Milwaukee Midget

[Milwaukee Midget]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgYEuJ5u1K0

I've been told it feels good when you stop . . .

I don't know how I missed this, but I did.

The kettle is now completely disassembled and new rings are on the way - which will probably solve the problem in holes one and two once they've received a light honing.

Anyone who has followed this build for any period of time is aware that I, from time to time, will wind up with egg on my face.

Well, grab a fork, boys, I'm offering up a souffle.

Pulling the pistons today, imagine my surprise and astonishment when the wrist pin in piston number four simply slipped right out of the piston.

Yep - I neglected to install a clip.

A dozen dyno pulls, a trip down the salt at 114 mph . . . I can't tell you at this time how grateful I am we had clutch issues.

DSCN0192 by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

I'm still showing ~5% leakdown cold, but with the piston at TDC, it's above the damage in the cylinder wall - the damage is deeper.

I'm going to give props to Rey Moreno at Badger Tuners - He zoned in on the oil analysis a couple months ago and mentioned he thought that I had a lot of iron in the oil. The Blackstone Lab's written analysis didn't highlight anything out of spec for a new engine, but Rey puts a lot of credence into oil analysis, and thought the number unusual.

I got ahold of Steve Demirjian at Race Engine Development - he sleeved the K six years ago, and says he can take care of it. So the K will be winging its way back to sunny Southern California in the next few days. Best timing might see it done in 8 weeks.

 

Bon appetit . . .

[Milwaukee Midget]

I got ahold of Steve Demirjian at Race Engine Development - he sleeved the K six years ago, and says he can take care of it. So the K will be winging its way back to sunny Southern California in the next few days. Best timing might see it done in 8 weeks.

And, of course, I've never had the best timing . . .

I saw some of you at the May Elmo meet - a good weekend, and congratulations to Nick Arias and his new bride. If what I heard is true, I guess they met there (!).

Anyway, when I came out to SoCal last May, I traveled down to Oceanside and delivered the block to Steve. It was nice putting a face to the name. Darton has been really slow to get product out, especially custom stuff.  Steve DID get the part, it's fitted into the block, but now the block is tweaked, and we need to come up with a way to level it front to back without taking off more than .009 - that's the next gasket thickness I can go to.

And, as he explained to me last April, Steve is out of town starting today until mid July. I'm not going to begrudge him a vacation, but the likelihood of me retrieving the block, getting it honed, reassembling and testing the whole package before WOS is evaporating as quickly as a spilled beer in a Wendover casino parking lot.

I did pick up a new tent, though. The Pop-Up I've been using for many years finally gave up the ghost last September and found its resting place in the communal dumpster, courtesy of the USFRA.

IMG_20220629_154934645 by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

My question is how high to keep it.  Right now, it's at 8 feet, and I think that's about what everybody else has theirs set at. I was able to set it up by myself, but I needed a step stool. I'd like to have it so that if I'm sharing a pit, we can offer it up to expand and make for a larger shaded area.

[manta22]

MM,

If you're ever in Oceanside again, stop by the American Surf Museum. Years ago I bought a T-shirt there with a Duke Kahanamoku photo and logo but when I wore it in Kauai last week, nobody even noticed. Maybe it's an Oahu thing?

[Stan Back]

I recently saw a hour-long documentary about him on PBS.  What a story!  If anyone gets a chance at it, it's terrific.

[manta22]

I recently saw a hour-long documentary about him on PBS.  What a story!  If anyone gets a chance at it, it's terrific.

Stan, I saw that PBS documentary on Duke Kahanamoku as well. It was pretty good. In 1932 my Dad swam against him in the Cincinnati Olympic Trials. It was a bad year to try out- he was competing with Duke Kahanamoku, Buster Crabbe, and Johnny Weismuller!  https://m.facebook.com/groups/Old.Cincinnati/permalink/2687710254604740/?comment_id=2687832124592553

[desotoman]

 

[jl222]

 

   Schilt's for your lips and Blatz for your Blatter

     JL222

[Milwaukee Midget]

You know, every now and then, a cold American lager like Schlitz or Blatz is just what the doctor ordered.
And as long as the doctor's paying, I'll shut up and drink . . . 

Anyway - some GOOD NEWS from the Pommy Pigmy Playhouse - the Block is DONE and we're looking to get it out the door on the road to Beerhaven this afternoon.  Should see it early next week.

AND - I put together a cool shirt for TPN (that's Test Pilot Nick). He throws off a little more heat than my scrawny ass does and wanted something to keep his core cool while the line moves up.

I found an aluminum box of perfect dimensions to slide a modified battery box into. With 1/2" insulation, the battery box fits perfectly and snugly in place:

IMG_20220708_141252927 by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

The battery box was a gift from Fordboy - I sealed up the drain holes on the bottom with aluminum tape and fiberglass, attached an old seatbelt from my MGB to hold the top in place and drilled holes in the top for the tubing.  In the corner, I installed a bilge pump courtesy of Cabela's:

IMG_20220713_205915211_MF_PORTRAIT by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

I don't necessarily want to be drawing down the battery in the Midget while waiting in line, so I picked up an 8 amp 12 volt rechargeable utility battery and installed it and a charge regulator in a cheap plastic ammo box - the center pigtail attaches to my solar panel which sets rather nicely on the top of the Midget:

IMG_20220713_205925299_MF_PORTRAIT by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

The quick-disconnects are from McMaster-Carr, and the brass tubing manifold is a pair of distribution blocks for an air compressor. They hang from a lanyard and fit under the suit away from the harnesses and neck restraint system. I sewed the tubes into an old shirt I got at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop:

IMG_20220713_205720027 by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

I'm waiting on Mel at C&S to finish balancing the crank/flywheel/clutch assembly. I'll also need to get the block honed - Steve in Oceanside has a guy, but he's ass-over-teakettle with haymaker work. Hoping T&T might be able to knock it out and they'll let me hang around and use their ring file to get a start on the reassembly.




 

[Milwaukee Midget]

Bummed about everybody waiting out the weather in Wendover - I'll say it again, not only is it the fastest sport in the world, it's also the slowest.

I'm still tacking toward WOS, but I've had yet ANOTHER monkey wrench thrown into my path.

The block came back from Steve Demirjian, and after a .009 haircut, it is square. Mel at C&S was able to squeeze me in for a honing, and by this last Thursday, I was down at T&T fitting rings.

All but one, anyway . . .

20220806_202505 by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

It's supposed to look like this older one, which now has too large a gap . . .

20220806_202732 by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

My, "GEEZ, I'M IN A HURRY, I'LL JUST CUT IT DOWN" mentality was tempered by the fact that THAT kind of thinking is what got me in trouble last time.  I showed it to Mark, and he suggested that MIGHT work, PROVIDED the radial thickness was the same.

And of course, it WASN'T. The original spec was .105, the rest of the kits were .103-.104. So this outlier was .112, which stood proud of the piston when pressed into the ring grove.

I got on the blower with August at Total Seal, and after assuring himself through a bunch of questions that I was actually able to completely answer, (thanks again, Fordboy) he assured me a correct ring will be on its was as soon as they can get one made. A couple of days, he said.

So now the powerplant is back on hold until I get the correct part.

While I didn't think to check these when they arrived, had I, the engine would be together and likely a day or so from installation.

What I'm wondering is if there's some poor sack out there running with a loose ring, because these oddball sizes are all custom order, and I suspect a complete set with a compression ring that is too small likely snuck its way into somebody else's ring pack.

Good news? I have a trailer again!

I was Craigslisting, and came across what I hoped might be a solution not too far from Road America. It was a 4 wheel utility trailer, smallish, but sturdy. Unfortunately, it was just too narrow to fit the Midget on.

On the way back, I happened across this -

IMG_20220717_130940222_HDR by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

IMG_20220718_112129504_HDR by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

Used boat trailers in Wisconsin are as common as Camaros at a dragstrip, but this one didn't have a particularly deep "V". It has an adjustable suspension carriage which lets the owner adjust the position of the center of gravity longitudinally, it has brakes, Bearing Buddies, working lights (!) and clear title. For $350.00, he was asking a scrap price for it.

But what I REALLY liked about it is this - I could cut the tongue down, get the Midget on it, and store them BOTH in the garage, saving me the hassle of bothering friends for parking or paying for space.

And after last year's trailer fiasco, an extra pair of wheels offers a welcome bit of mental security. A 5300 lb GVW rating doesn't hurt, either.

A couple of cut-off wheels, new bearings, a new coupler (not shown), a little welding* and a bit of creativity, and I've got a trailer that will haul just about any small sports racer one would care to trailer.

IMG_20220725_133927522_HDR by Chris Conrad, on Flickr

*Note - I did the welding, and they looked pretty okay for a change. I've got a Hobart 125 MIG with flux core wire, and in the past my welds looked like crap. But this time, I put in a new spool of Lincoln flux core wire, and all of a sudden, I've got welds I'm not frightened of. I remain no welder, but I can attest that quality wire makes a BIG difference in what can be achieved with a BS welder.

[Milwaukee Midget]

A big Thanks to August Cedarstrand at Total Seal. The replacement ring arrived today, I used Fordboy's little Childs/Albert ring file to set the gap, and as I settle in for a late supper, I do so with a finished short-block.

20220815_201457 by Chris Conrad

Tomorrow, I'll reinstall the head and adapter plate - looking to do the install on Sunday.

I'm tied up with a music project this week with a band I've done tech for, but this time, they're dragging me on stage at "the world's largest Irish music festival".  Other than my propensity to slam Guinness and slip Bushmill's into my coffee, culturally, I'm about as Irish as a Kolache. But the band is quite good, and it's pushing me to get my chops back together.

Officially, Nick and I are now settled on World Finals, but as damp as it's been the last two weeks, I'm concerned.                                                                             

[Stainless1]

Looking good Chris... do you need to borrow my "world's tallest leprechaun" tshirt? 
Hope to see you at WF... 

[Milwaukee Midget]

Thanks, Bob - I'll make this one do . . .

IMG_20220627_133954385 by Chris Conrad

Pray for dry . . .

[Milwaukee Midget]

Morning progress -

2022-08-16_11-32-04 by Chris Conrad

Newly balanced crank/flywheel/clutch assembly. Mel at C&S said there wasn't a lot of work to get it in check, and that makes sense. The crank was balanced before it was shipped to me, and the flywheel with the previous clutch was balanced when it was on the old A-series engine - which was also pre-balanced. When he spun it, there was only about a half gram of correction needed. It's a 6 1/2" clutch, not a lot of mass, but it'll be spinning at a pretty good clip.

Grabbing chow - then back to it.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Head, timing wheel and belt in place, new gasket, all torqued to spec.

2022-08-16_08-07-46 by Chris Conrad

I'll line up the cams tomorrow - today's work is done.

 

[Milwaukee Midget]

Okay, here's the point in the rebuild that everything could go all Dante's ninth circle - caution, precautions and documentation are my friend at this point.

Before I tore the engine down last April, I carefully lined up the timing marks and photographed them in situ BEFORE I started loosening bolts and fasteners:

Before
Some clean-up was obviously in the cards on the timing wheel, but it had been previously scribed and painted with the line you see here. Not absolutely perpendicular to the slot in the sensor holder, but close enough that a tooth either way on the belt - an 8mm pitch - would have been painfully obvious.

In tearing down the engine, I didn't want to incumber Steve in Oceanside with any appendages that might get in the way of his machine work, so the timing sensor bracketing needed to come off.  The problem is, I've got no other way to check timing than with the teeth on the timing wheel - 6 degrees each - and an approximate reference off of the back of the block on the flywheel - which winds up buried under the bellhousing.

This needed to go back into place precisely from whence it came.

2022-08-17_11-40-49

When I tore it down, I located the two-piece bracket with both itself and the block by drilling 3/32 holes into each piece and using a piece of 3/32 brass rod to pin them in place upon reinstallation. Yeah, there are two extra holes - let's just say those were Mulligans . . .

The result - nothing goes clunk when you turn it.

Truth is, with an 8mm pitch belt and 24 teeth on the drive shaft pulley, 15 degrees would have been pretty obvious - that translates to 2 1/2 teeth on the timing wheel. But I'm reasonably certain at this point that when I fire it up, we'll be able to proceed with previous ignition timing that wasn't too far off.

2022-08-17_11-37-57