03-05-2023, 01:49 AM
Chapter 129
Thursday afternoon is already here, and we are on the bus heading home from school. I cant believe the school week has gone by so fast. Last night I talked to Chris on the phone. He was planning to come over today sometime after he gets out of school.
Chris is relying on Paul Fisher to drop by his house and pick up the kart. Then drive over today with everything. Just Chris didnt know yet when Paul could break away from work to deliver him and the kart.
I dont usually get too stressed or worked up about things. But the pressure has been building up to get things finished. Mainly because time is running out. Its like everything keeps getting delayed or not working like I had planned. Time for concessions if this keeps up. So far the engines are still in three boxes, not yet assembled.
As of now I do have Chris and Steves engines more or less partially put together. Well everything is ready to assemble their engines. But mine is still a complete basket case. Tonight I have to commit on those particulars that have kept me from getting any farther on all three of them. Especially the hold up on my engine.
Last night I mixed up some epoxy. I dont know if this is the really good kind or not. More of what my grandfather had picked up at auctions from work before he retired recently. I figured if it is used on military aircraft, then should be good enough for a kart engine. Hope I am right about this.
So when I talked to the Science teacher on Tuesday about aluminum powder, he told me there was several grades to choose from. After explaining to him what I need the powder for, he recommended some that was not such a fine grade and less commonly suited for most types of experiments. Other than that, he had nothing else to add. I was on my own moving forward. It seems like the epoxy should hold up for a while since there is no real direct heat on the two lower ring grooves.
But trying to think using my smarts, the Frank Price way, I come up with holes all over the place why there may be unforeseen problems that will plague me. Other ideas come to mind using the epoxy that could help. What if I fill in the grooves with something and use the epoxy to secure in place instead of as only a filler?
I could cut a ring from aluminum that fits loosely in the groove. The epoxy will keep it held in check. Maybe or maybe not. I am leaning towards this idea for now. There needs to be enough clearance for the epoxy to fill the void, otherwise it will just get scraped off when the filler ring goes in place.
The aluminum filler ring can be slightly thinner and might keep the epoxy from breaking away from being too thick. I like this plan. Now just have to make two filler rings. I need to use some aluminum that would sort of hold its shape or not just bend or worse even break when attempting to install in the piston ring groove.
I had already considered the idea of filling the ring grooves this way. Yes, thought about it some time back. But now I am working out the details of what and how. Also considering the downsides of this turning into a bad idea or even a calamity.
My first attempts at machining a filler ring from the scraps of aluminum on hand failed miserably. It was almost impossible to make something that thin on the little lathe. The three jaw chuck would distort the ring into a triangle. Or would just fly off the chuck when trying to make a cut.
The ideal material would be a piece of thick wall aluminum tubing. Since the piston is 2 1/8 inches, a 2 1/4 inch diameter would be about perfect. But it is not like the local hardware store sells short pieces of tubing like this. I should have asked Mr Sadeskey about some tubing at school. But too late now if planning to get it done tonight.
All I had for scraps was just flat plate. Mostly 1/4 and 5/16 inch thick. There is some thicker plate, but way too much waste if I use it. So sticking with this thinner stuff for now. I roughed out a piece then machined it round leaving it sightly oversize. Chucked up again and tried to cut out the center close to finish size. This is when the problems started happening.
It took a little bit of thinking to come up with some type of solution that will cradle the ring when it gets too thin and not holding shape anymore. At first there was not a problem cutting round. It was when the inside diameter was getting larger, then would not hold up to the cutting tool. The ring would spin around, deform or collapse.
One solution or something I thought might work is machining a wide and thick sleeve that would fit inside of the filler ring. As I started cutting this, then realizing something that would help even better. I added a flange on back face of the sleeve.
Now the filler ring would fit snugly over this flanged sleeve. Cutting a slot in sleeve would allow it to expand when the chuck is tightened. The filler ring could rest up against this flange staying square and held in place while being cut.
This flanged sleeve fixture will fit over the chuck jaws and inside of filler ring. I back out the jaws and they open up inside this sleeve. The filler ring is pushed up against the flange. Well that is the plan. Time to find out if it works or not.
The next thing I needed a parting tool that is narrow enough so I can get at least the two filler rings from a single piece. The plate I used to cut this ring is 1/4 inch. So I need a parting tool no wider than 1/8 inch. Now maybe I can machine this on the lathe without a problem.
Since I am using flat plate, it has to be roughed out with a hack saw. Then it gets center drilled somewhere close to the middle. This is where the liver center in tailstock pushes up to and holds the flat plate against chuck. This is very time consuming, but the only way I have to make it from the materials here in my scrap pile.
First I cut the filler ring outside diameter to roughly 1/2 inch larger than inside measurement of piston ring groove. The reason for this is the extra thickness will hold its shape before installing on the flange fixture. Now I chuck up on the outer diameter then cut center to the actual diameter of ring groove.
Sliding over the flanged sleeve fixture, and tightening the chuck holds it just fine this time. The next step is using a parting tool that is offset the same width of ring. Basically the 1/8 inch wide parting tool is centered on the 1/4 inch wide plate. If everything works, I will have the two filler rings 1/16 inch thick.
I also had to make a holder so these thin filler rings could be sanded flat removing any remaining burrs. To do this, a step is cut on the back side of flanged sleeve fixture. It would be just slightly larger than ring diameter. Depth would match the width of finished ring size but no deeper.
So flipping around the flanged sleeve, pushing this up against the chuck jaws, then tighten down. The recessed step can then be cut on the back side. Now a ring should fit in this machined step. It is there secure while I sand flat over a piece of Emory cloth laying on a piece of thick glass plate.
A saw cut is made so the filler ring can be expanded enough like a piston ring to fit in the groove. Carefully I worked this filler ring around the piston and it fit fairly well. There was clearance and play in the groove. So that is what will be filled in with the epoxy mixed with fine aluminum powder.
After a thorough cleaning in lacquer thinner, I used some course Emory cloth to rough up the surfaces so the epoxy would adhere to both the filler rings and grooves in piston.
Now I am back to the part of mixing up the epoxy from earlier in this entry. The aluminum was added as I stirred the two parts of epoxy together. Adding just enough powder until epoxy could hold its shape without much sagging before setting up. I thought this would be more than thick enough to work.
I had no idea how much to add or if it would even help. Only going by what I was told from a reliable source. From someone that knew someone that had good luck at what he did racing at the Devils Bowl Speedway. So a retired customer of a customer of Floyd Bailey is who the information came from.
Time to make this real. I filled in the two lower grooves in piston with the epoxy mix, then carefully worked around each of the aluminum filler rings in place. I noticed the rings now did not close all of the way because of the epoxy behind filling in the groove. A quick fix here was using wax paper wrapped around, then tightening down a hose clamp to hold the filler rings securely in place while the epoxy set up.
The piston skirts on both E-65 pistons had already been cut down shorter so the throws on A-490 crankshaft would clear, so there was no excuse not to finish up Steves engine while the epoxy cures on my piston.
I have already partially assembled Steves engine several times. Well getting all of the internals test fitted and ready to bolt together with side cover installed hopefully for the last time, this time. Then adjusting the ignition timing to stock settings at 35 degrees before top dead center.
I am using that big degree wheel my grandfather had come up with for this purpose. According to him it came off some type of control equipment from an environmental chamber. Supposedly this contraption was once used for simulation testing of aircraft parts.
All the while he was attempting to explain this machine of sorts to me my brain went into a fog. I had no idea of what he was even talking about. Some monster sized box welded together using thick steel plate. It was heavily reinforced, and also very well insulated.
This chamber as he called it, could be pressurized or under vacuum to simulate real world extreme weather conditions for critical testing of precision parts to find out how they reacted under non ambient situations not at ground level. Also equipped with heating and cooling capacity too.
It took me a moment to think back at how he described all of that to me. Maybe I didnt get everything just right. Well close enough. Its not like I need a chamber like this to do any track testing. At least I sure hope not. Now having some way to test all of this guess work on the engines before going to the track... Wow something like a dynometer that could be worth something to think about.
While piddling with Steves engine after finishing up with the epoxied piston, I was trying to figure out if there was any to cut back the time when cutting these rings. After making them the only thing still coming to mind is using a piece of tubing close to the piston diameter.
Either way after machining, install the filler rings, using the epoxy, then clamp them securely in place. After the epoxy is cured, then cut down the outside diameter of these rings to blend with side of piston. This would be almost like a one ring piston now, instead of two old grooves filled in not looking so professional without them.
Putting together the engine for Chris would be the least trouble. I had no intentions of getting crazy with this one. What my plan was is nothing more than copying my engine originally setup with the Palmini intake manifold and bored out carburetor. Except using his new intake manifold instead. I was not even thinking the bored out carburetor was worth it for him just yet.
I had only used the modified carburetor once on our last practice day. It worked better than I could have hoped for. But it is still an unknown without some more time on the track. I really would liked to have used it for our first race. But that day, there was already way too many unknowns to deal with.
Now this engine now has larger ports, and new Go-Power intake manifold with four petal reed cage, should run very well using his existing Tillotson carburetor. Chris managed to get the carburetor put on his engine with some help from a guy at the track last spring. Since then, according to Chris, the carburetor had been working just fine.
I am fairly certain my bored out carburetor would be faster, but not until his engine is running just good as it can be first. Then swap it out and confirm the results before a race day. That makes sense right now. I have not put enough track time on my carburetor. So not ready to just throw it out there expecting perfect results for anyone else who tries one copied from it.
Since everything else will be the same, I can have the carburetor ready for a quick swap on our next trip to the track. His carburetor works good enough so a back to back comparison will confirm if there really is that big of a difference.
My original plan back when trying out the bored out carburetor, was to use the stock intake manifold. But one we did open up the passage and installed larger reeds from a chainsaw. Then I got crazy that morning before we left for the track. I swapped out not just the stock Tillotson carburetor with my modified one, but also changed over to the Palmini manifold and a four petal reed cage.
So from our second practice day, I can not be for sure which parts or combination of parts really worked the best. What if the smaller carburetor works better? What if the modified carburetor is faster on the larger chainsaw reeds? I am still curious how well the modified intake manifolds with the six petal reed cage works compared to the other ones with chainsaw reeds.
Thinking about all of the changes we did on his kart, the first thing Chris will have to do is learn how to drive it. From what I understood, he has never driven a live axle kart before. Now after we did the conversion on his kart, will not be anything like he is used to.
So making sure his engine is reliable as possible and with fewer unknowns is what I need to keep in mind. Once Chris is used to driving his kart and after any necessary adjustments have been made, then start worrying about his engine. For now reliable and consistent. After his kart is handling perfect, we can work on faster.
Thursday afternoon is already here, and we are on the bus heading home from school. I cant believe the school week has gone by so fast. Last night I talked to Chris on the phone. He was planning to come over today sometime after he gets out of school.
Chris is relying on Paul Fisher to drop by his house and pick up the kart. Then drive over today with everything. Just Chris didnt know yet when Paul could break away from work to deliver him and the kart.
I dont usually get too stressed or worked up about things. But the pressure has been building up to get things finished. Mainly because time is running out. Its like everything keeps getting delayed or not working like I had planned. Time for concessions if this keeps up. So far the engines are still in three boxes, not yet assembled.
As of now I do have Chris and Steves engines more or less partially put together. Well everything is ready to assemble their engines. But mine is still a complete basket case. Tonight I have to commit on those particulars that have kept me from getting any farther on all three of them. Especially the hold up on my engine.
Last night I mixed up some epoxy. I dont know if this is the really good kind or not. More of what my grandfather had picked up at auctions from work before he retired recently. I figured if it is used on military aircraft, then should be good enough for a kart engine. Hope I am right about this.
So when I talked to the Science teacher on Tuesday about aluminum powder, he told me there was several grades to choose from. After explaining to him what I need the powder for, he recommended some that was not such a fine grade and less commonly suited for most types of experiments. Other than that, he had nothing else to add. I was on my own moving forward. It seems like the epoxy should hold up for a while since there is no real direct heat on the two lower ring grooves.
But trying to think using my smarts, the Frank Price way, I come up with holes all over the place why there may be unforeseen problems that will plague me. Other ideas come to mind using the epoxy that could help. What if I fill in the grooves with something and use the epoxy to secure in place instead of as only a filler?
I could cut a ring from aluminum that fits loosely in the groove. The epoxy will keep it held in check. Maybe or maybe not. I am leaning towards this idea for now. There needs to be enough clearance for the epoxy to fill the void, otherwise it will just get scraped off when the filler ring goes in place.
The aluminum filler ring can be slightly thinner and might keep the epoxy from breaking away from being too thick. I like this plan. Now just have to make two filler rings. I need to use some aluminum that would sort of hold its shape or not just bend or worse even break when attempting to install in the piston ring groove.
I had already considered the idea of filling the ring grooves this way. Yes, thought about it some time back. But now I am working out the details of what and how. Also considering the downsides of this turning into a bad idea or even a calamity.
My first attempts at machining a filler ring from the scraps of aluminum on hand failed miserably. It was almost impossible to make something that thin on the little lathe. The three jaw chuck would distort the ring into a triangle. Or would just fly off the chuck when trying to make a cut.
The ideal material would be a piece of thick wall aluminum tubing. Since the piston is 2 1/8 inches, a 2 1/4 inch diameter would be about perfect. But it is not like the local hardware store sells short pieces of tubing like this. I should have asked Mr Sadeskey about some tubing at school. But too late now if planning to get it done tonight.
All I had for scraps was just flat plate. Mostly 1/4 and 5/16 inch thick. There is some thicker plate, but way too much waste if I use it. So sticking with this thinner stuff for now. I roughed out a piece then machined it round leaving it sightly oversize. Chucked up again and tried to cut out the center close to finish size. This is when the problems started happening.
It took a little bit of thinking to come up with some type of solution that will cradle the ring when it gets too thin and not holding shape anymore. At first there was not a problem cutting round. It was when the inside diameter was getting larger, then would not hold up to the cutting tool. The ring would spin around, deform or collapse.
One solution or something I thought might work is machining a wide and thick sleeve that would fit inside of the filler ring. As I started cutting this, then realizing something that would help even better. I added a flange on back face of the sleeve.
Now the filler ring would fit snugly over this flanged sleeve. Cutting a slot in sleeve would allow it to expand when the chuck is tightened. The filler ring could rest up against this flange staying square and held in place while being cut.
This flanged sleeve fixture will fit over the chuck jaws and inside of filler ring. I back out the jaws and they open up inside this sleeve. The filler ring is pushed up against the flange. Well that is the plan. Time to find out if it works or not.
The next thing I needed a parting tool that is narrow enough so I can get at least the two filler rings from a single piece. The plate I used to cut this ring is 1/4 inch. So I need a parting tool no wider than 1/8 inch. Now maybe I can machine this on the lathe without a problem.
Since I am using flat plate, it has to be roughed out with a hack saw. Then it gets center drilled somewhere close to the middle. This is where the liver center in tailstock pushes up to and holds the flat plate against chuck. This is very time consuming, but the only way I have to make it from the materials here in my scrap pile.
First I cut the filler ring outside diameter to roughly 1/2 inch larger than inside measurement of piston ring groove. The reason for this is the extra thickness will hold its shape before installing on the flange fixture. Now I chuck up on the outer diameter then cut center to the actual diameter of ring groove.
Sliding over the flanged sleeve fixture, and tightening the chuck holds it just fine this time. The next step is using a parting tool that is offset the same width of ring. Basically the 1/8 inch wide parting tool is centered on the 1/4 inch wide plate. If everything works, I will have the two filler rings 1/16 inch thick.
I also had to make a holder so these thin filler rings could be sanded flat removing any remaining burrs. To do this, a step is cut on the back side of flanged sleeve fixture. It would be just slightly larger than ring diameter. Depth would match the width of finished ring size but no deeper.
So flipping around the flanged sleeve, pushing this up against the chuck jaws, then tighten down. The recessed step can then be cut on the back side. Now a ring should fit in this machined step. It is there secure while I sand flat over a piece of Emory cloth laying on a piece of thick glass plate.
A saw cut is made so the filler ring can be expanded enough like a piston ring to fit in the groove. Carefully I worked this filler ring around the piston and it fit fairly well. There was clearance and play in the groove. So that is what will be filled in with the epoxy mixed with fine aluminum powder.
After a thorough cleaning in lacquer thinner, I used some course Emory cloth to rough up the surfaces so the epoxy would adhere to both the filler rings and grooves in piston.
Now I am back to the part of mixing up the epoxy from earlier in this entry. The aluminum was added as I stirred the two parts of epoxy together. Adding just enough powder until epoxy could hold its shape without much sagging before setting up. I thought this would be more than thick enough to work.
I had no idea how much to add or if it would even help. Only going by what I was told from a reliable source. From someone that knew someone that had good luck at what he did racing at the Devils Bowl Speedway. So a retired customer of a customer of Floyd Bailey is who the information came from.
Time to make this real. I filled in the two lower grooves in piston with the epoxy mix, then carefully worked around each of the aluminum filler rings in place. I noticed the rings now did not close all of the way because of the epoxy behind filling in the groove. A quick fix here was using wax paper wrapped around, then tightening down a hose clamp to hold the filler rings securely in place while the epoxy set up.
The piston skirts on both E-65 pistons had already been cut down shorter so the throws on A-490 crankshaft would clear, so there was no excuse not to finish up Steves engine while the epoxy cures on my piston.
I have already partially assembled Steves engine several times. Well getting all of the internals test fitted and ready to bolt together with side cover installed hopefully for the last time, this time. Then adjusting the ignition timing to stock settings at 35 degrees before top dead center.
I am using that big degree wheel my grandfather had come up with for this purpose. According to him it came off some type of control equipment from an environmental chamber. Supposedly this contraption was once used for simulation testing of aircraft parts.
All the while he was attempting to explain this machine of sorts to me my brain went into a fog. I had no idea of what he was even talking about. Some monster sized box welded together using thick steel plate. It was heavily reinforced, and also very well insulated.
This chamber as he called it, could be pressurized or under vacuum to simulate real world extreme weather conditions for critical testing of precision parts to find out how they reacted under non ambient situations not at ground level. Also equipped with heating and cooling capacity too.
It took me a moment to think back at how he described all of that to me. Maybe I didnt get everything just right. Well close enough. Its not like I need a chamber like this to do any track testing. At least I sure hope not. Now having some way to test all of this guess work on the engines before going to the track... Wow something like a dynometer that could be worth something to think about.
While piddling with Steves engine after finishing up with the epoxied piston, I was trying to figure out if there was any to cut back the time when cutting these rings. After making them the only thing still coming to mind is using a piece of tubing close to the piston diameter.
Either way after machining, install the filler rings, using the epoxy, then clamp them securely in place. After the epoxy is cured, then cut down the outside diameter of these rings to blend with side of piston. This would be almost like a one ring piston now, instead of two old grooves filled in not looking so professional without them.
Putting together the engine for Chris would be the least trouble. I had no intentions of getting crazy with this one. What my plan was is nothing more than copying my engine originally setup with the Palmini intake manifold and bored out carburetor. Except using his new intake manifold instead. I was not even thinking the bored out carburetor was worth it for him just yet.
I had only used the modified carburetor once on our last practice day. It worked better than I could have hoped for. But it is still an unknown without some more time on the track. I really would liked to have used it for our first race. But that day, there was already way too many unknowns to deal with.
Now this engine now has larger ports, and new Go-Power intake manifold with four petal reed cage, should run very well using his existing Tillotson carburetor. Chris managed to get the carburetor put on his engine with some help from a guy at the track last spring. Since then, according to Chris, the carburetor had been working just fine.
I am fairly certain my bored out carburetor would be faster, but not until his engine is running just good as it can be first. Then swap it out and confirm the results before a race day. That makes sense right now. I have not put enough track time on my carburetor. So not ready to just throw it out there expecting perfect results for anyone else who tries one copied from it.
Since everything else will be the same, I can have the carburetor ready for a quick swap on our next trip to the track. His carburetor works good enough so a back to back comparison will confirm if there really is that big of a difference.
My original plan back when trying out the bored out carburetor, was to use the stock intake manifold. But one we did open up the passage and installed larger reeds from a chainsaw. Then I got crazy that morning before we left for the track. I swapped out not just the stock Tillotson carburetor with my modified one, but also changed over to the Palmini manifold and a four petal reed cage.
So from our second practice day, I can not be for sure which parts or combination of parts really worked the best. What if the smaller carburetor works better? What if the modified carburetor is faster on the larger chainsaw reeds? I am still curious how well the modified intake manifolds with the six petal reed cage works compared to the other ones with chainsaw reeds.
Thinking about all of the changes we did on his kart, the first thing Chris will have to do is learn how to drive it. From what I understood, he has never driven a live axle kart before. Now after we did the conversion on his kart, will not be anything like he is used to.
So making sure his engine is reliable as possible and with fewer unknowns is what I need to keep in mind. Once Chris is used to driving his kart and after any necessary adjustments have been made, then start worrying about his engine. For now reliable and consistent. After his kart is handling perfect, we can work on faster.