It the Head of an Albatross?

[LameHoof65]

So, far I have talked to two machinist, one guy who builds performance racing engines and one who specializes in heads. Two of them have been somewhat resistant to even discussing fabricating/machining the head and one went on a 30 minute oration regarding the expense/headache and general P in the proverbial @$$ this would be. --Look I have done some basic machining, I am not super but if I had the equipment I could do this job myself, and they talk like milling and drilling that log is a major ordeal, granted I have never done a casted piece like this head but come on a surface grinder, a horizontal mill and a drill press ought to do it, right. I told one guy why not just do it in steps to see what we ran into before doing a big expensive ordeal and he talked like we were talking thousands of bucks---I don't get it.. With the setup and milling or surface grinding and drilling the holes, I don't think we are talking much more than an hour or at the most two hours of work....Am I wrong here? All of them admitted that they thought this six was a waste of my time..most were polite but firm on their stance. "Go with a 289, 302, 351 and on and on..I had to back out the door. I am pretty fed up with the discussions so I think I may just do a basic head build myself and then put a few other things on it and get this six mildly built, see if I like it and if not maybe I will go with a V8---everybody thinks that is the smartest maneuver! :roll:

 

[gtm1086]

Howdy.

You will unfortunately run into guys like this. Try finding yourself a good general machine shop. Tell them what you want and then stand back. Once the machining you want is done find a auto machine shop and have the valves done.

 

[Anonymous]

What are you trying to machine the head for- Tri-power? 2bbl? Other?

Other than cast iron being harder on cutting tools, there should be no real problem doing basic machining and drilling on the log head. It's not rocket science. I think they're just confused because your engine doesn't bend in the middle... :roll:

go with what gtm1086 said- a general machine shop won't care- to them it's just another part, so they shouldn't have any prejudices against your motor.

--mikey

 

[CobraSix]

look around your area. I found a machinist/engine builder who is absolutely awesome and loves the idea of building 6, though maybe that's because he sees $$$$

Slade

 

[LameHoof65]

What are you trying to machine the head for- Tri-power? 2bbl? Other?


--mikey

Okay, I have looked at all the stuff you all have done on this forum and especially mustangeezer and thought--why not take a 78 or big log 80 head (i have both) and mill the top of the log all the way end to end and make it as flat as possible without milling it so thin it breaks--or compromises the integrity of the end plug holes---then bore a 1.5" inch hole lined up and over each plenum 'at the top of the log'---then get a flat piece of alum stock say about .250 thick and surface grind it flat and bored with the same 1.5" holes and then either drill--say 1/4 " holes between the exhaust and intake plenums where possible and then--make holes in the aluminum plate to correspond and make u-bolts to go around the log and through the plate with a gasket to seal it-- or if there was enough room and material left on the log attach it the full length as mustangeezer did and and leave holes to attach throttle bodies or multiple carbs in the on the periphery of the plate and then gasket/seal those. Or and this is a later idea if the others happen to work take those two 1.9 intakes with f/i and make one single multiport six plenum manifold. And I know --- it may not work---but I was willing to try it--one step at a time--- if the money was reasonable. One of the automotive guys listened to my idea and looked at the pictures and said "It looks like it might work--theoretically it should, but I don't have the machining equipment to do that kind of work" Honest enough, right---then he sends me to the machinist that gave me the 30 minute oration about how stupid the whole idea sounded to him... So I'm thinkin' maybe he is right. The machinist charge was 46hr. Not bad I thought, then he starts talkin' about how much it will cost and how ludicrous the idea is and on and on and on--uninfinitum--------------------------------. So tell me how stupid is this idea!

 

[hasa68mustang]

DONT GIVE IN!!!!!! keep the 6 you will find someone who can help you!

 

[Anonymous]

You might have better success cutting off the log with a bandsaw and having a truing cut done on the side. Then attach your intake set-up to the side of the head. You'll get porting access to your intake runners on the head, and there's much less machine time involved.

The major unknown is "how much meat is there to drill and tap into with the log cut off?" You'll need to have some idea of where your intake mounting plate will attach. I don't know the answer, but I'm sure someone here might.

You may have already considered the idea. I don't know. Just trying to add alternatives.

good luck!

--mikey

 

[addo]

Remember what you're dealing with. I might be the "new face" of blue collar - charming, esoteric, intelligent :rolflmao: , but in the old days there were two main reasons people became tradesmen (as opposed to white collar):

One - they weren't brilliant lateral thinkers but were pretty darned good at their specialised skillset, or...
Two - they were seriously clever people with no real interest in "fitting in".

If you're dealing with Type 1 as a machinist, you are going to have to provide accurate engineering drawings; try to take the work one step at a time. Type 2? You're just going to have to get him on side and wait... It might be 2 years before he feels like doing the job (which will then come out better than perfect). Maybe keep shopping?

Note too, that the year and a bit of your lurking and reading here is impossible to convey to an unfamiliar person in a few minutes conversation. It can be just too much information all at once for some folks. Hasten slowly. But as everyone says, hang in there.

Cheers, Adam.

 

[LameHoof65]

Thanks for the encouragement, I am still looking for a machinist...Took Mikey's advice and chopped that log off, took my fine chop saw--lined it up and chopped it as far as I could from one end and then--turned around and chopped from the other end-- took my end plate off and ran a blade through the center and there it was a perfectly good head--horribly mutilated--and of course about a 1/4 inch off line and I hope not cut to deep to face to a true surface. But if it is-- so be it--I got tired of looking at the thing. I squared the thing on end as best I could with my square lined it up with a vertical laser and put it on the deepest cut and it looks like I have about a 1/16" clearance to get a true surface that won't cut to deep...I hope. Will need to take it to a machinist, once they see this thing, surely they will be obliged to mill it---would be an injustice not to.