I was able to visit Richard Sohn across the border in Florida for
awhile when I was in Mobile examining the Paul Conner crash.
Richard is making good progress on the lightweight two piece end housing.
He has taken up pattern making and has cast parts of his design
for the raw cast iron wear surface insert. Not machined yet.
Picture shown. Wear coatings on all aluminum end housings are either
too expensive or troublesome. Hence the two piece end housing
that can be resurfaced and re nitrided. The insert will be sealed
by a stock type inner water jacket O-ring doing double duty.
Teflon encapsulated silicone O-rings will be used of course.
All his engines are P-port so notice the lack
of side intake port in the new casting. He is in the
process of making a pattern for the aluminum water jacket part.
Picture shown. Last illustration is an old 3D of the idea.
Paul Lamar
Paul,
I too have been working on a single and aluminium end housings.
I thought Richard was doing a complete two piece sandwich from edge to edge.
I have been working on mine for months now and I don't want people to think
I'm stealing his ideas so I will include some photo's - see attached.
It amazes me to seen how similar the two projects are now - is it great
minds think alike OR the same problems have a limited choice of outcomes.
Probably a bit of both, I imagine.
The biggest problem I saw in Richards original design was the sealing
issues. The double use of the inner 'O' ring goes a long way in eliminating
the problem, but by itself doesn't eliminates all the problems.
I can see what he is doing with the centre oil/water sealing issue, and had
considered the same outcome but decided to go another way - for marching
purposes only.
I think all in all, we may come out very similar in weight also.
I'm sure Richard will tell at a glance the direction I have taken - see if
you can pick it Paul.
George ( down under)
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