Things change over time, but a couple years ago I read about the two big aftermarket cast crankshaft companies, Eagle and Scat. The Eagle required a lot of Mallory metal to balance, the Scat being much easier to balance. The article said that Scat imported semifinished crankshafts and did the final machining in the US. So maybe that's why they said they were US products. "I believe there's a state authority in Queensland who tendered out steel for a bridge. Chinese steel supplier won out over a local Australian supplier. Within 18 months or so, the bloody bridge was condemed because the steel was failing! Mind you, I heard all this second hand... Perhaps an Aussie member might know a bit more about that one?" My city is also using Chinese steel to build a bridge in town. Luckily they carefully checked out the steel fabrications when they got here, before using them. Surprisingly, they failed inspection despite coming with the industrial version of those "Certificates of Authenticity" documents that you get with cheesy collector plates. So now we're waiting on the replacement Chinese steel fabrications.
Asian steel has been a problem for years. Back in the '80s, I worked on several increments of the Alaska pipeline modules that were built in the lower 48 and shipped to the north slope. Cutting into some of the Korean steel could reveal unmelted ball bearings or other less identifiable bits... I doubt if Chinese quality control is better...
L.A. Roadster Show Fathers Day swap meet, 2010. SCAT had an outside booth, debuting the new flathead cranks. Nicely finished, attractive price! They had roughly...12 behind the makeshift counter, and around 40 standing up outside, just to the right. They were clearly labeled as "SECONDS". I asked what made them 'seconds', and the rep acted like he didn't hear me. I repeated the question, loudly: "What designates these to be SECONDS?" He just casually answered, "Some specs, just minor stuff..." 1. Was it the indexing of the throws? 2. Maybe main and rod journals were .004"+/- small... 3. Did crank unbalance exceed the amount of Mallory available? 4. Was the snout out of spec? Or perhaps the flywheel flange off center, or miscast? These were viable questions, as every Merc crank I've ever had (many) was of Henry quality. No 'minor stuff'.
Very interesting to read Your comments concern china steel, castings. 20y ago they sold from here very much top quality steel to china. 300meter long ships were loaded full of finnish steel, Sometimes I was working like stevedore too. 150 000 000kg steel in to one ship etc... Now a days they have own steel factories and problem is what crazy steve says "quality control". I sell bearings and we see how quality is change same stuff but different part. That´s why big bearing companies import rawmaterial to their china factories. FAG, SKF.... produce Basic ball bearings in their own factories there. FAG buys rawmaterial from Jpn and S-Korea. Now need to remember that china is more expensive country. + shipping, customs fees etc. Many countries are come back and continue production here in Europe. They can guarantee quality and deliverytimes are shorter. Production costs in china are higher (labour, overhead,...) than 5y ago. Chinese Digger manufactur established production to Finland. They said that they get better price their products here if those are produced here because people know then quality and they sell better than if diggers are manufactured in china. I had Velasco, Callies cranks when I was racing quarter mile. Many big damages (alum. rods cut, too many starts,...) in high rpm. Those axles were little damaged, but no cracks etc. I used same axles from year to year. What about if I had Eagle or Scat shit? I belive big destroy every time when rod was broken.... This summer I had wrong size mainbearing (middle) in my italmeccanica blower flathead. Engine was OK but oilpressure was ok when cold engine, but when warmer going down. Finally I found problem after it start to shake little. Center main cap and stud was broken, but Real Steel Mercury axle was like new. Merc steel axle was 100% straight after that . my friend checked it also in their material control lab and he said "no cracks". I think china axles were broken in that case Sorry my english. Words can be in wrong order etc,..... hope You understand
All valves were left "sign" to the t champers. Now champers are 1/16" deeper. Piston head clearance was also too small.. I used old big bore head gaskets and note that clearance between head and piston was only 0,5mm. Not from center of the head Make tool using old40´s valve cutting edge. Finishing nee to make By hand. Very much to do with old offy heads. Good casting. It would be easier use new heads,...
I like the smooth finish on the top surface of the heads. I don't think I have ever seen that done before.I am curious to see how the lack of cooling fins will affect the engine's temperature.
New Walker z-serie radiator make sure 100% cooling. Those fins can help little cooling, but seriously those need to be 2"high and 10times more, if want those are effecient.
Waterpums are rebuilt. WP Body sliding surface machined, new seal kit etc. Vice Precident is check my quality daily or weekly AH
local crank grinder and i discussed this. he talked about "new" cranks needing straightening or mallory metal to balance. i'm fortunate to have a few of the real thing that i picked up in the '70s when nobody wanted them!
Original Merc 4" cranks are very heavy stuff. Forged steel. I have made two 4" stroke engine (3.312" and 3.342" bore ) and both times need to drill very much off from counterweights. This new Eagle 4.25" stroke Cast crank has very big counterweights but not need to drill so much when it was in balancing. All due to material. Of course depence what pistons, pins, rings, rods...You are using. I use only those lightweight forged pistons with 1,5mm rings, H-profile rods with 2" small lower ends. If use 4.25 crank, cast pistons with 4 ring, big journal rods etc. its possible that need to use mallory metal when balancing this kind of aftermarket long stroke cast crank When I was living in CA, I bought new engine (6starts) from 3 times NHRA champion Andy Manna (Upland CA). He was going to Pro stock truck class and before new car was ready he bought this big block chevy engine and want to test how is pro tree going on (he was race all career competition eliminator, long tree) He was bought that "test" engine from bill Mitchell and engine was 572cid. Good Basic engine 760hp with one carb, alum. rods, 14:1 compression, dart 360,.... I bought engine and pieced it. All was new, but I changed engine in my garage (pomona) for Steel rods etc. Mikio make intake runners smaller and flow heads (before 370cfm, now 404cfm) and we balance short block again with those more heavy carillo H-beams. Crank was Velasco and need to increase mallory metal very much. It was big suprise for me how much mallory metal need to increase there ! Engine was OK and Mikio in performance engine was done good job nearly free (I had garage in same field, next door). 941hp, +1000N. My 1972 built T-23 altered was fly with that engine..... Old race cars never die, they just fly faster.
1-2days more and its ready. Yesterday put together McCulloch supercharger and painted engine and supercharger. Color is as near as possible mercury engine color. Today glasblow y-sling, fuel pump parts + fuel pump stand and magneto angledrive. Carbs are 48 stromberg, rebuilt in CA. Still waiting for shorter magneto. This one is longer model with advance counterweights. Headers are ceramic coated, starger powermaster. Aulis View attachment 3661924 View attachment 3661924 View attachment 3661926 View attachment 3661926
two pics more. Yestercay I chopped angle drive 7,5mm and shorted same lenght magneto frame. Made angle drive holes excentral -> turned magneto more vertical. and cut little slide from rad.cap. Nothing else possible to do. I think, magneto side is ready. Still need to recoil it. Aulis
Hey Auliz - great work as usual! I have that same angle drive reproduction (I believe out of England). I have fan belt issues like you, so I made a special spacer - with my own drive shaft and a roller bearing in it. This moved the mag out enough so I didn't have to modify the cap like I used too (to clear the belts). You have double belts - so the idea might not work (depending on what you're doing in the FAN area). Here is what I did - thought it might help you:
Thanks. After your advice, I decided also made adapter. They can do it with CNC. Helps very much, if get magneto out 1",.... Aulis
Hey Aulis, if you need a CAD file - can easily change mine to 1" thick and regenerate the geometry in SolidWorks. Then if your CNC guy can use a solidworks model, he can generate the toolpaths right from it. Let me know - be happy to help!
Aulis: Friggin' awesome. Thanks for posting. Can you go into more detail about how you polish stuff? I'm seeing a bunch of hand tools and your results look incredible. I'd really appreciate any tips or insight. Thanks, Tim
just saw a pic on facebook about that. none other than barney navarro had his 59a hanging from the bellhousing!
Hahaa,... thats real vintage style ! Andy, no, I will use 12V Generator or 12V powermaster. Maybe generator + 12V voltage regulator bolted on Firewall. I like that style. Only max 30A but thats enough if have magneto, mechanical fuel pump,.... Generator bracket is ready in McCulloch intake. Aulis
You are correct. Next week one friend who is expert with those CAD 3D programs and CNC machines is visit my Place. A
Polishing is only hard work. We do not have here Mexicans, so need to do that hard and dirty job myself. Lucky You there in US. This engine I left all alum.parts without polishing finish. Just blow those with glass (i do not know right english word about that). Sandblasting , but with glass.... After that normally i use same sanding machine (MIRKA) than they use in car painting companies. Mirka is worlds 2nd biggest abrasive paper manufacturer. 3M is biggest, or were biggest if Mirka is bypass.... Mirka factory is located here middle-Finland (west-coast) 40miles from me and they sold me that rather expensive sander low price, because i have been selling them bearings long time. I use normally first 80grind, then 240, 320, 500. Those abrasive sanding papers are same than they use in car painting companies. Aluminum is so soft that those papers are OK rather long time. Not expensive, I buy full boxes, 100pc is approx. 30euro (35usd). Small places I use those small grinding rolls. I do not remember Company. I bought those rather much from PAW, when I was living in California 12y ago. Name is something "standard...". Can be use also Abranet + water (350, 500, 1000, 2000 grind). Last and easiest part is polishing. Need different muslin buff and Heavy cutting (grey), primary cutting (brown) and ultra fine -wax bars (bricks). Biggest job was polish my ex. Airstream. Here "out of topic" pics. (Runs great with 409cid+4onthefloor+quick change). Note! Baby carriage. I have been very much "delay" and my only one kid born when I was nearly 50y old...... . Aulis
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