FlatCad Racing's Quest for 200 MPH-a Cadillac Flathead Story!

Maybe if the steering gets to be to much of a problem you could offset the wheels a bit or a lower profile tire.

 

You do not need much steering at Bonnevile. If you are working the steering much a all, you have other problems that need attention. The biggest problem with limited steering is moving the car to the starting line and returning to the pits.

John

 

Actually last year I was the one who mostly drove the car to and from the pits and I really don't think it will be an issue beauty part of bonneville is how spread out it is and there really wasn't any real tight turns so I'm sure we will be just fine


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Well, I'm out here Randy's, and went to get the new tires on the new rims. The rims are disappointing-the edges are far from round, and one of the welds leaked. After a trip to the welding shop, I finally got the tires mounted.

Don has been working with Rick at Boyd Enterprises, to get the block ready. The plan was to rough in the main bores, fill the block 5" from the deck, bore and polish the mains, and do the valve job. Simple right?

Nope! . Rick went to rough in the main bores, and found out the center main was off a thousandth and a half of being round. WTF?

Dale had wanted 5 thousandths crush on the mains, like we ran last year. After Rick and Don did some investigative work this morning, the 'crush' is the issue-when the girdle is tightened up, it's egging the half of the main integral to the block. We didn't catch this last year, but I'm happy we did this year !They will remove the crush one thousandth at a time, until the issue is resolved, then continue on with the block work.

Nice catch, Don!

 

Lookin good buddy , Looks like your Team leaves no stone unturned,, Tim Jones

 

Thanks Tim!

Update from Don: Ok I just talked to Rick and yes as soon as he released the girdle the block straightened out with-in .0005 so the crush on mains have to be .001 to .0015 max

 

Any ETA on a dyno run Buddy??

 

Ok Here we go form Dales drawings to the prototype part.

I started by building a fixture to hold the dam thing with all the angles Dale gave it (( what a jerk LOL ))







Here is the block ready to machine


I added location pins


now mounted and ready to machine



Now Dale is beginning to be less of a jerk

 

Here is some of the progress




after this cut I rotated the fixture for the other side




now rotated again for the lifter bores -- Dale is getting close to be my friend again !!


DALE IS MY BUDDY NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE COMPLETE !!! LOL LOL
I WILL MAKE THE LIFTERS TOMORROW



HERE IS SOME ANGLES FOR YOU. JUST ONE MORE ANGLE TOMORROW --CLEARANCE ANGLE ONLY

 

Don, 1st class, but we've come to expect that! Your work takes this build to the next level! Thanks again!!!!!

 

Ok Now for the lifters. these were simple I made 4 for Dale to setup and test.

 

Damn Don, that looks great!

 

Hey Randy and Don: Nice work by the both of you! I know Don hates all the angles, I just wanted to see if he could do it and not lose his mind.

The prototype block and lifters will need to be put in the block with the cam and valves to see how everything aligns and also to determine the final lifter lengths.

When I measured the mushroom flat-tappets that came out of the engine, there seems to be approximately two lengths - one for the intake and one for the exhaust. Hopefully we can get things close enough to set the final lengths in my valve machine (by grinding the ends of the lifters).

If we find the lengths are all over the place, then we can always make the tops adjustable and use jamb nuts so they don't "move on us" like the cheap ass flat tappet ones from Turkey.

 

That should not be a problem - as long as we have some crush and the block doesn't distort, we should be fine. Also, we're now using an o-ring type seal between the girdle and the block pan-rail, so I won't be having any silicone gasket crap between them . . . should now be spot on.

Nice work on this and good measuring catch by Rick!

 

Don, Fantastic work, again!

 

I will ship the prototype parts out Tuesday to dale.. the sooner we know how this fits up the better. The real parts will take some time,, heat treating , edm, ect

 

Hey Don: I can't check anything here -- don't have the block, cam or valves. Now I can rub the purdy parts and play soft music . . . but that is about it!

 

Since all we can check at this point is lifter bore alignment, and block fitment, can't you use the block I dropped off there?

I agree the final lifter length will have to be after we receive the cam from Dema, but we should be able to verify everything else,including the piece that ties the blocks together, right?

 

Looks good guys!

 

You Like the purdy parts A, but u cant touch,, Yet ! I have 2 blocks and valves but no cam -- Who has a cam I can use to to check the fitment ?? I can always machine a blank if needed with the base circle and the max circle

 

I'll head one your way!

 

That is the best plan - will save us shipping stuff back and forth and losing time. You won't be able to determine the lifter length in any block other than the race block - but you can check the other stuff out (like alignment and how best to handle the top plate to intake girdle strut rods). You will be able to see if things align correctly between the stock cam and any old valve you throw in one of your blocks - just to ensure that the hole locations and angles are correct.

 

I think what I will do is Machine the lobe down on the old cam to the new base circle and weld a slug on the other lobe and machine it to the high point and that will tell us the fit.

 

Hell Don . . . didn't know you were going to be in the CAM business . . . might make Isky and Elgin jealous!

Seems like the best plan - given our time constraints.

 

Well, here we are at the last minute again, this time trying to figure out direct port injection, instead of intake manifold injection.

Here is what we are thinking: have an aluminum block/plate that probably is mounted off of a valley plate -- it would be right against the port wall. These aluminum blocks would be 1/2" thick and tapped for the nozzle. The blocks would also be located/angled as necessary for port direction. Then, there would be a hole drilled through the cast iron into the port and if there was any material left to thread, then
we'd thread it. If too thin, then we'd need to seal it with something that can
take boost - like epoxy. there will not be much block material to use - especially on the angled ports (4 of them).

Anyone got a different/better idea?


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That sounds like it should work Buddy, Tim Jones

 

how about o-ring sealing where you go into the ports

 

O-Ring: Yeah, it will kind of depend on how good I can get the port plates to conform to the contour of the cast iron - might use an O-ring between the plate and the block (kind of a thicker rubber ring like you use on bulkhead stuff). I'll be designing the stuff this evening . . . we'll see how close I can get it and not make a machining nightmare out of it!

Dale

 

when did you turn over a new leaf ??? Lmao :d

 

Why not just mount the injector nozzles in the ports of the manifold just above the block? Easy to weld in threaded bosses for the nozzles at whatever angle you want and the plumbing can remain assembled as a unit when removed from the block.