Milwaukee Midget

[Moxnix]

I'll send out a shoehorn for your kit.

[Milwaukee Midget]

The camshaft is here.  I took the afternoon off to get some things done on the car, but before I go back to work on the engine, I’m waiting for Fordboy to get back from Tejas.  FB, if you’re checking in, both the clutch slave and the spec sheet from Elgin should be in your mailbox on Saturday.

Here’s the deal, and again, it all has to do with oiling –

The camshaft has three bearings, and drives the oil pump off of the back.  The rear bearing is always lubed by oil sloughed off of the pump. 

When Zinc was removed from standard motor oil, many folks in the British car community started encountering lobe wear issues, distributor drive gear wear and hammered lifters.  The suppliers of high performance cams, such as APT, who supplied the blank that Dema ground for me, countered the problem by drilling oil holes on the lobe bases, something the stock cams never had.  Additionally, three holes were drilled on the distributor drive gear.

Did I mention that I’m not running a distributor?   

That’s 11 new places to lose oil pressure.

So where does all this extra oil come from?

2 MORE holes drilled into the cam on the front and center cam bearings to collect oil from the cam bearing circuit.

Okay, that should save the lobes – that was the issue, although with all the oil splashing around in the crankcase, it seems to me to be overkill.  But if we trace the circuits back, we find that now were feeding this cam off of both the front AND the center main bearing galleries.

Keep in mind, I’ve only got three.

The front main bearing is located by a very solid cap and is very stable.  Oil from this bearing feeds the front cam bearing.  But the center main bearing feeds throws 2 AND 3 on the crank rod bearings, the center main itself (always the weak link in the A-Block), with salvage going to the thrust bearings.  I feel queasy about asking it to help service a device not unlike a decorative water sprinkler spinning at 4000 rpm. 

In short, I need to keep the center main bearing and the associated rod bearings wet.  Drawing off oil from this point is ludicrous.

And I'm not sure I need to feed the inside of the cam at all, provided I use a high Zinc oil.

When Fordboy gets back, we’ll discuss the physical procedure as to turning off the sprinkler.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Ah, yes – the piddly little things that can burn a half day of vacation – but they are done.

Dave at Streets Chassis pointed out to me that the lap belt was drawing over the edge of the seat and not giving direct pull to my hips.

Seat notched.

He also pointed out that the nylon tube for the oil pressure gauge would get me a finger waggin’ in tech.

Replaced with brass tubing.

When Dave put the new crossmember in, he had to move the brake line.

Brake line rerouted and reattached.

I also realized that with the addition of the net and the head restraint, along with racing gloves, it would be difficult at best to reach over my left shoulder to open the door.

Lanyard installed.

No pics tonight, but I’m getting better at this – I made it to the liquor store BEFORE I ran out of beer, and BEFORE they closed.

Timing is everything.

[38flattie]

Chris, when is this bad boy going back to the dyno?

[Milwaukee Midget]

Chris, when is this bad boy going back to the dyno?

No later than September 26 - that's my drop-dead date.  If I can't get it sorted then, I'm stayin' home.  If it looks good, I'll keep it stored on the trailer and be down the road the next weekend.

[Tman]

Good luck!

[38flattie]

Good luck Chris-I'm sure rooting for you!

[fordboy628]

Ah, yes – the piddly little things that can burn a half day of vacation – but they are done.
Dave at Streets Chassis pointed out to me that the lap belt was drawing over the edge of the seat and not giving direct pull to my hips.
Seat notched.
He also pointed out that the nylon tube for the oil pressure gauge would get me a finger waggin’ in tech.
Replaced with brass tubing.
When Dave put the new crossmember in, he had to move the brake line.
Brake line rerouted and reattached.
I also realized that with the addition of the net and the head restraint, along with racing gloves, it would be difficult at best to reach over my left shoulder to open the door.
Lanyard installed.
No pics tonight, but I’m getting better at this – I made it to the liquor store BEFORE I ran out of beer, and BEFORE they closed.
Timing is everything.

Ah yes, progress, always good.  And besides, who else gets to do the scut work besides the owner/driver??   Supremely glad that your liquor store run timing is hitting stride.

Best thing about San Antonio: (other than seeing my youngest graduate @ Ft. Sam Huston) San Antonio was totally free of smushed Armadillos.
Worst thing about San Antonio:  The temperature of 104 degrees/105 degrees (record heat) every day........

On to more important matters.  Clutch slave arrived in Saturday mail, no cam spec sheet in box.  Will mock up clutch slave plumbing on spare trans later today and post photo for you to check out.  I'm planning on machining up a remote bleeder block at the machine shop on Monday.

Have received all the bits for water pump drive and I am planning to drag the mockup & the bits to the machine shop on Monday to modify the drive arbor, spacers, etc & refit the crank trigger.  Unsure of whether all maching can be done in 1 day, may need to spend some additional time.  Were you using all 3 mounting bolts for the crank sensor mount plate?  I don't like the idea of only using 2 of the 3 bolts.  Is something in the way?  I would prefer to mount the pump drive closest to the damper (to minimise the loading on the water pump bearings) & the crank trigger in the front of the assembly.  Is there clearance to extend the trigger sensor mounting forward?  May need to reverse this in order to have adequate clearance.  Are there any photos of the front engine bay?  Will check previous pages.  The photos of Harry Gentry's Huffaker prepped Midget show limited clearance...........

If you ever travel to San Antonio, you need to grab a bite @ the Josephine St. Cafe.  Your kind of place.  Might not work for Mrs. Midget though.........

 
Fordboy

[Freud]

I turned the streetlight on.

FREUD

[Milwaukee Midget]

If you ever travel to San Antonio, you need to grab a bite @ the Josephine St. Cafe.  Your kind of place.  Might not work for Mrs. Midget though.........

 
Fordboy

Ah, my vegetarian bride.  Although she DID develop a taste for Paddy's and Jameson's when we were in Ireland.  I wonder if they make a Chicken Fried Tofu like the Palomino in Beerhaven . . . 

http://palominobar.com/

Cowboys, hot rods, cafe racers and vegan entrees.  Somehow, the place is always packed.

Set it up for 3 mounting bolts - I had changed it to 2 to clear the old fan belt from the alternator - I'd just as soon have the stability on the timing sensor.

Here's a top side view of the old crossmember and the tight clearence on the front of the timing wheel -



And here's one showing the centerline of the crank with respect to where it lines up with the steering rack, the top of which sits 1 1/2 inches above the old crossmember -






The notch is 7 1/2 wide across the top, 5 1/4 at the bottom of the notch, and 2 3/4 from the top of the crossmember to the bottom of the notch.





Is that enough room?

By the way - that's the driveshaft loop as you look up the tunnel.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Oh, so THAT's why Fordboy hasn't returned my call -

Bears 41 - Colts 21, 6:08 left in the last quarter.

[Tman]

Chris, Carla cleaned out the fridge and found ONE LAST Sprecher Amber! Much enjoyed while listening to Glens interview!

[Milwaukee Midget]

Chris, Carla cleaned out the fridge and found ONE LAST Sprecher Amber! Much enjoyed while listening to Glens interview!

It's killer on tap, great in the bottle, but it's the one beer I've ever had that actually tastes better in the can.  Can't explain it, but Randy Sprecher is a wizard, and a world-class brewmaster.

I was glued to that interview - the depth of Glen's understanding of this sport and his generosity with his comments and observations is second to none.  And Max, you've got a career in interview broadcasting if you want it.

Well played, gentlemen!

[Peter Jack]

X2!!!

I kept saying to myself, "Well you'd better get going", but it wasn't going to happen as long as those two were on the air.

Awesome job gentlemen. 

Pete

[Moxnix]

All the key equipment was supplied by MM, including the experience to give us a paradim shift in quality.  Many fingers in the pie and the listeners are key.