308 V12 conversion begins

With the heads moving along nicely it seems like time to think about ordering pistons. I’ll need to get a CC number from the combustion chamber then I think I’m ready…after I make the big JE v Wiseco decision that is.

 

The JE order form seems a lot easier to understand......but the wiseco form has "F1" as one of the application choices to circle......

 

2618. Did you really need to ask?

 

No boost.....maybe a little nitrous if I can't get it to make 150mph in the 1/4, but no boost.

I can't find any of my stuff for CCing the heads......it'll keep unitl tomorrow I guess. The rest of the order sheet is done. I may have to pull a combustion chamber casting too I guess and that will mean either making thre cylinders or at least a temp cylider.....I need to stuff in the right exhaustt valve quickly too.....distractions.

 

This morning I set up the mill to cut the exhaust seats and got the head on. Tonight or tomorrow morning I'll actually cut the seats on one cylinder so I can CC the chamber.

I'm going to be changing valves a little bit. Originally I planned to use 5.5mm stems but I couldn't find any off the shelf retainers to go with them that were set up for shim under bucket. The suzuki stuff I ordered uses 5mm stems and the blank valves with 5mm stems have a different head angle and are available in slightly different sizes. My intake will still be 34mm but instead of having to decide between a 28mm or 29mm exhaust which I was really strugling with I now have the choice of 28.5mm or 28.5mm so I'm thinking I'll go with the 28.5

I aksed for a price quote on the vavles, buckets, stem seals, seats ect. We'll see how painful it will be.

 

The brand is weldcraft and I ordered from www.arc-zone.com

I honestly didn't do any more research than to look at the sticker on the torch Wil send and go to their web site, but the stuff looks good.

 

It seems little one found my seat cutter.......now I'm not able to find it. I was able to grindthe exhaust seats to set the valve for the ccing, but I've got so hunting to do it appears to find that seat cutter.
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Yeah, he was eying it a couple weeks ago and I took it…apparently he was more persistent and faster than I realized. I needed to clean up again anyway I guess…..

Think we find out the boy/girl thing about the 15th

 

Yesterday I settled on JE for the pistons (for no other reason than I’ve used then in the past and was happy) so that is rolling now.

I may have to cast the combustion chamber for them as it’s not exactly standard TR any more…..they said they’ll let me know. If I have to make a casting I’ll also need to either make a cylinder liner or a temp liner more likely because the casting needs to include at least ½” of bore so they can get a good chamber v bore position. We’ll see

 

Everything about this project is "more work". They like the castings to be body filler or similar so it doesn't chip or crack in handling. I may not need to make it...but I'm guessing I will once they fully understand the project.

 

This morning I took a look at the port bottoms. I was thinging fill plates, but I'm not filling enough so it'll have to be weld. I decided to do most of it with the big torch but I ground the gas cup a little so I could reach in better....the Lava cup grind fast and easy, the Alumina cup don't grind at all. I got a couple done before little one was bored with the shop and we had to go upstairs. I'll do a rough grind and fill any low spots once the new smaller torches get here.

I got a quote on the valves and buckets.....the buckets are about double what I expected
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10 filled, 2 to go then I think it's time for the flow bench.

 

All 12 are welded and I started grinding. It looks like I most likely will need to get down in witht he small torch and add a little bit more....we'll see.

 

I know......

 

I had at head 1 with the die grind for a couple hours and the ports are starting to at least look like ports again. I'm trying to be carful aboutr matching the port shapes to the test port so the grinding is kind so slow, a couple more hours maybe before this head is ready for the flow bench....but it is lookin like a head again I think and not so much like scrap metal like it did
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