I'm now at a stopping point on the block. Today I smoothed the drain-back holes and painted green circles around them.




Here's a close-up of one of the holes - before I painted them.




Also, I smoothed the edges on the block, which had many razor-sharp ones due to the machining operation. And, I took some of the flashing off from various places on the block to save my hand as some of that stuff was very sharp. And, ran a tap through all 77 holes on the block to ensure they are clean.

So, here's the block ready to use the ball hones on when they come in. Except, that I just realized it doesn't have the heater hose nipple that goes in the hole in the left front corner. And, that appears to be a DOOZ 8555-A, which is "Steel—3/4" O.D. x 5/8" O.D. x 1 3/4" long". Guess I'll go looking for one of those.

 

You're not going to paint the lifter valley with Glyptal to improve drainback?

What happened to all of your experience with British motorcycles?

 

Actually, I'd planned to mention the Glyptal paint to beat you to it. But, I forgot. As for my Beezer, I sold it long ago and never got it running. Apparently that wasn't unusual for the Birmingham Small Arms bikes.

I also forgot to point out something else I did today. Compare the drip pan in the first picture to it in the third pic. My new mottos are "Leave the shop better than you found it" and "No tools left out at night!!!" I'm hoping to sidestep the massive cleaning effort I went through for the week plus prior to the GTG. Hopefully I'll carry through with that.

 

That's what the pan is for, isn't it?
A lot easier to carry all the spooge and swarf over to the bin than to get it off the floor.

 

Yep. But, it was sooooo nasty I didn't want to pick up anything that landed on it. YUK! But, now it's quite clean and will be kept that way - I hope. Even after using the ball hone when I'm sure there will be lube dripping down to make a mess.

I even rolled the engine stand over to the other room and swept after I used the die grinder to take off the flashing and to dress the gasket surfaces. So, there was lots of debris since that carbide burr works rapidly and the flap wheel spreads all sorts of stuff.

And, cleaning the engine itself will be messy. In the past I've taken them outside and used the garden hose on them. But this time the block is clean from the machine shop vat, so all I'm doing is getting any dirt, grit, or chips out. I'm thinking that brake cleaner will wash most of it out and once everything is degreased and dry that compressed air will finish the job. What do you think?

 

I hate trying to get anything gritty out of blocks or heads.
Motorcycle parts you can boil in a big pot.
Wear goggles.
Brake cleaner burns when you get it in your eyes.
(not as bad as yhe old 'crackly' carb cleaner though)

 

Quick aside - where would you recommend I look for the stainless SHCS's I need in 1/4-20 for the valve covers? I think you did once, but I've lost it.

Also, and I realize this isn't the valve cover thread, but I had a thought that I want to bounce off of you. Remember that I want to recess the two top screws on each cover. The hole in the cover measures .310ish and I was thinking of counterboring it and using a washer to catch the head. But now I'm thinking of using 5/16" (.3125") OD stainless tubing, which measures .257" ID, and using Loctite to hole them in the hole. That way I won't have to use the washers, but I would still counterbore. Thoughts?

 

I bought a cheap stainless bolt kit on Ebay. (not socket heads, but they were available)

You like Amazon.
You know they bought SmallParts, and they also have 'Industrial and Scientific'.

Are you suggesting to sleeve the counterbore, or the hole below it?
Sorry if I am slow on the uptake.

 

Are you powder coating the block?

 

Bill and were just discussing CRES hardware in another thread.
You probably want 316 condition 'B' which is work hardened, and better suited than 'A' = annealed.

 

Jim - I'd forgotten that Amazon bought them. I'll go look. Fastenal doesn't have what I need locally. So, I need to think through what all I need and get it on order. Probably will just do the valve cover. But, I was thinking 18-8 rather than 316. And why work-hardened for a valve cover? (I'm seeking to learn, not tell you that I know it all.)

On the valve cover, the two back holes are bored through .310 the height of the cover. But a SHCS's head is usually .365", meaning there's no/little purchase for the head. So the original thought was to counterbore the hole just deep enough to take the head and a washer flush with the top, and large enough to take a washer, although I may have to turn the washer down. But the new idea is to just sleeve the hole with a piece of .3125 OD/.257 ID stainless tubing. I might have to ream the bore slightly, but it is already very close and I would think Loctite would hold it. Then counterbore to recess the head. But, as I think about it I'll probably need a washer anyway to prevent galling, so maybe the earlier idea is the way to go?

Kyle - No, I'm not going to PC the block. I probably could get it in the oven from a size standpoint, but I don't know how to handle the weight. And, I'd need to mod the oven to install the window I have, but I need to do that anyway. The reason is that you are supposed to heat the part until the powder flows, then hold it for 20 minutes. I get by w/o the window by timing it for 20 minutes from when the oven gets to 425. But, that's on relatively light things. A block would take forever to get hot enough to cause the powder to flow, so it would require the window.

 

Try Eagle Bolt. They have all kinds of stuff and will order what you need if they don't. They are WAYYYYYYY cheaper than Fastenal. I have no idea where Fastenal gets their pricing, but the owners have to be Billionaires by now.


I think the guy to talk to at eagle would be Arron. 5444 S 103rd E Ave, Tulsa, OK 74146
<nobr>(918) 627-1123</nobr>
<nobr>
</nobr>
<nobr>They are in the same area as Inland Truck Parts.</nobr>

 

Kyle - No, I'm not going to PC the block. I probably could get it in the oven from a size standpoint, but I don't know how to handle the weight. And, I'd need to mod the oven to install the window I have, but I need to do that anyway. The reason is that you are supposed to heat the part until the powder flows, then hold it for 20 minutes. I get by w/o the window by timing it for 20 minutes from when the oven gets to 425. But, that's on relatively light things. A block would take forever to get hot enough to cause the powder to flow, so it would require the window.




I used to think we should try it, but I have seen first hand what happens when powder is over baked and under baked. Sometimes it looks like a really cool crinkle coat, but sometimes it looks burnt.

 

Thanks, Bruno. I'll give them a call tomorrow. Or Friday.

Yeah, as you remember the crinkle thing was mine. Yours didn't turn out so well. So I lucked out.

 

18% Ch-8%Ni encompasses the whole range of 300 series CRES.
316 has 2% moly and better resists chlorides.

300 series cannot be tempered, so it's either (B) work hardened or (A)annealed, and that is too gummy and likes to gall.

Look at an ISO 7092, 6mm small O.D. washer they are 6.4 id and under 11mm od.