Milwaukee Midget

[Freud]

Last one for now.

Just a suggestion on some of these shots.

If you can tripod the camera and shut the flash off you will have better fotos.

The tripod will allow a shutter speed that is long enough to do the exposure without blur from camera movement.

Then there won't be a hot spot from the flash.

Butt, it's better to have a hot spot than no foto at all.

This is a very forgiving audience.

FREUD

[Plmkrze]

"But above everything else, here is what is going to happen.  I will build the fastest damned stock bodied, naturally aspirated, five-port, one liter Midget ever to hit the salt."

"Period."   
FTW! 

[manta22]

Freud;

I certainly agree. Back in the film days we called it "available light"-- I don't know if that term is still used in these days of digital cameras.

[Milwaukee Midget]

"But above everything else, here is what is going to happen.  I will build the fastest damned stock bodied, naturally aspirated, five-port, one liter Midget ever to hit the salt."

"Period."   
FTW! 

Thanks for reminding me - it's good to keep focus!

And speaking of focus - Freud, you're kinder to me than I deserve - or else you're just finally getting fed up with my photographic ineptitude.  Thank you for those adjustments


I already took these, but I'll work on better quality photos in the future.


Okay, that’s done – I took a hardened ¼ 28 bolt, cut off the head, and threaded it in from the back of the engine plate, then locktited it into place -

After that, I took one of my demon-spawn tensioner springs and trimmed it up – Stock on the left, modified on the right –



The curlicue at the end slides against the inside of the timing cover – just like on a Triumph.

Eeeeehhhhhh - sorry - a chill just went down my spine . . .

For the time being, I’ve got a piece of aluminum tubing around the threads sticking up through the face of the plate.  I’ll be replacing that with brass when the hobby shop opens, and probably JB Welding it into place over the threads, but this is how it’s looking –








It would have been a bit tidier if I could have set the fulcrum a tad bit farther down, but this is about the limit of where I could go.  I’m aware that the A+ blocks have a different plate and cover which accommodate a tensioner similar to an MGB’s, but that block was never available stateside, and I’ve already asked enough favors of my Aussie friends.

[Freud]

You are most welcome.

I just want the viewers to get more info from your fotos.

FREUD

[Jack Gifford]

I'm enjoying watching your fabrications; but I'll wind up pestering you with questions!
> Were you able to reconfigure the spring "cold", or did you anneal and then re-temper it?
> Are the nominal design details (layout, dimensions, etc.) taken from a known-workable example, or do you attempt to engineer it all yourself? If it were me, and I had no proven precedent, I'd need to investigate the durability of a 1/4-28 stud (not much over .200" minor diameter, with many stress risers). But then I'd probably be stymied by the task of determining the resonant frequencies (of cam drive and of the tensioner), so I'd be forced to go back to looking for working examples! Just curious how the rest of you go about these things?...

[Milwaukee Midget]

I'm enjoying watching your fabrications; but I'll wind up pestering you with questions!
> Were you able to reconfigure the spring "cold", or did you anneal and then re-temper it?
> Are the nominal design details (layout, dimensions, etc.) taken from a known-workable example, or do you attempt to engineer it all yourself? If it were me, and I had no proven precedent, I'd need to investigate the durability of a 1/4-28 stud (not much over .200" minor diameter, with many stress risers). But then I'd probably be stymied by the task of determining the resonant frequencies (of cam drive and of the tensioner), so I'd be forced to go back to looking for working examples! Just curious how the rest of you go about these things?...

Jack, I took the spring and chucked it up in a vice so it would act as a heat sink, and only heated it from the edge until it was red, and the flipped it over.  The bulk of the spring was cool to the touch, so only the tip is annealed, the rest remains springy.

As to the 1/4 28 - well, I’ve said this before, and I'll say it again - it's all a grand experiment.  I'm thinking the threaded bolt surrounded by a brass tube filled with JB Weld should disperse the forces evenly.  I understand wanting to minimize the variables - so do I - but you simply can't eliminate them all, and sometimes, you simply have to go with your best guess or what fits.

And if I knew it would work, why would I build it?   

Trust me – I’ll keep you posted.

 

[Rob]

I’ve already asked enough favors of my Aussie friends.

What a croc...  this is land speed, what do you need??

[Dr Goggles]

What he needs....well....

Hey Freud , I like the paint job you did on the front of the block.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Gentlemen - It's 1:19 in the morning - I need to get to sleep.

[Rob]

Concentrate Man,

The car dammit, the car.. what do you need that's currently upside down? 

[Dr Goggles]

Can't sleep clowns'll eat me, can't sleep clowns'll eat me.........

[Milwaukee Midget]

Can't sleep clowns'll eat me, can't sleep clowns'll eat me.........

Along with people trying to sell lakesters . . . 

Rob, no big thing, but if you happen across a front plate, chain cover and tensioner for an A+, I might be interested for next year.

The A+ was never sold stateside - you could start a business.

[Koncretekid]

Theoretically, the tensioner isn't going to make the motor run any better.  I would give some thought to where the pieces will go if the stud breaks.  The cam chain looks almost identical to the primary chain on a B50 BSA. We don't use any tensioner in racing.  I've broken two chains, but only due to pieces like a 1/4-20 screw dropping into the chain run.  Unless you have a valve interference issue with deceleration, why do you need the tensioner?

[fordboy628]

It is extremely likely that there will be a valve to piston 'interference' problem on decelleration.  Because of the build geometry, Midget's 999cc jewel has no room to spare in the valve to piston clearance department.   The reason for the added tensioner arrangement is the 'slack' in the cogs/chain.   If there was no slack in the setup, no tensioner would be required.   A belt style cam drive might provide less 'slack', but this is an unknown at this time, not to mention the added expense.  Once the cam is installed and the actual valve to piston clearance is verified, it is possible that a tensioner arrangement is not required.  Until that time, however, better to plan for the worst case possible.  That's better than a last minute 'fire drill', as we all have done at one time or another.

Also, the pivot bolt should be towards the crank cog, the leading side of the chain motion, as you have correctly installed it.

Midget, have you thought about leaving the pivot bolt long, as in long enough to go through the cover?  The extra support would be minimal, but in the event of the bolt breaking, a nylock jam nut on the cover would perhaps prevent the disaster of the bits being swallowed at 8000 rpm.........

The mockup engine I have has .43" clearance between the tin front cover & the back of the crankshaft damper.  That should be enough for a 1/4" jam nut/washer.   The hole in the cover would probably need to be sealed with some "schmoo" like high temp/regular RTV.  It is impossible to tell if the crankshaft front seal is or is not in the way though.   I'm thinking that the OD of the seal is about the same diameter as the OD of the crank cog, so perhaps there will be enough room to squeak all this into the space available.

Just a couple of small observations:  1) The proper tool makes any pita ("pain in the keister") job easier, and therefore, more likely to get accomplished.  And, 2) You'll have plenty of time to sleep when you're dead!!

 
Fordboy

P.S. Will be in Texas Wednesday through Sunday.  Need to co-ordinate on hoses/fittings; w/pump drive & clutch slave.  Willing to do assembly/other work to prepare car (?) for dyno and Wendover.