Technical Block boring & boring bar?

I've got one of the plates that I use for boring my flatheads. Rigged up a clamp so that I can just slide the boring bar from hole to hole. I use the Van Norman 777. I have the honing done by the machine shop.

 

Late 60's, my best friend's Father brought home a boring bar. He had been in the USAF, along with my Father, and also retired out of Paine Field in Washington State; now he was in real estate and insurance. He probably found it in a house he was selling would have been my guess. He set it underneath their raised porch in the back (split level style house), and there it set. I knew what it was, but had no idea how it actually worked, other than it bolted directly to the deck surface. It just got rustier and rustier over several years, until he finally had it taken away. What a waste; there was also a cardboard box of tools, parts, accessories with it. Years later, another best friend had a 66 Chevelle Malibu, with a 283 2 barrel engine. He decides to build his own " kit 301", and borrows a virtually identical boring bar from an employee of his step-Father's aero machine shop. He was successful at doing it, but had to keep replacing the V-belts frequently to get the job done. This was the same best friend who put my younger brother in the trunk for a p*** down Seattle International Raceway's 1/4 mile, when the Malibu was still stock. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Ive been looking on the internet and Ebay. Prices and condition are all over the place. And Ive learned a lot just by research. Its funny but I am awake because ive been dreaming about boring a block. and also I have quite often when I start thinking about getting something that item just turns up out of the blue. My father used to say whatever you want if your patient it will be for sale at a auction sale. A millionaire I knew often told me if you cannot buy something at your price walk away if you have the cash one will turn up at a bargain. And over the years those guys sage advice has quite often worked to my advantage. I might attend a dozen auctions and not buy hardly anything. Then attend one that for some reason is a buying sale and buy truck loads at a low enough price that I can afford to keep the stuff or quickly sell to someone else at a bargain price. So im confident a boring bar & possibly a sunnen hone will come my way. And now I have a bit of knowledge to know a little of what to look for ect.

 

Ok I found a HAMB friendly boring bar on EBAY at a low price. But it doesn't have a head for the larger bores. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rottler-Boring-Bar/113219202931?hash=item1a5c63ef73:g:~TUAAOSwWUtbWNhZ Aint it a hoot. Heck I might just buy it anyhow? Guys like me and Squirrel could make it work.

 

Being a manual boring bar...it will make YOU work!

Ray

 

Yes if you where gonna bore a block with that manual rig during hot weather. For breakfast you would need to drink a gl*** of beer with two raw eggs in it. then after every p*** thru a cyl drink another beer. LOL. Actually I like to be self reliant. A self reliant person never has to wait on the time & pleasure of others to get things done. Ok if that old manual boring bar had a 4 inch head. The block I need bored is 4 inch. It only needs one cyl bored out. I work on and own M Farmall tractors. The oversize sleeve available for them is thin sleeve with a 4 inch bore. What I could easily do is measure the bore in a M block that has the sleeve removed. then bore the bad cyl in my 350 block to that dimension. install a new M sleeve and use a bit of Loc***e around the bottom portion. Then cut the amount that protrudes above the block off and file it flush with the deck. And that cyl would be perfect no honing or finish work necessary. I haven't any doubt that it could be done and work as good as any high dollar outfit.

 

^^^^
Power up that manual bar with one of those portable electric pipe threaders.

 

I think I would leave it manual. We had a wrecker with a hand winch. Worked your *** off. The truck had a two way power take off. and there are several PTO winches here. My youngest son wanted to install a PTO winch and I refused. I told him things didn't start happening too fast with the hand winch. When pulling or installing a engine you could easily raise or lower a small fraction of an inch with that hand winch.

 

What is the OD on those thin wall M liners? I have looked online, but haven't found it yet.

 

That may work on "half ***" jobs but I'd like to think any guy boring a block for me would wait to drink a couple of beers AFTER he's done boring the block.
In the shops I worked in I don't recall ever hearing a customer ask for a "that's close enough" bore job.

 

I have an old boring bar made by a company called Simplicity that is more well known for making walk behind tractors. I haven't been able to find much info on it but there's not a whole helluva lot to it. It looks like it was made in the 30's or 40's and I got it for a good price (nothin). It came with a grinding head for finishing the cylinders. I'm not sure how long that was common practice? One of these days I'll try it out on a spare model a engine I have out in the shed.

 

I haven't measuered one . The stock factory bore is 3&7/8 nd the 4 cyl engine has 248 Cu In. the sleeve is thin and has a 4 inch bore and ups the Cubes to 264. cast iron
dry sleeve about .060 thick.

 

I see you took my feeble attempt at humor seriously. LOL is short for Laugh Out Loud

 

Hmmph. Machinist friend Mikey punched my 360 block .080" to 406. Honed cyls. to each piston. Told me, "Uncle Mike...$100.00."
I made him take 2. Both new bills. He held them each up to the sun, we laughed.
The very LAST THING I'd want is a boring bar.
We have two of 'em in this town, both the same. I don't frequent such places any more anyway.

 

Its gonna be on the ballot this fall to turn the county wet. We might get a Honky tonk or two LOL

 

Obviously, you are new to Old Wolf's neighborhood......

Ray

 

Not new, him and I just have a different perspective on things, is that wrong?

 

Mike
I was a machinist for many years, not saying I was gods gift to the industry but I will say most machinists who give a **** are usually "on" 24/7, meaning the part is either right or its not, it's an at***ude.
I bought a brand new 18x80" 10 hp lathe, taper attachment, 22 inch removable gap, tooled up with the best support tooling, earned on overtime money.
I sold it all, decided a regular job was stressful enough!

 

No....not wrong......"what we have here is a failure to communicate" .....

Ray

 

There are more than just one or two ways to skin a cat. and they all can get the job done

 

Pretty much my philosophy on many tools....one can make greavious mistakes much faster under power. I find I do a lot of tasks with a good old hand file. I'll be at a buddy's shop and he'll spend 5 minutes looking for and hooking up some tool, when I would have been finished in 30 seconds...my finished job is nicer too

 

Yes. True hot rodding. I just hand-reamed a set of new cam bearings with an old cam to obtain correct clearance; worked fine. I am breaking in that engine now. I filed the old crank where a piston skirt tore it up; no problem on that forged steel 327 crank. Ported the old log exhaust manifold to double hump size with a Dremel. A fellow has to know how to make things work; and you certainly don't have to buy everything - you CAN do it yourself, with correct knowledge, practice and techniques.
.

 

If you bought it I can fix you up I have an old rottler powered bar that I think used the same cutter that is missing the tooling. The bar does not have power feed.

 

If you tried that in todays world you would have PITA, and ASPCA up close and personal in a very short time.