Builds Moonshine - A Build Thread (3 Viewers)

[cruisermatt]

Step down to thin rod, like 1/16 and smaller tungsten (1/16” ) and cup size. That will help a lot. Smaller puddle and more control with the smaller electrode, and smaller filler will melt in easier. Basically you want to scale your consumables to the material.
Playing with your balance to be on more of the cleaning side rather then the penetration side will help a lot too

3/32". I've done a bit of AL tig before, but this is my first time on thin tubing.

Thicker stuff and training on flat plates is easy, but the positioning and fit up for this tube is a real bear.

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[boots4]

I don't know the pedestal depth needed. Surely there must be some 6bt guy that posted that somewhere or some company that machines down that spilled the depth beans. You saw my solution was to make clearance in the valve cover and seal it with a freeze plug. It works but if you can mill your own I would have gone that route too.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

From all of the research I have done on installing ARP studs the recommended amount to mill off of the rocker pedestals around where the stud will sit is .200"

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Ended up giving up on the aluminum intermediate pipe. Got decent on the pie cuts, pretty consistent, but the fomed pieces I made kept blowing apart. Not sure if forming them thinned the edges enough, or the adjusting process contaminated the edges deeper than the hand file cleanup would get.

Oh well.

Made a mild steel 4" vband flange on the lathe out of a piece of flat plate. To start from, then started forming pipe.

Was happy that far, so I continued. Took a while, over a week, to wrap my head around how to get that shape.

But I'm happy with the end result.

Broke everything down again. Going to send a bunch off to get coated, jet hot hopefully. We'll see what their lead time is like.

While that's all out getting coated, the engine is getting a fresh head gasket with arp studs, and a few other things. We'll see where it goes, but it should keep me busy while waiting for the parts to come back from coating.

Sending the exhaust side out for charcoal, and the intake side for a burnt orange color.

 

[A10Driver]

Ended up giving up on the aluminum intermediate pipe. Got decent on the pie cuts, pretty consistent, but the fomed pieces I made kept blowing apart. Not sure if forming them thinned the edges enough, or the adjusting process contaminated the edges deeper than the hand file cleanup would get.

Oh well.

Made a mild steel 4" vband flange on the lathe out of a piece of flat plate. To start from, then started forming pipe.

View attachment 2904518

View attachment 2904516

View attachment 2904515

Was happy that far, so I continued. Took a while, over a week, to wrap my head around how to get that shape.

View attachment 2904513

But I'm happy with the end result.

View attachment 2904510

View attachment 2904511

View attachment 2904514
View attachment 2904519
View attachment 2904517
View attachment 2904512


Broke everything down again. Going to send a bunch off to get coated, jet hot hopefully. We'll see what their lead time is like.

While that's all out getting coated, the engine is getting a fresh head gasket with arp studs, and a few other things. We'll see where it goes, but it should keep me busy while waiting for the parts to come back from coating.

Sending the exhaust side out for charcoal, and the intake side for a burnt orange color.

That looks awesome, well done

 

[J Mack]

Going to send a bunch off to get coated, jet hot hopefully.

Just do it yourself, this should be the easiest part for a guy with your skills.

Start here, NIC Industries – Leading Manufacturer of Performance Proven Coatings - https://www.nicindustries.com/


I coated my entire exhaust system with this, Cerakote - CERAKOTE GLACIER BLACK - https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/C-7600/cerakote-glacier-black

Everything else I coated with heat cure, I have a large oven already setup so that made it easy for me, Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products - https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating?uv=cera_uv_good

If you don't want to hassle with the oven just use air cure, Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products - https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating?series=cera_c_series

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Just do it yourself, this should be the easiest part for a guy with your skills.

Start here, NIC Industries – Leading Manufacturer of Performance Proven Coatings - https://www.nicindustries.com/


I coated my entire exhaust system with this, Cerakote - CERAKOTE GLACIER BLACK - https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/C-7600/cerakote-glacier-black

Everything else I coated with heat cure, I have a large oven already setup so that made it easy for me, Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products - https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating?uv=cera_uv_good

If you don't want to hassle with the oven just use air cure, Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products - https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating?series=cera_c_series

Does that stuff stand up over time? Didn't even occur to me to look at cerakote.

 

[J Mack]

Does that stuff stand up over time?

Yes, it is amazing I've been using it for about ten years and it always exceeds my expectations.

 

[boots4]

Digging that intermediate pipe. That looks great and gives you tons of clearance.

Hurray for head studs! Last time I installed a head gasket I sprayed copper high temp gasket stuff all over my head gasket before I installed it and I was devout about torqueing and retorquing the head. I have maxed my boost gauge (60+) more than a couple of times during tuning and have not had it pop on me. If you are not o-ringing it the copper spray might help fill in those minor surface irregularities.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Yes, it is amazing I've been using it for about ten years and it always exceeds my expectations.

Do you bake on or do you prefer the air cure? Reading up about the differences between the two now.

Digging that intermediate pipe. That looks great and gives you tons of clearance.

Hurray for head studs! Last time I installed a head gasket I sprayed copper high temp gasket stuff all over my head gasket before I installed it and I was devout about torqueing and retorquing the head. I have maxed my boost gauge (60+) more than a couple of times during tuning and have not had it pop on me. If you are not o-ringing it the copper spray might help fill in those minor surface irregularities.

Thanks man, I'm reasonably happy with it.

Ive been debating taking the head off or just replacing one stud at a time. If I do pull the head off, I'll probably go with a cometic MLS gasket with the copper coating. Thank you!

 

[J Mack]

Do you bake on or do you prefer the air cure? Reading up about the differences between the two now.

I started out using the heat cure for firearms and had been doing that for several years before I built the target carrier so that’s what I used in the beginning, I Cerakoted everything with the exception of the body panels and it’s still holding up remarkably well. Recently I started using more of the air cure and I really like it, these are my wheels that I coated last year and they still look just as good as the day I did them.

For your hot side you’ll want to look at their high heat coatings. I painted everything from the head to the tailpipe with the “GLACIER BLACK” and it still all looks great.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

started out using the heat cure for firearms and had been doing that for several years before I built the target carrier so that’s what I used in the beginning, I Cerakoted everything with the exception of the body panels and it’s still holding up remarkably well. Recently I started using more of the air cure and I really like it, these are my wheels that I coated last year and they still look just as good as the day I did them.



For your hot side you’ll want to look at their high heat coatings. I painted everything from the head to the tailpipe with the “GLACIER BLACK” and it still all looks great.

That wheel looks awesome.

Their air cure high temp colors are numerous, but they only get up to 1600*. Wonder if that would be good enough for the manifold and hot pipe, or if I need that extra 200*. This looks like the way to go.

 

[J Mack]

but they only get up to 1600*.

I used the glacier coating that is good for 1800° but I keep my EGT's down around 1300° so I really don't think the extra was necessary for my application but with that said I wanted black and it was the same price so why not.

If you like the Jethot look then go with this.

Cerakote - CERAKOTE GLACIER SILVER

Shop Cerakote CERAKOTE GLACIER SILVER C-7700. Find the coating that fits your application. Choose from a wide variety of coatings with specific attributes and specialties.

www.cerakote.com

 

[J Mack]

The engine block and head as well as the entire hot side are coated with glacier Cerakote, everything else is coated with heat cure.

This is the engine four or five years later when I switched to a mechanical fan.

Sometime after this picture was taken I cerakoted the fan shroud then hosed the engine down with carb cleaner and it still looks good as new.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Holy s***. That's amazing.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Ordered Cerakote, thanks for the suggestion @J Mack . Titanium color V-Series for the hot side, burnt bronze air cure for the cold side. Ordered the rest of the parts I think I'll need also, including a new head gasket.

I may attempt to cerakote the head. Not sure I want to disassemble the valves to take out the valve seal to bake on the black, so that may get bronze as well.

 

[J Mack]

Ordered Cerakote

You know my number, get a hold of me if you need help.
PREP is everything, read the NIC instruction sheets and their coatings are amazing!

 

[hman913]

Ended up giving up on the aluminum intermediate pipe. Got decent on the pie cuts, pretty consistent, but the fomed pieces I made kept blowing apart. Not sure if forming them thinned the edges enough, or the adjusting process contaminated the edges deeper than the hand file cleanup would get.

For future reference a hand file is not always the best to use for cleaning up aluminum edges prior to welding. Even using a file cleaning brush on an Al only file, particles can still be transferred from the file to the Al contaminating it so you're left chasing your tail.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I'm regretting not pressure washing the engine bay before starting this project, lol.

Not awful, but not amazing either. I'm sure this is because of the two times I've overheated this engine.

Can't feel them with my finger or with my nail, but they're there.

 

[IcutYourCruiser]

I'm regretting not pressure washing the engine bay before starting this project, lol.

View attachment 2914283

Not awful, but not amazing either. I'm sure this is because of the two times I've overheated this engine.

Can't feel them with my finger or with my nail, but they're there.

View attachment 2914284



View attachment 2914285

I just had the head gasket on my 80 done, still burns a bit of oil on start up, and makes a little noise. Just gonna send it and worry when it becomes a real problem lol