Author Topic: Milwaukee Midget  (Read 3255174 times)

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Offline salt27

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7260 on: July 01, 2018, 08:26:18 PM »
Chris, I prefer the oil filter adapter mounted so the filter is below it.

That way the filter can be filled with oil before installation and its less mess when removing it.


  Don




Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7261 on: July 01, 2018, 09:06:54 PM »
Chris, I prefer the oil filter adapter mounted so the filter is below it.

That way the filter can be filled with oil before installation and its less mess when removing it.

  Don


As do I.  Both the pump and the oil filter adapter are just clamped into place to scout out locations.  I can flip the oil filter, if that's what the space dictates when the motor goes in.

I'd also prefer locating the water pump a little lower, but again, without the engine in place, I need to give it my best educated guess. 

Nothing is bolted up, yet - keeping both options open.  Hopefully we'll be able to finalize this soon.

Back to Illinois on Tuesday.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline salt27

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7262 on: July 01, 2018, 09:15:48 PM »
Gotcha, Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Thanks again for taking us along on this adventure.   :cheers:

 Don


Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7263 on: July 04, 2018, 03:26:48 PM »

Thanks again for taking us along on this adventure.   :cheers:



Hold on tight, Don - it's starting to accelerate.  :-D

I'm just about caught up with the rest of the chassis, and Leni down at T&T let me in this morning to prep a few engine parts.  I've also farmed out a few items to take pressure off of Dr. Fordboy.

You know you're in a thrash when you have no time to take pictures and forget to buy beer.

"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7264 on: July 08, 2018, 12:25:49 AM »
Fuel rail is just about done - pic looks good - hopefully ready to go by Wednesday -

fuelrail by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

Took the harness in to work this afternoon - we've got a nice bench for soldering projects.  It's an unterminated piece, but I need to finish up the Amphenol connectors, and being away from the distractions of home kept me focused.  I'll pigtail it and finish it off with the terminations as soon as I get it home. 

I want to get it wired and plumbed in the car to get it started, make sure it will run, and once I know that the electrical is wired properly, pull the whole kit and take it back for tuning on the dyno. 

?Five years ago, my first bout with the dyno and the standalone ignition on the Granade found my floundering, only to discover I had mispinned the harness.  Blew a whole day on the dyno, and I don't want to repeat that mistake in front of everybody.  It's going to at least run before it goes into the bay.

Tuesday will find me in Illinois, hopefully getting the short block together by day's end.

Mark's been swamped - that's why he hasn't been posting.  My employer understands I'll be taking some time off this month to get ready for August, and they're remarkably cool with that.  WE've got a bit of a lull at work at the moment, and I'm jumping on it.

I think it's all still doable, so I'll just keep doing.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline wheelrdealer

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7265 on: July 09, 2018, 07:28:21 PM »
ECTA    Maxton D/CGALT  Record Holder 167.522
ECTA    Maxton D/CBGALT Record Holder 166.715

WWW.WHEELRDEALER2100.COM

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7266 on: July 09, 2018, 10:25:40 PM »

Chris you may have seen this

Oh, yes.

I like the line "Built on the lines of the Eyston and Gardner cars".

It IS, in fact, the EX 179 that George Eyston and Ken Miles drove for MG in 1954.  Ken Miles and John Lockett ran it again as an MG in 1956, then, in 1958, BMC used it as a testbed for engine development of the A-series engine.  They called it the "BMC Development Project EX 179".  In the film here, they had rebadged it yet again as the "Austin-Healey EX 219", and as they were promoting the Sprite at the time, they stuck that moniker on it as well.

Why not?  BMC  badge-engineered Wolseley, Riley, Austin, Morris, MG - why stop at the production cars?

'59 was the last year for BMC at Bonneville.  The success of the Mini, Twin-Cam development of the MGA and a new focus on the MGB took BMC into more traditional, higher profile forms of racing - Rally, Le Mans, etc.

People would actually show up and see the cars race at Sebring.  For promoting a car, that's where the value was.

Bonneville only gave you bragging rights, a sunburn, and spectacular filming opportunities.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline fordboy628

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7267 on: July 14, 2018, 07:50:20 AM »
Hi Guys,

Haven't been on in quite a while, reasons later.    But now that I have a moment, I want to give a belated, and heartfelt, "THANK YOU", for all the birthday good wishes.   And yes:

A/   I've added another year recently,
2/   I'm not "hiding" anything, just not paying as much attention to those numbers,
d/   Geezerdom?  What is it anyway?   The "expectation" that rules and procedures be followed?    I sense an "endless" debate, for which I no longer am willing to expend the "energy" . . . . . .

Again, a grateful thank you to all.

 :dhorse:  :dhorse:  :dhorse:
Mark
Science, NOT Magic . . . .

I used to be a people person.  But people changed that relationship.

"There is nothing permanent except change."    Heraclitus

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."     Albert Einstein

Offline ggl205

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7268 on: July 14, 2018, 08:41:59 AM »
Geezerdom?  What is it anyway?  I sense an "endless" debate, for which I no longer am willing to expend the "energy" . . . . . .

Mark, you could not have given a better definition, if you had tried.

John

Offline fordboy628

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7269 on: July 15, 2018, 09:01:17 AM »
7/15/2018 Update,  FYI . . . . .


We have been "pulling out all stops" to make the goal of attending SpeedWeek 2018, working non-stop to get the to do list completed.   Leaves little to NO time for posting, for both myself and Chris.

Chris is leaving no stone unturned, and I am using up a lifetime of favors dragging other "talent" into the project:

A/   Wiggle pin, machinist and fabricator of renown, and engineering debate partner, has been brought in to pick up some of the fabrication slack . . .
2/   Viking boy, to perform the Rottler CNC maching of the block and head, for the o-ring grooves and block receiver grooves . . .
d/   Drewski, outside machinist who produces most of the custom fuel rails for T&T . . .
z/   Pipeman, pipe fitter by day, stainless steel exhaust welder by night . . .  (not currently a Marvel superhero, although he might get nominated . . . )

And this is just the main sub list.   Countless others and specialty component suppliers have been involved.   My point is that it is very difficult to produce a "good effort" completely on your own.


Thank you to everyone who has touched this project, and that includes the readers of all this "blather".

 :dhorse:  :dhorse:  :dhorse:
Wearyelder
Science, NOT Magic . . . .

I used to be a people person.  But people changed that relationship.

"There is nothing permanent except change."    Heraclitus

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."     Albert Einstein

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7270 on: July 15, 2018, 10:09:38 AM »
After dropping off Mark at home yesterday, after a 9+ hour day at T&T, he handed off to me a lifetime supply of -3, -4 and -6 fittings which I'll be combing through today to get the plumbing in place for this engine insert.  

It's more than a heart transplant - it's more akin to a heart and lung transplant.

I can get most of this in place in the next few days, but there will be some fettling that really can't occur until the engine is in place.  Still, with this raft of fittings, I'm prepared.

Mark busted his Acura yesterday.  Cut the head for the new valves, and did a great clean-up on the ports and bowls.  The head design flows really well already, and with the larger valves and a cleaning up of the transition areas at the valve seats, we'll easily meet the demands of a 1 liter without killing port velocity.

Mark will flow-bench this head to get the numbers.

I'm convinced that the choice of modifying the stock manifold was the right way to go.  Injector angle is spot-on, the diameter is correct, and the injector set-up looks all business.  It has turned out to be a lot - and I mean, A LOT less flimsy than I had anticipated.  You can do chin-ups off of the fuel rail.

I attended the niggling details that have been hanging over this end of the project.  I found the original coolant output fitting for the head and re-tapped it for the Holley temp sensor and a 1/4 pipe fitting for coolant return.  I also whipped up a cover plate for the intake cam shaft end - I actually found the original piece for the exhaust side.  Keep in mind, it's been 4 years since I tore this engine down - I'm in a re-introduction phase with respect to some of the sundries, and some of those have fallen through the cracks.  We bead blasted the valve cover, and I spent about an hour and a half bent over the wire wheel and parts cleaner prepping bolts, after which I bagged them up into "kits" for head and cam-ladder assembly.

Mark and Mike came up with a REALLY clever positioning for the crank trigger, and it will make the final wiring loom REALLY neat and clean.

This morning will find me in the garage organizing to finish.  If I won't be using it, it goes back in the house or into the trash.  If I will be using it, it will get a tag.  Time to clear the space - there's work to be done.  
« Last Edit: July 15, 2018, 11:37:44 AM by Milwaukee Midget »
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7271 on: July 15, 2018, 07:15:19 PM »
This for you two...

He would see race cars in movies, on TV, in magazines, and in books
He thought that some of these race cars might be right for him
And through the years, by keeping the perfect structure fixed in his mind
Or somewhere in the back of his mind
That he might, by force of will, cause his car to approach those of his ideal
The change would be very subtle
It might take ten years or so
Gradually his car would change its shape
A more aggressive cam
Wider, smoother ports
custom pistons
A shorter stroke

[Spoken Verse 2]
He imagined that this was an ability he shared with most other people
They had also molded their cars according to some ideal
Maybe they imagined that their new car would better suit their class
Or maybe they imagined that their class would be more competitive because of their car
This is why first impressions are often correct
Although some people might have made mistakes
They may have arrived at a race car that bears no relationship to them
They may have picked an ideal appearance based on some childish whim, or momentary impulse
Some may have gotten halfway there
And then changed their minds

Apologies to David Byrne
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7272 on: July 16, 2018, 12:05:47 AM »
James, thanks for that.  

"In his mind, or somewhere in the back of his mind"

There are times when the most difficult thing is getting my mind to embrace and act upon what's in the back of my mind.

So far, so good.

"Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why."

To the vastly outnumbered.   :cheers:



"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7273 on: July 18, 2018, 12:35:20 AM »
A frustrating, yet productive day both above AND below the Cheddar Curtain.

We're not happy with the valve-to-piston clearance.

Meah - not the first time I've been bitten in the ass by a long rod-to-stroke ratio.

Leni at T&T got on the horn with Diamond, and they agreed to fix it as a rush job - which speaks highly to the relationship T&T has with the folks on the other side of Lake Michigan.  They've got the CAD files in their system - we'd be dialing it all up from scratch, so while it might burn a day, the potential of a foul-up is greatly reduced.

I tore the short block down and shipped out the pistons this afternoon while Mark made good time setting up the cam and buckets.  It's POSSIBLE we'll see the pistons back on Friday - more likely Monday - but that should put the engine back in Milwaukee no later than Monday night or Tuesday.   

It was a short day for both Fordboy and myself in Illinois, but I got back to Beerhaven and made big headway on plumbing and electrical.  It should be elegant when it's done.

I'll be picking up my order of silicone elbows and sundries from Pegasus on my lunch hour tomorrow.  I've got enough photos and wiggle room with silicone lengths that I can cut the aluminum cooling tubes, and then bring them back to T&T to get the collars rolled.

The 12V buss bar is in place under the hood, as is the water pump, power lines to the ECU, fuel filter, the radiator and the fan.
 
We're still airborne, and the trajectory remains doable.

Once the engine is back in Milwaukee, it all falls on me.  I'm going to need to get really smart REALLY fast on EFI.  The plan is to confirm that everything is working as it should, dial in a base map, pull it out, and throw it on the dyno.

"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #7274 on: July 21, 2018, 10:09:54 PM »
Plumbing all roughed in - final pipe and hose cuts await the engine.
Electricals - water pump, fuel pump, fan, Accusump, all wired, relays in place, all tested, functioning, fuses in place, battery charged and in place.  I can install the dash Sunday to get the eletricals behind me.

The electronics I need to move a bit more cautiously on.  They will need the engine in place as well, but I can guesstimate a few cable lengths and positions.

Strike while the soldering iron is hot.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll: