Torque plate blueprint, or possibly rent one?

[steve hackel]

My rebuilder and I are looking for either a blueprint for an 8ba torque plate, or the possibility of renting one from someone so we can finish the bore and honing of the block so we can move onto other more pressing things. Just a side question; would it be possible to use this plate for pressure testing the block? Thanks, Steve

[flatjack9]

Take a cylinder head and bore out the holes over the pistons. It then can be used to pressure test also --- NOT

[Brian]

Sorry Jack, if one bores a head out over the cylinders, you'll be into water passages so can't use for pressure test. Would make torque plate ok.

[JSeery]

A cylinder head should be a good pattern for a torque plate. And it would work well for pressure testing as well.

[Fordestes]

I took a 2 inch thick piece of aluminum drilled the plate while using the head as a bolt pattern then took an old piston that had a small centering hole in it then drilled out the center and sharp pointed a bolt and screwed it in the center hole and after bolting the already drilled plate to the block I tapped the piston with the bolt centered in the old piston as a pilot hole to use as a starting point, scratched the diameter of the cylinder bore as a reference point then drilled and bored a 3-3/8 hole for the cylinders , bolted it down and used a neoprene gasket as a seal then used it as a pressure tool and a torque plate. I had to have the plate surfaced to get an accurate even torque and seal the pressure head gasket, I later counter bored the hone plate to accept allen head counter sunk bolts.

[flatrod]

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I have one, but being way up here in Alaska, probably not worth shipping back and forth. It should be easy to make.

[steve hackel]

I appreciate all the suggestions & directions, but I do not have any cylinder heads to either bore one out for a torque plate or even use one for a pattern, so I am out there asking for a blueprint to make one. Just a side bar question, if I find a single cylinder head (left or right) would that one head work for both sides as a boring / torque plate or do I need left & right examples? I guess I could search Craigs list around here for one.

[flatjack9]

I'll give you one if you want to pay shipping. In fact I can give you 2. By chance do you go to the swap meet in Jefferson, Wi. at the end of April?

[outlaw]

Why can't you use a head gasket to make a pattern from"

[Brian]

I made my own in both 21 and 24 stud configuration , able to accommodate up to 3 7/16" bore. Pity I'm in New Zealand...
Can't upload pictures, dunno why?

[flatheadmurre]

Originally Posted by Brian

I made my own in both 21 and 24 stud configuration , able to accommodate up to 3 7/16" bore. Pity I'm in New Zealand...
Can't upload pictures, dunno why?

The Site has become more sensitive to picture size after the update...try reducing the size of pics.

[Brian]

Thanks Murre, we'll try this;

[outlaw]

So since we are on this subject, is a aluminum torque plate ok or should it be made out of steel? Would aluminum be strong enough to stress the block correctly? What should the thickness be for either material ?

[JSeery]

OK, first some heads are aluminum! But the real issue is the thickness of the torque plate. A 3 inch aluminum plate is going to be stiffer than a 1/4 inch steel plate. It is all going to depend on the material you use and the relative stiffness.

[Bored&Stroked]

I have complete deck surface CAD models - in 3D SolidWorks formats (for custom cylinder heads).

I'd be happy to make a 'deck surface plate' model for you - if you're going to use a CNC milling machine to do the work (which is how I'd do it).

If you're just going to manually make a plate - just using an old head to 'center punch' an aluminum plate would be the easiest.

If you're thinking CNC and somebody understands what I'm saying about SolidWorks CAD models (or DXF files) then I'd be happy to work with you. Obviously whatever CNC program you're using - you'd need to be able to import SolidWorks 3D models and/or DXF 2D vector files to build your machining tool paths from. So if this is the approach you're taking, let me know.

The only stipulation or catch is that if you go the CNC approach, I'd like to have a deck plate as a result. I'm happy to pay for materials and help the process through - maybe we can make it a "win win" for all involved.

Anybody have CNC capabilities and want to get on board . . . just PM me.

Best of luck,

Dale

[steve hackel]

Although not my rebuilder, I lnow someone that does CNC water jet cutting , so would this be the same process and also accurate enough for this application? I probably do not know enough to ask the right questions.....

[John R]

Just as a point of reference, deck plates for flatheads are available from at least two sources:
BHJ Products: http://www.bhjproducts.com/
CCA Racing Products: https://ccaracing.com/

[Shoebox]

John R,
Thanks for that info, CCA is not far from me, good to know. A related torque plate question, must a torque plate be the EXACT size of the intended bore? I ask because I would consider buying a plate if I could have it the largest I might ever need, even if the current build is slightly smaller.

[flatheadmurre]

Heads aren´t made to bore size so why would a hone plate...it´s not that sensitive.
It´s more about the force on the headstud/bolt deforming the bore.

[GOSFAST]

Originally Posted by flatheadmurre

Heads aren´t made to bore size so why would a hone plate...it´s not that sensitive.
It´s more about the force on the head stud/bolt deforming the bore.

Really accurate statement, it's all about the distortion caused by the fasteners, this is true for every unit! The plate is more important on the Flatheads than most other units due to the "strength" of the casting!

Logic would seem to dictate when you Torque the bolts/studs the threads would have a tendency to "push" themselves INTO the bores, but the exact opposite is true. The threads try to pull away from the walls, they "work" the threads opposite of what would seem logical.

On many of the "race" blocks we use here the plate actually makes no noticeable distortion at the tops of the bores when Torqued in position.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. On very high-end builds there are plates that mount on the heads to duplicate the forces when doing any machining (on the heads), specifically in the valve-job area!