[Fot] Doug Still Guides Me...

Tue Mar 24 08:11:39 MDT 2020

I think it was Waco Machine.

Bob Kramer

On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 8:12 AM Duncan Charlton <duncan.charlton54 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Bob,
>
> Do you know whether the outsourcing shop was the one in Elgin, TX?  Keith
> Kubosh, the guy who bought that place, has all the old equipment that Mike
> used, but I don’t know whether or not he’s learned to use the line-boring
> machine yet.  His welding job takes up most of his time but when I was last
> there a couple of years ago he was doing some engine work.
>
> Duncan
> On Mar 24, 2020, 7:51 AM -0500, Bob Kramer via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>,
> wrote:
>
> I did have a sound block that came without bearing caps and a supply of
> "almost fit" caps. Not wanting to waste a good block I spent the money to
> have it line bored.  I've got a pretty talented machinist here in Austin
> and he trimmed down the caps before sending it out to get lined bored.
> Worked fine.  Unfortunately the outsourced machine shop that he used for
> the line bore shut down a few years back.
>
> Bob Kramer
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 6:47 AM Phil Gott <vfracing at aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Yes, Bob, as far as I know you are correct, the bearing notches in the
>> caps and saddles are always on the same side.
>> In the TR wet sleeve engine, each cap is unique as to its position, so it
>> should be really hard to mix them up.
>> Kas is right, however, in that in many engines it is good practice to
>> mark each cap as to position and orientation, just to be sure.
>> I have had a wet sleeve block line bored just to true it up at ABT
>> machine in Holliston, Mass. This creates two issues that must be addressed,
>> both due to the slight raising of the crank center line:
>> 1) the clearance space of the top of the pistons needs to be checked to
>> be sure there is no interference at TDC. Usually not a problem.
>> 2) more of a problem is that the aluminum insert for the rear main seal
>> may interfere with the block. This will become apparent when using the
>> centering tool, and can be addressed by filing down the area of the seal
>> where it interferes. Do not file or alter any other surface, as this will
>> compromise the ability of the seal to function and/or to hold correctly one
>> of the aftermarket rubber seals.  Be careful also not to gouge the face of
>> the aluminum seal where it mates with the flat surface of the block. Go
>> slow and be careful. It should all work as intended.
>> Phil Gott
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Mar 23, 2020, at 10:36 PM, Bob Kramer via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Don’t all the main bearing caps go in with bearing notches on the same
>> side as the notches in the saddles in the block? Or is that just a TR4
>> thing?
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Mar 23, 2020, at 6:59 PM, Enquiries Road & Track via Fot <
>> fot at autox.team.net> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> firstly, are you 100% sure the caps are correctly fitted both round the
>> right way and in number order?
>>
>> you need to decide if the caps are misaligned across the block or if the
>> tunnel is simply oval because the hole in in cap is too far up or down.
>> this will need a combination of feel and measurement
>>
>> if the alternative caps have a significant step to 1 side, so you will
>> clearly feel a ledge at the mating faces when they are tightened up
>>
>> if the stap is very minor, like a few thousandths of an inch, then the
>> faces of the cap are machined down to create an oval hole, then it it is
>> align honed
>>
>> if it is really bad, like many tens of thou, then you have to firstly
>> move the cap sideways by machining the register on 1 side and peening it on
>> the other, and effectively moving it sideways, followed by boring/honing
>>
>> sometimes, the bolts are too neat a fit to allow this and if thats the
>> case, its usually easier to find some other caps or make them
>>
>> if the tunnel is simply an oval because the cap is too far up or down,
>> this is usually easily fixed by facing the cap mating surfaces and reboring
>> the tunnels
>>
>> not all engine machine shop have a line borer...mine did not, so
>> subcontracting the job is not uncommon
>>
>> the end result should be a perfectly round hole with a super fine hone
>> (cross-hatch) mark on the bearing faces, to ensure perfect bearing
>> shell contact
>>
>>  Terry
>> Australia
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 1:32 AM Bud Rolofson via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Speaking of main caps I bought a block that turned out to not have the
>>> original main caps. The caps on there did not match up with the block but
>>> I’ve been unable to find a machine shop that can machine them so there’s a
>>> round hole for the crank. The shop I had do my last block (and they do 427
>>> race engines among others and are well respected) told me that the result
>>> would be ovaled out holes (not round) which obviously is not good.
>>> Certainly there’s a way to make this work but I haven’t found it. I
>>> checked out another block shop but said they subcontract line-boring to the
>>> the shop that said they couldn’t do it.
>>>
>>> Has anyone else encountered this problem? I’ve heard that steel mains
>>> might be an answer but they’d still have to be line-bored to make them
>>> match. I hate to ship a block to get this done before I have reassurances
>>> that they can make it work but does anyone know of that has successfully
>>> made main caps match the block? Given I’m spending a lot of time these days
>>> staying home and catching up on car projects in the shop I figured it would
>>> be a good time to start building the next engine.
>>>
>>> Solutions or recommendations?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Bud
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mar 22, 2020, at 9:33 PM, Brad Eells via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Amici,
>>>
>>> In typically rookie race engine builder mode with the block I selected
>>> for rebuild, I pulled the main bearing caps (with my new fancy DeWalt 20V
>>> Impact Wrench) and then couldn't remember which way around they went.
>>>
>>> This led to visions of catastrophic failure somewhere down the road.
>>> Yet, I had several other blocks I could flip over and make a determination
>>> if need be.
>>>
>>> I was examining one of the caps when I discovered the faintest engraving
>>> on the surface of each cap:
>>>
>>> Eng #2 Front Fwd
>>> Eng #2 Mid Fwd
>>> Eng #2 Rr Fwd
>>>
>>> Doug Brown, my original owner/builder/driver extraordinaire had engraved
>>> each cap for me to make sure a mistake didn't occur. He rotated 3 engines
>>> during each season in a quest for Divisional and National Championships.
>>>
>>> I guess that is the way a aeronautical/mechanical engineer and very
>>> successful racer thinks.
>>>
>>> Thanks again Doug!
>>>
>>> <IMG_8745.jpg>
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>>
>>> *Brad Eells*
>>> *Chino CA*
>>> *#72 FP 1969 Triumph Spitfire Mk3*
>>> *#35 DP 1962 Triumph TR4*
>>> *1965 Triumph TR4A IRS...for the road!*
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>> Bud Rolofson
>>>
>>> Extreme Parts Racing (more than just a haircut)
>>>
>>> 71TR6 CC57365 (Good 6)
>>> 71 Spitfire MK IV Race Car #3
>>> 69 Spitfire MK III (back up FE engine/dinghy car)
>>> 93 Minnie Winnie Race Support Vehicle
>>> 77 Z-50A Hardly Davidson Honda Mini-Trail Bike (Triumph Pit Bike)
>>>
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>
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