Updates

Updates to the progress of the project from 2010 to 2021 when production began

April 2010

Cylinder Block

Everything is coming together nicely as the foundry tooling is maturing to its’ final configuration. Small changes are being made to make the assembly of cores more precise (maintain wall thickness), quicker and easier to assemble (less labor). As I write this update, Lodi Iron Works and I do not see anything that would be a show-stopper where the new Model A cylinder block could not be cast.

A technical meeting was held on the foundry floor at Lodi Iron Works on April 5, 2010 where Lodi Iron Works had already made a set of cores before the meeting. At the meeting, these cores were inspected and assembled to one another, and the cores, core boxes, assembly of cores, assembly fixtures, drag and cope cavities, etc were all discussed. The attached pictures were taken during that meeting. Both Lodi Iron Works and I left the meeting with a list of action items that we are both completing in preparation for our next technical meeting. To keep costs down, this project is being worked on as a fill in job so as to not impact production.

If everything goes right, I would guess that Lodi Iron Works and I have a technical meeting near the end of April at which time I can pick up the drag and cope plaster cavities to cast the final male patterns.

Connecting Rod and Crankshaft

No additional work has been done. The crankshaft and connecting rod are very simple when compared to the cylinder block.

They will be worked on after the cylinder block is complete.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

June 2010

The “New Engine Project” is alive and well.

Several new people have been added to the update (progress report) list. If any of the newcomers would like a copy of the previous updates, please respond to model.a.engine@hotmail.com

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com, and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

John LaVoy (editor of Model A Times) asked me to write a short “Non Technical” article regarding the “New Engine”, and it will appear in the next issue of the Model A Times.

Cylinder Block

The immediate goal is to have a raw (un-machined) casting of the cylinder block at the MAFCA (Model A Ford Club of America) convention in Vancouver, Canada by Aug 1, 2010.

All foundry tooling (core boxes, cope and drag patterns, and flasks) required to cast the new cylinder block have been delivered to Lodi Iron Works.

Lodi Iron Works is mounting the cope and drag patterns to the match-plates and adding sprues, vents, runners, and gates.

Today, I spoke with my contact at Lodi Iron Works, and the goal of having a cylinder block at the MAFCA convention is realistic.

Connecting Rod and Crankshaft

Foundry tooling for the connecting rod, cylinder block main caps, and crankshaft were discussed in the pattern shop of Lodi Iron Works on June 24, 2010. All parts will be ductile iron.

At the meeting, it was decided that the crankshaft will be cast vertically with rear at bottom and front at top using cope and drag patterns on a common match-plate.

In addition, it was decided that the connecting rods and cylinder block main caps will be cast on the automated casting line that uses 16 in. x 20 in. aluminum patterns on match-plates.

Some time ago, I had the connecting rod design analyzed by FEA (Finite Element Analysis). The results indicated that there were no problems with the original design, however I know that I can improve on the original design to make it more efficient (remove material in areas that have low stresses, and add material in areas that have higher stresses).

I have been in contact with the foundry that makes the aluminum match-plates and will schedule a meeting after I finalize the designs.

GD&T, Tolerances, Machining, and Surface Finishes

I attended the Design 2 Part Show last month at the Santa Clara Convention Center and found 3 machine shops willing to bid on machining the cylinder block with their CNC machines. I have not had the time to schedule a meeting with them to discuss particulars.

Next Update

Photographs will be taken during casting and shake-out of the first cylinder block. They will be reduced to “thumbnails” and included in the next update (first of August???).

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

July 2010

Cylinder Block

The first cylinder block was cast on 22 July 2010, and is on its way to the MAFCA (Model A Ford Club of America) convention in Vancouver, Canada. Look for John LaVoy, Model A Times editor.

The first cylinder block is not a usable casting as the water jacket core was known to be broken (and free floating) before the mold was closed, there is one thin exterior wall, and the gating didn’t work as intended.

However everyone at Lodi Iron Works and myself were very happy to see that the mold filled completely, venting seems to be adequate, all secured cores held their position, surface finish (with exception of a few areas) looked good, there were no cold flow areas, there were no shrinkage tears or voids, all of the core sand was easily removed from the water jacket, and the basic concept of building the mold was validated.

Other than breaking the gates and flash from the raw casting, no further labor was expended to make the casting pretty since there would be no further knowledge gained.

Everyone agreed that the problem areas mentioned above can be resolved before the next casting attempt.

Castings of this complexity usually take multiple attempts before a usable casting is realized.

Attachments 1 through 6 were taken on July 23, 2010 and show the first casting.

Connecting Rod and Crankshaft

In the previous update (June 2010); I mentioned that as a result of the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) on the originally designed connecting rod, that even though it was more than adequate for the design loads, I could make some improvements.

Attachment 7 shows the revised connecting rod design.

GD&T, Tolerances, Machining, and Surface Finishes

I attended the Design 2 Part Show in May at the Santa Clara Convention Center and found 3 machine shops willing to bid on machining the cylinder block with their CNC machines. I have not had the time to schedule a meeting with them to discuss particulars.

In addition, Lodi Iron Works has 2 new CNC machines, and I need to talk with them about machining.

Next Update

The next update will be after the 2nd attempt at pouring a cylinder block. Lodi Iron Works has been advised to schedule the 2nd attempt as a fill in job.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

September 2010

Updates

The first cylinder block was on display at both the MAFCA convention in Canada and at the Apple Hill event. As a result, several new people have been added to the update (progress report) list. I simply added these people to the Email list and never sent the July 2010 update to them. In order to bring these new people up to date, I will re-send the July 2010 update to all in a few days. If you’ve already seen it, please just ignore it.

I have received several inquiries about schedule and cost. This new engine project is a one man effort by someone who has a lot of other irons in the fire. Last year at this time, I had just completed the cylinder block patterns and was starting on core boxes. I have committed to give a seminar at next years MARC convention in San Diego, and my goal is to have an engine by then. As far as cost, when I looked into the feasibility of building an improved Model A engine (2008), the cost had to be minimal and in the ballpark of $3000. Cost has been a major factor in every decision.

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com, and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

Cylinder Block

No work has been done on the cylinder block since the last update. It was returned to Lodi Iron Works just after Labor Day and will be used by them to help address the foundry problems noted in the July 2010 update.

Once the problems are addressed, another casting will be made.

Connecting Rod and Crankshaft

As mentioned in the last update, the connecting rod design was refined. Changes included adding ribs to the cap to make it stiffer, adding a glob of material at the top of the small end that can be partially removed during the balancing operation, and increasing the fillet radii where the small end joins the I-beam section. I’ve also decided to use 2 roll pins to index the cap to the big end of the connecting rod. Other methods of indexing were considered including special studs or bolts with a precise diameter, hollow dowel pins (or drill bushings) around the bolts or studs, and small dowel pins away from the bolts. If anyone has experience or a comment regarding cap indexing, please comment. Bolts chosen are 12 point “off the shelf” (McMaster Carr 91271A641) which have a minimum tensile strength of 170,000 psi. Figures 1 and 2 show the updated connecting rod assembly.

The design of the main bearing caps was also refined to add pockets and ribs which results in parts that are stronger and stiffer with a minimum of additional weight. Like the connecting rods, I am planning on using roll pins for main cap indexing. Figure 3 shows one of the wide caps (main #1 & #3) and one of the narrow caps (mains #2 and #4). The rear main cap remains unchanged with the exception of roll pin indexing.

As part of the effort to make the new engine affordable, the automated casting line at Lodi Iron Works will be utilized to cast the 4 connecting rods and 5 main caps. This will require aluminum match plates. Patterns for the connecting rods and main caps were made with double shrink allowance (aluminum and iron), and have been sent to Lodi Iron Works for arrangement on the match plates. General Foundry in San Leandro will cast the match plates.

The design of the crankshaft was also refined. Changes include adding draft, removing material from the inner cheeks of the crankpins, and removing some material from the counterweights. Material removed from the counterweights was close to the main bearing centerline axis and had little effect on counteracting connecting rod forces. Oil hole locations were also determined. The locations follow modern practice where the oil hole in the connecting rod journal is at TDC when the connecting rod is on the up-stroke and between 90 and 45 degrees before TDC. This positioning also allows the oil hole to be placed closer to the center of the web, away from fillet radii which would create a stress riser, and away from highly loaded surfaces of the crankpin. The new crankshaft will weigh 57 pounds. Figures 4 and 5 show the new crankshaft, and Figure 6 is a view looking through one of the oil passage holes.

GD&T, Tolerances, Machining, and Surface Finishes

Next Update

I’ll get an update out in Nov 2010.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

December 2011

Updates

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I have committed to give a seminar at next year’s MARC convention in San Diego (June 2011), and my goal is to have a running engine by then.

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com, and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

I have informed Lodi Iron Works that the next opportunity to display our efforts will be at the Turlock, Calif. swap meet on Jan 29 and 30, 2011 at the Model A Times booth which is in one of the buildings. Lodi Iron Works has promised to do their best at having raw castings available for display.

Cylinder Block

As I write this update, I know of no engineering issues regarding the cylinder block.

Nine additional sets of core holder spacer tooling along with a storage box have been made and are at Lodi Iron Works. This additional tooling will allow Lodi Iron works to make 10 core assemblies at a time.

Gating and the other casting problems documented in the 23 July 2010 update have been addressed by Lodi Iron Works in preparation for pouring cylinder block casting #2.

Cylinder block casting #2 was poured on Dec 17, and the mold was broken open on Dec 20.

The gating worked and the exterior surface finish was good, however there were venting problems and a cylinder wall that broke through. These problems were not evident in casting #1. Don’t be alarmed because castings of this complexity often require several attempts to get everything right.

Lodi Iron Works is analyzing the problems in casting #2 and will address the problems before casting #3.

Connecting Rod and Crankshaft

The gating and runners for the 3 aluminum match plates that will be used to cast the connecting rods and main caps on the automated line was specified by Lodi Iron Works. These parts have been added to the match plates using poplar wood, and are at Lodi Iron Works awaiting 1st article pouring. If changes to the gating and runners are needed, they will be easy to implement.

Using the crankshaft half pattern picked up by Lodi Iron Works on Nov 3, Lodi Iron Works provided a drawing that specified match plate and flask size along with dimensions for gating, runners, and sprues. The flasks have been delivered, and the match plates will be finished before Christmas. The original plan to cast the crankshaft vertically has been changed to cast it horizontally however the match plates are large enough and arranged so they can be changed to vertical if needed.

GD&T, Tolerances, Machining, and Surface Finishes

I have nothing new to report. I am waiting for Lodi Iron Works to complete the first useable cylinder block casting and the main cap castings. I will then be able to take the new parts along with an old original cylinder block and my SolidWorks machining model for the new cylinder block to machine shops for real discussions and quotes. The first machine shop to be contacted was intended to be Lodi Iron Works with their new CNC capability; however they have advised me that the weight of the raw cylinder block casting may be too heavy to man handle.

Next Update

The next update will be in Feb 2011.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

March 2011

Updates

This update is a few days late because I have been busy making new tooling and minor changes to existing foundry tooling. These changes were completed today and Lodi Iron Works is in possession of all tooling required for casting attempt #4 of the cylinder block.

I have committed to give a seminar at next year’s MARC convention in San Diego (June 2011), and my optimistic goal is to have a running engine by then.

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at

http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com, and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

On Jan 29, 2011, good castings of the crankshaft, connecting rod and main bearing caps were displayed at the Turlock, Calif swap meet along with casting #1 of the cylinder block which was at the MAFCA convention in Vancouver, Canada. I was happy to meet and talk with several of the people that are on the Email update list. In addition, several others were added to the update list.

Cylinder Block

Lodi Iron Works has cast 3 cylinder blocks. #1 had gating problems and the core was known to be broken during mold closure. The revised gating worked on #2, but it also had a broken core problem and was cut apart to verify integrity and wall thicknesses in the areas where the cores were intact. Wall thickness was good in all areas not affected by the broken core, and there was no porosity, tears, cold flow or anything else that would affect the integrity. Casting #3 also had a broken core problem. Attachments 1 and 2 are pictures of casting #2 which was cut apart.

A technical meeting was held at Lodi Iron Works on 10 Jan 2011 when the core assembly for casting #3 was being assembled and a variety of chaplets were discussed that could be used to keep the cores separated to maintain casting wall thickness. Lodi Iron Works believes that the cores can be kept in position without chaplets since chaplets may create other problems including cold flow and porosity. No chaplets were used on any of the 3 castings.

A second technical meeting was held on 28 Jan 2011 where everything was put on the table to be discussed in order to make this project successful and within budget. Every core box, pattern and every other piece of tooling was analyzed and talked about. The meeting culminated with an action item list where several minor tooling changes were requested, some new tooling was requested, and Lodi Iron Works has taken on the task to write a procedure to implement a stronger system for process control on the foundry floor to insure that the tooling will be used as designed, and this should provide the flat surfaces and good features that are needed for core positioning during core assembly.

During mold assembly, the core assembly is placed in the drag (lower half of mold), and the cope (upper half of mold) is lowered into place. The cope weighs several hundred pounds and it is thought to be bumping and breaking the core assembly while being lowered. Longer alignment pins have been made for the cope pattern, a core box to form the longer alignment pins has been made, and extensions for the longer alignment pins have been made.

These changes should make alignment easier for the crane operator as he is lowering the cope. In addition, the core boxes that form the upper and lower core holders have been modified to provide clearance to the cope on their vertical edges.

Other changes made to the tooling include stronger retraction springs on both the upper and lower water jacket core boxes, and modifying the valve chamber core box to make the upper and lower casting wall thickness greater by 1/16 inch.

After the new and changed tooling is verified to work, casting #4 will be made.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

As stated above, good castings of these parts were displayed at the Turlock swap meet and are ready for machining. Compared to the cylinder block, these parts are very simple.

The material that was used to cast these parts is Meehanite SP80 (80-55-06). Other uses for this material include suspension parts, and even off road front spindles where the stub axle is lowered to provide additional ground clearance.

Attachment 3 is a picture of the crankshaft, connecting rods, and main caps.

GD&T, Tolerances, Machining, and Surface Finishes

Good castings of the crankshaft and connecting rods have been created and are ready to be presented to machine shops along with SolidWorks descriptions of machined surfaces to obtain CNC machining quotes. This is on my "to do" list.

Next Update

The next update will be in 2 months or sooner.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

May 2011

Updates

As stated in the March 2011 update, I have committed to give a seminar at the MARC convention in San Diego (late June 2011), and my optimistic goal was to have a running engine by then. This will not happen, however I hope to have good castings to display.

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at

http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com, and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

Because several people have been added to the update list, and since I have not taken the time to reply, some of the words in this update and the attached picture of the crankshaft and connecting rods will be redundant.

Readers of this update need to understand that this effort is a 1 man operation and privately funded. Every change is being made from an engineering point of view of how things can be made better and cheaper while staying within the restraints of keeping the exterior as original and maintaining all interfaces for attaching parts as original.

Cylinder Block

Lodi Iron Works has cast 5 cylinder blocks. #1 had gating problems and the core assembly was known to be broken during mold closure. The revised gating worked on casting #2, but it had a broken core problem. Casting #3 also had a broken core problem. Cores and the core assembly for casting #4 were made to my verbal procedure and everything was good except for a shift of the water jacket core towards the ports. Attachment #1 is a jpeg image of cut apart casting #4 on the conference table at Lodi Iron Works. Cores and the core assembly for casting #5 were made mostly following a written procedure supplemented with my verbal help, and it was poured on May 20, 2011, with the mold being broken open on May 22, 2011.

The exterior of casting #5 looks great, and there is no evidence of core shift. However casting #5 is unusable because of venting problems. Casting #5 will be cut apart just like casting #4 to verify wall thickness. Attachment #2 is a jpeg image of casting #5 before cleaning. Attachment #3 is a jpeg image of casting #5 after cleaning.

Several technical meetings at Lodi Iron Works have occurred since the last update. Much is discussed at

these meetings, including lesions learned on the last casting attempt, presentation of new tooling (gages) that will insure that cores are in the correct position during core assembly, changes that will reduce labor, and the implementation of a procedure to insure that previous errors are not repeated.

There was a technical meeting this morning at Lodi Iron Works. I have several action items to modify core boxes that will make stronger cores with less labor. Lodi Iron Works also has several action items including evaluation of a new core paste and to modify the procedure so that the venting problems found in casting #5 are not repeated.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Good castings of these parts were displayed at the Turlock swap meet and are ready for machining. Compared to the cylinder block, these parts are very simple.

Attachment #4 is a picture of the crankshaft, connecting rods, and main caps.

GD&T, Tolerances, Machining, and Surface Finishes

My plan is to have the cylinder block machined locally (Silicon Valley) and have the crankshaft and connecting rods machined by a machine shop that specializes in crankshafts and connecting rods. On the way to the MARC convention, I am planning on taking the crankshaft and connecting rod castings along with SolidWorks models for machining to Cunningham in Gardena, Carrillo in Irvine, Crower in San Diego, Marine Crankshaft Inc. in Santa Ana, and Scat in Redondo Beach to obtain estimates for machining. The above manufacturers are in the business of machining connecting rods and crankshafts and have the equipment and knowledge to machine quality parts.

Next Update

The next update will be in 2 months or sooner.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

August 2011

Updates

I apologize for this update being late. It has been a busy summer. We’ve had 3 visitors from Russia staying with us for the last 2 months. We’ve been to the MARC national, Legoland, Disneyland, San Francisco, etc. In addition, we hosted a Hatch-Day party for Gus (a 26 year old Galapagos Tortoise) and had over 200 people sign the guest book.

The “new engine” seminar was presented at the MARC national convention in San Diego. The 2 hour seminar lasted well over 3 hours. Emphasis was on the differences between 1920’s and modern design, and how fatigue failures were not quantified until the 1960’s. Cylinder block #1 was on display (all others have been cut up to check for core shift and wall thickness) along with the 5 main bearing crankshaft and connecting rod. There was a lot of interest and several people have been added to the Email update list.

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com,

and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

Readers of this update need to understand that this effort is a 1 man operation, privately funded, and I also have other commitments. Every change is being made from an engineering point of view of how things can be made better and cheaper while staying within the restraints of keeping the exterior as original and maintaining all interfaces for attaching parts as original. To keep costs at a minimum, I am both the engineer and pattern maker.

Since this is a development project, Lodi Iron Works and I have an agreement that production comes first (Production pays the bills), and this project is a fill in job. When the ball is in my court to make a change, I do my best to make pattern and core box changes in a timely manner in order to pass the ball back to Lodi Iron Works.

Cylinder Block

The latest casting also had venting problems with entrapped gas at the uppermost part of the mold cavity. The remainder of the casting looked great.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it took Ford several attempts to get a good casting.

During the last casting, tooling used to help hold the valve chamber cavity in position was damaged by hot iron. The next casting attempt will be made using chaplets to hold the core in position instead of tooling.

In addition, core box changes have also been made in preparation for the next casting, Major changes include:

1) Addition of super magnets to several core boxes that will hold core reinforcements in place while cores are being made

2) Cutting the upper half of the intake and exhaust port core box into 3 pieces to make core extraction easier.

Minor changes made to the core boxes include elimination of a step in the upper core holder and extending the length of the upper water jacket core prints. Both of these changes have been made to reduce labor and increase yield.

Gating and venting for the next casting attempt will be different. It will manually be cut into the sand and documented with photos and the excess iron exterior to the casting. If the new scheme works to eliminate the entrapped gas problem, then it will be incorporated into the core boxes and patterns.

Lodi Iron Works is making a core assembly this week (Aug 15-19), and is scheduled to make the mold and pour next week.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

The material used to cast these parts was Meehanite SP80 (80-55-06). This material is close to the material used in the 1960’s thru current baseline engines.

On the way to the MARC meet in San Diego, I spoke with Jim at Cunningham Rods, Tom Lieb at SCAT, Joe at Bryant racing, and David at Marine Crankshaft regarding machining of connecting rods and crankshafts. SCAT is the only shop set up for production. Both SCAT and Bryant racing do not want to rough machine nodular iron (Meehanite) because when cutting, both a chip and a small granular particle are created. The small granular particle can get into the ways of a very expensive machine and cause wear. After rough machining, the crankshaft needs to be ground, and there is no problem in grinding nodular iron. The range of crankshafts being made was amazing. I saw everything from a WW1 airplane (very crude) to top fuel dragsters and tractor pulls (state of the art). I would guess that the top fuel and tractor pull crankshafts are in the range of $20K each, and they are good for 6 runs. After 6 runs, they are discarded because they have a high probability of fatigue failure.

Lodi Iron Works has another foundry in Galt, Calif. where they pour steel castings like 4130 and other alloys. When machining steel, most of the removed material is a chip which is too large to cause problems.

Another option is to have the crankshaft and connecting rods made in China.

Next Update

The next update will be in 2 months or sooner.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

October 2011

Lodi Iron Works has been very busy with production this summer, and just this last week was able to resume work on this project.

On Nov. 19, members of FAST are planning a visit to my facility to view castings and tooling, and discuss and ask questions regarding the new Model A engine project. If you would like to join us, please reply by Email.

Cylinder Block

8 Castings have been poured to date.

The first casting filled through the parting line at a very slow rate and had no porosity. The casting had other major problems like broken cores and core shift, so porosity was not an issue. Lodi Iron Works reworked the gating scheme in preparation for casting 2.

During the second through forth castings, all efforts were directed towards solving the broken cores and core shift problems, and porosity was not a big concern. Several core box changes were made during this period to optimize core print fit and insure adequate casting wall thickness.

The first time porosity was addressed was at the technical meeting following casting 4.

Various schemes for venting entrapped air were tried on castings 5 through 7, and none of them worked. The core boxes were further refined during this period to make it easier to remove the cores, and reinforcements were added to the core prints to make them stronger. Also, during this period, a procedure for core assembly was implemented, special tools were made to verify core position during assembly, and other aids to obtain consistent castings while reducing labor were implemented.

Casting 8 was poured last week. Several changes were made from casting 7 in an attempt to solve the porosity problem. Gating was cut by hand to introduce hot iron into the lowest part of the casting. Risers were added to the surface of the casting that had the porosity. Chaplets were added to insure position the valve chamber cavity core, and there were no vents.

Casting 8 had porosity in the same place. For those familiar with foundry terminology, I need to say that porosity means the same thing as “broken”. There are many different causes of porosity just like there are many different causes of broken. The porosity that is the problem comes from the hot iron vaporizing the core binders and the glue used to hold the cores together.

A technical meeting was held at Lodi Iron Works on Oct 24 to analyze casting 8, discuss the porosity problem, and brain-storm ideas for casting 9. The plan for casting 9 is not finalized, but changes will be made to slow the pouring rate (to a speed like casting 1) and possibly change the gating design to use horn gates. During these technical meetings, everything is discussed in an effort to make a better casting at a lower cost.

I have an unanswered Email sent to Lodi Iron Works asking for their plan for casting 9 along with a schedule guess.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

The material used to cast these parts was Meehanite SP80 (80-55-06). This material is close to the material used for these parts in modern engines. This material is also used for suspension parts in new cars.

Good castings of these parts for the new Model A engine have been made and are awaiting a good cylinder block casting so all can go together to machine shops for bids on machining.

Next Update

The next update will be in about 2 months or sooner if casting 9 is good.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

January 2012

On Nov. 19, members of FAST visited my facility to view castings, porosity, cut-away castings, tooling, and discuss and ask questions regarding the new Model A engine project. The PowerPoint presentation from the MARC 2010 National was displayed.

Cylinder Block

9 Castings have been poured to date. The cores for casting #9 were made around Thanksgiving, the casting was poured on Dec 22, and the mold was broken open on Dec 27. It was noted during core placement and mold closure for casting #9 that there were a few fit problems that are likely due to the length of time that the cores sat around.

Casting #9 did not display the porosity seen on castings #2 through #8. However casting #9 had a thick parting line and a few core shift problems.

The porosity that is the problem comes from the hot iron vaporizing the core binders and the glue used to hold the cores together. This vaporized material collects at the high point of the mold which will become the machined manifold mounting surface.

The pictures in attachments 1 and 2 shows what the porosity looked like on casting #7. Casting #7 was cut apart to determine the depth of the porosity. Attachment 3 shows casting #9 in the shot blaster with no porosity.

On Dec. 27, 2011, a technical meeting was held at Lodi Iron Works to discuss the results of casting #9. Everyone was happy to see that the entire exterior surface (with exception of the thick parting line) of casting #9 looked good. During these technical meetings, everything is discussed in an effort to make a better casting at a lower cost. My action items from the meeting are to reduce the volumes of the unused cavities in the mold. We are not ready to make permanent gating changes to the cope and drag patterns at this time.

Hopefully casting #10 will be on display at the Turlock Swap Meet at the end of Jan. 2012. It will be in the building 1, Space 3 with John LaVoy and the Model A Times.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Good castings of these parts for the new Model A engine have been made and are awaiting a good cylinder block casting so all can go together to machine shops for bids on machining.

Next Update

The next update will be in about 2 months or sooner if casting #10 is good.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

March 2012

I apologize for not sending an update after casting attempt #10. Casting #10 was awful, and several changes have and are being made. Details are discussed below.

Cylinder Block

10 castings have been poured to date.

Casting #1 had the best external appearance with no porosity. It filled through the parting line because the gating scheme (A) was not connected to the casting.

The porosity problem started with casting #2 when gating scheme (A) was connected. At that time, the porosity problem was ignored due to more important core shift and wall thickness problems that have since been solved.

Lodi Iron Works believes that the porosity problem (Castings 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10) are due to an outgassing-venting problem. When hot iron contacts core binders and the glue used to hold the cores together, the organics are vaporized and there can be a problem getting the gas out of the mold.

For the last few castings, a new gating scheme (B) has been tried. This new gating scheme has been implemented by filling the original gating scheme (A) that is part of the patterns with pep-set sand, and then cutting gating scheme (B) into the mold by hand. Gating scheme (B) is based on flow lines evident in the original Model A cylinder block that is in Lodi Iron Works conference room.

Casting #9 looked great regarding porosity, however the thick parting line (did it fill through the parting line like casting #1?), and the unexplainable core shift problem (Failure to follow the procedure when making and assembling cores?) made casting #9 unacceptable.

Casting #10 had more porosity than any previous casting. During the meeting at Lodi Iron Works to discuss the results of casting #10, several errors made during core making and assembly were discussed and other changes are being made as described below.

After casting #10, Lodi Iron Works has made and proposed additional changes that hopefully will have a positive impact on this project.

1) Lodi Iron Works has a new Manufacturing Manager (Mike Frank).

2) This project will get higher priority regarding production coming first.

3) Multiple castings with variables will be made at the same time so that the variables can be compared. Variables will be documented by Lodi Iron Works.

4) Lodi Iron Works will become accountable to insure that every core and core assembly is identical. The system currently in use is unacceptable.

I am the pattern maker on this project (another story) and have just finished removing the original gating (A) and adding the new gating scheme (B) to the cope and drag patterns. This change will eliminate the labor of filling the original gating scheme and cutting the new scheme by hand. The new gating scheme has 4 gates that enter the drivers’ (LHD) side pan rail which is at the lowest point of the mold.

Casting #10 rekindled my earlier thinking that the problem may be a mold filling issue instead of an outgassing-venting problem. Both gating schemes A and B gate into one side of the casting and the hot iron fills the mold cavity by flowing across the cores and up. My rekindled thinking is that the hot iron freezes before filling the mold completely because it looses too much heat flowing across the mold cavity through thin walls that have a lot of cold core surface area.

After further review of casting #10, and thinking about how good castings 1 and 9 appeared, I added an additional gating scheme (C) to the cope and drag patterns. Gating scheme C has a thick runner with gates on 3 sides of the casting that will introduce hot iron through 7 gates (3 gates are at the parting line). With gating scheme C, the mold cavity will fill from the bottom up and the hot iron will not have to flow across and loose heat to all of the cores. Gating scheme C gates into thick sections with blind risers just outboard of the gates to collect crap and provide mass to keep the gate open while the casting freezes.

In order to help Mike Frank (New manufacturing manager at Lodi Iron Works) get up to speed on this project, we had a working lunch where everything and anything was discussed. Prior to lunch, I made a detailed list of “memory joggers” to be discussed and a list of items for Mike to be familiar with. Along with iron foundry experience, Mike is also a gear-head having raced Pinto and Chevy II engines, so he is well aware of what is critical in the new engine casting. He was familiar with all items on the list, and I was very happy to see that Mike and I talk the same language, see the same problems, and see the need for accountability and consistency.

After lunch, casting #10 and gating schemes B and C on the cope and drag patterns were reviewed. Mike offered a few suggestions for improvement and the improvements will be incorporated by me during the first week of April.

I am hoping that the next 2 casting attempts (Gating schemes B and C) will occur around the 2nd week of April.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

There is nothing new.

Good castings of these parts for the new Model A engine have been made on the automated line and are awaiting a good cylinder block casting so all can go together to machine shops for bids on machining.

Next Update

The next update will be in about 2 months or sooner if Lodi Iron Works pours a good casting.

May 2012

Cylinder Block

Since the last update in March, 6 additional castings have been poured for a total of 16 to date.

Some of the latest 6 had broken core problems without porosity and others had porosity problems without broken core problems. Even though none these castings are 100% acceptable, any of them would be good enough to be used for verification of CNC machining.

I gave a seminar at the Auburn hill climb on May 5, 2012 and displayed a cylinder block that was poured earlier in the week. This cylinder block had no porosity however the water jacket core broke free and ended up being low. John LaVoy (Model A Times) will display this cylinder block at the 2012 MAFCA National Convention.

I apologize for not attaching photos to the last update where I spoke about gating schemes B and C. The first 2 attachments show gating schemes B and C in the cope and drag patterns. Gating scheme B introduced hot iron into the driver’s side pan rail, and gating scheme C introduced hot iron around 3 sides of the casting.

The 3rd attachment is a picture of the cylinder block that was displayed at the Auburn hill-climb and will be on display at the MAFCA national convention (John LaVoy, Model A Times).

I am very happy with the new Manufacturing Manager (Mike Frank) at Lodi Iron Works. Mike is a hands on gear-head type of guy and we communicate very well. Developmental castings are now being poured in parallel (trying different things) instead of in series.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Good castings (1st attempt good) of these parts for the new Model A engine have been made on the automated line at Lodi Iron Works and are awaiting a good cylinder block casting so all can go together to machine shops for bids on machining.

The material used to cast these parts was Meehanite SP80 (80-55-06). This material is close to the material that is used for similar parts in modern engines. This material is also used for suspension parts and gears in new cars.

Next Update

The next update will be in about 2 months or sooner if Lodi Iron Works pours a good cylinder block casting.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

August 2012

Cylinder Block

The last update was on 25 May 2012 with 16 castings poured. Since then, 5 additional castings have been poured bringing the total to 21.

The first 4 new castings (#17, #18, #19, and #20) were poured with the parting line horizontal and they all had varying degrees of porosity. Castings #1 through #16 also had a horizontal parting line. Ford poured cylinder block castings for both Model T and A with a horizontal parting line.

The new Model A cylinder block casting has had an ongoing porosity problem in the wall where the intake and exhaust manifolds attach. When poured with a horizontal parting line, this wall is directly above the water jacket core and the glue line needed to hold the upper and lower water jacket cores together. This is also the highest part of the casting, the last void to fill, and the section with least “head pressure” from the pouring sprue.

Many things can contribute to cause the porosity (lack of material) problem at this location. Causes include out-gassing of core binders, additional out-gassing of core binders if the resin/catalyst ratio for the water jacket core is not optimal, out-gassing of glue used to cement the water jacket cores together, inadequate venting that won’t allow displaced air to escape, and pouring too slow which can result in iron that is too cold from exposure to cores that is attempting to fill the mold.

The last casting (#21) was different. From an engineering standpoint, it looked great with no porosity. From a cosmetic standpoint, it was a little ugly. Shortcuts regarding cosmetics were taken to save money while gaining engineering knowledge by trying something new.

Many things that had been talked about in the past but never implemented were tried on casting #21. These include rotating the parting line from horizontal to vertical, adding the “mother of all vents” that allows the core assembly to vent directly to atmosphere, adding up-sprues (pop-offs) that vent to atmosphere and fill with iron to show that the mold is full, using the upper and lower core holders (parts of core assembly) to align the cope and drag instead of using the non-shift buttons, and filling the mold in a direction that provides more “head” pressure on the casting due to the pouring sprue being at a higher elevation. Since many changes were implemented on casting #21, it is impossible to determine the effect of each change. Much of the gating, venting, and up-sprues (pop-offs) mentioned above were hand cut into the mold for casting #21.

With a vertical parting line, any outgassing from the water jacket core and glue used to hold it together has an escape path through the water passage holes from cylinder block to head.

I met with Mike Frank (Mfg. Manager) at Lodi Iron Works to discuss casting #21. Mike was happy with casting #21 and requested several changes to the tooling that are necessary to change from a horizontal to vertical parting line. I am also very happy that Lodi Iron Works is thinking “outside the box” and experimenting.

I am now working to implement those changes which include adding the “mother of all vents”, adding up-sprues (pop-offs), and changing the gating system from horizontal to vertical with a large pour hole that will introduce hot iron through 8 gates located at the bottom of the pan rails. Casting #21 was poured through 3 gates that introduced hot iron into one pan rail.

Fit of the intake and exhaust port cores was also discussed, configuration control has been lost due to several requested changes to the port core box, and a decision was made to make a new core box going back to the original SolidWorks design. I have ordered new rapid prototyped masters that will be used to cast the new core box.

The first attachment is a picture of casting #21. The second attachment is a picture of the drag. Changes to the drag include venting and gating which are shown in natural wood. The third attachment is a picture of the cope. Changes to the cope include venting, gating, and the addition of the up-sprues (pop-offs).

I am cautiously optimistic that casting #22 will be good.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Next Update

The next update will be in about 2 months or sooner if Lodi Iron Works pours a good cylinder block casting.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

November 2012

Cylinder Block

Good news. Casting #23 is a candidate for machining, and casting #24 may also be a candidate.

Attachments 1 through 5 are pictures of casting #23.

The last update was on 25 Aug 2012 with 21 castings poured. Since then, 3 additional castings have been poured bringing the total to 24.

As explained in the Aug update, castings #1 through #20 were poured with a horizontal parting line and they all had varying degrees of porosity at the last to fill area (the surface where the intake and exhaust manifolds mount to the cylinder block).

Also explained in the Aug update, casting #21 was poured with a vertical parting line (cylinders vertical). The mold for casting #21 was assembled horizontally, clamped together, and then the mold was rotated 90 degrees with a forklift before pouring. Although casting #21 had core shift, there was no evidence of porosity.

After casting #21, changes were made to the patterns to convert them to have a vertical parting line during pouring. Attachments in the Aug update showed these changes.

Casting #22 was aborted during pour because one of the chain binders holding the mold closed came off during rotation from horizontal to vertical and was not noticed. This resulted in a small quantity of hot iron on the foundry floor.

Casting #23 has all cores in position, and there is no evidence of out-gassing porosity. It does have a couple of places where there is shrinkage porosity. Shrinkage porosity is not visible and can be fixed by sealing the casting. Like casting #21, the exterior of casting #23 is not cosmetically pretty since it was an engineering experiment.

The shrinkage porosity in casting #23 showed up after the water jacket was filled with water, and then pressurized with air to 30 PSI. Attachment 6 shows casting #23 being pressure tested. Attachment #7 shows a drop of water that is ready to drip. Location of the drip is where a chaplet was placed to maintain wall thickness between the water jacket and the valve chamber.

Casting porosity caused by shrinkage is a common defect in castings, and many industries seal every casting as a part of the manufacturing process. Castings are sealed with an impregnation process as follows: 1) The casting is placed in a chamber, 2) A vacuum draws all of the air out of the chamber, 3) The chamber is filled with the impregnating liquid, 4) The chamber is pressurized to 100 PSI, 5) The chamber is drained, and 6) The impregnating liquid is cured.

I spoke with Mike Keller (sales manager) at Lodi Iron Works on Nov. 14, 2012 and learned that casting #24 was poured and appears to be good. Mike and I agreed that I need to take possession of casting #24 and pressure check the water jacket as was done on casting #23 to check for porosity.

There have been two personnel changes at Lodi Iron Works that may have an effect on this project. Barron Gage, sales manager, retired on Nov. 1, 2012, and Mike Keller is the new sales manager. Mike Frank, manufacturing manager at the iron foundry where the cylinder block is being cast, is trading places with George who was the manufacturing manager at Lodi Iron Works steel foundry which is located in another city.

In my phone conversation with Mike Keller on Nov. 14, casting #24 was made under the supervision of Mike Frank, and the new manufacturing manager, George was not present. My big concern now is that the procedure for making and assembling cores and the mold is out of date, and there will be a learning curve for George.

I need to thank Mike Frank for thinking “outside the box” and rotating the parting line from horizontal to vertical. Barron was my single point of contact with Lodi Iron Works, and I need to thank him for mitigating many of my comments and suggestions.

The next step is to have the casting machined. I am patiently waiting for Lodi Iron Works to produce a few good castings in a row before I commit to having the SolidWorks machined model converted to machine language for a Mazak with pallets or equivalent.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Next Update

The next update will be when I have 4 cylinder block castings from Lodi Iron Works that are suitable for machining,

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif

February 2013

Cylinder Block

In the last update (Nov 2012), I had good news that casting #23 is a candidate for machining, and casting #24 may also be a candidate.

Casting #24 was poured in the earlier part of Nov 2012, and for a variety of reasons (weather, holidays, sickness, etc.); I did not take possession of casting #24 until Jan. 25, 2013.

Upon close inspection, casting #24 looked great with the exception that the timing gear cavity core was out of position which resulted in wall break-thru. My guess is that the core assembly and drag bumped each other during mold assembly.

The first 5 attachments show casting #24 as received from the foundry.

Casting #24 was then prepared for pressure testing by smoothing out the upper surface of the cylinder block a shown in attachment 6.

When the water jacket was filled with water, casting #24 began to leak at the rate of I drop every 3 seconds from a small porosity pinhole in the upper wall of the valve chamber. Once the pinhole leak was found no additional effort was made to pressure test.

Attachments 7 and 8 show the pinhole.

I met with Jorge Costa, the new Manufacturing Manager at Lodi Iron Works when I picked up cylinder block #24. I explained the porosity problem that plagued the first 20 castings, how Mike Frank changed the parting line from horizontal to vertical to solve the problem, and the lack of documentation (discipline) needed for repeatable castings. We ended the meeting with the understanding that Jorge will read the Core Assembly Procedure” that I wrote 2 years ago (and needs serious updating), Jorge will make a set of cores for casting #25, and Terry (me) will be available (live in Lodi for a few days) to help with the assembly of cores and the mold.

It needs to be noted that casting #23 had 3 porosity leaks, and that 2 of them stopped leaking (by rusting closed) during the 2 months that it sat in the H frame press. To put things in perspective, the water jacket of casting #23 was filled for pressure testing, and 2 months later, the water level dropped about ¾ inch.

The next step will be to have cylinder block castings machined. I am patiently waiting for Lodi Iron Works to produce several good castings in a row before I commit to having the SolidWorks machined model converted to machine language for a Mazak with pallets or equivalent.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

The material used to cast these parts was Meehanite SP80 (80-55-06). This material is close to the material that is

used for similar parts in modern engines. This material is also used for suspension parts, gears, and highly stressed parts in new cars.

The next update will be when something good happens or 2 months.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

August 2013

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, suggestion, or wants to get on the update list, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

General Comments

This project is still alive but progress has been slow.

I apologize for the length of time since the last update.

A lot of little things have happened since the last update.

The good news is that progress is being made. There is no bad news.

Everything that has happened has been for the good, but not noteworthy enough to write a new update.

The New Model A Engine is a development project, and Lodi Iron Works is a production facility.

Development and production have different requirements and that has been the problem.

There was very little communication between Lodi Iron Works and myself between casting #10 and casting #21. I took the number of castings to be cumulative in phone calls, but the actual number of castings may be a much smaller number.

I need to thank Mike Frank (LIW Production Manager) for solving the porosity problem in the wall where the manifolds mount by rotating the mold 90 degrees which in my opinion allowed the water jacket core to out-gas through the water passages between cylinder block and head.

When Lodi Iron Works became ISO certified, it was a different way of doing business. Being ISO certified means that workers have specific job instructions, work to procedures, and are responsible for their actions. If a problem arises, they work as a team to figure out what went wrong to correct the problem. Implementing ISO is not an easy task and there are lots of little problems until all workers understand the importance of ISO and comply.

Cylinder Block

Casting #23 is a candidate for machining as reported earlier.

Casting #24 had the timing gear cavity out of place, but otherwise was good as reported earlier.

Since I had not been to Lodi Iron Works for some time, I was an observer during core assembly and mold making for casting #25. I saw deviations from the procedure and took notes.

Casting #25 had a broken wall between the water jacket and a port core that was out of place.

A brainstorming meeting was held at Lodi Iron Works to discuss the results of casting #25, discuss my notes regarding my observations, and discuss what needs to be done to fix the problems.

For casting #26, I was a participant with the making of the core assembly and mold. Everything went good until the mold was closed. During closing, the cope (upper part of mold) bumped and broke the core assembly. The long tapered alignment pins were not being used.

A meeting to discuss alignment pins resulted in a new alignment scheme to align the cope and drag on mold closure. It has been implemented and consists of 3 tubes embedded in the drag that align with 3 tubes in the cope. 3 long T pins are dropped through the tubes in the cope and extend about a foot below the cope. The 3 T pins then align on the 3 tubes in the drag and the mold closes without any wiggle room to break the core assembly.

Casting #27 had 2 problems. There was a small hole and seam between the water jacket and exterior on the driver’s side, and there was little and no wall between the water jacket and valve chamber. Lodi Iron Works took several photos during the core assembly, and in discussions, I learned that the pour was interrupted and observed from the photos that wingbolts were not used to position the valve chamber core. Lodi Iron Works and I need to meet and talk about how the pour cannot be interrupted and how the valve chamber core needs to be located per the procedure with wingbolts.

Every casting attempt costs money. Lodi Iron Works and I share costs based on what caused the failure. I have offered to pay for the next 4 casting attempts if I can assemble the cores and supervise closing of the mold.

The next step will be to have cylinder block castings machined. I need several good castings in a row before I commit to having the SolidWorks machined model converted to machine language for a Mazak with pallets or equivalent.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Next Update

The next update will be when something noteworthy happens.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

March 2014

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, suggestion, or wants to get on the update list, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

This update is being sent to everyone as bcc to discourage the spread of Email addresses and spam.

General Comments

This project is still alive but progress has been painfully slow.

I apologize for the length of time since the last update.

The good news is that progress is again being made. There is no bad news.

I'm a retired design engineer (33 years at Lockheed) and have worked on many projects from deep ocean to deep space. Engineers in general have a trait where they want to improve on a design. I have that trait and this project was undertaken to keep my mind active. I could be a docent at the local historical society, or volunteer somewhere else, but that would be sooooooo boooooring.

Cylinder Block

Since the last update, Lodi Iron Works and myself ended up being at odds because they wanted me to pay for 2 castings that failed (1 failed because the core assembly procedure was not followed, and 1 failed because the water based mold wash was not dried). They wanted payment before proceeding, and I refused because the cause of both failures was "operator error", and not my fault.

To make a long story short and after several Email exchanges between Lodi Iron Works and myself, the tooling is in my possession, I did not pay for the 2 failed castings, and Lodi Iron Works and I parted ways on friendly terms. I have aluminum match plates for connecting rods and main caps that fit the automated molding line at Lodi Iron Works, and I may need to use them in the future to produce these parts.

From internet searches, I found 6 foundries in the Los Angeles area that appear to have the capability to make this casting. They are Globe Iron Foundry in Commerce, Mesa in Huntington Beach, Acme in Pomona, Covert Iron Works in Cudahy, Commercial Casting in Fontana, and Pacific Alloy Castings in Southgate.

Of the 6 foundries, I have only contacted Globe Iron Foundry, and they are interested.

I will be delivering the tooling for the cylinder block casting to Globe Iron Foundry on the morning of April 7, 2014, and plan to spend a week “on-call” to teach, assist, mentor, or whatever.

The attached picture shows pouring of the last mold at Lodi Iron Works where the water based mold wash was not dried (operator error). It looked like the 4th of July.

The next step will be to have cylinder block castings machined. I need a source of good castings before I commit to having the SolidWorks machined model converted to machine language for a Mazak with pallets or equivalent.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

Next Update

The next update should be much sooner.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

May 2015

A lot has happened since the last update. Some of it is good news and some of it is bad.

First the good news. All tooling was picked up from Lodi Iron Works and delivered to Globe Iron Works in Los Angeles. I spent between 3 and 4 hours at Globe Iron Works explaining how each core box worked and how the core assembly was made. They understood the core assembly procedure, had few questions and asked if they could vent all core boxes so that they could be blown. I replied that they could vent the core boxes. A blown core is more dense (stronger) than a hand packed core. At Lodi Iron Works, all cores were hand packed with the exception of the water jacket which was blown. Price wise, Globe Iron Works agreed to match Lodi Iron Works price which was just over $800 for a cylinder block casting. Lodi Iron Works came up with the $800 price after making several castings while trying to solve the porosity problem. An order for 5 cylinder block castings was placed with Globe Iron Works. After 6 weeks without any progress, I threatened to pull the job. Two days later, I received an Email that showed a pallet full of cores. Another 6 weeks passed without progress and I again threatened to pull the job. A few days later, I received an Email with a picture showing their first casting attempt. That casting had a cold shut at the water jacket, but otherwise looked good. A cold shut is where the leading edges of molten metal don't fuse together. A cold shut can be caused by interrupting the pour, pouring too slow, or pouring with the molten metal at a temperature that is too cold. When I spoke with the supervisor that was on duty, his reply was that he was not there and had no idea of what happened. To summarise the good news, all tooling and following the procedure to make the assembly of the cores worked at a new foundry. The bad news with Email exchanges is that Globe Iron Foundry is not interested in making cylinder blocks. Since I am 400 miles away, Globe Iron Works was kind enough to deliver all tooling to Pacific Alloy Casting in South Gate, CA.

And now for the bad news. Pacific Alloy Casting evaluated the tooling and said that the cost of a cylinder block casting would be $2400 because it would require sand that is different from the sand that they normally use. The $2400 quote is not a price that makes this project affordable, so the tooling was retrieved. Phone calls and Emails to several other foundries resulted in only one that was interested, and that was Ridge Foundry in San Leandro. Ridge Foundry is about 35 miles from where I live and I didn't consider them in the beginning because they are a small foundry. The tooling was deliverer to Ridge Foundry, and again everything was explained regarding making the cores and core assembly, Since Lodi Iron Works had problems following the procedure for core assembly, I asked Ridge Foundry to quote this job in 2 ways. The first way was to have Ridge Foundry do everything, and the second way was to have Ridge foundry make the cores and let me assemble them. Ridge Foundry would only quote with them doing everything. It took 6 weeks, several Emails, and several phone calls to get a quote.Their price was $3400 for the first casting, and $2400 for all castings thereafter.

These prices could be justified if the cylinder block was for a Duesenberg or some other exotic automobile, but not for a Model A Ford. The goal of this project was to supply a fully machined cylinder block, crankshaft, and 4 connecting rods for between $3000 and $4000. The other necessary parts would add another $1000 to build a complete engine.

One good cylinder block, crankshaft, and set of connecting rods with caps has been cast, so there are no issues with the tooling. The only issue now is cost.

My experience with west coast foundries is that they are not familiar with thin wall complicated castings and would rather pour thick wall castings with simple or no cores.

For a data point, and to put things in perspective, a brand new (not rebuilt) small block Chevy 350 cubic inch, 195 HP long block engine including heads, pan, and shipping can be bought for $1485.00 (Ebay #171296532729).

For now, the tooling is in storage.

If anyone on the east coast knows of a foundry and machine shop and has the expertise to continue this project, please contact me. Unless you have been directly involved in the casting and machining of a similar casting, please do not contact me.

Attached is a photo of the casting made by Globe Iron Works that shows the cold shut. From other photos, the casting appeared to be good. The bump on the casting between cylinders 3 and 4 represents a chaplet found on original Ford cylinder blocks that was ground flush.

Terry Burtz

July 2019

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and updates were sent by Email from April 2010 until May 2015 when it stalled because of sky-rocketing cost and lack of quality control. Previous updates can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

I apologize to the many people that requested to be on the update list after May 2015. I did not respond because the project stalled. You are now on the list.

I use the term "new engine" loosely because the only new parts are the cylinder block, crankshaft, and connecting rods. All interfaces for mating parts are identical to original and have been documented from original Ford drawings.

Another way to describe the new engine is to say that the exterior looks like a Model A engine however the interior has 1970 engine technology. Changes include 5 main bearings, counterweights on both sides of connecting rods, 2 inch diameter insert main and connecting rod bearings that can be bought at any auto parts store, oil pressure to mains, rods, and camshaft, streamlined intake ports, hard exhaust seats, thicker (3/16") water jacket wall on the water inlet side, Model B water deflector, added material between exhaust ports and cylinder, replaceable cam bearings, rear main seal that is available at any bearing supply house, and many other things.

The good news is that the Model A engine project has been resurrected and is now alive and well.

Cylinder Block

In January 2019, I received a phone call regarding the availability of the new engine, and sadly replied with the news that the project was stalled. The caller just had a newly rebuilt Model A engine fail, and in our conversation, he mentioned that he knew someone that was having replacement cylinder blocks manufactured in China, and asked if I would be interested. I replied that I was interested and wanted to learn more.

I learned that the factory manufactures cylinder blocks, heads, and even short blocks for many applications. I have a copy of their brochure and their clients include Ford, GM, Nissan, Toyota, Land Rover, and many others.

This factory is utilizing "state of the art" processes and quality assurance that will ensure the new Model A engine will have an exterior appearance as the original and machining tolerances similar to modern manufactured engines.

Where this project started and stalled as a one-man project, I am now working with others that have the same enthusiasm as I.

As a means of getting started, both an original cylinder block and the one good casting of the new design from Lodi Iron Works were sent to the factory along with all of my SolidWorks models. The factory measured the original cylinder block to create a SolidWorks model of the exterior and used my SolidWorks models for the interior and machining, and replied with a favorable cost estimate.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

These parts are much simpler than the cylinder block. SolidWorks models have been provided and quotes from the same factory that committed to manufacture the cylinder block have been requested.

One huge advantage of working with a single factory in China is that they are responsible for everything from raw materials to finished product, When this project was active here, many factories would have been involved, and I can imagine a lot of finger pointing.

Next Update

The next update will be after preliminary bids are received for the rest of the parts and a schedule can be worked out. The initial quote for the cylinder block took less than a month, and I am hopeful that the next quote will also be short.

At this time we are hopeful that we will have the first machined samples available by late fall and will send updates on a timely basis.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

August 2019

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and stalled in 2015 because of sky-rocketing cost and the lack of quality control at foundries in California.

Previous updates, pictures, and videos can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

Also see: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265782 for additional information.

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others to have the "new engine" manufactured in China at a factory that manufactures OEM parts for several customers.

The others that I will be working with include John, Bill, and Leonard. John has a company in Hong Kong and Virginia, and has over 30 years experience in having things manufactured in China and imported into the USA. One of John's products is a vintage cast iron 4-cylinder 3-main L-head cylinder block similar to a Model A cylinder block. John will be responsible for manufacturing and quality assurance. Bill will be responsible for accounting and disbursements. Leonard will be responsible for receiving orders and shipping the "new engines" to customers, and maintaining a list that ties customer names to the hidden serial number (part of quality assurance). I am the 4th member of the team and I will be responsible for everything related to engineering.

The 4 of us met at Leonard's home in Santa Ana, CA on the morning of Friday, August 16 to get to know each other and discuss our working relationships, and responsibilities. Leonard and his wife Kay were preparing for an annual meeting where the members of the Orange County Model A club, Southern California Oldsmobile Club and Antique Engine Club get together for a fun and educational meeting on Saturday, August 17.

After meeting with Leonard on Friday, John, Bill, and I retreated to the hotel where we were staying to have a 5 hour technical discussion regarding the new engine project. Many things were discussed including surface finishes, dimensional tolerances to 4 digits in certain areas, casting wall thickness, press and slip fits for dowel pins, hard exhaust valve seats, replaceable camshaft bearings, balancing, different alloys of iron (cast and ductile) that will be used for different parts, small parts that will be included like the dowel pins that locate the flywheel housing to the cylinder block, main bearing studs, and nuts, dowel pins in the crankshaft where the flywheel is attached, woodruff key for crankshaft timing gear, connecting rod wristpin bushing, connecting rod bolts, and much more. Also discussed is the need for verification of design by third parties before the factory is turned on for production.

We talked about asking for a small quantity (6 sets of parts at most) for evaluation before production. One set of parts will be used for display and shown with pan rail up so people can see the 5 main bearings, crankshaft counterweights on both sides of each connecting rod, bosses for oil passages, rear main seal design, and many other features. The other sets of parts will be built by others for testing and evaluation.

John is a hands-on, grease under the fingernails type of guy who has a passion for detail and we can talk for hours about everything from Chinese culture and their way of doing things to the smallest technical detail.

On Saturday at Leonard's, I gave about an hour-long presentation to the attendees regarding the "new engine" which included features of the new design, history of problems with working with foundries in California, how the project stalled in 2015 because of the lack of quality control and spiraling cost increases, and how the project was resurrected when Leonard put me in contact with John. After I spoke, there was a question and answer discussion where the audience asked technical questions and I was happy to answer them.

The picture attached was taken while I was talking. I am wearing the straw hat by the "no speed limit" sign and John is wearing the white shirt and standing in front of the black toolbox.

John will be traveling to China in early September for technical discussions with the factory. If any questions arise, I am a phone call or Email away.

Even with the added tariff on auto parts from China, our goal is to provide a quality product at an affordable price that is competitive with the cost of a rebuilt engine.

A deposit to cover 1/2 of the tooling cost has been made, and tooling is now being designed.

Cylinder Block

As mentioned in the 2 July 2019 update, 2 cylinder blocks were sent to China. One was original and the other was the one good casting made by Lodi Iron Works. In addition, SolidWorks files of the internal cores and machining were sent.

Although existing tooling has made cylinder blocks in 2 different foundries in California, all new tooling will be made in China. The reason for this is because the factory in China needs to assume full responsibility. The factory in China has been told that my SolidWorks files of the interior are for reference and can be modified as needed, however the SolidWorks file for machining cannot be modified. If the factory in China were to use my tooling and/or interior SolidWorks files as is and had a problem, it could be argued that we gave them direction and that I was responsible for the problem.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

These parts are much simpler than the cylinder block and they will be made of malleable iron. The 1932 Ford V-8 crankshaft was cast malleable iron, and most modern engines use malleable iron crankshafts.

SolidWorks models have been provided and the instructions to the factory in China is to follow the SolidWorks models.

Dimensional and balancing tolerances are being specified to be equal or exceed the tolerances on the Ford drawings.

Next Update

We are hopeful that we will have the first machined samples available by late fall and will send updates including pictures as the project matures.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

September 2019

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and stalled in 2015 because of sky-rocketing cost and the lack of quality control at foundries in California.

Previous updates, pictures, and videos can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

Also see: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265782 for additional information including many questions and answers.

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others to have the "new engine" manufactured in China.

A lot has happened since the last update on 19 August 2019.

John, who is responsible for manufacturing and quality assurance, has been in China for the past few weeks. In preparation for his trip, 30% 3D scale models of all cylinder block cores, main bearing caps, connecting rod, and the crankshaft were rapid prototyped (3D printed) in plastic.

The purpose of providing the 3D printed models was to help the engineers in China understand what we want them to produce. The factory in China has SolidWorks models of the cylinder block cores, main bearing caps, machined cylinder block, crankshaft, connecting rod along with an original cylinder block and the one good casting from Lodi Iron Works for reference.

Cylinder Block

John spent days presenting the new design to the engineers in China, and John and I were in Email contact daily where questions and suggestions were presented and resolved.

The engineers in China are familiar with current design (2019) engines, and this engine seems a bit strange to them. It's hard for them to imagine why anyone would want to build an engine from the 1920's and use 1970's (50-year-old) technology.

My SolidWorks machining model has oil passages that will allow the oil to flow in two different directions. One direction is designed as original to not use an oil filter, and the other uses an oil filter. This two direction design where the engine builder can choose which to use requires oil passages to be drilled at compound angles instead of vertical, horizontal, or a simple angle.

The engineers in China didn't initially quite understand the reason for the oil passage design. However, from the questions they asked and the suggestions they made, my feeling is that they are are very competent and detail-oriented.

There are many places where a design error could have occurred. My SolidWorks models have not been checked against the original Ford cylinder block drawing. Additionally, the engineers in China convert everything to metric. The end goal of John's meetings was to assist and ensure that the engineers in China understand the SolidWorks machining model which will enable them to get their CNC file correct.

For example, I did not complete the SolidWorks machining model to include threads for setscrews to plug the ends of oil passages and other minor details because I was unable to get good castings. These minor details generated many of the questions.

In the end, the only change that was made to the SolidWorks machining model was to change the oil feed to camshaft bearing #5, and this change was needed to make room for the main oil gallery plug at the rear of the cylinder block.

I have suggested that when the engineers in China get their CNC machining file complete, that they then machine the one good cylinder block from Lodi Iron Works.

Machining the "good" cylinder block can verify that their CNC file is correct. The interfaces of attached parts (head, oil pan, valve chamber cover, timing gear covers, valve train, oil pump, etc) can be compared between the original cylinder block and the machined cylinder block from Lodi Iron Works to verify agreement.

After CNC machining, the "good" casting, it should be cut apart to verify wall thickness for every machined feature.

This wall thickness verification can then be used to make changes if needed to the SolidWorks models of the cylinder block cores.

Clear as mud? There are many details to check and verify. Relaying these things in our updates can sometimes make it seem that way.

Connecting Rod, Main Caps, and Crankshaft

SolidWorks models have been provided and the instructions to the factory in China is to follow the SolidWorks models. These are simpler parts (compared to the cylinder block) and will be worked on when the cylinder block engineering is complete.

Dimensional and balancing tolerances are being specified to be equal or exceed the tolerances on the Ford drawings.

Next Update

We are hopeful that we will have the first machined samples available by late fall and will send updates including pictures as the project matures.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

The 7 attached pictures were taken during the most recent meetings in China.

November 2019

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at: http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and stalled in 2015 because of sky-rocketing cost and the lack of quality control at foundries in California.

Previous updates, pictures, and videos can be found at: www.modelaengine.com

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others to have the "new engine" manufactured in China.

A lot has happened since the last update on 24 Sept 2019.

John, who is responsible for manufacturing and quality assurance, has been to China twice since the last update. Between flights on his last trip, I picked him up at SFO, and we spent several hours going over the design, physically seeing parts, and how the parts are assembled. John also took samples of the 3 studs used for new engine main bearing cap retention, and a A-6551, A-6550, and A-6561 distributor/oil pump gear and bushing assembly for the engineers in China to better understand the design and how parts fit together.

The cylinder block and main caps will be manufactured in one factory and the crankshaft and connecting rods will be manufactured in another factory. Both factories will be working together so that there are no conflicts.

Cylinder Block and Main Caps

The exterior of the cylinder block will be based on computer 3 dimensional models derived from CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) and Laser scanning of the original cylinder block that was sent to China.

The need for CMM and Laser scanning is because the Ford drawing of the cylinder block did not specify parting lines, draft, and many other details that were left to the discretion of the pattern makers.

For machining of the cylinder block, the engineers in China have made drawings that are based on my SolidWorks models that were derived from the Ford drawing.

Both the engineers in China and I have asked for minor changes to be made to the original SolidWorks design. We have worked through these changes, and are in agreement, so the design is "frozen" unless something unforeseen comes up.

The drawings that were created in China are dimensioned from an origin where 3 perpendicular planes intersect, and almost all machined dimensions are from these 3 planes. This dimensioning system is much easier to understand than the stacked dimensioning system used on the Ford drawing (A-6015).

My job which I have just finished, was to verify that the drawings from China are correctly dimensioned. China works to the metric system, so all dimensions have been converted from inches to millimeters. We are on the 5th drawing revision, and I think that the drawings are good to proceed.

The first castings are scheduled to be complete by the middle of January 2020. John asked if it would be good to display the castings at the Turlock swap meet which is the last weekend of January 2020. My reply was no because the one good cylinder block casting from Lodi Iron Works was previously displayed by John LaVoy, the editor of Model A Times at Turlock for several years, and the new cylinder block from China should be identical.

Although the studs and nuts will have inch threads, they will be manufactured to metric Class 10.9 which is similar to SAE Grade 8 (150 KSI). The threads on the studs that fasten the main caps will be rolled which is stronger than cut threads.

The first two pictures attached show a SolidWorks assembly of the machined cylinder block along with main caps and crankshaft. The 3rd and 4th pictures are photos of the drawings from China that have been checked.

Crankshaft and Connecting Rods

John met with the crankshaft and connecting rod manufacturer to go over the design. John and I communicate almost daily when he is in China.

The factory in China typically rolls crankshaft journal fillets which is great because the material in the fillets is compacted by rolling which is a deterrent to fatigue cracks. They asked if we wanted rolled fillets and my reply was yes.

The factory also asked about balancing and I replied that we wanted the crankshaft dynamically balanced to 2 oz-in (1.41 Newton-cm) or less. The Ford Model A crankshafts were dynamically balanced to 3 oz-in according to Ford drawing A-6303.V-8 engines built during the muscle car era were typically balanced to 2 oz-in. New engines with higher RPM's are balanced even closer.

Another question asked was about hardening of journals and the rear main seal rubbing surface. My reply was that it would be good to have the hardness still intact if the journals were ground .030 inch undersize.

Several people have asked what bearing insert is being used. The answer is that all (main and rod) journals are 2 inch diameter and any of the following inserts can be used: Clevite CB-745 series, Federal Mogul 2020 series, King Bearing CR803 series, Sealed power 8-7065 series, and others. When I say series, several letters and numbers are used in the suffix depending on material, radii, and undersize. We will be using a Clevite CB745P which is tri-metal and standard size.

Questions regarding what the rear seal have also been asked. The rear seal will be a radial lip seal with a steel housing. The new cylinder block and rear main cap will have a bore of 5 inch diameter, and the crankshaft will have the flywheel mounting flange (4 inch diameter) that is extended forward to provide a seal rubbing surface. The rear seal will be a SKF 39933, Timken 415035, or others with a 5 inch OD that seals on a 4 inch shaft.

SolidWorks models of the crankshaft and connecting rods have been provided and the instructions to the factory in China are to follow the SolidWorks models.

Next Update

The latest schedule (subject to change) looks like we will have castings around the middle of January 2020, and machined parts in the middle of March 2020. The machined parts will need to be evaluated and tested before production begins.

There have been no changes that will have an effect on pricing. The pricing goal is to provide these parts a price that is competitive with the cost of machine work for a rebuild.

The next update will be after castings have been made which should occur in January 2020. These first castings will need to be cut apart or sonically tested to verify wall thickness before they are machined.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

January 2020

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and stalled in 2015 because of sky-rocketing cost and the lack of quality control at foundries in California.

Previous updates, pictures, and videos can be found at www.modelaengine.com

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others (John, Leonard, and Bill) to have the "new engine" manufactured in China.

A lot has happened since the last update on 26 Nov 2019.

As mentioned before, the cylinder block and main caps will be manufactured in one factory and the crankshaft and connecting rods will be manufactured in another factory. Both factories will be working together so that there are no conflicts.

Cylinder Block and Main Caps

SolidWorks models of all internal cores, main bearing caps, machined surfaces, an original cylinder block, and the one good cylinder block from Lodi Iron Works were provided to the factory in China and the instructions were to follow the machined model exactly, revise the internal cores if needed and to use a laser scan of the original cylinder block for the exterior.

The machined surfaces drawing made from my SolidWorks file is close to being acceptable. One more iteration is needed because their fore and aft tooling holes need to be moved inward.

During December, I asked to review and markup the 3-D model of the exterior cylinder block created by the engineers in the factory we are using. Unfortunately, many small details did not look right, and it became obvious that the factory was attempting to model the cylinder block exterior using 3-D drawing instead of laser scanning. The previous update (26 Nov 2019) addressed the need for laser scanning to capture every minute detail.

To confirm this, John had a friend overlay the raw laser-scanned cylinder block on the drawn 3-D cylinder block from the factory. It was clear that more refinement was needed to match the exterior surfaces of the new cylinder block to the original casting.

Fortunately, John understands these differences and the problem. He is currently working on another project that requires having a complex sheet metal assembly laser scanned in preparation for manufacture in China.

To get the exterior of the new cylinder block correct, John has contracted with CAM Logic Inc located in Oxford, MI to clean up the laser-scanned file of the original cylinder block. This cleaned up file will then be used to create the exterior pattern for the new block. The first 2 figures show the laser-scanned cylinder block. The next 2 figures are of a model from CAM Logic that will be used to create the pattern.

CAM Logic will also combine the core assembly with the laser-scanned model to verify exterior wall thickness.

It is Chinese New Year right now so factories throughout the country are shut down until mid-February. After the holiday, John will meet with the factory and work with them to have the models from CAM Logic integrated into the design.

Unfortunately, the timing of these design changes along with the Chinese New Year is going to delay us at least 2 months. John will have a better idea of schedule after his return from China in late February.

Crankshaft and Connecting Rods

SolidWorks models of the crankshaft and connecting rods have been provided and the instructions to the factory in China are to follow the SolidWorks models.

The machined crankshaft drawing with dimensions and tolerances is shown in the fifth figure. The drawing looks good.

Rolled fillets, balancing, hardening, bearing inserts, and the rear main seal was discussed in the previous update (26 Nov 2019).

The crankshaft factory asked and was granted permission to have the connecting rods forged from steel instead of cast from malleable iron. We agreed as long as there would not be any increase in price. Preliminary drawings of the connecting rod have been marked up and returned to China.

Next Update and Other Comments

There have been no changes that will have an effect on pricing. The pricing goal is to provide these parts at a price that is competitive with the cost of machine work for the rebuild of a stock Model A engine.

Regarding the schedule delay, please be patient and understand that hiccups can happen in any project. We have high standards and insist on quality even if it means a schedule delay.

Our goal is to provide the parts that will allow an engine builder to provide a much better product that looks identical to stock on the exterior.

The next update will be in about 2 months.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

March 2020

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and stalled in 2015 because of sky-rocketing cost and the lack of quality control at foundries in California.

Previous updates, pictures, and videos can be found at www.modelaengine.com

FordBarn, (https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265782) is an internet social group for Model A Ford hobbyists, and there are a lot of interesting questions and comments regarding this project.

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others (John, Leonard, and Bill) to have the "new engine" manufactured in China.

A lot has happened since the last update on 25 Jan 2020.

Cylinder Block and Main Caps

CAM Logic Inc completed its work to digitally model the exterior of the cylinder block based on the laser scan.

John had planned to travel to China to present the CAM Logic Inc exterior model in mid-February but was unable to due to the Coronavirus outbreak. However, in the interim, John has been working with the factory in China remotely to move the project forward.

The data file from CAM Logic Inc was sent to China and is being used to make the exterior pattern.

We also asked CAM Logic to confirm that all wall thicknesses were 5/32 inch or greater per Ford drawing A-6015, and they found that when the SolidWorks core models were combined with their exterior model, the wall at the front of the valve chamber was found to be thin.

This was corrected by making the valve chamber core slightly smaller to add wall thickness, and this file was also sent to China.

The machined surfaces drawing made from my SolidWorks file is close to being acceptable. One more iteration is needed because their fore and aft tooling holes on the bottom of the cylinder block need to be moved inward.

Cylinder block foundry tooling is nearing completion. The factory in China has provided a schedule projecting completion on 18 April 2020.

All tooling (core boxes, and the cope and drag patterns) is being CNC machined to the SolidWorks core and exterior models that have been provided by us. Everything that is external to the cylinder block casting including sprues, core-prints, gates, runners, and vents were designed by the factory in China.

The factory in China is in the business of making cylinder blocks in volume, so the tooling has been designed for use on their automated tooling line that can mass-produce cores and molds that are precise and consistent.

The 15 attached figures show what some of the tooling will look like. The first 2 figures show cope and drag patterns that are ready for automated molding, and the other figures show various stages of tooling completion. All tooling will be machined from aluminum.

It is my belief that the only "hands on" operations will be core setting, mold closure, and pouring.

Once a good casting is poured, it needs to be verified through a series of comparisons, measurements, and tests including:

Compare the casting exterior against an original cylinder block. Superimposing laser scans of the new and original cylinder blocks would be ideal.
Compare roughness and texture of surfaces.
Pressurize the water jacket with air while the cylinder block is submerged in water to check for porosity.
Cut a casting apart into many pieces to verify all wall thickness and that there is no porosity.

We cannot dictate the process for verification, however, we can ask questions like: "How are you going to verify that the exterior is identical to original? How are you going to verify that there is no porosity?, and How are you going to verify wall thickness?"

John is in contact with the factories in China about 2 times every week, and I talk with or Email John every few days. Unfortunately, because of the Coronavirus, John will not be able to travel to China and witness the verification process.

The Coronavirus along with the engineers not using the laser scan has slightly slowed progress in China. If foundry tooling is complete by 18 April 2020 and they produce a good casting on the first try, it is possible that a machined casting may be available in May 2020 assuming that there are no CNC errors.

Crankshaft and Connecting Rods

SolidWorks models of the crankshaft and connecting rods have been provided and the instructions to the factory in China are to follow the SolidWorks models.

The machined crankshaft drawing with dimensions and tolerances looks good.

Rolled fillets, balancing, hardening, bearing inserts, and the rear main seal was discussed in a previous update (26 Nov 2019).

Next Update and Other Comments

Before authorizing production, we have asked for 3 sets of hardware that we can inspect and evaluate by building running engines. Although John cannot fly to China to meet with his contacts at the factory, freight is still actively moving.

In preparation for the next update (end of April 2020?) we have asked for photographs that show the finished foundry tooling and the first casting.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

May 2020

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at http://www.modelaengine.com

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, or suggestion, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue.

New Engine

This project started in 2007 and stalled in 2015 because of sky-rocketing cost and the lack of quality control at foundries in California.

Previous updates, pictures, and videos can be found at www.modelaengine.com

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others (John, Leonard, and Bill) to have the "new engine" manufactured in China.

A lot has happened since the last update on 26 March 2020.

Cylinder Block and Main Caps

Due to Covid19, John was unable to travel to China and present the exterior model of the cylinder block that was completed by CAM logic from a laser scan. This was resolved by sending the data over the internet.

The foundry tooling (patterns and core boxes) have been delivered to the casting and machining factory.

3 cylinder blocks have been cast. The first had a miss-run problem but was useful to confirm feature location and wall thickness. The second and third cylinder block castings appear good and are shown in the figures.

For quality control purposes, every cylinder block that passes final inspection will have a unique hidden serial number in the location shown in the attachments.

John is in contact with the factories in China about 2 times every week, and I talk with or Email John every few days.

Crankshaft

Crankshafts for engineering evaluation have been cast, rough machined, and they are having their journals hardened in preparation for grinding.

The attachments show the rough machining prior to heat treat.

Rolled fillets, balancing, hardening, bearing inserts, and the rear main seal was discussed in a previous update (26 Nov 2019).

Connecting Rods

In the attachments, there is a picture of big end forgings and a short video that shows the partially machined cap. The video is short, so don't blink while watching.

Design Verification

We have been in contact with an engine rebuilder and parts supplier that has agreed to help verify the design by assembling a short block with parts that we supply, and then assemble a complete engine with mostly used parts that he supplies.

We are planning to have the new engine parts air-shipped from China to an airport near his business and we are excited to see what arrives. This will be our first opportunity to visually see the new engine parts.

The new engine parts will be cosmetically compared to original parts, and dimensionally measured to confirm that all interfaces are a match to Ford drawings for attaching parts. Any discrepancies found will be documented so they can be corrected before the production run.

After assembly of the new engine, it will be run on a test stand at a high RPM for a length of time, and then installed in a car that will be driven in hill climbs at WOT (Wide Open Throttle). Next, the engine will be plumbed to utilize an oil filter and again run on the test stand. After all testing, the engine will be disassembled and all moving parts will be inspected for wear. If we agree that the design is valid, we will authorize production.

Next Update and Other Comments

We expect to have engineering evaluation parts delivered by July 5, 2020.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

July 2020

Updates

In case someone gets this Email without seeing the article on the new Model A engine, the article can be found at http://www.modelaengine.com This website also has previous updates, pictures and videos.

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, suggestion, or wants to get on the Email list for updates, please let me know at model.a.engine@hotmail.com and I’ll do my best to resolve the issue and add your Email address to the update list.

FordBarn,(https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265782) is an internet social group for Model A Ford hobbyists and there are a lot of interesting questions and comments regarding this project. There are too many people on the Email list to keep everyone informed as things progress, so please check the FordBarn website for the latest developments. The FordBarn thread also tells the complete story from July 2019 when this stalled project was resurrected.

New Engine

In the 2 July 2019 update, I was happy to state that the project was resurrected and I would be working with others (John, Leonard, and Bill) to have the "new engine" manufactured in China.

A lot has happened since the last update on 19 June 2020.

Cylinder Block and Main Caps

We were expecting to have the engineering evaluation hardware (cylinder block, crankshaft, and connecting rods delivered just after the July 4th holiday. This didn't happen because the machinery being utilized to machine the cylinder blocks was reassigned to machine locomotive cylinder heads. This resulted in a schedule slip and the new Model A cylinder blocks are now expected before the end of July 2020.

Crankshaft

The engineering evaluation crankshafts are complete and are awaiting completion of the cylinder blocks for fit-check verification. For ease of manufacture, the factory asked and we agreed to change the drilling method from a single hole to cross-drilling. Although this is not our crankshaft, the video shows how crankshafts are cross-drilled. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZDCpWoZJV4 If you stop the video at 3:49, you will see the paths of the oil passages. The dead-ended passages will be plugged with setscrews so they can be removed to clean the passages.

Connecting Rods

The engineering evaluation connecting rods are complete and have been fit-checked to the crankshaft and wrist pin using the insert bearing and wrist pin that we provided.

Design Verification

We have been in contact with an engine rebuilder and parts supplier that has agreed to be a 3rd party evaluator to verify the design by assembling a short block with parts that we supply, and then assemble a complete engine with some new and mostly used parts that he supplies.

We are planning to have the new engine parts air-shipped from China and delivered to the 3rd party evaluator's business location and we are excited to see what arrives. This will be our first opportunity to visually see the new engine parts.

We have asked the 3rd party evaluator to build a "touring engine" that utilizes mostly stock parts but uses a high compression head and lightened flywheel. Along with the cylinder block, crankshaft, and connecting rods, we will supply a Stipe 5 bearing camshaft, a modified Model A oil pump, and a Stipe oil pump.

Our findings and assessment during the evaluation will be published as posts to FordBarn which is so much easier than sending hundreds of Emails. The FordBarn thread regarding the new engine and where we will post our findings is here: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265782

Next Update and Other Comments

If all goes well and there are no major changes resulting from engineering evaluation, we will authorize production and should have parts in stock and for sale sometime in September 2020.

We have set a discounted introductory price of $3500 for 60 days that will include a cylinder block with main caps, thrust washers, camshaft bearings and all dowel pins installed, main cap studs and nuts, connecting rods with wrist pin bushings and dowel pins installed along with fasteners, and a crankshaft with dowel pins and Woodruff key installed. Dealer pricing for quantities of 5 will be less. After the 60-day introductory price, we are planning to sell exclusively through dealers (parts retailers and machine shops) that order 5 or more at a time. The start date for the 60 days introductory price has not been set.

I'm the engineer on this project. The other team members are John Lampl who is responsible for manufacturing, quality assurance, transportation, customs, and pricing, William Percival who is our bean counter and computer guru, and Leonard Nettles who is responsible for receiving orders and shipping parts.

After the engineering evaluation parts pass our appearance and testing requirements, the production order will be placed and information regarding how to contact John, William, and Leonard will be published to the people on the Email list, Ford Barn, all MARC and MAFCA chapters, and parts retailers and machine shops.

Terry Burtz, Campbell, Calif.

September 2020

Updates

In case someone gets this email without seeing the full article on the "new" Model A engine, it is available at http://www.modelaengine.com. This website also has all of the previous updates, pictures, and videos.

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, suggestion, or wants to get on the email list for updates, please email model.a.engine@hotmail.com. We will add your email address to our mailing list and do our best to address any questions you may have.

New Engine

The term "new engine" is loosely used. The only new parts are the cylinder block, crankshaft, and connecting rods. All interfaces for mating parts are identical to the original Model A engine, and they have been documented from the original Ford drawings.

Since our last update on 15 July 2020, we have been working with the factory to complete and ship the prototype components for evaluation and testing.

Design Verification

The new engine parts and the optional flywheel arrived in the US and were received by the 3rd-party evaluator during the first week of September. John, Terry, and I met there the following week to begin the verification process. Leonard had intended to join us but had an important family obligation.

Over the next ten days, we conducted a detailed inspection of the new parts, evaluated their fitment, and completed a working engine assembly with the new parts combined with stock Model A components. Following assembly, the new motor was run for approximately 15 hours under varying conditions to observe its performance.

As mentioned previously, due to the impacts of COVID, this was our first opportunity to inspect the parts physically. We worked with the evaluator who is experienced with building Model A engines to confirm the new parts' specification, compatibility with existing stock components, complete the engine build, and test run it for several days on both a stand and installed in a Model A. We finished the test run by performing a hill climb of over five miles that included over 1,700 feet of elevation gain.

The evaluator's participation and input were critical, both from the standpoint of ensuring the engine was assembled correctly, but as important, providing an independent assessment and feedback of the internal modifications required to support a 5-main block. They have asked to remain anonymous, but we want to acknowledge their invaluable input and generous support and accommodation during the testing process.

Following is more detail on the testing process and the results. Also included at the end of this update is a link to some of the pictures and video clips that we recorded to provide additional context to the testing process we went through.

Parts and Fitment Inspection

Days 1 and 2 were dedicated to inspecting and measuring the new parts to ensure their design integrity. The focus of developing this engine has always been to integrate the understood advantages of a 5-main design without compromising the exterior appearance of the original design.

Accordingly, our evaluation included carefully assessing the fitment of the modified crankshaft and connecting rods in the modified block, as well as their complete compatibility with the inventory of stock components that includes heads, camshaft, pumps, pans, and supporting housing covers.

In particular, the modified oil galleys were checked to confirm all passages were clear, fully plumbed, and capable of supporting three- and five-bearing camshaft implementations and an external oil filter in the event an owner wants that as an option.

Plastigage was used to confirm proper clearances for all main and connecting rods caps when torqued to spec. Pictures are included of those results.

Valves were seated and connecting rods checked for balance along with other the many other details you would normally associate with a proper engine build.

The Build Process

After inspecting the engine and confirming the fitment of the individual components, we began the build process which required approximately two days. The crank, cam and oil pump were installed first, followed by valves, pistons, seals and the flywheel.

During the assembly, several minor clearance conflicts were identified. However, we were able to readily modify them without negatively impacting the test process or biasing the end results.

For example, there was a slight clearance issue with the cam and the rear of # 4 cam bearing housing. Through grinding, casting material was removed to provide the necessary clearance and documented for the factory. Prior to moving into full production, the tooling will be adjusted to eliminate that issue. A "before and after" picture is included that shows the area of conflict before and after the profile was reduced.

Similarly, several hex bolts that are used to attach the connecting rod caps were lightly contacting one of the sidewalls of the oil pan when rotating. For the purposes of testing, we switched bolts with lower profile heads and further refined them slightly through grinding the shoulders down. Moving into production, the permanent fix will spec these low-profile bolts and deepen the counterbore in the connecting rod cap to effectively countersink the bolt heads further into the cap and eliminate any potential of contact with the oil pan.

Finally, we had a minor issue with balancing the connecting rods. Due to the fact we were evaluating prototype parts at this stage, we logically authorized only a limited number of connecting rods, primarily to confirm fitment. However, this also impacted our ability to group rods of similar weights which is the normal practice when larger quantity of rods are batched produced.

We installed them with no noticeable effect, but with the goal of full disclosure, we wanted to mention it. John also brought it to the attention of the factory and they assured us that when we proceed to full production and manufacturing rods in greater quantities, this issue will self-correct as a result of the ability to more closely group rods of nearly equivalent weights.

Also, given this issue, it is worth mentioning the potentially beneficial impact of the new crankshaft design. As most are aware, the counterweights on the new crankshaft incorporate significantly more mass than the stock design. The shaft diameter and supporting main bearing sizes were also increased by 33%. The goal of these modifications was to both deliver torque and power more smoothly, but also reduce the stress impacts recognized with the original 3-main design and the maintenance requirements extending from them.

The build process was finished by installing the stock engine covers and pans. A 6:1 compression head was used for testing and a stock oil pump. Toward the end of day four, we transferred the engine to a test stand and started it for the first time. Over the next two hours we ran the engine at moderate speeds to confirm the absence of unexpected noises or anything else that would have sensibly caused us to stop the testing process for further investigation. Basic operating conditions like oil and water circulation and temperatures, and timing, were within normal standards of stock Model A engines.

Initially we had installed a stock oil pump and ran 10w-40 oil but following the warmup of the engine observed minimal oil pressure readings on the pump and return gauges. The next day we installed a modified stock pump (increased inlet port and galley), 20w-50 oil and inspected the used oil for any noticeable signs of wear, which we found none. The oil and pump change raised the oil pressure which was recorded regularly while the engine was being run on the test stand.

Run Testing

Following the pump and oil change, the engine was run on the test stand for six hours at 3,100 RPM, roughly the equivalent of 70 to 75 miles per hour in Model A. Temperatures and oil pressures were recorded regularly during this period. Oil pressure at the pump was approximately 8 psi and 5 psi on return. Oil temperature in the sump reached 275 degrees and averaged 263 degrees. Water temperature at the # 4 cylinder reached a high of just over 200 degrees, but on average was approximately 190 degrees while running the engine at this speed.

A link to a brief video of the engine running at 3,100 rpm is included. Please note that the sensitivity of the microphone was reduced in the early part of the recording which might leave the impression that the engine operation was very quiet. Later in the video the external mic was changed, and the actual volume recorded. As could be expected, running at 3,100 RPM’s is quite loud, evidenced by the fact we were all wearing hearing protection.

We would also note that other than running the engine for two hour prior to this phase of testing, there had been no other “break-in” period. Overall, we were pleased with the engine’s operation at this speed and feel confident of its capacity to sustain higher temperatures and stresses associated with running at this speed.

The following day we ran the engine for four hours, but more moderately at 2,100 RPM’s to approximate normal driving conditions. The engine ran smoothly during the entire period. Oil temperatures averaged 180 degrees, the water temperature at cylinder 4 averaged 168 degrees, and oil pressure at the pump and return averaged 4 psi.

Later that day the engine was transferred from the test stand and installed into a vehicle to further evaluate its operation in real-world conditions. Installation was completed late in the day, but we had the opportunity to take it for a brief drive. Impressions were promising. Power delivery was smooth and torque was noticeably available at the lower range of RPM’s.

Hill / Stress Testing

During the final day of testing, the engine was run up a five-mile course with an average grade of about 6.5 percent. Total elevation gain was approximately 1,700 feet. We recorded the climb using both drone and dashcams. A link to the video footage is included.

Other than stopping briefly during the ascent to allow for the drone operator to move to his next line of sight, the engine was run continually and as fast as safely possible given the narrower road and switchback conditions. We did not record average speeds, but regularly observed speeds in excess of 35 miles per hour while climbing with no notable strain on the engine.

Overall, we were satisfied with all aspects of the run testing and feel very confident of the engine’s design integrity and long-term performance.

Next Steps

During the evaluation process we were actively communicating the adjustments needed in the tooling process to the factory to address the fitment issues we identified during the build process. We are already receiving revised drawings and will confirm with them that all of the needed modifications are properly implemented. We expect to complete this work by the end of October, at which time we will authorize production.

The factory is estimating it will take them 90 days to deliver blocks to the US once production is authorized. As a result, we expect to be in a position to deliver blocks to customers around the end of January or early February 2021.

Depending on the distribution of demand, we will warehouse the blocks regionally to minimize the delivery time to end customers and any incremental delivery costs.

During the first 60 days, the block kit, including crankshaft and connecting rods, small parts (cam bearings, thrust washers, oil galley plugs etc.) and a “Builder’s Guide” will be offered to buyers directly at a discounted cost of $3,500. Following the initial offering period cost will be $3,900 and the availability through parts distributors and engine builders.

For those that are interested, we will be following up shortly with pre-order details and delivery details.

In the interim, please contact us with any questions you have.

Bill Percival

Link to picture, video & test data files:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/at89mx8bt...j-WMblVVa?dl=0

December 2020

Updates

New Engine

Design Verification

The new engine parts and the optional flywheel arrived in the US and were received by the 3rd-party evaluator during the first week of September 2020. We arrived a few days later for final assembly and testing.

The new engine was tested to conditions beyond expected usage to see if there were any weak points. After assembly, the new engine was brutally broken-in by running it at 3100 RPM (75 MPH without overdrive) for 6 hours straight, followed by a lower RPM run, and the final test was a hill climb.

Engine assembly, test data, pictures, and video have been documented in the September 2020 New Engine Update.

The assembly and testing of the new engine resulted in a few minor engineering changes to enhance the design.

As an engineer, I am always curious to find the weak link in a chain. The connecting rod bolts specified for the new Model A engine are 170 KSI 12-point 3/8-24 UNF x 1.25 inch (McMaster Carr #91271A644).

The weak link could have been the 12-point Craftsman socket, 12-point bolt, or the threads in the connecting rod upper half.

I tightened the bolts in 5 lb-ft increments to 60 lb-ft. At 65 lb-ft, something started to yield. I tightened 2 additional full turns to make it obvious what was yielding.

Upon disassembly, it was found that the bolt yielded and the threads in the upper half of the connecting rod were undamaged.

Production

The engineering changes have been made and production was authorized at the end of October 2020. We are in the middle of a production run and expect to have parts ready for delivery near the end of January 2021.

The attached pictures show parts in China that are part of the production run.

Website

John Lampl, Bill Percival, and a website developer are working on a website that will collect all scattered information about the new engine together in one place.

The new website will include everything at http://www.modelaengine.com, include the "Builders Guide", include an article on how to modify a stock Model A oil pump to double the area of the flow passages, have a section where questions and comments from social media have been captured, and a place to order the new engine parts.

The Team and Responsibilities

Terry Burtz (model.a.engine@hotmail.com), Engineering and Technical Adviser

John Lampl (jrlampl@jrlasia.com), Manufacturing and Distribution

William Percival (wrpercival@gmail.com), business management

Leonard Nettles (ln.lja@sbcglobal.net), USA order processing

Ordering

There are well over 120 people that couldn't wait for the website to become active and they are on a list of buyers being kept by Leonard Nettles.

If you want to get on the list, please contact Leonard Nettles (ln.lja@sbcglobal.net).

There is no deposit required to be placed on the list.

International Orders

Interest (from people on the buyers list) in the new engine from Australia/New Zealand, and Europe has been high enough to send containers directly from China and avoid US Customs.

If you are in Europe, please contact Hans Meijerink, mrmbv1@planet.nl, Phone 0031534319914

If you are in Australia/New Zealand, please contact Dean Roberts, deanroberts@visionsafe.com.au, Phone +61 (0)408913355

Terry Burtz

February 2021

New Engine Update

In case someone gets this email without seeing the full article on the "new" Model A engine, it is available at: http://www.modelaengine.com . This website also has engineering details, all of the previous updates, pictures, videos, and the latest "Builders Guide", "Doubling the Flow Area of a Model A Oil Pump", and "Installing an Oil Filter".

If anyone has a question, concern, comment, suggestion, or wants to get on the email list for updates, please reply to model.a.engine@hotmail.com. We will add your email address to our mailing list for updates and do our best to address any questions that you may have.

There have been several inquiries regarding the status and schedule for the new Model A engine kit (Cylinder Block, Crankshaft, and Connecting Rods).

We expected to have parts near the end of January 2021, but are running about 4 weeks late.

We placed a production order near the end of October 2020 with a promised delivery date near the end of January 2021.

The delivery date and quantity of new Model A engine kits from China (Cylinder block, Crankshaft, and Connecting rods) are both being impacted by problems that we have no control over.

The engine factory in China is huge and it has multiple machining lines. They recently received an order for 10,000 Mitsubishi engines. These engines will be manufactured on a line that has multiple special machines in series that is a modern version of the machining line seen in movies from the Ford archives.

Since our order is small, it has lower priority and is being manufactured on a line using CNC machines. The good news is that the factory will maintain the same Quality Assurance standards whether the order is big or small. The bad news is that our requested quantity will not be met.

After the production order was placed in October 2020, there has been an energy shortage in China, the factory where the flywheels are being manufactured is completely shut down because of a new Covid outbreak, and there is a shortage of shipping containers.

I spoke with John Lampl today and the New Engine Kits being shipped to Australia/New Zealand, and Europe will be delivered to the container yard this week, and the New Engine Kits being shipped to the USA will be delivered to the container yard on February 9th.

Terry Burtz

March 2021

The 1st production run of engine kits is sold and they are being picked up at the warehouse in Hawthorne, CA, and delivered by truck.

The 2nd production run is scheduled to be here in July/August 2021.

The introductory price of $3500 will increase to $3950 for individual orders placed later than the end of March 2021. There is no deposit required and an invoice will be sent from Allied Classics when the shipment has left China.

To place an order, go to www.modelaengine.com , click on "How to Order" and complete the order form.

If you are on the waiting list for the 2nd production run or have just placed an order and want to confirm that you are on the list, contact John Lampl (jrlampl@jrlasia.com).

Terry Burtz

There is a lot of chatter on FordBarn

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265782

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296176

and the Vintage Ford Forum

https://www.vintagefordforum.com/forum/model-a/188084-new-model-a-engine/page7

https://www.vintagefordforum.com/forum/model-a/307738-new-terry-burtz-engine-taking-questions-to-give-answers-best-i-can

The following is a sample of what is being discussed on FordBarn and the Vintage Ford Forum.

Terry Burtz

September 2021

Production run #2 Shipping Status

I spoke with John Lampl today, and he informed me that there is another delay with the first of several containers for production run #2 that is beyond our control. John's words are pasted below.

The immediate production for ocean freight delivery had been postponed from the 5th of Sep (originally) to the 15th and then the 21st.. We were just advised the recent Typhoon "Chanthu" that hit eastern China (shanghai), has caused sailing cancellations including our booking. We have word the next vessel will schedule for around the 5th of October. This will have goods arriving port in the USA the 1st week of Nov. There is nothing we can do but keep trying. The port situation is quite backed up.. We will try to keep everyone updated. Once the container is onboard, things will be more predictable...

New Optional Parts

To enhance the "New Engine Kit", we are offering 3 additional parts that have improvements over stock or aftermarket parts that are currently available. These 3 parts have the stock Model A interfaces and can be used with either a stock Model A engine or with the "New Engine Kit".

Flywheel

We offer a 30-pound flywheel that is drilled for the V-8 pressure plate. The flywheels are in stock at the Hawthorne, CA warehouse and can be sent UPS flat rate for a savings in shipping.

Cylinder Head

We are finalizing the design of a 6.5 to 1 cylinder head. Like the new cylinder block, the exterior of an original production cylinder head was laser scanned to copy every intricate detail and the water flow circuit has been designed for increased flow at exhaust ports #3 and #4. This new head will be flat, have the correct appearance, correct length, correct width, and the stud holes will be centered in the bosses. In addition, all 4 water pump attachment holes will be blind so that sealant is not needed. We do not expect to award a production contract until early next year.

Camshaft

We have awarded a manufacturing contract for a new 5 bearing camshaft. It is a "touring" grind with 0.340 inches of lift. If you wish to regrind it for more performance or for an overhead, the lobe tips are hardened to a depth of 2 to 3 mm and the remainder of the lobe is hardened to a depth of 1.5 to 2 mm. The new camshaft has passages for additional lubrication. If the new camshaft is used in the "New Engine Kit" there will be 17 pressure fed bearings instead of 16. These camshafts should be ready to ship near the end of November 2021.

Professional Builders vs Home Builders

Professional builders that understand modern engines and follow the "Builders Guide" have thousands of miles on their new engines without problems. Dennis Kliesen has close to 10,000 miles on his engine followed by Bob Beers who finished in the upper 3rd in the Great Race, and Dave Gerold (Durable Performance) who has pulled a trailer while touring.

A few home builders that aren't familiar with modern engines and don't understand or follow the "Builders Guide" are having a variety of problems because they don't understand bearing crush, mistakenly think that the line bore operation can produce oval holes that are not in alignment, wonder why their rear main seal leaks when one side is installed 1/4 inch further than the other side, wonder why runouts are excessive when they are measuring runout with a flimsy dial indicator setup, etc.

Pietenpol

I spoke with the author and proofread a magazine article that is being written regarding the use of the "New Engine Kit" in a Pietenpol airplane. I emphasized that we accept no liability and that there is no guarantee if the new engine is used in an airplane. The new engine is attractive because of the 9 crankshaft bearings that are 2-inch diameter, the 16 or 17 pressurized bearings, and the fact that with a minor alteration, the thrust bearing pulling the airplane forward can have continuous pressurized lubrication instead of crankcase mist found in a stock Model A engine.

Additional Information

For additional details, history, builders guide, and ordering information, see www.modelaengine.com or www.burtzblock.com