lippy

 

I think several can make them, Carrillo, Crower and as advertised Howard's
I think alu Rods get to be too big and will need some extencive grinding in the block to clear!? Bored&stroked probably know more of this

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Wow that electrical looks like 10lbs of s in a 5 lb box, that's why I like magneto's look'in good Fenderless guess you can't wait till it makes smoke!...
I know I can't wait to get back to work on mine and hear it run for the first time!..................
Keep on keepin on!

 

Hey Kjell - look up my flathead porting article, I show how to use an off-the-shelf spring retainer as an alternate method of reducing spring height (just turn the OD down on the lathe). I'm with you, if you just try to use .060 shims, you stack up a bunch at the top. Taking up some height via machining an aftermarket retainer works good.

Roller Lifters: Are you using Johnson adjusters on the Crower bottoms? Keep in mind that I believe there is a bit of a deliberate 'cross-thread' that keeps the adjuster tight. If you re-thread them, you may need to add a thin 'jamb nut' (like you see of rocker arm adjusters) to ensure they lock down. If they are not nice and tight, then the adjustment will change on you - usually getting looser as you go. Given the pain in the rear of adjusting these dang things - you'll not want them loose!

Best of luck!

Dale

 

Looking good fenderless. Been keeping up with your progress and with all the hold ups your now making some serious progress. I am doing an original 1950 built dragster and down to the last details and a little pluming. Cant wait untill you finish yours and get some seat time.

 

Thanks Dale

I did look at your great flathead porting article, but as i have bought a set of titanium retainers, we could not get the added hight/thickness. So we have to shim one way or the other. Thats way we came on the idea to make a solid shim!?

As you say, the Johnson adjusters have a bit of a deliberate 'cross-thread'.
And they are way to hard to get all the way down.
I have about 0.125" clearence between lifter top to underside of bolt head.
I did get a set og thin jam nuts, but nut that thin!
So that's way i think my last option is to rethread the bolts, but not all the way to the head, so they could jam. Maybe i could use some lock-tite aswell!?
I could understand that jaming them good and tight are wery important on an convential cam and liftters, as the lifters rotate.
But on my Roller cam, the lifters are fixed so maybe not that critical?

Kjell

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Bobw called yesterday (thanks Bob) and said there was activity related to my old car. Good to see and hear it's still alive... but I'm a 392 guy

And it's good to hear its gone back to yellow..I am not a purple fan.

Not sure what you want to know about the car but my new e-mail is eagangroff@gmail.com

FYI, the Slider blown flathead digger was at Marion SD track this past weekend. No real good runs, he was trying to get it richer on 70% nitro. Rick is sharp and he'll get it right. Then stand back.......

 

Hey Kjell:

If the Johnson tops are way too tight to thread down all the way, you might be able to re-thread them, grind the tops a bit or potentially shorten them in length. I don't have a set of Crower lifters (though I will soon ), so don't know exactly what is best.

If I remember correctly, the "cross thread locking" may be caused by the two threaded portions being offset a bit -- instead of the actual threads being off (let us know!). If this is the case, then threading the top up higher may not cause any drama.

On the big shim, if you can, try to make sure that the spring has something to center on and doesn't move side-to-side at the top. I've seen cases where a bunch of regular shims are used and the spring has a lot of play in it as some guides start to narrow a bit when you get down past the top. Check your guides and see if the spring stays centered (hopefully it does). If not you may be able to make the shim to cause it to center/locate better.

How much spring pressure are you looking to have when closed?

Dale

 

Project looks like it's coming along. Let me know if/how the autometer 9118 works for you, never could get it to work with my mag.

 

Thanks Don
Hope your not getting dissepointed!? I had it yellow, but now i have done some small changes, the frame is now Black, the body will be painted deep blue pearl, with white pearl scallops on the chute-pack, and new lettering in white. New name too, Sidewinder. Made a new cage too, more similar that you had on it, 5 point
I would have loved to have a 392 in it, but they are also very expensive.
And yes, I am a Flathead guy
Hope to see Ricks dragster on youtube or something!?
If you have any other old picture of my fragster, please post here or send it on mail.

Br
Kjell

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Taildragger&fenderless

Thanks Ray, have you any pictures of yours?
Maybe i swing by next time i go to Texas!?

 

You are spot on Dale
Looks like the threads are 'off set'. But I wil check once more, as one halfe of the lower section, broke when i took them of the French lifters.
I will cut the lower part off completly and check if it is tight too.

Regarding the shim, your idea is really good
If i understad you correct, i make the shim similar to the retainer, but thicker, with a spring guide inside the spring. Preventing it traveling!?

I followed your recommendations, making spring pressure 100 pound on the seat.

I really appreciate you taking the time replying to this
I know that you have your hands full at the moment.

Br
Kjell

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Whent back to the garage today!
- First to check the adjustment bolts. Took the one bolt that the lower part had broken off, cut the lower part completly off. Tried to skrew it down in the lifter, but same problem, too tight. Desided to rethread it, did not break any of the current threads, just whent down much easyer in the lifter. Did not rethread all the way up, left about 1/8" to the underside of the head.
It locked really good, with the correct valve lash.

- We had machined down the heads, abow the valves, but i must have messured wrong, as the valves still hit the head. We have to grind down additional 0.0625" to not hit the heads without the gasket.

- Also got to talk to the machine shop that should have had my crank ready from rebalance, but the balancer had broken down, so now they awaits parts from the US! I don't think someone wants me to go racing this year!?

Logo is finally desided!

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Sorry guys, haven't gottan the crank back yet!
But machine-shop hoped to get it done by this week!

Not that motivated today. Fridays killings has really made me sad & angry!

While wayting, i fired up the modell A last night, for the first time this year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geCTPCM1CAs

Kjell

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Thought I'd chime in and say that damn twin is blocking a perfectly good shot of my old Volvo wagon.

Very awesome build! Thanks so much for sharing. Also, don't hesitate to contact Don (if you haven't already) with questions about your car. He's super nice, easy to talk to and always willing to help! A true hot rodder.

-Mike

 

Thanks Mike

Don is a super fabricator, didn't think someone made the chute-release levers, but YES he did

Br
Kjell

 

Things have been abit slow for last few weeks.
But have manage to finish all the bodyworks, and actually passed,
the shooter aproved my work, so he will do the paint within a couple of weeks
Roger (Grinder1) has done more suppurb work on several details,
made a new pully on the blower setup, finished the fourth ex.pipes,
(me next, cutting and polishing).
He have also made 16 new solid shims, quality steel.
Have seen his plan on the wheelie-bars too, looks really nice

Kjell
Sidewinder

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Yahooo!
That day is finally here, crank came home from the machineshop!!!
Now the fun part is soon to start, final assembly!
I will post pictures soon to.

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

congrats Fender, can't wait to hear it make smoke!!!!!!

 

Carl needs to get busy if he dosen't want you to beat him to the finish.

 

Here we go my friends: Carl and Kjell in an assembly race to the finish line!

May both men win!

 

I have taken up the glove guys!
But i'm not shure will beat Carl, as he is more expreiced than we!
I'm the junior in this game!?

Br
Kjell

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

I like the way you've done the shims - by putting them at the top (no the guide), you've kept the actual valve assembly weight to a minimum. This is probably a better approach than using the modified/thicker retainer that I've used on the bottom of the valve - keeps the weight out of the moving parts.

How much spring pressure are you using on the seat and which springs?

 

Thanks Dale, I really like the idea of the shim on top.
But this came up after talking to you!

The seat pressure is 100 pounds, on the Isky 185G's.

Just came home from the shop.

Anybody know how much clearance i need between camlobe and crank counterweight?

Br
Kjell

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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Home after a long day in the garage!
Finally had the chance to try the crank, but had some clearence issues, so
after some grinding, it heads back to the machineshop.
Allthough we had to do this, i still feel that we got alot done today.
All pistons are mounted on the rods.
As the rods are way wider than stock, we have to mount them from the innside!
We also have to grind a notch in the bottom of eatch cylinder to clear the rods. I knew about this so no drama!
Hope to get some more done tomorrow!



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Taildragger&fenderless

 

Just love looking at all those flathead parts - you're finally getting to the end of the road! Just for my information, where did you have issues with crankshaft clearance? Was wondering where you needed to grind?

B&S

 

Thanks Dale

First of all, i wanted atleast 0.080" clerance on all moving parts.
But the crankshaft clearence i asked for, well abit wrong thinking!
I just turned the crank and cam seperatly, then they hit eatchother,
me panicing abit! But when timed up, no problem!
But desides to grind some anyway, just to be om the safe side!?

Those crower rods are really big, a litle glad i didn't go for aluminium ones!?

Br
Kjell


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Taildragger&fenderless

 

My guess is that you're having the reciprocating assembly re-ballanced? If not, you should.

 

!

Back from the garage, spent a couple of hours with my head inside the Flathead!
Have spent some time on the roller lifters. I think they are gona be hard to adjust!? I don't think the two balls on the side is gona hold when adjusting.
Either way, i will need to grind down the lifter bosses about 3/16" so i can reach the adjusters.

One other solution, is abot the same as useing johnson lifters, drilling a hole in both the lifterboss and lifter itself. 1/8" drillbit, about 1/8" from the top of te the boss?

Br
Kjell


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Taildragger&fenderless