west bend 820's and E bay

[steve welte]

Here is an update on what's required to make your OLD 820 safe to run.
piston clips 3.00
piston 85.00
ring 15.00
rod 98.50
rod bolts 42.50
head special cast 110.00
plug 2.50
gasket set with seals 26.00
Bore carb and setup for alky 50.00
headgasket 9.00
2 special main bearings 30.00
new bolts and washers 8.00
One of my special head shrouds free
total 479.00
You probably don't need the head but all the rest of the parts are needed. This still leaves one with the old weak block and you are hoping the chrome bore is good and you have a points ign that won't like the high RPM's without going maverick. So now what is an old WB 820 worth?These prices are if you do the work. You can buy a new one from USMP for $750.00

[Dominic Salvato]

When carving on your 820, always use a spinning tool. Never use a file on a chrome cylinder.

[Randy Dacus]

what's required to make your OLD 820 safe to run.

I think it's time to buy a ballistic blanket and hope it don't blow too soon.......

[ted johnson]

what's required to make your OLD 820 safe to run.

I think it's time to buy a ballistic blanket and hope it don't blow too soon.......

All you need, if the bore, crank and main bearings are good, is the latest rod and Bonbright super screws. It isn't until you start opening the ports up and upping the compression, thus weakening the barrel and increasing the RPM that they get fragile. TJ

[Randy Dacus]

Thanks Ted.....I do have a Bonbright 820, but I also have my original WB 820's ......um' more garage art  .

Oh well, there's always my Saw Mac's, MC 91's......or I could freshen up the old Yammies........for parking lot fun .

I couldn't find any kart safety blankets, but there is body armour.......but then I might have to run by myself

WB...bomb's........watch out !

[steve welte]

Be very careful of the advice you give. If you are working on a known engine you may know if the main bearings have been replaced and when. However several years ago I bought a 91B1 and rebuilt it. I cleaned, inspected and relubed the 6203 bearing and reused it. Today almost all the bearing you buy have the cage around the balls pinned. 2 min. on the test stand and the little pins came out and destroyed the piston, bore and head. So today when an engine shows up it gets new main bearings. You still need the new seals and gaskets, the rod and rod bolts, the piston clips, the new main bearings, probably rings for the used piston, and diaphrams for the carb (included in the $50.00 carb mod). So you haven't saved a lot. You still have to wonder about the bore if you are buying a used engine and yes you can run it stock if you want to go really slow.

[ted johnson]

Be very careful of the advice you give. If you are working on a known engine you may know if the main bearings have been replaced and when. However several years ago I bought a 91B1 and rebuilt it. I cleaned, inspected and relubed the 6203 bearing and reused it. Today almost all the bearing you buy have the cage around the balls pinned. 2 min. on the test stand and the little pins came out and destroyed the piston, bore and head. So today when an engine shows up it gets new main bearings. You still need the new seals and gaskets, the rod and rod bolts, the piston clips, the new main bearings, probably rings for the used piston, and diaphrams for the carb (included in the $50.00 carb mod). So you haven't saved a lot. You still have to wonder about the bore if you are buying a used engine and yes you can run it stock if you want to go really slow.

Yep, I've seen a few 820's do what the one in the pic did! I did the same thing to a square port 101A/A in a street race in Ft. Myers, FL. My ex said she could hear it coming! It stopped running so fast the axle clutch couldn't disengage and it slid the rears for more than a hundred feet. When there's no meat left to hold the top of the block on, it doesn't matter if there's a steel liner or not.   TJ

[Blaine Young]

2/24/2017

When Jim Akkerman built the 24 hp circle crank 820s he always had external rods and aluminum plates to hold the block together.  They were part of his article on how to build the engine.  One of the rods actually passed through the Gem v-12 manifold he used.

In the early 70s I got ahold of a resleeved 820 block that was +60.   I sold it to a friend to rebuild one of his motors and warned him to put a thick (or even multiple) head gaskets to keep the compression down.  He put it together with so much compression you could barely turn the engine over.   The block split open before the first heat ended.

[Art Romanelli]

Whats up with the special crank bearings , head, and shroud Steve?

[Art Romanelli]

Hey Blaine, I have seen the girdles made for the 820s , FMS is a maker of one style girdle I have a lead on . The newer 820 blocks seem to have more meat on them , but the Big One event frowns on those engines from what im to understand. Did your .060 820 have a Hortsman head?