V8 CASTINGS

[Gabe J DiMarino]

I am looking to purchase a casting kit for a v8 engine would prefer Challenger v8 . Anyone have anything they would like to sell ? Thank you all very much .

 

[ZAPJACK]

Yessss, I found one for you in Germany
https://www.jt-modelle.comLeZap

 

[Gabe J DiMarino]

Is this something he is building or is it for sale ?

 

[petertha]

Coincidentally I just stumbled on this forum & seems like engines like that are being discussed. they have a for sale &WTB section
http://www.quarterscalelegends.com/bb/index.php

 

[mrehmus]

I am looking to purchase a casting kit for a v8 engine would prefer Challenger v8 . Anyone have anything they would like to sell ? Thank you all very much .

If you are interested in a supercharged V8 kit, I believe Dwight Giles has one last set of castings for the Black Widow V-8 to sell. Here is a link to a video of the first Black Widow by its codesigner, Ken Hurst:
Let me know if you are interested and I'll give you Dwight's phone number. He does not use computers.

 

[Gabe J DiMarino]

Sure Thank you ..

 

[mrehmus]

Sure Thank you ..

email me at [email protected] and I'll send you his number, Gabe.

 

[Aerostar55]

If you are interested in a supercharged V8 kit, I believe Dwight Giles has one last set of castings for the Black Widow V-8 to sell. Here is a link to a video of the first Black Widow by its codesigner, Ken Hurst:
Let me know if you are interested and I'll give you Dwight's phone number. He does not use computers.

Have one to sell?
Sell now

Cole Power Models "Challenger V-8" Casting Kit and Finished Parts This is on ebay for sale now. Aug. 30, 2023​

The seller is well known in the model engine industry as the former owner of Lancer engineering who sold Wall engine kits to Cole Power models.

 

[mrehmus]

Have one to sell?
Sell now

Cole Power Models "Challenger V-8" Casting Kit and Finished Parts This is on ebay for sale now. Aug. 30, 2023​

The seller is well known in the model engine industry as the former owner of Lancer engineering who sold Wall engine kits to Cole Power models.

The casting kits are now sold by Martin Models. He has, I believe, cast another round of sets.

 

[bluejets]

I am looking to purchase a casting kit for a v8 engine

Make your own...not all that difficult......patterns show below.

 

[GreenTwin]

Nice pattern set.

I have also seen a complete V-8 pattern set to include the intake manifold, cylinder heads, block, and a lot more, all done on a hobby level, and cast in gray iron.
Most impressive work, and I think all by trial-and-error.
I am sure many have seen this individual's engine at NAMES and other shows.

It can be done.
Aluminum would be easier to cast than gray iron.

Below are photos of the home-cast V-8, which he made castings in both aluminum and gray iron.
I forget the name of the individual, but I will give photo credit when I can think of it (these are his photos).

Edit:
The only identification of the individual who cast the V-8 below is his screen name "ESC", and he is from Reno, Nevada.
Ironman knows this guy; perhaps he can give us a name.

.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Engine Corl. I think he goes by Sandcrab on the cnczone forum.

 

[Gabe J DiMarino]

Those heads and manifold are wicked . Wonder how he made the sand core for the heads .

 

[GreenTwin]

I remember the screen name "sandcrab".

He has described how he did it all over the years, but unfortunately one backyard casting forum went under, and all those posts were lost.

He got on a second backyard casting forum, and posted some things, but I don't think nearly as much as the first forum.

He either used sodium silicate cores, or linseed oil cores, and I can't remember which (maybe he tried both).

I think that last photo shows both the patterns and the coreboxes.
I have not studied it in great detail, but I think that is correct.

It is what I would consider a brute-force method of making an accurate V-8.
I think he did it before 3D modeling and 3D printers were a big thing.
Patterns and core boxes were how they made the molds back in the day, but things are easier now, depending on exactly how you define "easier".

These days, it would make sense to create a 3D model, 3D print it (perhaps using one of those filaments that burns out completely), and use the investment casting method.
Another method that could possibly work would be the lost-PLA method, which is basically investment casting I think.

And ductile iron would be perfect for casting a crankshaft, but I can't find any nickel-mag.
Nickel-mag is out there, I just can't find a source for a small amount.
Sort of like trying to buy coke (coal heated in the absence of oxygen) when I first started trying to melt iron.
I could easily purchase a truckload of coke, but I could not find a bag of it anywhere, and I looked everywhere.

Edit:
Sometimes people make coreboxes when they are not required.
You can ram a pattern like that bell housing, making the cope first, then the drag, and just pull out the pattern.
It looks like he made a pattern and a corebox for the bell housing.

Check out those headers; very nice work.

The intake manifold and heads are where the investment casting/lost 3D print could save you a lot of time and effort.

It can be tricky to get gray iron hot enough to fill such intricate molds.
I seem to recall he used old radiator iron, which has phosphorus in it to greatly increase fluidity.
Supposedly the phosphorus iron does not make good engine block material, but judging from his results, this may be a myth, at least at a model engine scale.
.

 

[Ruant33]

Hi @GreenTwin, can you remember the name of the backyard casting forum that went under?

 

[GreenTwin]

Alloy Avenue was the casting forum that vanished.
The owner was a reclusive guy, I think from New York.
His website is still up, but don't attempt to purchase anything from this website; it will not work.

https://backyardmetalcasting.com/

There was another backyard casting forum that somewhat took the place of Alloy Avenue, and I was a very active member in good standing on that forum for 2 years.
I had a minor disagreement with another member, and the owner permabanned me with no warning, and no recourse, and then publically trash-talked me with a profanity-lace ad-hominem attack screed, never actually addressing the supposed grievance against me.
I considered a defamation/libel suit against this individual, but life is too short for such things; better to just join and contribute material where one is welcome, such as on this forum.
And he keeps my avatar and posts active, masquerading as if I am still an active member there.
My furnace thread on that site is approaching 100,000 views.
Many members have left as a result of the unpredictable way things are managed there, as I have gleaned from discussions with members who left that site.
I am not going to mention the forum name, but based on the treatment I received, it is not a forum I would ever recommend joining.
Folks can join whatever forums they want and decide which forum is good for them; but this was my experience with one backyard casting forum that is currently active.
.

 

[Ruant33]

Thank you for your reply.

It seems there are some snippets left on Way Back Machine. Will take a while to find his posts.
I am looking for a higher resolution version of the picture with all the patterns, for some insperation.

https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/forumdisplay.php*

 

[GreenTwin]

The post I have seen about the V8 castings was made by member "sandcrab", on Alloy Avenue, under the title "1/3 Scale smallblock Chevy".

Here is a link to a piece of it on the wayback machine.

https://web.archive.org/web/2015050...ead.php?2154-1-3-Scale-smallblock-Chevy/page2


It was/is a stunning effort by sandcrab, and he made V8 engines cast in both aluminum and gray iron.

.

 

[Richard Hed]

Alloy Avenue was the casting forum that vanished.
The owner was a reclusive guy, I think from New York.
His website is still up, but don't attempt to purchase anything from this website; it will not work.

https://backyardmetalcasting.com/

There was another backyard casting forum that somewhat took the place of Alloy Avenue, and I was a very active member in good standing on that forum for 2 years.
I had a minor disagreement with another member, and the owner permabanned me with no warning, and no recourse, and then publically trash-talked me with a profanity-lace ad-hominem attack screed, never actually addressing the supposed grievance against me.
I considered a defamation/libel suit against this individual, but life is too short for such things; better to just join and contribute material where one is welcome, such as on this forum.
And he keeps my avatar and posts active, masquerading as if I am still an active member there.
My furnace thread on that site is approaching 100,000 views.
Many members have left as a result of the unpredictable way things are managed there, as I have gleaned from discussions with members who left that site.
I am not going to mention the forum name, but based on the treatment I received, it is not a forum I would ever recommend joining.
Folks can join whatever forums they want and decide which forum is good for them; but this was my experience with one backyard casting forum that is currently active.
.

The same thing happened to me on THIS forum. but in general, this is a very good forum. I blame the person who attacked me, not the forum, however, the moderators did a poor job of asking for my side of the story which never happened.