Flathead V-8

[petertha]

Beautiful work George. Unless I missed it, I haven't seen the cylinder liners yet. Are they to come? I'm interested in your preferred procedure/past experience in that regard. Do you make all block bores the same ID with same boring tool setup & then machine up the liner OD to suite that dimension? Can you speak to the forthcoming liner fit (snug push & removable vs. dry press-in vs. locktite vs ..). And then what about any final liner ID finishing/honing? Do you prefer to save that step with liner in block, or ok to finish it beforehand & no distortion issues?. Did I already mention beautiful work?

[gbritnell]

Thanks fellows,
It makes it all worthwhile.
Peter,
I bore the block in 2 different diameters, one for the bottom and one for the top. The bottom is .010 smaller. I shoot for the same dimension on both banks but being as I have to change my setup to do both sometimes the size can vary a little. It's always easier to make the liners fit the bores and not the other way around.
When I make the liners I try to make them about .0015 larger than the block bores. With the top diameter being larger it means I don't have to press the liner all the way down. I have about .200 of engagement on this engine because it's larger. When I get ready to press I put a light coat of Loctite on the liners. As far as the inner bore I make it about .001 undersize and leave the rest for honing after the liners are pressed in. Here again it depends on the size of the engine and thickness of the liners. Usually with a .0015 press you don't get much collapsing of the liner wall.
I then hone all the liners in place. The plan is to make them all the same size and then make the rings and pistons to fit. I make all of my own rings so if I'm +- on the nominal dimension it doesn't matter.
gbritnell

[gbritnell]

Next up was the bellhousing. This is another one of those parts that ends up with less metal on the part than what's vacuumed up off the floor.
I found it best to start with a piece of round stock for this part. I know the bellhousing is round but with the starter bulge it added to the overall diameter of the stock.
I first turned the part to the proper height in the 3 jaw chuck. I then mounted the 4 jaw chuck. The part was given center lines and then punched so I could use my wiggler to true it up in the 4 jaw.
By that I mean I put the wiggler into the punch mark and with a DTI sitting against it I adjust the part until the shaft of the wiggler runs true.
I first drilled a series of through holes and finished with a boring bar.
The next step was to rough bore successive cuts to remove the heavy stock prior to mounting on the rotary table on the mill. Once on the mill I made a step-down chart so that I could cut the inner radius with a .50 ball nosed mill.

[gbritnell]

With the spherical shape stepped off I went in with different sized end mills to cut the inside shapes around the transmission mounting flange and clutch area.
I also drilled all the mounting holes on the flange. The ones marked in red were tapped so that the part could go on a fixture plate for all the detail machining.

[gbritnell]

The same fixture plate that I used for the block was redrilled for the bellhousing. The part was turned over and mounted to the plate which was then centered up on the rotary table.
Although I work to my drawing dimensions I always like to give myself some guide lines just to keep my head clear.
The bellhousing has 2 ribs that go from the transmission flange up to the mounting flange. These are radial in shape. To machine them I first made a step-off chart for the radius over the ribs. Using the rotary table and stepping out and down I cut a first pass all around the housing.
The straight cuts were machined as witnesses leaving about .02 stock. While cutting the spherical shape I would use paper to bump the straight walls. This got me close to where I wanted to be.

[gbritnell]

The part was then removed from the rotary table and the area where the ribs would be was filed smooth. I then put marker ink in that area and laid out the ribs on the smooth surface. The part was again put on the rotary table and centered up. At this point all the straight cuts were cut to size because I had a good gauge from the first conical cuts to judge my tangent points. Now all the radial cut were done a second time, this time to the new radius and with smaller steps. As I would come into a corner I would paper to the straight wall, back away, rotate the table parallel with the straight cut and then bump into the radial cut to clean up the corner. Very time consuming but it saves a tremendous amount of hand filing later on.  Each step down on the radial cut meant a different stopping point on the ribs I was forming. With a bright light I would sneak up to the line with each cut.

[gbritnell]

Once all the stepping and blending was done I reduced the fillet where the sphere met the mounting flange. I then made up witness buttons to put on the mounting holes. I used them to do the outer diameter of the mounting flange.

[gbritnell]

The part was then removed from the rotary table, the rotary table was removed, the vise set up again for the umteenth time and the clutch lever window was milled.
The starter projection has a circular boss on it which was turned on the lathe and pressed and screwed in place. This was easier than doing on the rotary table.
All that remains is to file and polish the housing but it will wait until I get all the main pieces done so I don't have to take the tools out repeatedly.
The pictures show the bellhousing mounted on the back of the block.
gbritnell

[ColH]

Thanks George

I appreciate you continuing the build. 
The reason for my question on progress with the build is that I try to visit the site everyday to see the progress with your build as well as the others and while I appreciate that other things in life get in the way, it had been a long time since you had posts on the build.  It is obvious from todays posts that you have been far from idle.

I have followed your last few builds and I am in awe with your work. I have learned much from your techniques, in particular the forethought that goes into the setups to ensure future operations are do-able or made simpler.  I, one day, hope to attempt a V8 (I love your flat head) and if I could just get it running I would be happy, let alone, to the quality of your builds.

I will attempt to comment, or ask questions about you build in the future, to ensure there is interest shown. This goes for all posters on the site - there is some amazing work being done.

Col

 

[Art K]

George,
Thanks for continuing, I appreciate the detail that you put into the build and writeup. awesome ! I'm still plugging away on my shop addition done sanding drywall ready to paint soon. This work has put a crimp in making chips.
Art

[fumopuc]

Hi George, thank you very much for continuing the documentation of your build. It is an extraordinary craftsmanship. I know, it takes some time to make pictures, prepare them for a download and to write something, what seems to be conclusive for yourself. I apprecheate it very much if I have the chance to see how you get a part out of a piece of metal.

[vcutajar]

Thanks George for the update.  I always follow your builds.

Vince

[metalmad]

Hi George
Absolutely Awesome 

[Roger B]

Thank you for continuing to post    . I find the way you generate the shapes by hand fascinating   

How are you going to join/seal the top and bottom of the cylinder heads?

[crankshafter]

George.
Absolutly amazing . keep it coming, we are out here waitin
CS