nailhead timing cover weiand repops!!!

Just talked to a guy in Cali (Russ Martin nailhead GURU set me up with this guy). He's repoping weiand timing covers for the nailhead. Due out in August for $200 each. I'm on the list. Guy says he would be interested in makeing valve covers and valley pans if he could get a good specimen to cast from. Doesn't want to mess with intakes (too difficult). I'm soooo excited!!!

 

where do I sign up??

 

I'm gonna call him tonight and make sure he's alright with me giving out his #

 

Yeah, let me know about this too!
The timing cover is also the water pump housing on the stock engine. Is he talking about making a mechanical FI-type cover, that eliminates the water pump?
Also, and I hate to mention this but will any way, Weiand might be a little particular about someone else putting the Weiand name on new castings.

-Brad

 

He has permission to use the weiand name. I assume this cover is a direct replacement for the stock timing cover but I'll double check with him.

 

The problem I see is you can't just take a mold from an existing piece. I talked to Pinstriper about this at great length when he was trying to get Offy to make a run of some manifolds that the bucks were gone for. There is a percentage of shrinkage and that needs to be accounted for. Now is he pulling a mold and making a new buck for it. That's the whole part that confused me on the Nailhead list. At this point I would like to see at least a pic of one. I wish it were as easy as just popping a mold off of one.

And that's all Russ' Nailhead stuff in the new TRJ....

 

Now if we could only get Edelbrock to put their old nailhead intake back into production.

 

He is a semi retired mold maker. I'm sure he knows what he is doing.

 

Russ wouldn't have recommended him if he wasn't the real deal. Ya, thats him in TRJ.

 

The bucks are long gone... or so they say.... as are Offy's 6x2 bucks...

I just think it's going to be a little more to it than just cranking them out. It has to be precise on more than one plane in one dimension. I just think the $200 is awfully optomistic for such a small run... I'm not tryingto be negative but realistic, there are going to be some issues. Look how long some of the other stuff has taken to come to fruition.

 

the technology to copy an existing part to make a pattern is getting more and more affordable everyday. if he has access to a digitizer or scanning CMM it doesn't take much to create a cad model, and take that cad info and make a plastic prototype/master pattern to make a sand cast mold from. some of this equipment to do this is pretty trick, imagine a machine that "spits" out a plastic string, layer by layer until you have a full sized functional model, they're out there, and the worse off the situation is for larger manufacturers who use this stuff, the cheaper it is for niche markets like ours to take advantage of the technology.

 

That's way cool that Weiand gave him permission to use the name!

Keep us posted.
-Brad

 

I remeber the old ones were for 394-401...These will not be for 322 correct?

 

For what size Nailheads?????

 

The big 401/425.... I e-mailed Russ Martin about if this timing cover being for fuel injection or a standard timing chain cover, but have not received an answer as of yet. The guy who is makeing the covers can be reached at 714-429-0250 Dick Holt at Quality Machine Services in California to be put on the list for purchase.

 

FYI... I am not connected to these people. I just thought many of you would be interested in some repop parts.

 

Thanks for the info leadsled01...I'll be watching this real close also.
LSM

 

I haven't checked myself yet, but my understanding is that a later timing chain cover will bolt to a 322 block; it has the same foot print. It becomes an issue for some people because you then have to use the later water pump and fuel pump. For me, that's a bonus, not a problem as they're both aluminum and readily available from NAPA and others. On the 322, the stock fuel pump was one of those goofy Dual Action pumps, with the fuel pump on the bottom and the vacuum pump to run the windshield wipers on top. The later pumps don't have the vacuum portion.

-Brad

 

Russ has e-mailed me and stated that Weiand only made timing covers for fuel injection pumps and marine waterpumps and had no provisions for a factory automotive waterpumps. Damn-it..Still really cool if you want to go FI but thats outta my realm.

 

that sucks... timing covers can be one of the hardest parts to get sometimes.
I was hoping this would be the end of that...
I actually had one guy that talked about actually CNC'ing them... but costs weren't in line... Maybe I should talk to him again..

 

Just got word from Dick Holt. These should be ready by the begining of October!!!

 

I believe the weiand timing chain covers were for FI and marine water pumps. Can anyone confirm this???? If that is correct then why couldn't I run the marine style water pump on my car?? FYI Dick said he has the blanks from the foundary completed and just needs to machine the mating surfaces.

 

The Weiand is indeed a FI and marine piece. The difficulty is going to be that the marine pump is set up to pick up water from the lake or other body of water. I'm not saying can't be done, but may be difficult. Can you find a marine pump?

 

Would an electric water pump be easier??

 

I just talked to Dick and these are ready. $275 for a polished cover. I sent him the money today. I wasn't going to buy one because of the FI thing, but a NOS weiand cover just sold on e-bay for $600,so I'll probably never have this opportunity again. Nobody has attempted to answer my electric water pump question above??? You know , like the drag race style water pumps??

 

I will be using a mechanical fuel injection setup on my Olds engine, along with a similar style timing cover. I plan on using a remote electric water pump from someone like Product Engineering.

Another option is a cam-driven marine water pump such as Kuhl's "River Rat" pump.

 

Just got my timing cover today. Looks real good! I haven't tried to install it yet, but Dick claims it's exactly like the original. I haven't been able to resize pics yet but I'm working on it.

 

We are all waiting for pictures! These really are gooood news!
I'm also very interested on these timing covers!

 

If you like you can mail them to me and I'll resize them and put them here. Then you can persuade Dick to repop the Algon timing cover or maybe the Nicson. I'll be first in line.

//Magnus

 

I'll e-mail them tonight.. I spent 3 hours trying to resize and post but couldn't get it right.