This is a addition to the other homemade tools thread. Here's my homemade torque plate made from a '59 series head. I use it to hone cylinders and it's also cut out around the valve seats so it can be used to grind the valve seats with distortion of the head bolts applied. What do all you flathead guys think about this? Is there anyone else doing this?
AV8 is the guy to ask. An easy way to find out is machine and hone a block with the torque plate in place,grind and lap the valves,then remove the torque plate and measure the cylinders for out of round and blue the valve seats to check for distortion.I've heard of guys circulating hot water though the blocks as they are being machined.
A plate on a flathead is the only way to go. a friend of mine has a speed shop and builds flatheads all the time. a few years ago, he cast his own out of aluminum to duplicate the after market heads. he did some measurements before and after the heads bolts were torqued down. he was shocked at what he found. they distort buy quite a few thousandth's at each bolt. so i guess you need to use them. your's look really cool. bet you could sell some of them if you wanted.
Great idea. I've got them for the big and small block Chevys but could easily make one like you did on my Bridgeport. A good use for extra flathead heads besides as doorstops. hahaha!!! Frank
Those flathead torque plates were actually commercially available at one time. The rod magazines of the fifties gave a lot less attention to machine shp technique than some of the newer ones--I'm sure the greats of the old days had all sorts of trickery to perfect their work, but this stuff didn't get much press until the 1970's when Yunick, Jenkins, Vizard, Smith and others started publishing a few of their secrets. A minor league flatty tool, applicable also to silly late models: At least two companies in the fifties made cam position indicators, and KR Wilson made a set of piston locating gauges to quickly move stock engine to valve setting positions. These things were a great convenience/time saver in running the valves, because they eliminated fidgety setting to the exact spot needed. I have my own 1950's indicators, but here's how to make the moral equivalent. Best served on early engines, '32-48, but potentially applicable to whatever: Get a spare rotor for your distributor and affix a cylindrical object. A tuna can is suggested unless you want to grab some aluminum and head for the lathe... If using the can, spray it flat white and fasten it securely. Run your valves using your favorite secret method for getting to exactly the right place. At each adjustment position, mark the can in line with a fixed point on the distributor, and mark you line with the numbers of the valves set at that position. Voila, a quicky valve setting degree wheel that can be popped on quickly and easily. Use the biggest can/object that will fit in the available space for greater precision. Glue a dimestore protractor to another rotor if you have points--set your dwell to Ford specs with no nasty electrical stuff.
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