Technical ***May 2021 Banger Meet Thread - Great Shop Weather***

I have run a mag on the street. Mine did not have any form of mechanical or "automatic" advance mechanism. Set the time @ 28 degrees. They are tough on starters this way. I had to run one because the head I was using had no provision for a distributor. The advantages of running a mag don't really work in our favor on our slow turning 4 lungers. IMHO a good electronic ignition is much better then running a mag even in a race engine.

.

 

Hey Burl,
If I could , I’d show you a short video of a hot B banger running with a vertex mag , two Riley side draft racing carbs and a lot of other high grade banger parts.
Including a C crank drilled, run at B ville, Crower rods on / on !
Some racer in Texas has a powerful B in his race car.
If you can share it, maybe I can find a way to get it to you.

 

Magnetos ARE neat (LOOKING)! They initially were used on aircraft which are High Torque, "Low Revving" engines due to propeller speed (most plane engines have two). They also were used on early car engines because of lack off early battery and starter technology. Race cars used "Mags" as they didn't have enough room for a battery; and too for weight considerations. However, though the magneto will give a constant voltage ("Hot Spark") as engine speed increases; the increasing drag with that speed; particularly on our "Bangers" will quickly offset that advantage of a "Mag"! If you want a constant "Hot Spark" with the incumbent increasing power curve; you'll be better off with a High Extensity Ignition (HEI). You don't have to have a "Garish" HEI distributor sitting top your nicely appointed vintage Ford engine! Example: you can hide a constant discharge HEI box anywhere in your car and run it through a distributor looking (even a faux "Mag") device with a breaker (i.e. a Pertronix)! Then you have "The Best of Two Worlds": You keep all your power; and you have an 'Antique Look"!

 

I read an article in one of the magazines sometime in the late 70's interviewing Joe Hunt talking about his magnetos and his business modifying, repairing and selling them. He said the common belief that a magneto requires a lot of power from the engine to turn it as the speed increases is just a bunch of hooey. His test bench was powered by a 1/4 horse power electric motor and had been used on thousands of magnetos over the previous 20 or so years with no issues. He said the resistance you feel turning the shaft by hand does not increase with the speed of rotation.

 

I have spun up a lot of vertex mags on my standard sun dist machine with no issues... they dont seem to take anymore HP at 7000 RPM than at 1000.

 

Checking in...
Finished the rocker arm install w/new lower profile valve adjusters (the original ones clacked on the inside of the cover), and beautiful custom pushrods from Smith Bros (excellent service). Valves adjusted and ready to go!

 

RE: "Mags"!
"Bench Testing"? "Sun Ignition Tester"? A Dynamometer is what you outta be believing! "Been there - Done That"! On a different vain; some still believe that you can get just as much "Max" horsepower the higher the revs over, say 5000 rpm, from a "Long-Stroke" vis-a-vis a "short-Stroke" engine of the same size! Far be it from me to try to dispel these "Myths"; but I just like to try to get the most outta my time and money! 'Course I gotta admit that I probably held the record (back in the '50's) for building the most "Hand Grenades" outta "Flathead" Fords & Merc's; in the San Gabriel Valley!

 

John,
Absolutely agree, the "Modern" motor layout is much better. When running "Vintage junk" you have to work within the envelope of the motor.
Had a nice run at ElMo last weekend, 165 and change, just under 7k revs. Now to work on the tune up.
J

 

Sorry! I didn't mean to stifle discussion on how much fun it is to try to get our "Bangers' running with all the parts go'n the same direction at the same time! I just want to pass on things that I've learned "The Hard Way"! Carry on, Gents!

 

Pretty excited, just bought a magnesium side timing cover. Anyone have any info on them?

 

I have a couple wonder if they are actually magnesium. They seam really porous on the inside like they are some other low cost material.

 

Some were real mag, burns pretty good.
Be careful of pan bolt, will strip really easy.
J

 

No worries John,
All good, Keep en bangin

 

We build mag die cast tools and sometimes get cast samples I think I have enough for fire starter for a lifetime


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Do you have any of the magnesium B valve covers? I know these mag timing covers were made January 1931 - November 1932

 

Yes
Have seen a few
J

 

We used to throw VW cases in the bonfire...woohoo

 

no i don't .At first i thought these may be zinc or some kind of white metal. After researching the web i seen henry cast them for a short time.I do have this steering wheel on my roadster that is so light im thinking the center is cast mag.

 

That looks killer, what steering column is that?

 

Used the stock model a 2 tooth this projects sitting on a full model A chassis

 

Aaron Loveless (the guy who is remaking the frenzel superchargers), is possibly thinking about making DOHC head for bangers. Talk about some cool stuff!

 

If anybody could Aaron could he's like a mad scientist with this stuff

 

That would be Great!! most of the original stuff gave up the ghost years ago.

J

 

Put me down for one of those, but it will go on top of one of Terry Burtz new engines !

 

That's looking real good!
I too just got push rods from Smith Brothers and couldn't be happier.
Excellent service and beautiful product

 

Think it was about 40 years ago that I sold a NOS HAL head to Carl Loveless in California, any relation? Bob

 

I’m honestly not too sure. I know he’s a younger cat like myself.

 

The REM DOHC equipment was pretty good, there is a Lakester that is in the 2-Club at Bonneville.
Some of the new 16 valve is starting to come about in the circles, see below;
So question, when was the first DOHC developed? and by who?

 

Henri Peugeot an engineer designed a DOHC race car engine in the early teens of the 20th Century. They called the cars Ballot's! Bob Burman had two Ballot race cars. He wrecked one engine at, I believe, the Ascot Races in Santa Monica. He gave it over to Harry A. Miller to have it repaired. Theretofore, Miller only designed and made carburetors. Burman never returned to retrieve his engine. Unfortunately he was killed at the Corona Races. The year was 1916. Some years later Ira Vail, a racer, prevailed on Miller to come up with a racing engine. "Low and Behold", Leo Goossen, a former Buick engineer walked into Miller's Los Angeles shop, looking for work. Based on the Peugeot design; they produced a 183 c.i.d. straight 8 DOHC engine! That's the 1st DOHC race in the US that I know of!

 

Very close, I give you that!!
1912 debut of the Peugeot L76, 7.6 ltr 4 valve, DOHC designed by, Zuccarelli, Boillot and Goux.
Affectionately known as "Les Charlatans" the design drawn by Ernest Henry.
Miller rebuilt the 1913 engine in 1915 and renamed it Burman.

John