New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

Today I decided on my tooling/molding strategy and how I want to mold and cast my new blocks. It doesn't sound like much, but you need to consider certain foundry processes when you make stuff like this. You also need to have all the sand assembly and how you will make molds and cores figured out before you start cutting tooling. Since I am using hybrids of various processes I had to decide on a plan of attack. Done!

Tod

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

i have watched a bunch of pattern making videos on youtube for simple items and know how complex they can be... I also know how complex the flathead is to cast! quite crazy. btw, have you discussed the ports with guys like Ol ron?? small changes can make a decent change in the flow.

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

I;ve been diesecting a block to figer out how to add Liqud steel to the water jacket of the block. This is in the area of the top ad sids of the intake ports, with out affecting the water around the exhaust bowls. If any one would cast a new block it would be simple to eliminate the water jacket on the exhaust side of the intake port, I'll use the segments of the old block to test filling these areas. The reaso for this is to provide enough material to relocater the intake port as high as possable an allow the port to be widened dear the valve pocket. Using a flow program, you can see the affects a small change in a single part of the port can affect the complete port as the flow increases.
Will this work? I have no idea, but I can't think of anything else to do. Yet!.

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

Tod,

I am sure this is great news (considering your past accomplishments), but I don't think anyone not experienced with foundry and tooling operations (which is most of us) can truly understand the importance of what you are telling us. Given your reputation, all I have to say is "Way to go" and I can't wait to see the results!

Tubman

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

What he said^^.

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

X 3^^

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

Can't wait to see this project come to fruition!!

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

Mine will be much more simplified than that. New tech makes things much less cumbersome.

Tod

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

My older brother pulled the heads off the motor in my old hand me down 1951 Merc back when he was in High School. He thought someone had sabotaged the motor by cramming it full of bailing wire and sand. It was just crap left over from the casting process at Ford. We took as much as we could get to out. I took the motor out not too long after that and did the usual tear down with a trip to the Redi-Strip shop. They had filters to catch the crap and protect his pump set up in the tank. He took more than a full size coffee can full of sand and core wire out of that block even after we had tried in vain to clean it. We had never had any trouble with overheating either. The guys on the vibrator table may have been in a hurry the day they shook the core material out of it back in 1950. From what I've seen, this is not all that unusual for an original block on the first overhaul.

Re: New 8BA tooling direction figured out.
 

I messed with several 49 style blocks over a few years. Every time I reached a finger in one of the four corner exhaust ports, it came out bloody. Just a little long shank grinding here may have helped a lot.