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There was also an after-market Cobra oil pan available for some of these engines, but in my opinion it was a little gaudy, and so I aimed for a reasonable facsimile of the stock drawn-steel pan. As tradition, construction began with a cut-off from my stick of 7075 that I turned into a nine...

I've been using a product called Gun Kote (available in many colors on Amazon) on aluminum with no issues. A potential downside for some is that it must be cured at 300F for an an hour. I bead blast aluminum surfaces so the paint can get a "bite". As far as cleaning goes, I found what works best...

Mike, I use the part# 32440 knife from Tormach: https://tormach.com/tooling/cutting-tools/drag-knife.html When I bought it many years ago it was half the price it is now. - Terry

That's the term I was looking for!

Dave, Thanks. I have a vinyl cutting tool installed in a drill chuck on my Tormach. It's basically A carbide knife that rotates on a pair of bearings as it's laterally moved around. - Terry

The valve covers were up next. The stock engine's stamped steel covers were functional but lack panache. Since museum accuracy isn't my goal, I thought I'd indulge in a set of 'Cobra' valve covers. In the day, these cast aluminum covers were available from the aftermarket in a variety of styles...

Thanks Edi. They're glass beads from Harbor Freight - 60 grit I think

My original plan to support the workpiece during the manifold's topside machining was to attach it to a fixture plate using the twelve mounting holes that were earlier drilled undersized and tapped. This wasn't very well thought out, and when it came time to machine the plate I realized there...

I'm back ... The design of the intake manifold has soaked up more time and thought than all the other pieces of this engine combined. Although I managed to complete its topside, last summer's modeling left me nearly burned out and still with no plenum or coolant design. The topside was modeled...

I haven't posted to the 289 build thread for quite a while and wanted to let everyone know I haven't abandoned it. We had a once in a lifetime ice storm here in central Texas during the first of February that was described by news reports as an ice hurricane. We have (had) lots of tall and...

After weeks of tedious preparation, the last three surfaces of the workpieces could be machined so I'd finally have something that actually resembled a pair of heads. The simplest inboard side was machined first. With the workpiece mounted in a vise, the mating surface for the intake manifold...

The spark plugs in the full-size engine are angled down and away from the head to avoid interference with the stock exhaust manifold. Since the same head is used on both sides of the engine, the plugs on each side will face in opposite directions. Even though I'll likely fabricate a set of...

Consider Hylomar Blue as a hail Mary: https://www.amazon.com/Valco-71255-1-5-BLUE-HYLOMAR/dp/B003TQ07P0/ref=sr_1_8?crid=A4QG7BV3ER6Z&keywords=hylomar+blue&qid=1673816494&sprefix=hylomar%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-8 If you've blued the two surfaces and checked that they're truly flat with a 100 grit...

That's it! At one time, just after I finished building one of my radials in fact, I came across one of their videos showing the step-by-step re-assembly process of one of their engines that had come back for a rebuild. I watched it many times, but one day it disappeared - probably for liability...

A mirror finish for a head gasket sealing surface isn't always the best idea. I once finished a full-size aluminum head for an engine building friend, and he was adamant about using a faster feedrate for the surfacing cutter than I wanted to use. He said aluminum heads need a surface with a...

As it turned out, I wasn't able to significantly reduce the number of setups needed to machine the heads. Each one requires 62 drilled holes, and nearly all of them at odd angles to the faces of the workpiece. Their precise angles and entry/exit points through the heads' surfaces are critical...

Peter, I agree with your comments about small diameter Guhring drill flexibility and more importantly about the need for a plumb set up. I once had an 1/8" diameter 6" deep Guhring hole go off course even though it had been started with a stubby drill. In this case, 3/16" seemed to work well on...

Even though the cylinder banks are staggered, the left and right heads are identical. Some but not all of the asymmetry in the assembled engine will be visually absorbed by the block and intake manifold. Since the vision in my right eye still hasn't returned after cataract surgery, I've not...

With the model for the timing cover seemingly in good shape, it was machined next. Its rear face will bolt up to the front of the block through a Teflon gasket, and the water pump which hasn't been designed yet will bolt to it's front face through a second gasket. The timing chain and...

Although I don't remember the distributor in my old Mustang's 289 not sitting vertical, a ten degree tilt was needed to move its axis away from the crankshaft so it can drive an oil pump. The distributor itself will be driven by the camshaft through a custom 1:1 helical gear set. In order to fit...