Inspired by TangoFox's post. I'm doing my Franklin. Slowly and carefully.

Getting baseline numbers on the cam. My previous one experienced two lobes going flat.


Nested for the first time to take a general gander at things.


On the way towards plastigage. ...then end play. On and off with the case half a few times. Beer can for scale.


Rods toward plastigage. ...then side clearance.


-Glen

I like the engine stand. Very cool. Nice to see a clean shop.

Thanks. I have a very small inside space; only 10x20'. If it doesn't stay reasonably organized, there won't be any room to do anything. Organized chaos, now and then, but organized and somewhat clean for the most part.

This is your typical story of:
Low cylinder - must be a valve.
Nope, must be a valve spring.
Nope, it might be a broken ring.
I can handle a jug overhaul.
...but what about this flat cam I just discovered?

Crap.

jet966 wrote:Thanks. I have a very small inside space; only 10x20'. If it doesn't stay reasonably organized, there won't be any room to do anything. Organized chaos, now and then, but organized and somewhat clean for the most part.

This is your typical story of:
Low cylinder - must be a valve.
Nope, must be a valve spring.
Nope, it might be a broken ring.
I can handle a jug overhaul.
...but what about this flat cam I just discovered?

Crap.

You will be happy with the new overhaul.
It should last many years!

On a side note did they nitride the cranks on those?
Seems like some Franklins were not and some were.

8GCBC wrote:I like the engine stand. Very cool. Nice to see a clean shop.

Ditto. I was at Camano Island airport once years ago and went into Steve Knopp's shop (Pponk), the engine assembly area reminded me of a high-tech clean room. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but as I recall it was neat clean and kept closed up so a bunch of dirt & shit didn't migrate in there and find it's way into the engines being built.

@Tango - Hopefully I'll get some years out of it. The 150hp versions were not nitride-hardened. The 165's were. I'm thinking that if I had a 150 crank that needed to go .010 under, I would have it nitrided.

@hotrod180 - There's a builder on the field that has a nice little build room. Very clean. Solid sealed door. Positive ventilation. ...but he really needs it. KWJF is known for it's desert winds, and when they turn for his hangar door, it can get miserable.