Dusty's 37 Indian Bonneville racer

[DustyDave]

Got the rear upright, oil fittings and the cross bars for the rear section welded today.

Dusty

[nuklhd]

Thanks for the update Dave. If I beat the cancer i'll be in Bonneville, I have wasted to much time.

[DustyDave]

Made a dozen little PEEK buttons to go in the piston skirts.

Parting off the little bowl was an important tool

Lots of fiddly work for something this simple

In place!

Dusty

[DustyDave]

Still gotta clean up the edges but they slide right in.


Dusty

[DustyDave]

Started mocking the lower end up to check Fit etc.
I will use the drive side case.

Hit the mains a tiny bit with the line lap.

Vaselined up the cages and loaded the rollers

Crank assy slid right in and spins free!

Slipped the pistons without rings.and cylinders on, amazing how free it is so far. A quarter turn by hand and it will coast a round ands a half.

Started inspecting , right off the rear piston is .005 lower at TDC than the front. Really pretty close for 80 year old cylinders that show to have been surfaced and I did a minimum cleanup on the base gasket surfaces. Need lots more checking then I can make the thrust washers and balance it.
Dusty

[DustyDave]

The left tank. Just seemed like a day to weld

Cant do the other until I get some more .040 tig electrodes.

These will make the top frame rail and be outboard of the cylinders One for gasoline and one for methanol.

Dusty

[flatman]

Where did you get the round endcaps for the tanks? Are they sheetmetal like thickness? I found some awhile back but really thick wall.Thanks!

[DustyDave]

Where did you get the round endcaps for the tanks? Are they sheetmetal like thickness? I found some awhile back but really thick wall.Thanks!

I got them from Bung King and they are probably 12 gauge. Thicker than I wanted but not terrible. Time you count all the weld metal probably about the same weight as an orange peel and way quicker.
The fill bung and cap and coupling were from https://coyotegear.com/
Dusty

[flatman]

Thanks for the info!

[DustyDave]

Got the frame standing on its feet. It's adjusted as long and as tall as it gets.

Started fitting the right tank -top frame rail

Proly leave the tanks just tacked up untill I get the engine in it.

Dusty

[Cimino289]

Looking killer Dusty

[KG]

Wicked!

[DustyDave]

With both tanks in place.

I'll leave the tank mounts just tacked until I get the engine in it to be sure. I'll tear it back down tomorrow and tig the rest of the rear section. The ruler shows 8 1/2 " with a real front tire that's not flat proly another 1" I think I couldn't want it any higher and it'll adjust down till it drags.
Dusty

[flatman]

you gonna gasport the pistons? Not sure if this works for a blown motor? Any idea on compression ratio? What kind of rpm will the motor be turning? If mums the word I understand you Bonneville guys are kinda quiet on this reguard. LOL! I talked to Bob Nichols (rip) and he said his SS turned 10,500. I found it a little hard to believe tho! I asked Max Bubeck (damn it, also RIP) about his Chout and if I remember he said it was about 4700 rpms thru the trap ? He also said he was running a single 35 chain on the primary for reduced drag and was also high gear only, also for drag. Drilling holes in the clutch basket would reduce spinning weight but those things are harder than the hubs of hell. Well anyway keep the updates coming, I like all the machining and fabricating. Looks fantastic already.

[DustyDave]

you gonna gasport the pistons? Not sure if this works for a blown motor? Any idea on compression ratio? What kind of rpm will the motor be turning? If mums the word I understand you Bonneville guys are kinda quiet on this reguard. LOL! I talked to Bob Nichols (rip) and he said his SS turned 10,500. I found it a little hard to believe tho! I asked Max Bubeck (damn it, also RIP) about his Chout and if I remember he said it was about 4700 rpms thru the trap ? He also said he was running a single 35 chain on the primary for reduced drag and was also high gear only, also for drag. Drilling holes in the clutch basket would reduce spinning weight but those things are harder than the hubs of hell. Well anyway keep the updates coming, I like all the machining and fabricating. Looks fantastic already.

Proly won't talk much bout piston, head shape or cam timing. But right now I have no plans to drill into the top ring land.

I'm not expecting to make usable power above 4000 Talked to James Mosher that runs the Twin Scout (2 ea 57 cid Scout engines NA Nitrous) and he said that he turns as fast as 4200 but the power is already dropping off.
For Bonneville I cant see any reason for a light rotating mass, got 3 miles for it to change rpm. For other uses the rotating mass was way to high. I suspect Indian kept it that high because of the crash box. A scout instantly shifts a little better when Chief flywheels go in.
Dusty

[DustyDave]

The heads are done!

Ya don't gets ta see the combustion chambers piston heads or know cam specs at this point. But I'll talk bout most anything else

Dusty

[Cimino289]

Those heads are killer

[flatman]

Damn those heads look killer. I like the twin plugs over the piston. I assume a chief scraper set up on the bottom? Maybe a custom fitted one, a little larger than stock, more side of the flywheel scaping ect? Any crankcase breather mods? Dual fire mag?

[DustyDave]

Running a pair of Duffs Moto Valves and a chief scraper. The spark is going to be triggered by Chrysler pickup coils and module with a Ford coil pack that fires two plugs at once both with the same polarity not in a loop like a Hardly. Gotta have electricity to run the fuel pumps and NOS solenoids since the rules allow it might as well run solid state ignition.
Dusty

[DustyDave]

proof of concept for the hydraulic clutch. The foot clutch worm moves the clutch .085" out, this first prototype moves .150"

Don't need much changing but must move the line fitting outboard and change the bore a little. I'll be laying down way too much for the foot clutch to be handy. Had originally planed on cable operated setup. but sumptin similar caught my eye.

Dusty