V4 Construction Links and Parts List

 

Kees Bijker's Flathead V8 vs Howell V4

 Hi Allen,

A "little" comparison with my previous Ford V8 flathead 1:3 model I made.

Your father's V4 is really tiny.

I am hoping that the Howell Vfour will end up looking just as nice. (Don't look at the engine stand yet, that was a fail to be rectified soon).

Take care.

Kees

Kees Bijker's 3D printed V4

 Kornelis Bijker from The Netherlands is building a 3D printed version of Dad's V4 engine.  Here's his latest update:

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"Hello Allen,

It is quite the trip I have to say. I think I have 95%+ of all the parts modeled by now, and started modifying the fits, fasteners and certain details for 3d printing.

Things like the con rods I cannot print in one piece, so I had to modify them to have a bearing cap, a very small bearing cap. The miniature bearings are 2.5 mm wide so the bolts holding them on will be just M1.4, the tiniest I have ever used.

Most of the original designs I try to keep, but some parts are simply to difficult to print like that.

The guts of the engine will have all working mechanics, like crank, pistons, cams and timing gears, lifters and moving pulleys.

But internals of pumps and ignition will not have moving mechanics. Simply too small and too detailed for FDM printing to work well. And in a plastic model without petrol combustion, I do not need cooling or oil anyway.

Still not sure where I will build in the electrical motor. If not inside the crank case I might have to "invent" some fictional starter motor. Maybe a bell-house with a large gear instead of the flywheel. Not decided yet.

But as of now the fasteners have been modified to metric, so have most of the bearings. They are easier to find here then the ANSI style and imperial bearings.

I also have started printing things, mostly as a test to help decide tolerances and such.

I was quite happy that the fan shroud printed as well as it did. Also happy how the radiator insert came out, you can actually see through it.

Some things still to do are the throttle linkages, and yes the distributor will advance as well. I also will attempt to connect the speed potentiometer with the throttle link so that the engine will respond to the throttle. The sound is another story."

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The first 4 images are the 3D software renditions of the V4, and the last three are actual 3D printed radiator parts.  Nice job Kees!  Looking forward to seeing this to completion!

March 21st Update:

Hi Allen,

Plodding on with modifications and printing and now also building.

The engine casing still needs cleaning up but I have started with the heads now. Some photos showing the tiny parts on a background of my notes for printing.

In view also the hand tools for this minuscule work. M2 hand-tap in a tap spinner and the M2 Allen key. Some photos show how the parts come off the printer. Looks a bit like an air-fix kit when they are all attached to each other. Right now printing the rocker arms and other small parts to complete the heads. I keep saying "other small parts", but to be honest all of it is small. Anyway next week I will be on holiday so no work on the engine for 2 weeks.

So far I have modified the valves to take a M3 bolt as a stem and the push rods with valve lifter to be made from a ground to shape M3 bolt as well. I am printing the clevis, as this is a really neat part that needs to look right.

Long way to go still.

Second email with more pictures and a section view of the engine to show the new valve and push-rod. setup. I have had to do away with the valve lifters and the ground down bolt head will take its place. The next email with the section view will show this

Bob Cooke's V4 Update

Bob just sent me these photos.  Just a little ignition work, and it'll be ready to run.  Looking great!

V4 Water Pump Q&A w/Dave Sage

Date: Dec 19, 2014
Re: magnetic drive water pump:

I have a question for those who have built the magnetic drive water pump.
Have you checked the operation of your water pump and confirmed it is moving water? Perhaps did you happen to check it off the engine.

 I built the pump for my V8 version of the V4 several years ago and I'm pretty sure I saw it moving water - at least a few bubbles went by in my clear hose. Now I'm not so sure it's working - or ever worked properly.

 I took it off the engine and cleaned it up and tested it off the engine and sure enough it doesn't pump. The magnetic coupling is not the issue the impeller is moving and you can tell when the magnets "cog" when they slip.

 I recently needed another pump for a new engine so I built a slightly larger version with a direct drive shaft and made (what I think) is a better impeller. But still no pumping action.

 I looked at pictures of some others that people have built and best I can tell they look like mine and appear to be what's in the drawings so I don't think I interpreted anything wrong. I'm not sure why it doesn't pump.

 I'm very interested to know if there might be something wrong with the design although if Jerry made it probably worked. So it's probably something I've done wrong (twice).

 Has anyone else made one of the pumps and actually confirmed operation.

Thanks

Sage

--------------------------------------- Dec 22, 2014

I think I figured out my problem. Off the engine I'm turning the pump too slow. I was using my battery drill which only turns 580rpm. I put it on my AC drill and at 2800 rpm it pumps fine. I think on the engine it probably turns at least 1000rpm. All I have to do is get it primed properly on the engine.

Sage

-------------------------------------- Jan 7, 2015

I found that as the pump is designed does not provide adequate magnetic coupling for the torque required and looses magnetic lock at normal operating speed when pumping 50/50 ethylene glycol coolant.  The torque requirement of a centrifugal pump increases with RPM.  This being said, I found a solution that worked well for me that did not require remaking the pump. I added another set of magnets to the drive, placed between the original set of magnets. The second set of magnets were placed with their magnet polarity opposite that of the first set.  This provided far greater magnetic coupling and holds thru out the operating RPM.  Also it should be noted that once magnetic lock is broken no torque is transferred and the pump comes to a stop and no coolant is pumped. Magnetic coupling can not then be restored without coming to a complete stop and restarted.    thank you,  Wayne Dellinger  717-244-8886

Bob Cooke's V-4 block

I'd say he's off to a good start!

Bob Merva's Completed V4 (Serial# 002)

Bob and Dad built their V4's together back in 2004/05.  Bob just now completed the wood base for his.  Looks great - thanks for the photos.

Mic McAuliffe's V4 manifold drawings

Here's an e-mail and images I received from Mic on Jan 9, 2014:

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allen

attached drawings and photos
happy to help and explain or modify drawings to anyone, as mediocre
at drawings

working on a page by page beginners help of drawings if required

mic mcauliffe

More photos of Terry Mayhugh's V-Four

After two years of work it is done and running. A Youtube link shows my second successful run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEWLgS1Q9eY&feature=youtu.be

I machined the intake and exhaust manifolds from bar stock and finished them to look like cast parts. I also made my own distributor cap. - Terry

V-4 Distributor Miter Gear Source

DOES ANYBODY HAVE A SUPPLIER FOR THE 15 TOOTH 48 PITCH MITER GEAR SET FOR THE V-4. THE SUPPLIER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SMALL PARTS.COM. AS PER THE LATE MR.HOWELL, HOWEVER THEY NO LONGER HANDLE THEM. I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND A SUPPLIER, CAN ANYBODY CLUE ME IN ?       

REGARDS TURTLEHEAD

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Here's what Jerry recommended to me via email when I asked him that question.

"The Stock Drive gears Part Number A 1B 4-Y48015 will work. I don't
know what the cost is.  

wmberg.com has 72 pitch stainless gears that are more precision,
but they cost $65.00 plus $15.00 shipping.  Part Number M72N-7S

I will probably get these a little later on when I make a 1-1/4" diameter
distributor for the V-Fout because they are far more precision than
the Small Parts or the SDP gears. 

Regards,

Jerry Howell"


 As above he suggests "Stock Drive Products" as a source of the original gears. You should be able to find your local distributor for them from their website.

The 72 pitch gears Jerry mentions are larger in diameter than the originals and are not a direct replacement.
Since I was making the V8, my distributor had to be designed larger in diameter (I chose 1-1/2") else the spark towers would be too close together so I re-designed the whole distributor with a larger tower diameter to accommodate them. Very expensive though, but they provide almost no backlash in the rotor which I guess should result in more accurate timing.

Sage

New Intake Design by Dave Sage

On my V8 version of Jerry's V4 I had trouble with a water leak under the temporary intake manifold I constructed. I decided to split the two functions. As you'll see in the pictures I have two water inlets in the V8 so I made a long block to carry the water and added four 2-56 screws around each water inlet to pull the block down onto the O-rings in the block. This makes it independant of the intake. The intake can be removed (since it is still experimental in my case) without having to get involved with the water.
 My new intake is made from bent stainless tubing - the same tubing and bender was used as the headers and the 90deg bends just fit. The whole assembly is silver soldered together. The carburetor is screwed onto a plate which is then screwed onto the stainless intake chamber. This will allow me to change carburetors if required by fabricating a new plate to suit the carb to be installed.
 I can highly recommend separating the water funtion from the intake manifold function. This will also keep the intake charge cool instead of it being heated by the water.

Terry Mayhugh's fabricated exhaust manifolds

Here are some pictures of the exhaust manifolds that I just completed for my V-4. I machined this from billet and then glass-beaded them to give them a 'cast' look. In another thread I showed how I created the intake manifolds from two identical halves, but I felt the exhaust manifolds needed to be machined from a single workpiece due to the extreme temperatures to which they would be exposed. I started with a suitably sized rectangular workpiece and then it it I drilled the long exhaust runner. I then drilled the two short runners as far as I could before the angle into the block flange became too acute. I then pressed plugs into the short runners to a depth such that half of the diameter of the long runner would be closed off. I also pressed pins into these plugs where the wall the manifold itself would eventually be as a safety measure to help secure the plug. Plugs and pins were also secured with high temperature bearing retainer. I then re-drilled the long runner to clear out the remnants of the two short runner plugs. I used a spherical D-bit to blend the long runner with the far-end short runner. I then machined the the top of the manifold and then flipped it over to mill the backside. This is where things get tricky. Finish machining the backside will cause the part to drop free before the machining is completed and so before starting the backside machining I epoxied the already top-side machined part to a plate that was secured to the workpiece with a number of screws. This kept the part stable after it was cut free from the workpiece and allowed me to do all the back side machining. After both sides were completed I heated the epoxy up to 200F and it released easily from the workpiece. Essentially no clean-up was needed and so I needed only to drill out the short runners from the block flanges to connect the runners to the already drilled portions. I then bead-blasted the parts to make them look cast. Two months of development work and about 4 hours of machining time per manifold. I'm glad its over but I'm happy with the result. -Terry

Dave Sage's "Howell V8"

I finally finished the V8 version of Jerry's V4.
I haven't run it yet. I thought I'd post some pictures before it scatters around the shop.
It's hard to believe it's been three years or so in construction. I hope it runs.
The intake manifold is a prototype since I'm not sure how many carburetors it will require. I can add more or move them around by simply making a new top plate for the manifold.
Weather permitting, I'll bring it to Cabin Fever in a couple of weeks.
Enjoy !

Dave Sage

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Really nice job. I'm working on the V4 and currently machining a set of intake and exhaust manifolds for it since I don't have the casting kit. I've finished the intake manifold and the exhaust manifolds are also nearly finished. I plan to be at Cabin Fever and hope to see you there.

Terry Mayhugh

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Yes Terry I saw your post and pictures of the intake manifold you made. Nice work, you must be very CNC savy. I know I had quite a time getting the height above the block for the water passage connection, the angle of the runners and their connection to the heads, and getting them to all come together at the same time.

The manifold I have is a temporary outfit. The top plate comes off so I can make a new one to accomodate more carbs. Below the plate is just a big cavity to act as a runner.

 I'm pretty sure I'm going to need more than one carb but I started there. I made 6 carbs while I was set up to make them. Some for future projects I'm sure.

I really hope the weather holds so I can get to Cabin Fever (from Toronto). Please look me up. I'll be looking for all the V4's - hopefully you'll bring yours along regardless of it's state of completion.

Dave

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The V8 is running ! 

And Yes I think it's going to need at least one more carb. If you look at Sherlines Craftsmanship Museum - Howell V4 build page, at the very bottom, you'll see the pictures and a video of the V8  running. Thanks to them for that. It's a really good page to look at just to get an understanding of what is involved in building the V4. 

Here's a direct link to the video

http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/HowellV8.wmv

Still lots more work to do to get it to run better.

Sage