The Terry Burtz 5 main bearing engine blocks are back on track.

[Terry Burtz, Calif]

Whenever I post an update to this project, my mailbox fills up with questions, comments, and interesting stories. Here are a few, and there are more to come.

I have been following your project, but think I am not on a list to be informed as soon as ordering is possible. I am old enough to want to get your block crank and rods as soon as possible. Who knows what tomorrow may bring. I would like to buy directly, but would be okay going through a dealer if that would get me the product and a complete block faster. I was following Tod’s efforts to cast a new block, but you seem to be far ahead, and as a SF Bay Area guy I would prefer to have the motor done locally. Machinists are hard to find who specialize in Model A’s, but as your design is internally more modern, I may be able to use a local Burlingame automotive machinist who seems to do quality work.
Please put me on the mailing list to get ordering information as soon as you are ready to start taking orders and deposits.
Thanks, Russ

Russ, there is no list at this time. We have nothing to sell until the new engine engineering evaluation parts successfully pass our evaluation. The introductory price for a limited time will be $3500 per set of parts (cylinder block, crankshaft and connecting rods including all fasteners, dowel pins, and bushings).
Dealers who order 5 sets or more at a time will receive a further discount.
Once we have something to sell, people on the Email list, all MAFCA and MARC chapters, and internet forums will be notified.





Why reinvent the wheel? Skat can make the crankshaft and rods and they are already drilled for pressure oil. It seems to me to be a much cheaper way to go. I have worked with and used Skat products for quite a while and their quality is top notch and their suppliers are reliable and cost effective. After reading from start of this project to this email, it seems to me your vendors have been suspect in a number of areas to say the least. I will tell you that many Chinese vendors will tell you one thing and deliver totally different spec. For example, a company I am very familure spec'td a hi end bike carrier for expensive off road mountain bikes. After delivering a number of these expensive racks, customers began filing claims as their bikes were falling off of car. Even though the spec was totally clear and the Chinese factory and manager signed off, he decided to use grade 2 bolts instead of the grade 8 that was called for. The bouncing of the car and bikes broke the grade 2 bolts and the vertical bike support fell into the road and the car following ran over and smashed the bikes. When the company contacted the factory seems no one took responsibility, and tried to blame it on the bolt supplier. It put the company out of business due to the claims with no one in China stepping up to take responsibility. The moral is don't believe a word they say period. Incidentally the Chinese shipped about 25 racks for inspection and guess what they had the spec'td grade 8 bolts. Good luck with your project I can see lots of down stream issues with their steel quality and fasteners, so I opt out and pass, just give me a henry block and a quality Skat crank and rods. Just by sheer number of cranks that Skat buys in China they ain't gonna screw with them. Skat has 30 crank grinders going all day long and they supply a lot of major manufacturers. In your case maybe 50 cranks and blocks if you are lucky. . Howard



Howard, Thanks for your comments and the "hi end" bike rack story.

I like SCAT products.

SCAT makes crankshafts for Model T, Model A, Model B, and 4 cylinder Chevrolet engines. I have met in person with Tom Leib, owner of SCAT and we had a long conversation about crankshafts.

The crankshafts for the above engines are all made from a "Fits-All" forging from India that is machined in California. The "Fits-All" forging is a compromise for any of the engines listed above and the rod journals cannot be machined for Model B connecting rods because there is not enough material on the forging.

The "New Model A Engine" has a crankshaft with 5 main bearings, 8 counterweights, and 4 connecting rod bearings that are all 2 inches in diameter. The corresponding SCAT crankshaft for a Model A engine has 3 main bearings, 4 counterweights, and 4 connecting rod bearings that are 1.5 inch diameter.

Regarding your comment "After reading from start of this project to this email, it seems to me your vendors have been suspect in a number of areas to say the least.". Thank you for following this project from the beginning. The only vendor that I spent money to perform in the past was Lodi Iron Works. They had no quality control, and refused to follow a procedure even when I wrote it like a Ikea or Lego manual without words for the assembly of cores, and this is why the project stalled. We are now working with factories in China that have good quality control and specialize in making OEM engines for many manufacturers.

Regarding the "hi end" bike racks and the Grade 8 bolt problem, all high strength bolts have marks on their head to indicate strength. Low strength bolts like grade 2 have no markings. Did the bolts that failed have head markings? Did the bike rack company that imported the racks have any Quality Assurance personnel that inspected bolt heads? Did the installation instructions specify a torque value for the bolts? Any of the above questions could have prevented the problem. China is not a big fastener manufacturer, and our fasteners for the new engine will come from factories in South Korea that specialize in making high strength fasteners. Our builders guide will specify torque values for the fasteners and any low strength fastener will fail during engine assembly.

Regarding your comment "Good luck with your project I can see lots of down stream issues with their steel quality and fasteners, so I opt out and pass, just give me a henry block and a quality Skat crank and rods." Thanks for wishing us good luck with this project and I am sorry to see that you are not interested and want to "opt out". The new Model A engine is utilizing materials and processes that are used in modern engines by companies that specialize in building engines. I am confident that we won't have the fastener problems that you experienced. I also want to wish you the best of luck in your choice to use an original "Henry" 3 main block with a SCAT 3 main "Fits-All" crankshaft.








Hi Terry,
Sounds like this project is coming right along
I have a few questions
1. does the engine come with all the main bearings and rod bearings?
2. Is this going to end up as a 3 or 5 main engine?
3. What do you expect the dealer prices to be on 5 sets?
What pistons with the engine be setup to use?Thanks for your time
I will be interested to possibly being a central USA dealer for these
Eric


1) The only bearings being supplied are the thrust washers. All other bearing are MAHLE part number CB745P (trimetal) and they were used from 1955 to 2003 in several V-8, 6, and 4-cylinder engines built by General Motors. The first usage was in the 1955 265 cubic inch V-8, and the last usage was in the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder OHV that was made in 2003. Both the main and connecting rod journals are the same at 2 inch diameter. The price for a pair of inserts including postage can be less than $3 for a pair. 12 pairs of inserts are required for the new engine. Check out Ebay #281494310467. Other manufacturers also make this insert.
2) 5 mains
3) I'll have John Lampl contact you regarding Dealer pricing.
Regarding pistons, all interfaces on the new engine are identical a to stock Model A. If any part fits a Model A engine, that same part will fit the new engine.





Thank you. I truly enjoy the project and pleased to be one of your first sales orders when you are confident George

George, Thanks for the kind words. At this stage in the project, I don't see anything major that can go wrong.





Terry, first I would like to commend you for your commitment to this project. I have been following it more or less since you started and I realize the magnitude of your undertaking.
I am very interested in an introductory engine to put in my 1929 dirt track race car with a Riley 2 port head. I do have a couple of questions.
Does the 60 day introductory price include a complete short block with the 2 oil pumps you mentioned?
Is the grind of the camshaft a mirror the Model A, is it ground more like a Model B, or is it some other grind?
Thank you, Bob


Bob, we are not supplying a complete short block. We are only supplying a cylinder block, crankshaft, and a set of connecting rods that are ready to assemble. You get to choose pistons, rings, valve train, and all other parts needed to build an engine. With your Riley head, you will need a special camshaft ground that is compatible with your rocker arm ratio.






Terry, thanks for the update but I refuse to visit the haterbarn for my information, so keep the email updates coming or post the updates on the ford vintage. I know yo are a member there too. azzclone

azzclone, Thanks for your comments.
The thread on FordBarn is very long with over 26,000 views, and that is why I post there.
If you read the FordBarn post from the start, there is a story about how this dead project was revived. The story is not on the ford vintage or the Ahooga Forum.
Are you one of the people that are banned from FordBarn?
I accidentally got banned from the ford vintage and was banned from seeing posts. I contacted Steve Plucker and he contacted Mitch who reinstated me.
If you can't see the posts on FordBarn, please let me know and I'll post also on the ford vintage.
I will continue to send Email updates until this project either succeeds, or comes to a halt as it did when Lodi Iron Works could not deliver as promised.





Terry, Thank you for your update and great to hear of the progress being made.
I really look forward to hearing the results of your validation testing and trust that the amount of time you and your team have taken to develop the engine will prove to be a success. Please put me on the list to be able to purchase the block/crank, rods, caps, etc. once they are available for sale.
In reviewing your webpage is it still your intention to follow through and have the 22 pound flywheels built?
Stay safe, Regards, Bob


Bob, Our next project will be the flywheel. I have a SolidWorks design that is on hold until we validate the new engine parts and authorize production.





Thanks Terry for the update. This is great news, looking forward get the new parts.
Lance, God Bless America, Sent from my iPad

Lance, thanks for your comment and God bless America in these troubled times.




Looking forward to the release date for purchase! John

Me too. If all goes well, we should have parts for sale in September 2020.




Thank you. I truly enjoy the project and pleased to be one of your first sales orders when you are confident George

George, Thanks for your comment.