New block machining.
 

Today I received a machining quote from my friend for the various A/B blocks I want to produce. The casting price is right where I want it to be but if volume exceeds my capacity to fill orders I need a fall-back machine source. My friend's shop is more than capable of handling over-flow and his price came in exactly where my shop pricing is, so things are looking very good at this point. We are planning to sell these blocks with new caps and the options the polls wanted. I am pleased with where things are at this point.

Tod

Re: New block machining.
 

Whoohoo , good news :) !
You knew that you wouldn't get by without questions,eh :D !
My one question regarding machining is....since you will have to BORE block anyway, would it be any trouble to say bore block to 4" ?

Re: New block machining.
 

Tod, you da man!!

Re: New block machining.
 

Love it when a plan comes together.

Re: New block machining.
 

Cheers for the update Tod.

Re: New block machining.
 

If we have to go beyond regular machining there might be a small fee for extra work. It will depend on demand for such. If there are many dozens of people wanting 4" I can always change/add a tool for that bore. I already have 2 boring heads for my Clevelands that cut just under 4". Worse case is that the finish machinist here (Kevin Prus Jr.) or your guy has to do it.

Tod

Re: New block machining.
 

Hi Tod,

This is a just curious machining question. How long do the cores, and boring machine bits last? Do they have to be replaced every 100 blocks or so? Just curious.

Mike

Re: New block machining.
 

Great news Tod! Hope to see one soon.

Re: New block machining.
 

As an option you could shorten the lifter guides to make adjusting adjustable lifters easier.

Re: New block machining.
 

Hey Tod,
Thanks for the good/informative information. Do not know your work /job, but was thinking ...if it would be most accurate/correct bore when done first time. No problem :).

Re: New block machining.
 

Cores are part of the foundry/casting process, and are good for one casting. Every casting requires a fresh set of cores and mold halves to make it.

As for machining tooling, tool life is a variable depending on optimal cutting conditions and variance from it. I use as many carbide tipped drills as I can, and most cutting is done with indexable tooling, which means carbide inserts for the specific metal are used (perishable) and their lives are dependent on cutting conditions. The primary cause for insert wear in my shop is interrupted cutting, where the inserts are not able to be in their engineered environment, which is engaged in metal removal. When an insert is moving from metal to air and back to metal again there is an amount of 'slamming' going on that cannot be avoided. Drills can be resharpened to extend life and I am pretty good at resharpening carbide inserts but that is only allowable where tolerances will nor be effected by the small change in either diameter or tool length. The edges I have learned to put on inserts are usually better than the OEM but I cannot coat them so I usually get only one or two resharpens out of each corner.

I have rarely had tools last for 100 pieces of anything except maybe drills for heads. I have to constantly listen to every sound in the shop as, say, 4 machines are running. I listen for sounds of tool wear or breakage which is evident in the sound of the tool engaging the part and even the sound of the spindle motor.

Taps are probably the worst. If you don't stay ahead of breakage you will get one busted off in a casting, which is a possible way of scrapping an otherwise good part. When you have a 1000 dollar engine block casting (like my Cleveland blocks) you listen VERY intently to every sound!

Tod

Re: New block machining.
 

Sure. If a customer wants that option, an additional program would be easy to create just for that. It might add another 10 bucks to the price, if anything. If the demand warranted it, I could make another core for that option and just cast them that way.

Tod

Re: New block machining.
 

I duuno. If you start out at 4.000 you have no where to go for rebuilding many many yrs from now

Re: New block machining.
 

Re-read some of past information from Tod. He has considered jacket thickness and added to that. AND, notice that when the 4'' question was asked, he didn't flinch and/or respond....that that would cause any such problems.

Re: New block machining.
 

Amazing how quickly this engine has come together vs the "other" one. JMO
Paul in CT

Re: New block machining.
 

Yesterday I bounced my fixturing ideas off of my friend and he was pleased to hear that my idea for fixturing takes the blocks from 4 set ups down to 2 with an idea that came from my 4 years experience working in 2 different shops in Indianapolis. This will allow us to machine blocks quicker and with less variation due to multiplying set ups. I will be starting on the design today.

Tod

Re: New block machining.
 

Thanks for the update Tod, great to hear things are moving along, keep it up.

Re: New block machining.
 

3D model of fixture finished.

Tod

Re: New block machining.
 

Paul,
The "Other" one has already done 25 test castings. Now looking for a foundry to pour them in mass. I am sure Tod would agree this is not a race to see who will be first. But more about making a quality product. Both men are devoted to their cause.

Re: New block machining.
 

Awesome Tod! So any data on once a few blocks have been fully made and used in a running engine what might be the demand for them? What the retail cost of finished block (ready for assembly) might be?