Projects Kent Fuller Top Fueler Recreated

Roger, If I send you $1 will you buy me a lotto ticket--- 1 is all I need

 

It's got to be the luck of the Irish...right Roger O'Lee?

 

Wow - now that is one hell of a story . . . I hope you end up making a deal that works for both sides.

 

Two unanswered phone calls and no return calls from Henry. Deal or no deal, I have no idea. He has held on to these parts for 44 years and might want to hold on to them till he dies and the history is lost to all.

Anyway whatever comes of this, I have to continue this build. We aren't getting any younger.

The parts are piling up. Fuel pump, fuel pump drive extension, gear drive & cover, idler pulley, gaskets, tube nuts and sleeves, roller rocker arm ***embly ( not era correct, but it's my motor), roller lifters and seat bottom.

Maintenance is done to the Brissette Cackler, so lets get it on the the Masters & Richter AA/FD.

 

Fortunes of WAR !

Making improvements on things we thought was right is always a good thing....without bruising & bleeding, but those come with the product production hazards we never think about. Towel, Super glue and Duct Tape are near by aka Racers Bandaid.

The physics of the Barndoor Injector is done. I have not heard a word from the guy who has all the leftover parts he bought from Sid Masters. The history of those parts will die with him.

I got three stop/adjusters. Two are used for the air gap for the injector blades for the idle setting and the otherone for the Barrel Valve adjuster. The throttle shaft are .310'' diameter

Using 1/2 x .250 id x 1.500'' steel tube, drilled it out to .304 and reamed it out to .311''. I cut two slots, 180 degrees apart x 1/2 deep in both ends at the slot position of the adjusters. I then drilled out the Screw adjuster hole to .492 and reamed it to .501. I filed a curved groove for the locking screw intersection on both ends of the 1/2 tube. One ends has a groove 360 degrees around.

The barrel valve shaft is splined and the 1/2'' tube is locked on with the adjuster locking bolt securing it. The end with the full groove is so when you loosen the adjuster that secures the tube to the shaft of the injector so you can adjust the barrel valve setting.

I made a mounting plate out of 1/8 steel for the barrel valve and a grade 8 set screw for the barrel valve was used for the stop. Drilled and tapped the injector for the throttle stops and it works great.

The new K barrel valve is facing backward and upside down , but the rotation is the same as the throttle shaft. The front of standard barrel valve sits .175'' farther back than the K valve.

I have to buy the 8, -3 tube nuts and sleeves, two 1/8 NPT to -3 adapters and some 3/16 tubing for the fuel lines to the nozzles and it is ready to GO ! The 1/8 to -3 adapters will be mounted to the back side of the casting area "Barrel Valve Injector Out ".

I am getting quotes for an aluminum tail section instead of using the fibergl*** one I have. I felt it wasn't correct to use the fibergl*** one.

More motor parts have been bought, parachute, gaskets and roller rocker arm ***embly are coming. I may have a clutch lined up. Yes, I still have CHECKS left ! LMAO. CYA !

 

Beautifully done!

 

Still hope Henry calls you, would be great to have those parts...

As all others have said, the quality of work and care that you put into your recreations is simply incredible...all of us who remember the original cars really appreciate the opportunity to see them again...

 

Roger,
Been reading this thread and really appreciate and admire your work and motivation on your 2 builds. Looking forward to seeing them sometime.
Front motors rule!

Best to you,
Steve Barcak
Pontiac Heaven Special AA/FD

 

I started with a piece of 3/4 x 2 x 3'' aluminum and wanted to simulate a Barndoor Injector Barrel Valve starting with a new K-Valve.

Using the Hack Bros. favorite tool, I rough cut the additional part. M***ive filing, grinding, sanding, drilling and tapping it fit pretty good. It is attached with black silicone and then I blended the edges in for the casting looking.

The first two pictures are of the real deal. Some Modeling Magic and that is it !

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Fantastic! Your attention to detail is always amazing and makes all the difference in the end product.

 

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 _yuid="yui_3_1_1_8_1322262999890211"><TBODY _yuid="yui_3_1_1_8_1322262999890210"><TR _yuid="yui_3_1_1_8_1322262999890209"><TD vAlign=top _yuid="yui_3_1_1_3_1322262999890113">Ok , I HAD all the fuel lines done, I thought. All nice AN-3 and polished stainless steel line nicely flared to 37 degrees.

Then as the story goes, I reread a message and looked at every picture I could find of the Barndoor's injector lines......AH **** ! They are all AN -4

So I measured the I.D. and the -3 are .130'' dia. and the -4 are .175'' dia. .01327'' vs. .02405'' of sq/in of area. That is a 81.2 % increase ! HA ! MORE NITRO !

Since having enough -4 tube nuts(8), sleeves(8), 1/8 NPT to -4 90* elbows(2), -4 Ts(2), and 1/8NPT x -4 x 45* elbows(2) I decided to make the change.

This used up some more brain cells running on Turkey, stuffing, MP and m*** quanities of gravy, I thought how am I going to attach the Enderle Jets to the -4 adapters ?

I measured the adapters and there was enough material to drill and tap for the 3/8-24 threads (AN-3). I cut off the 1/8NPT ends off the adapters. The chamfered, drilled and tapped the 3/8-24 threads. The depth is just below to the .175 inside holes. I then finished the tapped hole with a bottom tap. I ran a .175 drill to knockoff any Raymond Burrs.

I had received some donor Enderle jets from someone who lives in Mo-land. I cut down the -3 ends till all I had was 3 threads. Chamfered the end to almost to the threads and debured the edge on my Scotchbrite wheel. I grabbed 4 O-rings so now the jets have O-rings on both ends of the jets.

I saved all the -3 stuff just incase and did a ***embly fit. Now all I have to do is go to Milanos and get some Food Grade SS 1/4 tubing and make up the tubing parts.

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Back out to the Frozen Garage and get her done.

 

Hi all ! I have been working on motor details, more later.

 

Picture reference

 

I made another tension rod mount on the left side so the block mounting bolts are easier to get to. I also made a new pivot end that mounts on the pulley bolt. You can see there are two nuts holding it inplace, but inside the aluminum part is a .020'' longer tube of 5/8 x .058 CM tubing for the nuts to tighten against and not the aluminum pivot for the tension rod. The lefthand and right hand 3/8-16 rods are Grade 7, oil hardened.
Loosen the idler arm bolt and remove the left side jamnut and the idler pulley swings away. The turn buckle will have jamnuts also.
You have to remember some of these motor parts were created, because "off the shelf" parts were not available yet in 1961. Masters & Richter ran 3 different fuel pumps from what I could see from my picture references.

 

Fuel lines, magneto in, gear drive cover bolts completed and rear water overflow necks done.
If there are any other views you Nitro Nuts want to see, let me know.

 

It's looking good Riceman!!!

 

Hey Riceman: Very nice work! Your attention to detail and machine/fabrication skills are wonderful - it is what I love to see in these older style cars/engines. They were elegant and simple at the same time - kind of like sculptures or works of art . . . but with a purpose to crank out HP and chase dreams. I wish I was on the West Coast, would love to help out!

Here are some pictures of the engine I've built for my 60's style 34 coupe - designed to kind of mimic the mid to late 60's style fuel engine. Some of the stuff is newer (like the water pump) - as I'm not trying to exactly replicate a period car. This shows carbs on it, but it will end up with either a 4-port Hilborn or an 8-port Crower injector hat (converted for street use - EFI).

I've posted these pictures before and have yet to fire the motor - hopefully this summer - after many years of work and distractions along the way. (like Bonneville ). Too many projects, too little time and never enough $$$ (guess that sums up hotrods and racing now doesn't it).

But - all I'm doing is creating something that mimics the real deal -- yours is the real deal.







Best of luck and I hope to see your car run some day!

B&S

 

Very nice street fueler motor !

 

Beautiful, beautiful job! Can't wait to hear it run!

 

Hey Riceman, was wondering what you're running for a cam and valvetrain on your engine? If there is something that you're looking for, let me know - always have my nose into this stuff.

 

Riceman, you are amazing! Keep up the great work!

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but what mfg. make is pump in the photo from post #193 here? I can not recall seeing one like this before.
Thanx; Tom S. in Tn.

Tried hard to post the picture from that post, but can't. Sorry.
Tom S.

 

What a great project, Riceman! How cool is it to communicate directly with Kent Fuller?!?
In the 60's, the Golden Age of front engine dragsters, Kent Fuller was the premier ch***is builder. Drivers like Tommy Ivo, Don Prudomme, Tony Nancy and Chris Karamesines lined up to buy his frames. Fuller didn't use any complex jigs or fixtures to fabricate his ch***is. It was simply laid out on his shop floor in Sherman Oaks.

The writer that said a 392 was too heavy and wouldn't work was apparently some sort of ignorant, judgemental, mental, knucklehead Boy, did Kent Fuller prove him wrong!?! The 392 cu. in. Chrysler Hemi powered virtually almost every sucessful Top Fueler in the mid-1960's!

Thanks for sharing this story, Riceman! I can't wait to see this evolve!...Robber

 

Todays projects was to get the blower hardware done and remove the bolt attachments on the valve covers that hold on the stock spark plug wire covers.

The blower studs are 7/16-20 thread which are the same as a mid 1960s Chevy Lugnuts. I went to three different places and no luck. I found some finally at Street Rods Plus in Lodi that were close. The right thread, but the top was pointed not round like I needed.

I bought home 10 of them incase my idea of rounding off the tops didn't work. It is belt sander time ! I screwed one on to a spare stud and away we go. With some creative sanding, the first one came out perfect. I then polished them on my Scotchbrite wheels and some Semichrome polish and done. 7 to go.

I had to shorten the manifold studs 1/8'' with 5/8'' of thread area for the final length. I added some Grade 8 washers and the job is complete.

The stock 392 Chrysler Fire Power vavle covers need the mounting stud bosses removed. I got our my 4'' hand grinder and went for he tabs where the mounts are spot welded on.

Once I ground enough material off the tab, I could snap the mount off and finish off grinding the tab. Now we have clean valve covers. Some dolly work to flatten out the indentions under where the bosses were and that is done.

Punchin out for today, Roger

 

As history go for the Masters & Richter Fueler, they were sponsored by Howard Cams and Donnie Johansen with be supplying the cam. I have a John Dearmore roller rockers coming like the ones on the Brissette motor. Good stuff ! Thanks.

 

The fuel pump that is pictured is an Enderle that was used for the Barndoor injectors. I have no idea what it flows as GPM. I'll be using a Enderle 110,13.2 gallons at 7000 rpm.

 

Fuller is a thinker. 3 point roll bars, motorplate 4 tab mounts, chutepack body design, Torsion bar front suspension, 3 radius rod front ends were just a few that shaped AA/FDs as we know them. Thank you.

 

Thank you Tim.

 

I've seen Enderle pumps, but not one of these, come to think of it, I can't recall the last Enderle Barn Door I saw either.
How rare of a find is a pump like this today ?
I don't suppose Enderle still makes old style injectors like FIE/Hilborn does, so a Barn Door probably has to be pretty rare too.

Really wish that Lavoie-Adams block deal had made it to production also. Then this modern TF thing would start to pendulum back to AA/FD again.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=523801&highlight=392

Tom S. in Tn.

 

Both are VERY RARE !