Making a Model A block 5 mains

Here is the block that is in the works for the home built head I made last summer. It has 5 mains for crank and cam.

 

Dude- you're ********.

 

What are you using for a crank? Custom (like Moldex ) or is there some existing four banger with the right bore centers?

 

Great work as always George... giving me bad ideas about my '28 Chevrolet block

 

Is that a chevy v8 crank?

 

That is freaking awesome.....Any more pics or details?

 

Very interested to know what crank you are putting in this

 

Go for it maybe a chev 11 crank would work, then you could use a chev 11 cam.

 

Yes it is not sure if that is what I will use. That would make it a 90 degree crank instead of a flat crank, not sure how that would work.

 

Will be more down the road. Still have to decide what crank and cam.

 

Not sure what crank, been thinking about a chev V8 crank and cam. If not that a chev 11.

 

Looks very interesting and I am eager to follow your progress

 

Wow this is one thread that needs to be followed by all banger fans!!!

Can you put a link onto the banger thread? I'm using a iPhone to access the web, and cannot do it

 

I will have to ask my pal but there is a 5 main Industrial crank that willl drop in.

 

Madman! Love it!

 

Great work as was the head.

Anyone know about this plan http://www.modelaengine.com/index.html

 

Does Donovan make their own cranks?

http://www.modelaparts.net/hiperf.html/donovansem.html

 

The 5-main bearing conversion for the Model A engines has been used at Bonneville by several racers in the old, Ford-only Vintage 4-Cyl cl***.

Some of them have used a 'gondola-style' bed plate in place of the oil pan and main bearing caps.

Here is a picture of one where a little too much nitro was used.

 

Goerge, I'll have to check on the Chevy II possibilities. Stevie G and I have been looking for something that might work- there's a big old split between Cylinders 2 and 3 in the block.

Tman, that info would be awesome! Some of the guys who ran early Chevrolet 4's (Like Rufi, Spurgeon, etc) used Ford B or C cranks, so the might work for my application a well!

Sorry for the thread-stealing George...

Now back to the normally-scheduled 5 main thread

 

I was talking to one of the Vintage 4-cyl racers who was also a record holder in a roadster, I believe, that said he had a 5-main conversion and was using a crankshaft from a Hercules 4-cylinder diesel engine.

Here are a couple more pictures I collected of 5-main conversions.

 

That is pure engine ****!

 

A 90-degree crank will make the engine fire like one half of a V8 ... it'll be an odd-fire four-cylinder. It'd be kind of cool if you can get it to work!

If each of these slots represents a piston reaching TDC, then each X represents one cylinder firing ...

X _ _ X _ X X _

As opposed to a regular flat-crank four: X _ X _ X _ X _

Very interested to see progress on this!

 

I wonder how the power would be like that. I think I,m going to try it, all I have to loose is some time and work. The crank and cam fit real well.

 

AHAHAHAHA JUST HOW HIGH DO YOU EVEN HAVE TO BE JUST TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT........
SO high you could go duck huntin with a rake!

George.You are having just too much fun.
All the best Don

 

George.You are having just too much fun.
All the best Don[/QUOTE]

Ya ain't life great. Sure do love to be different. If it does not work will change it to some other crank and cam.

 

I am not a fan of bangers. But I love the innovation involved in doing something like this.
Makes me want to do things like this also.

Good luck and keep us updated.

Len

 

Russ Eyres has been running one side of a SBC at Bonneville and the lake for years. Some have seen the picture of his engine with a flathead on the dead side. He is using the stock Chevy V8 crank and cam and his runs OK. So I guess yours should to.

 

Thanks that is good to hear.

 

Maybe the best ignition solution would be a V8 distributor, with the corresponding 4 plug wires hooked up.

 

There are 5 Main HALs and Dreyer motors too..... last-0-them is alloy block