C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
This is a great thread! Thanks for taking us all along as you bring this old racer back to life. I'm looking forward to seeing how your headers turn out, the fitment at the ports look really great! 
Resurrecting a Vintage Racer
- Thread starter Graham08
- Start date
AldeanFan
Well-known member
Really enjoying your posts, especially showing how you are making parts. I often see completed parts and have no idea how they were made, thanks for sharing this!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
Yeah, we're all in for a treat with this thread. Already some super valuable info and were only 3 pages in.
This is a great thread! Thanks for taking us all along as you bring this old racer back to life. I'm looking forward to seeing how your headers turn out, the fitment at the ports look really great!
Thanks everyone! I'll be posting photos of the rest of the header build soon. I'm very happy with the end result...and George is, too, which is the important thing.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Great job on the header flanges Graham.
Told you your work would be a hit.
Told you your work would be a hit.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Neat project. The founder of Algon (Al Gonzales) passed away some years ago, but I think I read somewhere that his son can still provide some parts and service.
never enuf time
Well-known member
Thanks for doing this thread. I used to go to short track races with my dad, mostly 80s-early nineties.
What track did this car run at ? I've been to at least half a dozen in Ohio.
What track did this car run at ? I've been to at least half a dozen in Ohio.
ttpete
Well-known member
That was called a "Whirlaway". It allowed the prop to freewheel if the engine seized. The bad thing that happened was that the driver would launch when the boat stopped and he could very well be run over by it. For a while, the drivers wore parachutes that would slow them down faster than the boat did. They had a static line that was secured to the engine.
Primarily at Lakeville (now closed), Buckeye (now called Wayne County Speedway), Mansfield, and it may have raced at the Ashland County Fairgrounds before they stopped running cars there.
I imagine George will take it to vintage nights at Attica and Fremont once it's back together. All of those places are within about an hour drive of where I'm originally from.
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never enuf time
Well-known member
That's the area Brad Doty, Kenny Jacobs, & my favorite Jac Haudenschild started racing.
I think I've been to Mansfield long ago. Been to Attica & Fremont several times. Both run well.
2 years ago , stopped at Atomic for an All Star race. What a fast track that is.
Did you go to any races when you lived in Ohio ?
I think I've been to Mansfield long ago. Been to Attica & Fremont several times. Both run well.
2 years ago , stopped at Atomic for an All Star race. What a fast track that is.
Did you go to any races when you lived in Ohio ?
Yes, lots! I grew up watching supermodifieds at Sandusky and Lorain County, as well as sprints on dirt at Attica, Fremont and Wayne County. My only season of driving was the pavement sprint in my avatar...it got wadded up at Mansfield when that track was still paved. I try to get back there when I can for All Star speedweek dates or the USAC Four Crown at Eldora. There isn't much in the way of sprint car racing here other than the Outlaws at Charlotte Motor Speedway twice a year.
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Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using The Garage Journal mobile app
never enuf time
Well-known member
I've been to Sandusky too. Watched it rain at Lorain.
Your in Nascar country now.
Look forward to more progress on the race car.
Your in Nascar country now.
Look forward to more progress on the race car.
I grew up only knowing about European race cars, thought all this going round in circles stuff was primitive. Then I grew up a bit and realized how much artistry, engineering and skill went into this kind of car. This car and your work on it is seriously cool. John
pb57
Well-known member
Graham that is some beautiful work you're doing for sure. When I was young I used to go to the sprint car races in Sioux Falls SD. Doug Wolfgang was the one to watch back then. It was a great time. Paul
Thank you! Yes, I know it appears to be a case of, "how hard can it be, they only turn left", but there's actually a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Thank you! That's awesome that you got to see Wolfgang run regularly. My first trip to Eldora was when he won the Kings Royal in 1990.
Yep, definitely in NASCAR country...but that's how I make my living, so I can't complain about it. I need to find a few minutes to make another post about the header build...here's a peek at the finished product.
Amazing job on the headers! Okay I need some help here, I have never seen one of those Algon plates before, can you explain its function to me? Sorry I do not have a racing background.
You have mad fabrication skills
You have mad fabrication skills
Last edited:
Amazing job on the headers! Okay I need some help here, I have never seen one of those Algon plates before, can you explain its function to me? Sorry I do not have a racing background.
You have mad fabrication skills
Thanks!
The Algon setup is actually a mechanical fuel injection, which replaces the OEM intake manifold and carburetor. The design of the casting is a lot different than the original intake manifold, which I'm assuming made it simpler to manufacture and a lot easier to seal to the cylinder head...but it also means the header flange is a lot different than the OEM exhaust manifold.
iagsxr
Well-known member
Those headers are outstanding.
You make the 3-pipe collectors?
I'd like to hear a clip of it running when you get that far.
You make the 3-pipe collectors?
I'd like to hear a clip of it running when you get that far.
1949 caddyman
Well-known member
Subscribed
joe49
Well-known member
Nice work.C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Those headers turned out looking really good!
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I6 were common in many "budget" racing venues in the 60s. Ford had 2 families of I6s. The "small block" (144, 170, 200, 250 cid) and the "big block" (240 and 300 cid). The big block was used in full sized cars and trucks. The truck version got forged cranks, rod and pistons (?) and were more commonly used in racing.
You could not spin these engines very fast, but they had great low end torque so they worked well on 1/4 mile and 3/8 mile tracks, especially dirt.
The 240/300 engines have seven main bearings, also. Nearly indestructible bottom end. It seems like getting these old inlines to breathe is the challenge. George keeps talking about getting a pair of aluminum SBC heads and making them into a crossflow head for the 292. I guess the bore spacing, etc. works out.
ttpete
Well-known member
A friend built a dragster that used a 300 Ford block. He took two aluminum Ford NASCAR heads and cut and welded them together to make a Cleveland style canted valve head.
A little more about the header build...
The nice part about working on an open wheel car is there isn't a lot to get in the way of the headers. This gives you a lot of leeway on the routing to get them equal length and looking good...they're exposed for the world to see!
The first pipe took the longest. I was shooting for a 36" primary length, with adequate clearance to the ground and the drag link. I'm also trying to give myself the best chance of getting all the pipes the same length.
I'm using a piece of rectangular tube clamped to the bottom of the car and a square from Certiflat to hold the collector in place. I'm trying to get everything on this pipe as plumb and level as I can because it affects the other two pipes that are joined together in this 6 into 2 setup. The nice part about the inline six is the firing order is such that the front three pipes and rear three pipes can be run into their own collectors, which makes the routing a lot simpler.
I ended up having this pipe tacked together twice...the first time I didn't set myself up very well for getting the next one the same length.
This is in the process of fitting the pipe on #6 cylinder. You can see one of my IC Engineworks tack welding clamps holding the pipes together. I have a couple sizes of these and they're a tremendous time saver when working by yourself.
Something that I've picked up on is that using different centerline radius bends in a set of headers greatly improves the appearance of them. All the tubes are 1-5/8" diameter, and the rear set is done with 2-1/2" and 4" centerline radius bends. I ended up getting a 6" centerline radius bend for the front set because I wasn't happy with how the smaller radius looked.
Here is the rear set finished up:
Lather, rinse, and repeat to build the front set:
Here you can see the big 6" radius bend on the bottom of the leading pipe.
Another view:
Something I started doing a few sets of headers ago was using silicon bronze filler to braze the outside joint between the pipes and the flange.
I had read about this in Ron Fournier's Metal Fabricator's Handbook. He recommended the braze joint to prevent cracking. It seems to work...we had a testing incident with my sprint car that resulted in the left header getting crunched. It bent the flange across the mounting bolts but the silicon bronze was intact.
I run the silicon bronze on AC with about 90% arc balance to DC...just barely a little AC arc to clean the puddle. It does a great job of making a nice, shiny joint and helps prevent overheating the parent metal and mixing it with the bronze.
The nice part about working on an open wheel car is there isn't a lot to get in the way of the headers. This gives you a lot of leeway on the routing to get them equal length and looking good...they're exposed for the world to see!
The first pipe took the longest. I was shooting for a 36" primary length, with adequate clearance to the ground and the drag link. I'm also trying to give myself the best chance of getting all the pipes the same length.
I'm using a piece of rectangular tube clamped to the bottom of the car and a square from Certiflat to hold the collector in place. I'm trying to get everything on this pipe as plumb and level as I can because it affects the other two pipes that are joined together in this 6 into 2 setup. The nice part about the inline six is the firing order is such that the front three pipes and rear three pipes can be run into their own collectors, which makes the routing a lot simpler.
I ended up having this pipe tacked together twice...the first time I didn't set myself up very well for getting the next one the same length.
This is in the process of fitting the pipe on #6 cylinder. You can see one of my IC Engineworks tack welding clamps holding the pipes together. I have a couple sizes of these and they're a tremendous time saver when working by yourself.
Something that I've picked up on is that using different centerline radius bends in a set of headers greatly improves the appearance of them. All the tubes are 1-5/8" diameter, and the rear set is done with 2-1/2" and 4" centerline radius bends. I ended up getting a 6" centerline radius bend for the front set because I wasn't happy with how the smaller radius looked.
Here is the rear set finished up:
Lather, rinse, and repeat to build the front set:
Here you can see the big 6" radius bend on the bottom of the leading pipe.
Another view:
Something I started doing a few sets of headers ago was using silicon bronze filler to braze the outside joint between the pipes and the flange.
I had read about this in Ron Fournier's Metal Fabricator's Handbook. He recommended the braze joint to prevent cracking. It seems to work...we had a testing incident with my sprint car that resulted in the left header getting crunched. It bent the flange across the mounting bolts but the silicon bronze was intact.
I run the silicon bronze on AC with about 90% arc balance to DC...just barely a little AC arc to clean the puddle. It does a great job of making a nice, shiny joint and helps prevent overheating the parent metal and mixing it with the bronze.
bradleykd
Well-known member
I run the silicon bronze on AC with about 90% arc balance to DC...just barely a little AC arc to clean the puddle. It does a great job of making a nice, shiny joint and helps prevent overheating the parent metal and mixing it with the bronze.
Great tip!
I have heard you can run sil bro on AC, but have always kept it DC and challenged my heat and travel speed to try for a shiny weld. I don't really like the look of the cleaning line.
I never thought to change the AC balance to the far end of DC to get just a bit of cleaning.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Fantastic job on the headers Graham.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I worked in Ford Engineering as the 4.9L (300) was being phased out. A "skunk works" project cast a couple of aluminum "cross flow" heads that were direct bolt on. Impressive numbers !
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
When you look at those chassis, you think "OMG, are they CRUDE !" Bit they were stout and easily repairable.
"The good ol' days". (Midgets now have STARTERS, gasp !)
"The good ol' days". (Midgets now have STARTERS, gasp !)
ttpete
Well-known member
In 1967, I was working at the Ford Scientific and Research building doing engine build-up just off the Research Garage. I worked with **** Ronzi building a 300 six engine that was stroked to 332 cid and had a SOHC aluminum head with an overmounted camshaft using rocker arms and hydraulic adjusters. The valves, combustion chambers, and ports were close copies of the 427 SOHC V8. It had dual plugs and two distributors and had a Rochester Quadrajet 4V carb. It made decent power on the dyno.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
Interesting idea using the silicon bronze for the header/flange connection; I don't know that I've ever seen that before.
As far as inline 6's go, I'd love to put an Barra in something.
As far as inline 6's go, I'd love to put an Barra in something.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
Gotcha. Presumably for some extra build up/strain relief?
Yup. I used to weld inside and out, but the outer weld tended to penetrate through into the inside of the pipe. We never had trouble, but I was afraid that was a stress riser...then I was rereading Fournier's book for about the 100th time and caught the bit about brazing the outside. I decided to give it a shot and it's worked pretty well for me.
Yes...crude but effective. A car was not a disposable item during that period, either.
USAC doesn't require starters, except the Ford Focus/Honda midgets have them as part of the spec engine package. I think they learned their lesson from nearly killing the division with a starter requirement in the late 80's/early 90's.
Starters are for push trucks!!! (Except for Silver Crown and Indy cars)
sqznby
Well-known member
Beautiful work on the header, super clean.
Not sure if using silicon bronze has been a trade secret but, I have seen this topic brought up a lot lately and think its a great idea.
Not sure if using silicon bronze has been a trade secret but, I have seen this topic brought up a lot lately and think its a great idea.