Testing blocks in the home shop

[tetanus]

I just drew some plates up like the speedway kit. Had them cut out of 3/8 plate. I have the files I can send you. I got some 1/8 buna rubber for the gasket and cut it out. from McMaster carr and some 5/8 .083 wall tube for spacers over studs. I got a block soaking in vinegar now I’m going to pressure test after it’s cleaned out better.

[tetanus]

Here is a pic

[tetanus]

Bigger pic

[GB SISSON]

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! I don't understand about the 'files', guessing my buddy loads them in his computer and he's ready to push the blast button? Did you do a water pump plate as well? Dang, yours looks great!

[Bored&Stroked]

Nice Job Tetanus: It is good that you went with 3/8" plate - that would be my minimum thickness. How was the rubber cut?

Another option is to make a thicker place - say 1" thick, have it blanchard ground and also use the plate as a "torque plate" when honing the cylinders. Might as well get a couple uses out of a "tool" like this.

Note: It is preferable to have them CNC drill the holes - at a bit oversize from 7/16. This will help with small misalignment issues as well as with and discrepancies in the actual stud locations in the original CAD file.

Also, make the bore holes 3 7/16 - to ensure that the torque plate works for any block you're going to use it on.

Best of luck GB!

[GB SISSON]

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Originally Posted by Bored&Stroked

Nice Job Tetanus: It is good that you went with 3/8" plate - that would be my minimum thickness. How was the rubber cut?

Another option is to make a thicker place - say 1" thick, have it blanchard ground and also use the plate as a "torque plate" when honing the cylinders. Might as well get a couple uses out of a "tool" like this.

Note: It is preferable to have them CNC drill the holes - at a bit oversize from 7/16. This will help with small misalignment issues as well as with and discrepancies in the actual stud locations in the original CAD file.

Also, make the bore holes 3 7/16 - to ensure that the torque plate works for any block you're going to use it on.

Best of luck GB!

Yes, bigger is better here up to a point. The speedway kit has cap screws with a rubber washer under trhe head. I could see the washer was not going to last too long. I'm thinking the rubber washers aren't really needed. Maybe tetanus can give us his results.

[tetanus]

the files are cad files (.Dxf) they should be able to inport them and cut em out. yes i did water pump also. i wanted to go 1/2 thick but my buddys shop only had 3/8. i cut rubber with plate clamped to it with a board under it so i could cut into it with xacto knife. the holes i got a tube that fit in hole and put a taper in i.d. until end was sharp. then just ran that in my hole shooter and it cut righ through. I did think of making it thick for torque plate also but i have one from i think kwik way or somewhere that bolts onto studs and it has a t slot for a kwik way boring head.i gave the holes a little clearance but they got a bit bigger than i wanted, the laser cuts online no offset. i have not put pressure to it yet so im not sure if it will hold. we will see.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by tetanus

the files are cad files (.Dxf) they should be able to inport them and cut em out. yes i did water pump also. i wanted to go 1/2 thick but my buddys shop only had 3/8. i cut rubber with plate clamped to it with a board under it so i could cut into it with xacto knife. the holes i got a tube that fit in hole and put a taper in i.d. until end was sharp. then just ran that in my hole shooter and it cut righ through. I did think of making it thick for torque plate also but i have one from i think kwik way or somewhere that bolts onto studs and it has a t slot for a kwik way boring head.i gave the holes a little clearance but they got a bit bigger than i wanted, the laser cuts online no offset. i have not put pressure to it yet so im not sure if it will hold. we will see.

Seems to me that even if the holes were 5/8" or so, they would compress the rubber and hold pressure, no? Should I wait to see your results before we share the cad drawings? And thank you very much for offering. My buddy says to send the drawings over! I have seen him cut 1" plate, it's pretty mind boggling what these things are capable of. Must be a game changer for a lot of industries as well as the smaller shops.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by tetanus

the files are cad files (.Dxf) they should be able to inport them and cut em out. yes i did water pump also. i wanted to go 1/2 thick but my buddys shop only had 3/8. i cut rubber with plate clamped to it with a board under it so i could cut into it with xacto knife. the holes i got a tube that fit in hole and put a taper in i.d. until end was sharp. then just ran that in my hole shooter and it cut righ through. I did think of making it thick for torque plate also but i have one from i think kwik way or somewhere that bolts onto studs and it has a t slot for a kwik way boring head.i gave the holes a little clearance but they got a bit bigger than i wanted, the laser cuts online no offset. i have not put pressure to it yet so im not sure if it will hold. we will see.

Seems to me that even if the holes were 5/8" or so, they would compress the rubber and hold pressure, no? Should I wait to see your results before we share the cad drawings? And thank you very much for offering. My buddy says to send the drawings over! I have seen him cut 1" plate, but the 3/8" sounds fine since I have no way of boring cylinders, hence no need for the heavy torque plate.

[Ronnieroadster]

A point of interest about the use of rubber sealing washers. I also have the Speedway pressure testing set with the supplied rubber/steel washers. Those washers have held up nicely after many years of use. Any idea of trying to test a block without sealing the bolt holes will result in huge amount of air leakage.

McMaster Carr sells the rubber/steel washers in my opinion its a good investment to use sealing washers so the time spent testing for leaks is not disrupted by so much air leaking out of lets see on a 24 bolt block I think its about 20 bolt holes.
Ronnireroadster

[GB SISSON]

Thanks Ronnie, I will get the washers.

[tetanus]

i don't see a need for rubber washers for the 59 block if studs are still in they should be sealed. the 8ba i think you will need them. I would start by cleaning decks and valve to bore areas and pan rails and go over them first by eye a lot of the cracks you can see by eyeball but not all. Then mag what's left and after that pressure test. i sent you a pm for your email to send files.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by tetanus

i don't see a need for rubber washers for the 59 block if studs are still in they should be sealed. the 8ba i think you will need them. I would start by cleaning decks and valve to bore areas and pan rails and go over them first by eye a lot of the cracks you can see by eyeball but not all. Then mag what's left and after that pressure test. i sent you a pm for your email to send files.

Tetanus:

Thanks for your posts and sharing your CAD file.

Personal preference, but I flip flop the last two steps. If you are able to pressure test at home it can help to minimize time, expense and hassle of getting it mag'd when it's no good.

If the block passes the eye and pressure test, it should be properly cleaned anyway so that is a job I like to sub out to a machine shop. The shake and bake blasting cleans blocks to like new condition.

I then have the shop mag it while there to save me an extra trip.

Unfortunately, I've gotten pretty good and spotting cracks by eye, but the mag test is cheap insurance and a necessary step after it's checked out and held some air pressure.

[tetanus]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

Tetanus:

Thanks for your posts and sharing your CAD file.

Personal preference, but I flip flop the last two steps. If you are able to pressure test at home it can help to minimize time, expense and hassle of getting it mag'd when it's no good.

If the block passes the eye and pressure test, it should be properly cleaned anyway so that is a job I like to sub out to a machine shop. The shake and bake blasting cleans blocks to like new condition.

I then have the shop mag it while there to save me an extra trip.

Unfortunately, I've gotten pretty good and spotting cracks by eye, but the mag test is cheap insurance and a necessary step after it's checked out and held some air pressure.

you are right Tim on the order of checking but i have a mag tester i got a deal on. it takes way less time to mag it than pressure testing it.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by tetanus

you are right Tim on the order of checking but i have a mag tester i got a deal on. it takes way less time to mag it than pressure testing it.

Ah, great. May I ask, is the one Eastwood sells or something similar? If so, how do you like it?

I've toyed with getting an "at home" mag kit to help further "streamline" the good/bad process of block identification.

[tetanus]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

Ah, great. May I ask, is the one Eastwood sells or something similar? If so, how do you like it?

I've toyed with getting an "at home" mag kit to help further "streamline" the good/bad process of block identification.

Its the magnaflux brand one like a horseshoe. got for $200 on ebay a while back. thing works great.

[Ronnieroadster]

Originally Posted by tetanus

i don't see a need for rubber washers for the 59 block if studs are still in they should be sealed. the 8ba i think you will need them. I would start by cleaning decks and valve to bore areas and pan rails and go over them first by eye a lot of the cracks you can see by eyeball but not all. Then mag what's left and after that pressure test. i sent you a pm for your email to send files.

That's certainly correct if you leave the studs in the block there's no need for sealing washers. Any block without studs will need sealing washers of some type.
Ronnieroadster

[GB SISSON]

Haven't heard anything back from the guy who I sent the files to. Maybe I'm just not 'big time' enough for his operation.... Thinking seriously of using Mart's plywood idea. A neighbor told me tonight he has a bunch of scrap 3/4" 13 ply Baltic birch. I water tested some scraps of this material a few years back in my rain barrel. A whole Pacific NW winter and good as new. I think I'd laminate them with formica faces (why not?) and maybe epoxy the edges. Waterpump same. Heck, these things woulda been tested by now if I'd listened to Mart!
And...... Today I ordered 2 rolls of 18 gauge magnet wire and 2 bottles of yellow iron powder. I have been researching magnets for a week now and think I want a horseshoe shaped electromagnet about 6" centers on the poles. Many visions for the 'horseshoe' have been dancing in my head. Section of a crankshaft? Piece of 1" rod heated and bent? An old C clamp I found? Welded bar stock? Seems steel retains magnetism far more than Iron does. I also have some steering shaft that would be easy to wrap before assembly as the hollow nature gives me centers. Then two pieces of heavy bar stock drilled to accept the steering shaft. Ok, my brain is spinning now. How 'bout a 4" pipe nipple say 3/4" pipe and onto the bar stock I weld a 3/4" coupling cut in half for two female threads. That way I can wrap the wire with any Rube Goldberg setup and crank the thing into alignment with my big crescent and the vice. Ok one more thing before I retire for the night... Is it ok the core is hollow? If not, fill with what? Oh, and how many turns of wire? Youtube is very vague so far. I should have 200' of 18 gauge. Thanks and to all a good night.

[Kurt in NJ]

For many years I used a armature growler, made “powder” on the brake lathe , .002 cuts, or saver the fine cut from the cylinder boring bar —- works good enough, the growler would get warm after 30 minutes, homemade powder works as good as store bought,just not as easy to see as the dyed store bought,
I now have a real set, the magnet gets warm after 30 minutes steady use too, it does have a wider spread though.
Using alternating current won’t permanently magnetize the iron like direct current can.

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Bruce, are you saying that wrapping the welding cable around the cast iron block then welding on something will temporarilly magnetize the block, thus aligning the powder with a crack???? Like the block becomes the magnet? Maybe you were kidding, or maybe I missunderstood or maybe you are serious. I really don't know much about electricity and magnetism and in general, things I cannot see.

I also made a blockoff plate for the early heads to test them as well, especially the stock aluminum heads. I use my early plates a customer of mine water jet cut for me from head gaskets on the bottom!!!! I am fixing to have him cut me a set of plates for the 59A next