Technical *** October 2015 Banger Meet - Shadows Getting Shorter in Aus and NZ ***

Yes, finally a positive experience. Thanks!

Hi, are you using the synchronized 39 Ford style gears?
I'm running a 39 ford box and a Kiwi quick change. I need to get a few sets of gear changes so I can swap them out once i get to the hill climb race and not just swap the ones I use for highway
speeds.
Thanks for the info.
Joe

 

Did you see this thread?
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179683

 

OUCH !!

 

Joe,
I found a crank that you shouldn't be able to break!!

 

I'd have to do a lot of whittling to get that to fit!

 

I would assume they are 39 Ford gears. I bought a bare Trans case and took it to Joe Mac and asked him to "fill it up" I have a Kiwi under my 29 RPU and have found a few sets of used 1" midget gears reasonably priced on eBay

 

I'm off to that auction sight now... Haha

 

I could break it!!
I don't think anywhere in the state would be safe when it lets loose.

 

It looks to be a 10 or 12 main crank. I'm thinking it might only fit a B block!! To much work to fit in an A

 

Ouch!

 

That's not the only thing I said!
(I'm still licking my wounds!)

 

Sandman, I too feel your pain. I broke two Model A crankshafts with my set-up before changing to a Burlington crank with billet caps and Skokie forged rods. Apart from the rather high compression you noted your engine as pictured does not appear to be too radical, so I am a little surprised at a new crankshaft breaking in so few miles of use.

That being said, I am convinced that the biggest contributor to my crank breakage was too much timing; in retrospect I could feel the engine fighting itself at higher rpm's, which I believe was creating the twisting forces that lead to failure. If you are running more than 24-26 degrees of total advance I would dial it back and start tuning from there. I have a crow's-foot Winfield and use 24 degrees of total advance since I installed the Burlington crank. First two cranks lasted about 800 miles each, but Burlington is now on its fourth season of use (we have seasons in MN).

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm not exactly sure of where my timing was. I was actually thinking about advancing it a little, I have already killed two expensive digital timing lights with that Wico Magneto and solid copper core wires. I think it was around 23. Anymore would've killed my starter, actually it did kill it and I just installed a gear reduced snap starter two days before. It would start with just a bump of the button. And it has never dieseled. This is why I was thinking of a little more advance, but I was gonna play with it up at the hill climb race site while changing the jets and swapping out the quick change gears. I've been told that OHV use more timing than Flat heads. Sometimes I wish I just stuck with my Winfield red head crow's foot and single Winfield downdraft carb and just added oil pressure.
Thanks again,
Joe

 

Beautiful looking engine.
I think I'll copy the way you did the mount cause while I'm trimming the front crossmember
I'm gonna go ahead and trim it to fit the large Kong 5 main girdle I'll be using.
I just priced the aluminum to go billet and there is no way I can afford that!
Besides, the Kong Jackson is the traditional way to go! "once in a lifetime chance to purchase"
(for me anyways!)
Thanks again for the photos,
Joe

 

What's a gear reduced snap starter?

 

Here is a harmonic balancer I been using for years to save my cranks
It is a unit made for formula ford and like Dans needs a adaptor sleeve it is just 1/4" dia larger than a stock pulley
Model A/Bs have just about the worst harmonics that you can find in a crank design just try revving 1 at 5000 rpm with and with a harmonic balancer and you have your answer

 

what head is this ...........

 

Do you have a part number or resources for these?

 

I know it's not even close to traditional but when you need to start that High compression engine and are tired of breaking them starter jacks and cant fish the parts out of your bell housing, this is the best I can find! 220.50 and free shipping! (Can't beat that!)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-MODEL-...ion-Switch-and-Wire-Kit-/271982350618?vxp=mtr

 

Nice work!
I ordered mine yesterday and it was in front of my shop door at 9:00am!
I also like to have an under drive pulley in front of the damper just like Crazydaddyo. Looks like less trimming to do on the front cross member of a stock A chassis!

 

looks to be new in the box . do you have a vendor & part# ?

 

I find starter drive breakage is usually from too much advance at cranking speed. This is from my personal experience. I also feel that the import drives have brittle gears as compared to older domestic gears. This is pretty common with the conversion needed with a flathead V8 flywheel. It occurs when the gear doesn't engage deep enough, I think.

 

The stock starter didn't have a problem starting my Winfield 7 to 1 red head with Wico mag but when I changed to an OHV with 10 to 1 even with exact same timing the starter didn't last!
I had a lightened Model A flywheel with stock ring gear and v8 clutch.
I don't ever plan to go back to a huge heavy stock style starter! not with this engine.
I do have a rebuilt 12V stock style starter that I'm saving for the Winfield equipped engine that I'll be building soon. I already have the original Red head, down draft intake with matched down draft BB carb , Winfield 101R cam and an old iron header. . I will be running full oil pressure though.

 

↑http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pfs-80010/overview/make/chevrolet

I found this link on a post from Crazydaddyo.
Thank you Crazydaddyo!
You have steered me into the right direction.
Also, wanted to say that after we put one together we (might) be making them all new from billet steel ready to just bolt on. Maybe do a few extra sell? Oh, yes they will have the "rubber" in between and be available in standard and undersized pulleys.
That's if there's anyone interested in having one?
Thanks,
Joe

 

Wow, that's cool! What does it take to install? A sleeve? Is it a direct "bolt on"?

 

Not yet, this one will need to have some work done to locate the TDC and mount the pulley also machine work a sleeve or collar. not sure yet. I think it's for an early sbc 283. Once we're done getting it exactly how we want it, then we will make some at that exact size using 3 pieces. Two steel and one rubber between the two billet steel pieces for the harmonics instead of cast and collars and adapters ect...
(When available, it will be a direct bolt on with stock or under drive size pulley.)
It will fit an A or B..

 

Guys, I'm starting to plan out my banger. I'm reading Les Andrews' volume 2 handbook to assist in the planning.

One thing I want to do is lighten the flywheel, but Les says it needs to be mated to a counter-weighted crank. Would a lightened flywheel work with a standard crank? I know the weight of the original was to help dampen vibration. Am I going the wrong way?

BTW...I have also got a Float-a-Motor mount set coming to help ease the pain a bit!

Good ideas or bad??

 

That's the exact same head I have on my Model A (original) engine on page 2 post 55 of this thread.
It's kinda hard to see but you can tell it's aluminum. Sometimes (especially now!) I wish it was still on my Roadster!
I put a couple thousand miles on that engine in a few months and it ran great when I removed it, to install the oil pressured OHV Diamond B engine!
(Hopefully my next cranckshaft will last!)
Joe

 

I started with this in my Roadster. I broke 2 cranks in it in less then 2,000 miles. Bought a bone stock B engine with lot's of miles on it and put the Wieand head, a Brierly cam, and 2 Stromberg 81's on it. I ran the piss out of that engine for more then 10,000 miles. It ran as good if not better then the "Ardun" headed engine.