914World.com - The largest online 914 community!

Head blanks?

alpha434	Mar 21 2006, 01:59 AM Post #1
My member number is no coincidence. Group: Members Posts: 3,154 Joined: 16-December 05 From: Denver, CO Member No.: 5,280 Region Association: Rocky Mountains	Where can I get some blank head castings? I've got an NHRA friend who thinks he can make some power. And I'd rather not buy a whole block of aluminum.

McMark	Mar 21 2006, 02:03 AM Post #2
914 Freak! Group: Retired Admin Posts: 20,179 Joined: 13-March 03 From: Grand Rapids, MI Member No.: 419 Region Association: None	Here I believe they are based on bus castings.

alpha434	Mar 21 2006, 02:04 AM Post #3
My member number is no coincidence. Group: Members Posts: 3,154 Joined: 16-December 05 From: Denver, CO Member No.: 5,280 Region Association: Rocky Mountains	I meant raw castings. No holes in 'em yet. I'll put my own holes in there.

McMark	Mar 21 2006, 02:06 AM Post #4
914 Freak! Group: Retired Admin Posts: 20,179 Joined: 13-March 03 From: Grand Rapids, MI Member No.: 419 Region Association: None	Nope. Get out the welder, make your own castings, or billet.

alpha434	Mar 21 2006, 02:07 AM Post #5
My member number is no coincidence. Group: Members Posts: 3,154 Joined: 16-December 05 From: Denver, CO Member No.: 5,280 Region Association: Rocky Mountains	Unless aircooled technology would sell me a raw casting for cheap. The plan was to not spend much more than a block of aluminum but not have to cut fins with a slot cutter endlessly.

alpha434

Mar 21 2006, 02:09 AM

Post #6

My member number is no coincidence.

Group: Members
Posts: 3,154
Joined: 16-December 05
From: Denver, CO
Member No.: 5,280
Region Association: Rocky Mountains

QUOTE (McMark @ Mar 21 2006, 12:06 AM)

Nope. Get out the welder, make your own castings, or billet.

Welder? To "make" your own castings?!? Well. I HAVE been meaning to set up a foundry. And one of the guys I went to Vocational school with JUST got his own house.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif)

McMark	Mar 21 2006, 02:09 AM Post #7
914 Freak! Group: Retired Admin Posts: 20,179 Joined: 13-March 03 From: Grand Rapids, MI Member No.: 419 Region Association: None	What holes were you referring to, that you would cut yourself?

McMark

Mar 21 2006, 02:10 AM

Post #8

914 Freak!

Group: Retired Admin
Posts: 20,179
Joined: 13-March 03
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Member No.: 419
Region Association: None

QUOTE (alpha434 @ Mar 21 2006, 12:09 AM)

QUOTE (McMark @ Mar 21 2006, 12:06 AM)

Nope. Get out the welder, make your own castings, or billet.

Welder? To "make" your own castings?!? Well. I HAVE been meaning to set up a foundry. And one of the guys I went to Vocational school with JUST got his own house.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif)

As in weld up the other castings and re-cut. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

alpha434	Mar 21 2006, 02:15 AM Post #9
My member number is no coincidence. Group: Members Posts: 3,154 Joined: 16-December 05 From: Denver, CO Member No.: 5,280 Region Association: Rocky Mountains	Hmmm.... I guess that works in a pinch. The problem is that cast aluminum is an inconsistant material, and that makes it hard to get great weld penetration, like what you will want/need on the combustion chamber. ANYWAY... My buddy wants to completely revamp the flow angles. So it needs to start as a solid piece of material anyway.

davep

Mar 21 2006, 06:34 AM

Post #10

914 Historian

Group: Benefactors
Posts: 5,151
Joined: 13-October 03
From: Burford, ON, N0E 1A0
Member No.: 1,244
Region Association: Canada

QUOTE (alpha434 @ Mar 21 2006, 12:15 AM)

ANYWAY... My buddy wants to completely revamp the flow angles. So it needs to start as a solid piece of material anyway.

you are talking billet here anyway.
you would have to weld up fins in a casting to put your holes where you want them and still have wall thickness.
most castings are near net shape to avoid having to machine in the first place.

ChrisFoley

Mar 21 2006, 08:24 AM

Post #11

I am Tangerine Racing

Group: Members
Posts: 7,933
Joined: 29-January 03
From: Bolton, CT
Member No.: 209
Region Association: None

QUOTE (alpha434 @ Mar 21 2006, 03:15 AM)

The problem is that cast aluminum is an inconsistant material, and that makes it hard to get great weld penetration

What a load of BS! That just tells me you don't know squat about welding aluminum. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mueba.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif)

Part Pricer	Mar 21 2006, 08:33 AM Post #12
Believe everything I post Group: Benefactors Posts: 1,825 Joined: 28-December 02 From: Danbury, CT Member No.: 35	(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/popcorn[1].gif) Ask him how fast he can go in his 914 in 3rd gear. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Jake Raby	Mar 21 2006, 08:40 AM Post #13
Engine Surgeon Group: Members Posts: 9,394 Joined: 31-August 03 From: Lost Member No.: 1,095 Region Association: South East States	You're NHRA friend better have plenty of patience.. My Billet head program just went past 3.5 years of development and still has flaws that are being worked out. Finding the PROPER alloy of Billet was the hardest part, by far. It takes a lot of machine time to whittle it into a head and more time to test it, and I'll bet you 500 bucks that you WILL NOT get it right the first time. As for the new castings, we have to buy the heads 100% complete from Spain to get them, the factory finishes them up so a blank casting is out of the question- I have been trying to persuade the factory to do that for 5 years now. We take the new castings, rip out the valves, guides, seats and etc and start from scratch with our own components as the factory components are horrible. This can all be done and we have done it, BUT you better be ready to swallow a lot of cash to get something that even functions correctly, much less runs cool enough. Thermal conductivity of different alloys is drastically different and you'll find this out very quickly. A good welder can do anything with a head casting, proper preheating and post cooling are mandatory and it takes experience to know what "proper" is for these heads...

rhodyguy	Mar 21 2006, 08:43 AM Post #14
Chimp Sanctuary NW. Check it out. Group: Members Posts: 22,082 Joined: 2-March 03 From: Orion's Bell. The BELL! Member No.: 378 Region Association: Galt's Gulch	every passageway is cast in (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif), and things kind of "line up" (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/huh.gif) . best wishes on your wheel re-invention. k

DNHunt	Mar 21 2006, 08:48 AM Post #15
914 Wizard? No way. I got too much to learn. Group: Members Posts: 4,099 Joined: 21-April 03 From: Gig Harbor, WA Member No.: 598	I figured this would get entertaining. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/popcorn[1].gif) I was kind of hoping for billet titanium heads. Dave

Jake Raby	Mar 21 2006, 09:28 AM Post #16
Engine Surgeon Group: Members Posts: 9,394 Joined: 31-August 03 From: Lost Member No.: 1,095 Region Association: South East States	LOL..... I NEVER try to tell someone that something cannot be done, because I HATE it when people tell me that and usually it makes me forge forward with no sense at all, just to prove them wrong.. I just try to share what I have experienced and tell guys it may not be as simple as it seems and could entail a hell of a lot more work that anticipated. It is also expensive, even if you have a full machine shop at your disposal.

Bleyseng	Mar 21 2006, 10:09 AM Post #17
Aircooled Baby! Group: Members Posts: 13,035 Joined: 27-December 02 From: Seattle, Washington (for now) Member No.: 24 Region Association: Pacific Northwest	I'd see if Mueller can cast up some new castings for ya in his backyard operation.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/av-943.gif)

rhodyguy	Mar 21 2006, 10:14 AM Post #18
Chimp Sanctuary NW. Check it out. Group: Members Posts: 22,082 Joined: 2-March 03 From: Orion's Bell. The BELL! Member No.: 378 Region Association: Galt's Gulch	(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif) figuring out the core placement/index. the void type, not the head blank. now, which is the cope and which is the drag? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/unsure.gif) k

alpha434

Mar 21 2006, 10:18 AM

Post #19

My member number is no coincidence.

Group: Members
Posts: 3,154
Joined: 16-December 05
From: Denver, CO
Member No.: 5,280
Region Association: Rocky Mountains

QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Mar 21 2006, 07:28 AM)

LOL.....

I NEVER try to tell someone that something cannot be done, because I HATE it when people tell me that and usually it makes me forge forward with no sense at all, just to prove them wrong..

I just try to share what I have experienced and tell guys it may not be as simple as it seems and could entail a hell of a lot more work that anticipated.

It is also expensive, even if you have a full machine shop at your disposal.

I like Jake's perspective on things.

And I can't do Ti heads. Ti doesn't transfer heat, so it would have a problem with cooling until the heat would build up locally in the combustion chamber and start the thing on fire.

I've had enough problem with the Ti connecting rods. No pictures, but four are already in an engine. Hush hush.

alpha434

Mar 21 2006, 10:21 AM

Post #20

My member number is no coincidence.

Group: Members
Posts: 3,154
Joined: 16-December 05
From: Denver, CO
Member No.: 5,280
Region Association: Rocky Mountains

QUOTE (Bleyseng @ Mar 21 2006, 08:09 AM)

I'd see if Mueller can cast up some new castings for ya in his backyard operation....

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/av-943.gif)

Since when is that funny? That may be what I have to do.

It is really too bad that Jake's French company won't sell blanks. I'll bet it causes all sorts of problems for him. And it will me.

Even if I had a casting with the fins taken out of it would save 30-45 minutes of actual run time. And plenty more time setting and programming. Right, Jake?

« Next Oldest · 914World Garage · Next Newest »

1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)

0 Members: