Quote:
Originally Posted by revkev6
Gary, my comment was directed at things like efforts reduce friction too far. If you take that ring pack with the correct bore finish and compare the pull to a bore with a finer more polished wall it will move easier in the bore but the rings won't seat. Friction reduction in ring packs is a delicate balancel. If you base everything on friction you may miss some other vital points in the ring packs duties.
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Hi Kev, I really got what you said, and we have the ring combos AND the honing combos pretty much down to a science now. Been working in this area for good 50 years or so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JWL
O'Ron is making some proper statements. Using the latest ring width technology not only gives improvements in power performance but also, and just as importantly, provides utilization of the newest materials.
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Hi John, couldn't agree more with this. Technology aside for a minute, I strongly believe every Flathead should have a "plate" bolted to the deck surface when "finish-honing", I believe it's even more important today specifically due to the changes in ring technology. We now hone EVERY build with the block-plate in place! It's why I spent the time fairly recently fabricating the plate for the Flathead.
Let me just expand a bit on the "technology" part of it and how I believe it to be the most single important advancement with contributing to the increased HP numbers, specifically due to the pistons and rings available today.
Back in the late '80's, early '90's, I had one customer "devoted" to Flatheads only. Can't recall ever doing any builds other than a Flathead. He used to tell me it was his "calling in life" to work with these engines only.
Working very closely with him, and doing only his machining, never being involved in assembling any, for a few years straight we averaged between 10 and 15 builds per year together!
I'll keep this based on sort of the "bolt-together" builds here, where you take some good parts, check everything over, and bolt it together. Back then it would have been really difficult (for us as a team at least) to hit anywhere near 150/160 HP on any type "budget". It never happened, 125/130 was the more realistic numbers.
Now, in order for him to get up to the higher numbers (near 150) back then he would get into some decent porting, larger valves, upstrokes, etc. It was a very expensive proposition even back then when prices were more reasonable than today. Remember, you weren't able to by stroker kits like today's with the type pistons/ring packs already in the kits!
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I'm also still wondering if anyone picked up on the "contradiction" back in those photos I posted??
Thanks, Gary in N.Y.
P.S. "Fast-forward" today, anyone at all can bolt-together a 140/150 HP Flathead without even "aiming" for those numbers, it's actually relatively simple with the parts you have today? We definitely feel it's in very large part due exclusively to the advancement in "technology". Over time, the basic components (cams, heads, etc.) really hasn't changed all that much.