Knuckle heads on a cone style Shovel bottom end. Most have seen one, so there is not much debate as to whether it can be done, but there is much disagreement as to whether it should ever be done. Those who say it shouldn't be done generally fall into one of two camps. The purist, who believes that it is sacrilege to desecrate a set of Knuckle heads by running them on anything but a set of Knuckle cases, and the quasi engineers who see nothing but disaster when a part does not work exactly as the designer envisioned.
On the other side of the issue are two likewise divergent camps. On the one hand you have the less-than-a-shade-tree mechanic who will throw together nearly any combination of parts that will physically fit together and leave the "making it work" for the next owner. On the other is the wrench who does his best to weigh the issues and address them in such a way that the finished product is functional as well as unique.
Having raced a Knuckle top/ Cone bottom drag bike for a number of years, I can attest to the fact that those who say that there are too many cam/rocker arm/geometry problems for a motor like that to run well are wrong. Two AMRA National Championships would suggest that they are very wrong. In fact, performance is easily addressed by standard methods. Making the motor streetable in regards to the oiling system is a much more difficult proposition.
There are a number of things to consider before building a Cone Knuckle. In no particular order, they are:
1. Different rocker arm ratio. Knuckle rockers are 1:1. Shovel rockers are 1.43:1. That means that a cam that lifts the valve .450 in a Shovel will lift it .315 in a Knuck. (.450 divided by 1.43)
2. Knuckle lifter blocks don't bolt onto Cone cases. Some of the bolt holes are close, but no cigar, and there is no oil port in the case to match the one in the Knuckle lifter blocks.
3. A Knuckle cam will not fit in a Cone cam cover (at least without major modifications).
4. The angle of the pushrod tubes is different between a Knuckle and a Shovel or Pan making it difficult to seal the bottom of the pushrod tube to a Shovel/Pan lifter block.
5. The oil return system from the heads is completely different between a Knuckle and a Shovel, Pan, or Evo.
Looking at the rocker arm ratios first, there are a number of ways to approach this. One is to have a cam custom ground with Knuckle profile lobes for use with Shovel lifter blocks. This solves any and all valve timing and lift discrepancies, but will be expensive and time consuming.
The second method would be to select a high lift Shovelhead cam. Stock and mild performance Knuckle cams are from .350 to .370" lift. Taking into account the Shovelhead rocker ratio of 1.43:1, you can see that a Shovel cam that is advertised as .500 to .530 lift will open the valve .350 to .370 in a Knuck. If you consider the S&S 514 Shovelhead cam, its .514 lift translates to .359' lift with the Knuck's 1:1 rocker ratio. Compare its other specs with two Andrews Knuckle cams; the N is considered a stock replacement and the S a performance cam.
S&S 514 - IO 23/IC 43 (246 duration) and EO 43/EC 23 (246 duration)
Andrews N - IO 13/IC 41 (234 duration) and EO 44/EC 16 (240 duration)
Andrews S - IO 27/IC 55 (262 duration) and EO 55/EC 27 (262 duration)
As you can see, the S&S 514 falls nicely between the specs of a stock and a performance Knuck cam. Seems like a no brainer to me that this (or a similar cam grind) would be a viable choice.
Using Knuckle lifter blocks on a Cone lower end, while possible, would require quite a bit of welding and machining as well as a custom ground cam (or even more machining to fit a Knuck cam to a Cone cam cover). Not really practical unless you are a machinist by trade and just want to show off.
If you have by now settled on using Shovel lifter blocks, the next issue is the angle at which the pushrod tube meets the block. Now back when I was racing, this was a non issue, since I ran no oil to the top end, and no pushrod tubes. This lack of pushrod tubes did, however leave me with a couple memories that will give a clue as to the solution to the problem of sealing them up. On my Cone Knuckle drag bike the pushrods appeared to be perfectly in line with the lifters. I mean straight as an arrow (at least to the naked eye).This was especially noticeable in comparison to the Shovel dragbikes which were its contemporarys. The pushrods on a Shovel were at a fairly drastic angle coming off the top of the lifters. One might never notice that if they have never looked at a Shovel motor with pushrods installed, but no covers. The reason is because the Knuckle has four different lengths of rocker arm so each one aligns with its corresponding lifter. Not so on a Shovel (or Pan, or Evo, or even Twin Cam). The misalignment on these "modern" motors is compensated for by the ball and socket arrangement on each end of the pushrod.
If you look at a Shovel lifter block, you will notice that the "seating surface" for the cork seal is NOT perpendicular to the bore for the lifter. Well, one of them is probably perpendicular, but the other three are canted to line the tube up with the rocker/box. I have not had a chance to try this, but I suspect that aligning the pushrod tubes on a Cone Knuck may be as simple as remachining the seating surface in the blocks so that they are perpendicular to the lifter bore.
Finally, we come to the oil return system from the heads. Oil return from the heads is the biggest obstacle in making the Cone Knuckle streetable. Since it is fairly involved, it will have to wait for another post - coming soon in part 2.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Knuckledragger Live
The wife and I took a little time Monday afternoon to fire up "The Knuckledragger." The oil pressure problem seems to be completely cured by the addition of a small oil tank that I made for it last week. We are also getting the starting drill worked out. Reminds me of the good old days with just Jane and I doing the prep and start up without any outside help (not that we didn't have some great guys helping us at various times during our racing career).
One kind of cool feature that Neil, owner of American Thunder next door to my shop, put in is a "burn out pit." The idea was to add some entertainment during special events, but it turns out it is a pretty safe alternative for doing a little "break in" run on a drag bike.
The following video (Jane's first try at video with her digital camera) shows the Knuckledragger on its second time off the rollers. After the previous start up, I leaned the carbs out a bunch, but it is still way rich in the video.
One kind of cool feature that Neil, owner of American Thunder next door to my shop, put in is a "burn out pit." The idea was to add some entertainment during special events, but it turns out it is a pretty safe alternative for doing a little "break in" run on a drag bike.
The following video (Jane's first try at video with her digital camera) shows the Knuckledragger on its second time off the rollers. After the previous start up, I leaned the carbs out a bunch, but it is still way rich in the video.
From here it is time to jump back to present day technology and get the Knuckledragger onto a dyno, which will shorten up the tuning process considerably, saving a load of wear and tear on the motor.
Friday, May 28, 2010
GRACE
(I have said before that in times past I have attended services where the pastor would read from Scripture and then preach from the Reader's Digest. With this post, I suppose I could be accused of a similar fault by quoting from Scripture and then preaching from Webster's Dictionary.)
Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Grace is a term that most of us are familiar with. So familiar, in fact, that we may tend to hear and use the word without considering it. So what exactly is this grace that we hear so much about in Churches?
The first thing I would like to note is that if you were to go to an old dictionary, such as Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, you find that the noun Grace has 20 different meanings listed, each with similarities, and yet subtle differences. The first meaning given is "Favor; good will; kindness.... I believe this gives us a good overarching feel for the meaning of the word grace.
Interestingly, the second meaning listed by Webster is "The free unmerited love and favor of God."
The third meaning; "Favorable influence of God."
The fourth; "The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner."
The fifth; "A state of reconciliation to God."
In fact, Webster gets all the way down to the tenth meaning before he leaves religion and goes on to the secular. It really makes one appreciate a man such a Noah Webster. It is said that he considered education useless without the Bible, but cautioned against too extensive use of the Bible in the schools as "tending to irreverence." What a long way we have fallen!
The New Testament Greek word which is translated grace is Charis. This word is found more than 150 times in the New Testament. I am not a student of the Greek language, but from what I can ascertain from concordances and lexicons and commentaries, the multiple meanings of the English word grace are simply mirrored images of the multiple meanings of the Greek word.
Now, all of that being said, let's look at some examples of verses which contain the word grace, and see if we can tell which nuance of the word fits best.
James 1:11 "For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways." Here the word grace is used with a non religious meaning, representing the beauty or excellence of the flower.
Philippians 1:7 "Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." This is the apostle Paul writing. He speaks of his grace, which leads to the conclusion that grace here is being used simply to mean favor, or good will. None of the other meanings make any sense.
2 Timothy 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," If the grace mentioned in this verse was given before the world began, then surely it has to be the grace that is the free unmerited love and favor of God. We simply cannot have earned God's favor before we existed. So let's try it this way: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and free unmerited love and favor, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Our first meaning, Favor/good will/kindness seems to fit. Being justified freely by his favor through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The second also fits. Being justified freely by his free unmerited love and favor through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. How about this: Being justified freely by his application of Christ's righteousness through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Here we have the meaning that fits best. When we see the term justified, we need to think "justice." In order for God's justice to be satisfied, someone needed to pay the penalty. At the cross, a great exchange was made. Christ took our sins upon himself, paid our penalty, and we were given credit for his righteousness.
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Here we come to Webster's fifth meaning: A state of reconciliation to God. Let's try that. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under a state of reconciliation to God.
Ephesians 2:4-10 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
In this passage, the word grace is used three times. Let's look at the second one first. It says that God will show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. I think we can safely read this as God will show the exceeding riches of his favor in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Both of the other two uses of the word grace in this passage are nearly identical. By grace ye are saved, and For by grace are ye saved through faith. If, as the Bible says, you are saved by grace, then it is of the utmost importance to understand which meaning, which nuance of the word grace is meant. Certainly, it is the application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner which is in view here. By the application of Christ's righteousness are ye saved. In fact it is through my faith in the application of Christ's righteousness to me the sinner; It is through your faith in the application of Christ's righteousness to you the sinner!
Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Grace is a term that most of us are familiar with. So familiar, in fact, that we may tend to hear and use the word without considering it. So what exactly is this grace that we hear so much about in Churches?
The first thing I would like to note is that if you were to go to an old dictionary, such as Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, you find that the noun Grace has 20 different meanings listed, each with similarities, and yet subtle differences. The first meaning given is "Favor; good will; kindness.... I believe this gives us a good overarching feel for the meaning of the word grace.
Interestingly, the second meaning listed by Webster is "The free unmerited love and favor of God."
The third meaning; "Favorable influence of God."
The fourth; "The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner."
The fifth; "A state of reconciliation to God."
In fact, Webster gets all the way down to the tenth meaning before he leaves religion and goes on to the secular. It really makes one appreciate a man such a Noah Webster. It is said that he considered education useless without the Bible, but cautioned against too extensive use of the Bible in the schools as "tending to irreverence." What a long way we have fallen!
The New Testament Greek word which is translated grace is Charis. This word is found more than 150 times in the New Testament. I am not a student of the Greek language, but from what I can ascertain from concordances and lexicons and commentaries, the multiple meanings of the English word grace are simply mirrored images of the multiple meanings of the Greek word.
Now, all of that being said, let's look at some examples of verses which contain the word grace, and see if we can tell which nuance of the word fits best.
James 1:11 "For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways." Here the word grace is used with a non religious meaning, representing the beauty or excellence of the flower.
Philippians 1:7 "Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." This is the apostle Paul writing. He speaks of his grace, which leads to the conclusion that grace here is being used simply to mean favor, or good will. None of the other meanings make any sense.
2 Timothy 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," If the grace mentioned in this verse was given before the world began, then surely it has to be the grace that is the free unmerited love and favor of God. We simply cannot have earned God's favor before we existed. So let's try it this way: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and free unmerited love and favor, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Our first meaning, Favor/good will/kindness seems to fit. Being justified freely by his favor through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The second also fits. Being justified freely by his free unmerited love and favor through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. How about this: Being justified freely by his application of Christ's righteousness through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Here we have the meaning that fits best. When we see the term justified, we need to think "justice." In order for God's justice to be satisfied, someone needed to pay the penalty. At the cross, a great exchange was made. Christ took our sins upon himself, paid our penalty, and we were given credit for his righteousness.
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Here we come to Webster's fifth meaning: A state of reconciliation to God. Let's try that. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under a state of reconciliation to God.
Ephesians 2:4-10 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
In this passage, the word grace is used three times. Let's look at the second one first. It says that God will show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. I think we can safely read this as God will show the exceeding riches of his favor in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Both of the other two uses of the word grace in this passage are nearly identical. By grace ye are saved, and For by grace are ye saved through faith. If, as the Bible says, you are saved by grace, then it is of the utmost importance to understand which meaning, which nuance of the word grace is meant. Certainly, it is the application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner which is in view here. By the application of Christ's righteousness are ye saved. In fact it is through my faith in the application of Christ's righteousness to me the sinner; It is through your faith in the application of Christ's righteousness to you the sinner!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Knuckledragger Takes It's First Breath
Not without some monkeying around, though. (Monkeying around/ Knuckledragger; get it?)
Last fall I finished up the build on my re-creation of a 1950's drag bike, "The Knuckledragger." I did take one stab at starting the bike at that time, but my tendency towards, shall we say, frugality, foiled that attempt. I pulled the battery out of one of my cars to power the roller starter. Unfortunately a weaker than expected battery and a lot of compression conspired to "shoot" the rollers out from under the rear wheel on each attempt.
Last fall I finished up the build on my re-creation of a 1950's drag bike, "The Knuckledragger." I did take one stab at starting the bike at that time, but my tendency towards, shall we say, frugality, foiled that attempt. I pulled the battery out of one of my cars to power the roller starter. Unfortunately a weaker than expected battery and a lot of compression conspired to "shoot" the rollers out from under the rear wheel on each attempt.
Then, being the skinflint that I am, I chose to wait till spring to purchase a new battery. Two actually. After conferring with the builder of the rollers, I opted to run them on 24 volts rather than 12.
So, with a pair of 795 cold cranking amp batteries, and the help of our son Joe, it was time to see if the bike would actually run. The first glitch came soon enough. In the excitement of the moment, I forgot to rewire the solenoid on the rollers. I knew better of course, as evidenced by the fact that I realized immediately what I had done wrong when the contacts welded themselves, leaving me helplessly holding the bike up as the the rollers (and the rear wheel of the bike) spun uncontrollably. Luckily, Joe is a veteran of dragbike stuff not always behaving as planned. Without hesitation he started to unhook a battery cable. Hmm. Maybe I should have actually installed that 1/4 turn quick disconnect that I had left over from an earlier drag bike starter rather than just bringing it along.
No problem, at least no problem a quick trip to the local auto parts store for a new $36 solenoid wouldn't solve. With the new solenoid AND the quick disconnect installed, we were ready for round two.
So, with a pair of 795 cold cranking amp batteries, and the help of our son Joe, it was time to see if the bike would actually run. The first glitch came soon enough. In the excitement of the moment, I forgot to rewire the solenoid on the rollers. I knew better of course, as evidenced by the fact that I realized immediately what I had done wrong when the contacts welded themselves, leaving me helplessly holding the bike up as the the rollers (and the rear wheel of the bike) spun uncontrollably. Luckily, Joe is a veteran of dragbike stuff not always behaving as planned. Without hesitation he started to unhook a battery cable. Hmm. Maybe I should have actually installed that 1/4 turn quick disconnect that I had left over from an earlier drag bike starter rather than just bringing it along.
No problem, at least no problem a quick trip to the local auto parts store for a new $36 solenoid wouldn't solve. With the new solenoid AND the quick disconnect installed, we were ready for round two.
Bike on the rollers, a squirt of raw gas into each carb (in case the alcohol doesn't want to light), high gear, rear wheel spinning, dump the clutch, engine spinning, and.... nothing!
Now what? Not even a pop or backfire. Must not have spark. We pull the plugs and ground them so we can check for spark. Fire up the rollers again, and sure enough, no spark. And its a new magneto! Wait, could I have wired the kill switch backward? With the engine still turning over, I flip the switch back and forth, and low and behold we get spark.
Better check that switch with an ohm meter; I can't believe I wired it backward! Well.... no. Its wired correctly, but it is intermittent. One time you flip it, and it makes contact, the next time it doesn't. Not a very good situation for a supposed safety feature! For now we'll just disconnect the switch from the mag and substitute a blade from a feeler gauge to work as a shut off switch. Besides, we have the front wheel against the building to prevent any really serious surprises.
So, we go through the whole drill again. Bike on the rollers, high gear, rear wheel spinning, dump the clutch, engine spinning, and.... it lives! And not half bad at that. I fully expected to have to do some adjusting on the low speed in order to even get the bike to idle, but I was wrong. It idled and took throttle just fine. But The Knuckledragger had one more monkey wrench to throw at us. No oil pressure.
Now what? Not even a pop or backfire. Must not have spark. We pull the plugs and ground them so we can check for spark. Fire up the rollers again, and sure enough, no spark. And its a new magneto! Wait, could I have wired the kill switch backward? With the engine still turning over, I flip the switch back and forth, and low and behold we get spark.
Better check that switch with an ohm meter; I can't believe I wired it backward! Well.... no. Its wired correctly, but it is intermittent. One time you flip it, and it makes contact, the next time it doesn't. Not a very good situation for a supposed safety feature! For now we'll just disconnect the switch from the mag and substitute a blade from a feeler gauge to work as a shut off switch. Besides, we have the front wheel against the building to prevent any really serious surprises.
So, we go through the whole drill again. Bike on the rollers, high gear, rear wheel spinning, dump the clutch, engine spinning, and.... it lives! And not half bad at that. I fully expected to have to do some adjusting on the low speed in order to even get the bike to idle, but I was wrong. It idled and took throttle just fine. But The Knuckledragger had one more monkey wrench to throw at us. No oil pressure.
This was not a total surprise. I had my doubts about the ability of the tiny little pre 1940 pump to pull oil uphill from the trans case, especially at the odd angle it was situated in the VL frame. In fact that is the reason I had a pressure gauge temporarily mounted. Despite a couple attempts at priming the pump, it looks like a separate oil tank is going to be in order. I left a tab on the back side of the seat post for just such a situation.
All in all, I have to admit I am quite pleased. It was fun to monkey around on a drag bike with Joe again (he started drag racing at the age of 15, if memory serves). And best of all, The Knuckledragger runs!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
What are YOU Missing?
One of the blogs that I follow had a post today which reminded me of something that struck me during the preaching at my Church this past Sunday. I had planned a short post about this "Eureka" moment, but had not found the time yet.
The post I read contained an illustration that likely many of you have heard before; I certainly had. It speaks of how a baby is all cute and cuddly and lovable and basically helpless. But then it goes on to say how that same baby, if he grows older, but never matures, is no longer so cute and cuddly. If he were to reach the age of, say 21, and still cannot provide for himself, cannot clean up after himself, and is still just as helpless as when a baby, and this is all by his own choice, then one might be tempted to call him some sort of monster.
The analogy is that of the "Christian" who never grows up. Still no spiritual growth after 5, 10, 25 years of having a testimony of salvation. Never even read the Bible all the way through. This was what brought to mind last Sunday's sermon.
I don't recall now exactly what the statement was that my pastor made. But I do remember that what he said immediately brought to mind a verse of scripture. And I had the feeling that he was alluding to that verse without stating it specifically. I even remember thinking that if I had been preaching, I would have felt compelled to either read or point out the verse, because if someone was not familiar with the Bible, they would not get the connection; not get the full meaning.
Then it hit me. If you are not thoroughly familiar with the Bible, you are missing a big chunk of every sermon you might hear.
John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, which I have told you." (1599 Geneva Bible)
I don't think I am taking this verse out of context by taking this from it: it is the Holy Spirit that brings to our memory scriptures when needed. The problem is, you cannot remember what you do not know.
So, if you call yourself a Christian, isn't it about time that you grow up? You have no idea of all that you are missing.
The post I read contained an illustration that likely many of you have heard before; I certainly had. It speaks of how a baby is all cute and cuddly and lovable and basically helpless. But then it goes on to say how that same baby, if he grows older, but never matures, is no longer so cute and cuddly. If he were to reach the age of, say 21, and still cannot provide for himself, cannot clean up after himself, and is still just as helpless as when a baby, and this is all by his own choice, then one might be tempted to call him some sort of monster.
The analogy is that of the "Christian" who never grows up. Still no spiritual growth after 5, 10, 25 years of having a testimony of salvation. Never even read the Bible all the way through. This was what brought to mind last Sunday's sermon.
I don't recall now exactly what the statement was that my pastor made. But I do remember that what he said immediately brought to mind a verse of scripture. And I had the feeling that he was alluding to that verse without stating it specifically. I even remember thinking that if I had been preaching, I would have felt compelled to either read or point out the verse, because if someone was not familiar with the Bible, they would not get the connection; not get the full meaning.
Then it hit me. If you are not thoroughly familiar with the Bible, you are missing a big chunk of every sermon you might hear.
John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, which I have told you." (1599 Geneva Bible)
I don't think I am taking this verse out of context by taking this from it: it is the Holy Spirit that brings to our memory scriptures when needed. The problem is, you cannot remember what you do not know.
So, if you call yourself a Christian, isn't it about time that you grow up? You have no idea of all that you are missing.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Declaring God's Glory in Our Old Age
Note that David begins by stating that he puts his trust in the LORD Jehovah. He calls on the LORD for deliverance, and reaffirms that God is his rock and strong fortress. Each of us likewise needs to trust in the LORD as our fortress; our place of safety during the storms of life.
When David considers all that the LORD has brought him through, all the trials and tribulations that God has delivered him from, it inevitably leads him to verse 8; "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day."
When we look back on our lives and consider how God has been our strong refuge and brought us safely through so many troubles, how can it help but bring us to the same point? How can we help but say with David "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day."
In verse 9 David implores the Lord: "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth." You see, our trials in this life are not over once we reach old age. In fact, some of you may attest that the testing becomes more severe. The solution is the same as that found by David and stated in verse 14; "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more."
In verses 15-16 David says, "My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only." Truly, it is Christ's righteousness that we must rely on, for as the Bible tells us, our own righteousness is like filthy rags. Because it is only Christ's righteousness that is sufficient, it follows that salvation can only be found in Christ. Once we have a proper appreciation for that, how can we help but praise God more and more, declaring his righteousness all the day!
Now we come to verse 18, the key verse for this post. "Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." What could be a better way to glorify God, than to testify, during our old age, of all the wondrous works that God has done in our lives!
Looking back, it is easy to see how the Lord has been with us from the very beginning of our lives. As it says in this psalm, God has supported us since the time we were in the womb. Every incident, every episode in our lives has worked together to lead us to the point where he saved us. And what a great salvation! The Lord not only saved us from the life of sin that we each would have inevitably continued in, if left to our own devices, but he also saved us to a glorious eternity with him.
As the potter, God continues to form us into the vessels as he chooses.
What he has done for each of us is just one small example of God's strength and power. We should delight in declaring it to this generation and the generations to follow!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Prepping Knuck Heads for Big Valves
I intended to post something entirely different, but at the moment, Blogger is not letting me cut and paste, so rather than rewriting something I have saved in another program, I will do something fresh.
Some time ago I started a series on installing bigger intake valves in a Knuckle head. This will be the second part of that series. When I left off, I had finished installing new exhaust seats. The seats from Rowe machine nicely (something that cannot be said for the 60+ year work hardened original seats. This also allows you to set the stem protrusion of the new valves, avoiding mis-matched depths.
If the intake nipples were removed for replacement (and in most cases they should be), now is the time to re-install them. I like to use JB Weld on the threads of the nipples, along with a stock type rivet. The epoxy is particularly important when porting, since some of the inner threads inevitably will be ground away. Here's a tip: from here on out, keep a set of used intake nuts screwed on to the nipples to protect those nice new threads.
Now that the new seats and intake nipples are installed, it is time for porting work, if you plan to do so. Doing this before new guides are installed allows you to do the best possible job. Disregarding the area just below the seat and the short side radius, the remainder of both ports should be shaped and finished as per the final product. I like a 50 grit on the intake, and a polished exhaust. However if the exhaust port is to get a thermal barrier coating, there is no point in spending extra time doing a fine polish.
With the majority of the porting work done, it is time to paint the heads. This needs to happen before guide installation, since the spring cups are held in by the valve guides. For a stock look, I use a semi-gloss black, and bake it on at about 200 degrees. Many of the hi temp paints available need this heat cycle to enable them to stand up to standard parts wash fluid. Nothing worse than keeping the new paint looking good through the whole process, only to have it get sticky and wipe off during the final wash prior to final assembly.
While the paint is drying on the heads, it is a good time to make sure the spring cups are ready to go. Often you will find a small crack just below the return tube. Be sure to weld these before going any further. Next, all of the gasket surfaces on the cups should be attended to. I use several purpose built forms along with a small hammer to return them to their original shapes. Don't forget to re-flatten the bottom portion that the guide will seal against. Once the cups are all in shape, they can be Parkerized if you are going for a stock look.
Guide installation, cutting the seats, and final porting work will be covered in the next installment.
Some time ago I started a series on installing bigger intake valves in a Knuckle head. This will be the second part of that series. When I left off, I had finished installing new exhaust seats. The seats from Rowe machine nicely (something that cannot be said for the 60+ year work hardened original seats. This also allows you to set the stem protrusion of the new valves, avoiding mis-matched depths.
If the intake nipples were removed for replacement (and in most cases they should be), now is the time to re-install them. I like to use JB Weld on the threads of the nipples, along with a stock type rivet. The epoxy is particularly important when porting, since some of the inner threads inevitably will be ground away. Here's a tip: from here on out, keep a set of used intake nuts screwed on to the nipples to protect those nice new threads.
Now that the new seats and intake nipples are installed, it is time for porting work, if you plan to do so. Doing this before new guides are installed allows you to do the best possible job. Disregarding the area just below the seat and the short side radius, the remainder of both ports should be shaped and finished as per the final product. I like a 50 grit on the intake, and a polished exhaust. However if the exhaust port is to get a thermal barrier coating, there is no point in spending extra time doing a fine polish.
With the majority of the porting work done, it is time to paint the heads. This needs to happen before guide installation, since the spring cups are held in by the valve guides. For a stock look, I use a semi-gloss black, and bake it on at about 200 degrees. Many of the hi temp paints available need this heat cycle to enable them to stand up to standard parts wash fluid. Nothing worse than keeping the new paint looking good through the whole process, only to have it get sticky and wipe off during the final wash prior to final assembly.
While the paint is drying on the heads, it is a good time to make sure the spring cups are ready to go. Often you will find a small crack just below the return tube. Be sure to weld these before going any further. Next, all of the gasket surfaces on the cups should be attended to. I use several purpose built forms along with a small hammer to return them to their original shapes. Don't forget to re-flatten the bottom portion that the guide will seal against. Once the cups are all in shape, they can be Parkerized if you are going for a stock look.
Guide installation, cutting the seats, and final porting work will be covered in the next installment.
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