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Most all of us know the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho, even if only from childhood recollections of the song "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho". This past Sunday's sermon was another in my pastor's current series on famous stories from the Bible: this one being about the walls of Jericho.
As usual, I saw things that I had missed before.
Although Pastor Voigt did not point this out, I had never before seen the "picture" of judgement coming upon the wicked inhabitants of Jericho much like the prophesies of coming judgement. Both involve trumpets. Both involve a great shout.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
Revelation 10:6-7 "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
(I have taken the liberty of adding bold type to emphasize certain parts of these verses)
Obviously if you are approaching this from a pre-trib or pre-millennial point of view, then the battle of Jericho does not fit your picture unless you add the appropriate amount of time between the walls falling and judgement coming.
Another point that Pastor Voigt made had to do with the wickedness of the inhabitants of Jericho. He took us back to the book of Genesis to (if I remember correctly) chapter 15:16 "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." In other words, by the time that Joshua and the children of Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the iniquity of the Amorites was full! This brought to my mind the danger of us looking at someone else's sin and seeing them as rightly condemned without considering our own sin, and how we deserve condemnation also. It is only by the mercy of God, through the redeeming blood of Christ Jesus, that any of us will escape judgement!
As usual, I saw things that I had missed before.
Although Pastor Voigt did not point this out, I had never before seen the "picture" of judgement coming upon the wicked inhabitants of Jericho much like the prophesies of coming judgement. Both involve trumpets. Both involve a great shout.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
Revelation 10:6-7 "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
(I have taken the liberty of adding bold type to emphasize certain parts of these verses)
Obviously if you are approaching this from a pre-trib or pre-millennial point of view, then the battle of Jericho does not fit your picture unless you add the appropriate amount of time between the walls falling and judgement coming.
Another point that Pastor Voigt made had to do with the wickedness of the inhabitants of Jericho. He took us back to the book of Genesis to (if I remember correctly) chapter 15:16 "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." In other words, by the time that Joshua and the children of Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the iniquity of the Amorites was full! This brought to my mind the danger of us looking at someone else's sin and seeing them as rightly condemned without considering our own sin, and how we deserve condemnation also. It is only by the mercy of God, through the redeeming blood of Christ Jesus, that any of us will escape judgement!
KUALA LUMPUR: There was a loud bang and then sounds of a little girl screaming with her hair on fi re.
That was the scene that greeted a witness to a bomb explosion that injured a Johor-bound 11-year-old girl and her aunt at Puduraya bus station on Friday.
In the 9.10pm incident, Atykah Nadiah Zamzar, her uncle and aunt were waiting at Platform 7 for a trip to Kota Tinggi. It is learnt that they were sitting there when the girl touched the bomb under the seat before it exploded.
The home-made explosive device comprised a tin of gum and a small motorcycle battery kept in a large snack food plastic package tied to a halffull bottle of mineral water.
Atykah suffered burns on her right hand and head, while her aunt, in her 30s, had light injuries on the forehead. They were rushed by ambulance to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
A witness, Zainon Othman, said she was serving customers at her food kiosk in the terminal when the blast occurred.
“I heard a loud explosion.
I thought a bus tyre had exploded. When I saw a fi re and smoke, I knew it wasn’t.
Then everyone started running away from the blast area while a man was carrying a screaming girl with her head on fi re to the terminal police booth.” A badly shaken Zainon said a police team arrived 10 minutes later.
“I can still hear the girl’s scream,” she said.
Acting city police chief SAC I Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin, who was at the scene, said the bomb was believed to be home-made.
“We will take a copy of the CCTV camera footage at the bus station to help in investigations while the remains of the device were taken by the forensics unit.” He said the incident is being investigated under Section 7 of the Explosive Act 1957 for attempt to cause an explosion with intent to endanger life or property.
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon:
It’s the end of the working day. Staff lock their desks before they go home. After the last person leaves, the office is locked up and security guards start their patrols.
Cyber crime has cost companies billions worldwide, and Malaysia is no exception.
Heitech Padu Bhd, one of the country’s largest information and communications technology (ICT) service providers, said most organisations only believed they were prepared for problems like cyber-squatting and online piracy.
But low awareness of information security in the country has been a gold mine to cyber criminals, known as social engineers to industry experts and hackers to others.
Heitech president Safiee Mohammad said companies faced two threats.
"The first is the outside threat. Virus writers, spammers and hackers have joined forces to co-ordinate viruses, spamming, phishing and spyware attacks that have significant impact on businesses," said Safiee.
The inside threat, he said, was employees of organisations themselves. "Your own workers are known to be the weakest link, through whom cyber criminals gain access to a system."
Personal records, biodata and other private information can be used to get hold of ATM passwords, said Safiee, adding that while many think their email accounts were protected by passwords, hackers could mark and read email as the owner was logged on.
Social engineers con people into revealing sensitive data on a computer system, often on the Internet. One of the most recent incidents that affected banks was the rise in phishing scams in Internet banking.
In 2004, 92 phishing cases were reported to the Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT). Victims were deceived into giving out sensitive information on fake websites designed to look like the official site.
The actual amount of the losses was not revealed, but the Finance Ministry was reported as saying that about 26 Internet banking frauds cost the victims about RM200,000.
ICT companies and banks then began pushing for measures such as the introduction of dual-factor authentication systems like retinal scans and thumbprint scans for users.
But being aware of the risks does not solve the problem. Heitech chief security officer Khairuddin Abdullah said: "Computers left on 24 hours a day are an open invitation to hackers to cyber-squat and rob the system of its resources.
"Someone who can hack into the system administration can control your computer and distribute anything, like pornography."
Original 1946 Vespa
Whenever I see one of those classic putt-putts of yesteryear zooming down a busy street, I cannot help but reminisce about the two beautiful years I spent in Perugia, Italy half a lifetime ago. Within the trail of their vapor lie a myriad of sweet dreams and misty memories. Somewhere in an old photo album, tucked away in the abyss that is my house, there is a photo of me astride a "Sprint" (the blue model) that belonged to an old boyfriend. He took the picture, which is why I am alone upon it, and also why I lost my balance and fell to the muddy ground just a few seconds afterwards. I still couldn't miss looking pretty classy though; falling off that tapered midsection and landing alongside the flared and rounded tail that inspired its name. Vespa is, after all, the Italian word for wasp, (the stinging kind, and not the human kind).
Whenever I see one of those classic putt-putts of yesteryear zooming down a busy street, I cannot help but reminisce about the two beautiful years I spent in Perugia, Italy half a lifetime ago. Within the trail of their vapor lie a myriad of sweet dreams and misty memories. Somewhere in an old photo album, tucked away in the abyss that is my house, there is a photo of me astride a "Sprint" (the blue model) that belonged to an old boyfriend. He took the picture, which is why I am alone upon it, and also why I lost my balance and fell to the muddy ground just a few seconds afterwards. I still couldn't miss looking pretty classy though; falling off that tapered midsection and landing alongside the flared and rounded tail that inspired its name. Vespa is, after all, the Italian word for wasp, (the stinging kind, and not the human kind). Italy is known for its unique art forms. Consider going for a family ride aboard a Vespa and crossing the street anywhere in Italy (with or without a Vespa). I have heard older Italians speak of the lean days after World War II when a family of four would pile on board a Vespa. The father was the driver; the mother sat behind him and the children hung on for dear life at both ends. Crossing the street requires just as much skill. There was once an old Italian movie whose entire plot involved a family crossing a busy thoroughfare, one at a time. One day I found myself in the middle of an enormous intersection where the traffic merged from three different directions and showed no signs of slowing down at the red light. I was eating a chocolate ice cream cone and licking on it more and more furiously with each passing second until a carbonieri (policeman) directed me to safety. I went to thank him and some of my ice cream splattered onto his white uniform. I wished I had been on a Vespa then to zoom away forever out of his sight and my embarrassment.
The Vespas and their arch rival scooter, the Lambretta, have been pounding cobblestone and macadam all over the world for more than half a century. The manufacturers of Vespa commemorated their fiftieth anniversary in 1996 with a gala on The Italian Riviera and the grand opening of a Vespa museum at their corporate headquarters, near Pisa. Their revival in the United States has been a slow but steady cultural phenomenon. These two-wheeled equivalents to the Volkswagen Beetle are seen as often in advertisements and television commercials as they are buzzing up and down the streets of New York City. According to the US representative to the International Federation of Vespa Clubs, Rolf Soltau, there are currently forty-eight Vespa clubs throughout the United States that boast a membership of more than two thousand.
The Vespa has a unique style that blends mobility with simplicity. It is as Italian as Spaghetti ala Carbonara and could be nothing else- ever! A masterpiece worthy of respect and rounded in shape, it is said, because the Piaggio plant wanted the scooter to resemble the chassis of a "good looking woman". Chauvinist? Well, as an American woman who lived among Italian men for more than two years I would have to say, "Yes, it is." There is also no doubt about the artistry and brilliance of the design.
The scooters were originally made by the Piaggio plant in 1946, which to this day still holds more than 40% of the small scooter market in Europe. The company was originally involved in the manufacture of aircraft before being nearly destroyed in World War II. Evidence of aircraft design can be found in the Vespa's rear wheel mounting and single sided front fork that were both typical of landing gear in the airplanes of the time. The Vespa's timeless engineering was the brainchild of Enrico Piaggio, president of the family run metal company and Corradino D'Ascanio, an industrial engineer who helped develop the helicopter. The scooters were cool then as a symbol of the reconstruction of war-torn Italy and they are cool now.
Crossing the threshold into permanent celebrity was certainly helped when the Vespa was used to transport Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in the 1953 film, "Roman Holiday". The scooter was also featured in "La Dolce Vita" starring Anita Ekberg and alongside the likes of John Wayne and Sandra Dee in many old publicity shots. Cult status was finally achieved in the 1960s with the success of "Quadrophenia," the biggest scooter movie ever made.
The Vespas have become a way of life, representing just the right blend of urban efficiency, Italian elegance and unmistakable panache. They have even carved a niche in the dictionary, which is a true sign of cultural acceptance. One might remember Diane Arbus, the troubled photographer of the 60s and 70s and whose subjects were always quite disturbing and bizarre. The word "arbus" came to symbolize those two qualities to old Mr. Webster. Well, "vespiti" for Mr. Webster's Italian counterpart represents those who are a part of the Vespa lifestyle and "vespazzare" is a verb which has come to mean: "going somewhere on a vespa."
Vespa sales rose steadily until the 1980s. This was due to their two stroke engines that did not meet emission standards. None have been imported since then which deems all remaining Vespas as "vintage." The 15-40-year old scooters in the United States are becoming more and more valuable and harder and harder to find. Most need some rejuvenation but, as an aging beautiful woman, they still retain the essence of what they once were. The Piaggi plant has introduced a new brand of Vespa for a new generation, but it remains as big a difference as that between a diamond and a zircon. The newer ones are called ET-4. (No, it is not another sweet little alien with a new number to phone home, but maybe it should be!)
The new Vespas are all segregated into service only or "vintage" shops. These stores are not allowed to sell the new Vespas and for that one must visit, I am afraid, what can only be termed a "Vespa Boutique". Even then, they are hard to find except on the black market. Although these ET-4's have received rave reviews, they are just not the same as their older counterparts. Cities such as New York where Vespa enthusiasts still congregate for frequent excursions will never be the same either. I wish them all a happy zooming a to wherever it is that fools rush in and wise men (and not so wise men) fear to tread. Long live the Vespa for it is still…the… besta!!
The Figaro is Nissan's exciting concept car. The Figaro has a 1960/70 retro bodystyle with matching interior, instruments and radio, but with a total of 90's specification including power steering, power windows, full air conditioning, CD player, auto box coupled to Nissan 1.0 litre engine, total Nissan Micra running gear. This car turns heads wherever it goes.
(See More Nissan Figaro Retro Classic)
This car is already a sought after classic in Europe and Japan. Manufactured in very limited numbers (20,000 to be exact) in 1991, designed by Shoji Takahashi, the Figaro was sold by way of an allocation raffle in Japan due to overwhelming demand. Today, these cars have a cult following which will ensures that the depreciation is always minimal and may even appreciate in value in the not to distant future due to the small amount of cars made. We have seen the Figaro increase in price on the Japanese market over the last 6 months, its becoming the car all the fashionable ladies want to be seen in around Tokyo.
A distinctive, personalised coupe, A wonderful town car that even the Celebrities want to get there hands on Jonathan Ross has one or should I say his wife Jane Goodman has a Figaro, and so has Vanessa Feltz! Eric Clapton,Athina Roussel the Onassis heiress, Frank Skinner, Chris Rea, Michael Corkery, And many more all over the world. Join the ranks - with the Nissan Figaro.
Features and Accessories as standard
Convertable - retractable roof that packs down nicely into into the boot in a minute. Three speed automatic transmission. Soft colour coded and piped leather upholstery throughout, with matching carpets.998cc petrol performance engine with a turbo charger, economy & power. Full spec air conditioning, all electric windows, classic styled wheels, retro styled radio/cassette/CD and dashboard.
These cars come in four colours as standard (pastel - Grey (lapis grey) - Blue (baby blue) - Beige - Green) Here at Figaro UK we are able to offer you our special customisation paint colour of your choice click the service link on the left for more details.
When Nissan announced that it would only be building 20,000 of these cars they was immediately swamped with potential customers - indeed it was over-subscribed by no less the 16 times. Now quite a few Figaro's are arriving in the UK. They make an ideal city cars and a strong fashion statement.
So what's the appeal of a Figaro? Retro styling is accompanied by chrome literally everywhere, from the slim-line bumpers to the external boot hinges, and from the hub caps to the victorian cutlery-style toggle switches. Even the retro-look radio is chromed, until you discover that it's actually a CD player as well.
Engine (cc) Max Power (bhp/rpm) Max Speed (mph) 0-60mph (secs) Fuel economy (mpg) Transmission | 987cc Turbo charger 4-cy 76/6000 100 n/a 38 3-speed automatic |
(See More Nissan Figaro Retro Classic)
As noted in the previous post on Joe's Flathead , these was some serious discrepancy in the valve sizes. The intake valves were stock diameter (1.940") but the exhaust valves were way oversize at 2.164". After some hemming and hawing and a bunch of measuring, I decided that by putting new seats in the exhaust I could reduce the valves size there to the standard oversize Rowe valve for a UL (2.050") without sacrificing air flow. At that point it only made sense to use the same oversize valve in the intake. Normally one would like to see a larger valve in the intake than in the exhaust, but in this case I felt we were doing pretty good to just get them back to the same size.
By comparing the first two pictures, one can see the 27 degree "backcut" that I added to the intake valves to enhance flow.
Once new valve guides were installed and sized, machining the cylinders for seat inserts was a piece of cake thanks to my Kwik-Way 044 seat and guide machine. After the exhaust seats were installed, the same machine allowed me to cut the seats with the special radius cutters in preparation for porting. If you have never seen this type of cutter, it is really pretty neat. On a standard 3 angle valve job, it cuts all three angles at once, and since the width of the 45 degree is built in, it is pretty tough to mess that part up. On the special radius cutters I have for porting work, the top angle and the 45 are normal, but from the 45 to the bowl is a specially shaped radius in place of the normal 60 degree angle. For the Flathead I used a cutter with a .060" wide seat in both the intake and exhaust for a little better heat transfer.
By comparing the first two pictures, one can see the 27 degree "backcut" that I added to the intake valves to enhance flow.
Once new valve guides were installed and sized, machining the cylinders for seat inserts was a piece of cake thanks to my Kwik-Way 044 seat and guide machine. After the exhaust seats were installed, the same machine allowed me to cut the seats with the special radius cutters in preparation for porting. If you have never seen this type of cutter, it is really pretty neat. On a standard 3 angle valve job, it cuts all three angles at once, and since the width of the 45 degree is built in, it is pretty tough to mess that part up. On the special radius cutters I have for porting work, the top angle and the 45 are normal, but from the 45 to the bowl is a specially shaped radius in place of the normal 60 degree angle. For the Flathead I used a cutter with a .060" wide seat in both the intake and exhaust for a little better heat transfer.
With the seats cut, it was time to go on to the porting. In any port job, the seat area in one of, if not the
most important part in getting good flow. That part of the job is made much easier and more consistent with the use of the radius cutters. The ports themselves had previously been reworked by someone, so only needed a little shaping to make them good to go. The relieve job that had been done, well, that was another ma
tter.
Next time we'll discuss the "relieve" part of "port and relieve" and also talk a little about valve shrouding and the heads.
most important part in getting good flow. That part of the job is made much easier and more consistent with the use of the radius cutters. The ports themselves had previously been reworked by someone, so only needed a little shaping to make them good to go. The relieve job that had been done, well, that was another ma
tter.Next time we'll discuss the "relieve" part of "port and relieve" and also talk a little about valve shrouding and the heads.
When you decide to hop up an antique engine you invariably wind up dealing with more complications than if you were doing similar modifications on a newer engine. Sometimes those complications are fairly easy to remedy, but sometimes budget restraints lead you to compromises. Such was the case with Joe's motor. As we opened it up we found some things that were not expected, and many of them were doubtless the result of compromises made by a previous owner. We can't fault that previous owner for these compromises , because we don't know why he may have made the decisions that he did. Parts availability at that time is just one of the things that may have been a factor.
The first obvious thing we found was that the motor had oversize valves and had been ported and relieved. At first glance this appeared to be a plus, but a closer look revealed that it would have been better if the ports had been untouched. First of all, while one of the valves was a generous oversize, it was the wrong valve. The exhaust was considerably larger than the intake, and the relieving was deeper on the exhaust side than the intake. The exhaust valve being larger than the intake could be explained by a badly damaged seat at some point in time, but this doesn't account for the relieving on the exhaust side being deeper than on the intake. Such a combination would seem to suggest plans to use a turbocharger at some point in time, but that is pure speculation on my part. Pictured here is the stock size (1.940") intake valve on the left and the oversize (2.164") exhaust on the right.
The next problem that was apparent was that the right case race had a series of 4 short welds around its outer diameter. Evidently someone had reason to believe that it would come loose without this modification. My first instinct was that if the race could be lapped to straight and round while maintaining acceptable clearances, that it would be best to leave well enough alone. After considerable "soul searching" I decided that it really needed to be addressed.
One last item that I noticed right off, but really didn't get my attention as it should have, was the fact that this motor had the pre 1940 open female rod instead of the updated one that you would expect to find in a '44 model. I say that it didn't get my attention as it should have because, while I noticed that it was an "open" female rod which is prone to cracking, I did not realize that it was from a earlier year. The picture at left shows the "open" rod on the left and a later "closed" rod on the right. Over the years, every time I have had occasion to rebuild a set of open rods, I have first had them magnafluxed. Each time they have proven to have cracks in the webbing at the bottom of the rod. This set was no different .
Much less apparent was the fact the female rod was narrower than a big twin rod. I assume this is due to the sides of the female rod having been ground at some point, rather than it being designed that way. If your rods have been ground to make them narrower, it would only be to increase the end play of the rods. If you need to increase the end play it is usually due to one of two problems; a mis-machined crankpin (too short) or flywheel tapers that are too deep (over tightened?). Either way, it becomes a problem when building a stroker, because both the flywheels and crankpin will be replaced, giving you excess end play. In our case we would have wound up with about .090" rod end play.
About now you may be saying to yourself "what a mess". And a mess it is; but the question is how do we fix it? If Joe was independently wealthy, we could have simply ordered new cylinders from Flathead Power, a new set of aftermarket connecting rods and maybe even looked for a good used right case half. But here is where the inevitable compromises come in. The trick is to make the compromises needed to keep the project financially feasible without compromising the integrity of the engine. In the pages to follow, I will attempt to document how we (hopefully) accomplished this.
The first obvious thing we found was that the motor had oversize valves and had been ported and relieved. At first glance this appeared to be a plus, but a closer look revealed that it would have been better if the ports had been untouched. First of all, while one of the valves was a generous oversize, it was the wrong valve. The exhaust was considerably larger than the intake, and the relieving was deeper on the exhaust side than the intake. The exhaust valve being larger than the intake could be explained by a badly damaged seat at some point in time, but this doesn't account for the relieving on the exhaust side being deeper than on the intake. Such a combination would seem to suggest plans to use a turbocharger at some point in time, but that is pure speculation on my part. Pictured here is the stock size (1.940") intake valve on the left and the oversize (2.164") exhaust on the right.
The next problem that was apparent was that the right case race had a series of 4 short welds around its outer diameter. Evidently someone had reason to believe that it would come loose without this modification. My first instinct was that if the race could be lapped to straight and round while maintaining acceptable clearances, that it would be best to leave well enough alone. After considerable "soul searching" I decided that it really needed to be addressed.
One last item that I noticed right off, but really didn't get my attention as it should have, was the fact that this motor had the pre 1940 open female rod instead of the updated one that you would expect to find in a '44 model. I say that it didn't get my attention as it should have because, while I noticed that it was an "open" female rod which is prone to cracking, I did not realize that it was from a earlier year. The picture at left shows the "open" rod on the left and a later "closed" rod on the right. Over the years, every time I have had occasion to rebuild a set of open rods, I have first had them magnafluxed. Each time they have proven to have cracks in the webbing at the bottom of the rod. This set was no different .
Much less apparent was the fact the female rod was narrower than a big twin rod. I assume this is due to the sides of the female rod having been ground at some point, rather than it being designed that way. If your rods have been ground to make them narrower, it would only be to increase the end play of the rods. If you need to increase the end play it is usually due to one of two problems; a mis-machined crankpin (too short) or flywheel tapers that are too deep (over tightened?). Either way, it becomes a problem when building a stroker, because both the flywheels and crankpin will be replaced, giving you excess end play. In our case we would have wound up with about .090" rod end play.
About now you may be saying to yourself "what a mess". And a mess it is; but the question is how do we fix it? If Joe was independently wealthy, we could have simply ordered new cylinders from Flathead Power, a new set of aftermarket connecting rods and maybe even looked for a good used right case half. But here is where the inevitable compromises come in. The trick is to make the compromises needed to keep the project financially feasible without compromising the integrity of the engine. In the pages to follow, I will attempt to document how we (hopefully) accomplished this.
The flathead (also called a side valve) engine design has been around for man
y years. Harley first used it in a single cylinder version. In 1929 they came out with their first flathead v-twin , a 45 cubic inch. A year later, in 1930, Harley came out with their first "big twin" flathead, a 74 cubic inch with the "V" series of model designation. 1935 was the year that the V series received its first 80 cubic inch engine. 1936 saw the last of the V series flatheads and along with it the last of the "total loss" oil systems. Yes, that's right; hard as it is to imagine in today's high tech world, early Harley's did not have a circulating oil system. Once oil had served its purpose, it ended up on the ground.
This change to a circulating oil system is one of the most notable changes differentiating the new "U" series from the older "V" series. 1937 and later U models all share the same 4 9/32" stroke. Both a 74 and 80 inch engine were still offered, the difference being in the bore size. The 74 had a 3 5/16" bore while the 80 had a 3 7/16" bore. A popular hop up "back in the day" was to use these longer stroke flathead flywheels in knuckle motors in place of their 3 1/2" stroke (61") or 3 31/32" stroke (74") flywheels. Harley continued to produce 80" flatheads until 1940, and the 74" until 1948.
So how practical is it to "hop up" a Harley flathead? The answer to that question will probably be different for every owner. How far you chose to go in modifying your flathead will, to a great extent, depend a on the use it will be put to, and the amount of money you have available to do it. The mods done on a motor that is your only ride, and daily driver, will quite likely tend to be milder than if you own 3 bikes and this one is "just for fun". Flatheads have been modified to increase their performance for .... well, probably about as long as their have been flatheads. There are some mods that might be practical from a longevity standpoint which are not practical financially for many of us. Obviously if you are bothering to read this, there is probably something more than ultimate horsepower motivating you, or you would not be contemplating hopping up a flathead; you would be replacing it with something more modern. But some of us just see the beauty in making something antique run way faster than it was designed to run. Guess that's part of what makes a person a "gearhead". Which modifications you decide to do to your flathead may hinge to a big degree on the condition that it is in right now, unless money is not a issue.
Stroker flywheels are not cheap, nor is the labor for installation, but unless taken to extremes are probably not a big factor in longevity at the rpm most street engines will be run. Flywheels can become unusable, usually due to damaged tapers. If such is the case with yours, then stroker flywheels become an attractive option.
Increasing the duration of the cams will get more air in .... and out; increasing power. Again, unless taken to extremes, this will not decrease longevity to any great extent. Cam duration will, however, effect the rpm range at which the engine will make its power. A higher lift cam will tend to increase the power over the entire rpm range, assuming the heads flow more at the higher lift than they did at the stock cam's lift. Keep in mind however that nearly all cams that have increased lift also have increased duration. This is probably not something that should be a matter of concern for a couple of reasons. #1 Most cam grinders know what they are doing, and won't steer you wrong if you tell them what mods you have done on your engine, and what you are looking for in performance. #2 If you are having your stock cams reground, the material that the cam grinder has to work with is probably not enough to create a cam that is going to be too "hot" for your motor. Having your stock cams reground to "hotter" specs could possibly even save you some money if the lobes have unacceptable wear , but the shafts are still usable.
Porting, done correctly, is win/win situation. Porting is the act of physically modifying the shape and/or size of the passages from the carb to the intake valve and from the exhaust valve to the exhaust pipe. Without a flowbench you will have a tough time measuring the results of any modifications you make here. On flathead engines, usually the term "relieve" goes hand in hand with "porting" (ie.: port and relieve ) Relieving is the act of physically removing material from the cylinder between the valve and the bore to aid in air flow. While this is a time tested modification, it will have the effect of lowering the compression ratio. Popular opinion is that to make power with a flathead, airflow is more important than compression ratio. I have some thoughts of my own as to the method that is commonly employed in relieving, which I will share later in this series of posts
y years. Harley first used it in a single cylinder version. In 1929 they came out with their first flathead v-twin , a 45 cubic inch. A year later, in 1930, Harley came out with their first "big twin" flathead, a 74 cubic inch with the "V" series of model designation. 1935 was the year that the V series received its first 80 cubic inch engine. 1936 saw the last of the V series flatheads and along with it the last of the "total loss" oil systems. Yes, that's right; hard as it is to imagine in today's high tech world, early Harley's did not have a circulating oil system. Once oil had served its purpose, it ended up on the ground.
This change to a circulating oil system is one of the most notable changes differentiating the new "U" series from the older "V" series. 1937 and later U models all share the same 4 9/32" stroke. Both a 74 and 80 inch engine were still offered, the difference being in the bore size. The 74 had a 3 5/16" bore while the 80 had a 3 7/16" bore. A popular hop up "back in the day" was to use these longer stroke flathead flywheels in knuckle motors in place of their 3 1/2" stroke (61") or 3 31/32" stroke (74") flywheels. Harley continued to produce 80" flatheads until 1940, and the 74" until 1948.
So how practical is it to "hop up" a Harley flathead? The answer to that question will probably be different for every owner. How far you chose to go in modifying your flathead will, to a great extent, depend a on the use it will be put to, and the amount of money you have available to do it. The mods done on a motor that is your only ride, and daily driver, will quite likely tend to be milder than if you own 3 bikes and this one is "just for fun". Flatheads have been modified to increase their performance for .... well, probably about as long as their have been flatheads. There are some mods that might be practical from a longevity standpoint which are not practical financially for many of us. Obviously if you are bothering to read this, there is probably something more than ultimate horsepower motivating you, or you would not be contemplating hopping up a flathead; you would be replacing it with something more modern. But some of us just see the beauty in making something antique run way faster than it was designed to run. Guess that's part of what makes a person a "gearhead". Which modifications you decide to do to your flathead may hinge to a big degree on the condition that it is in right now, unless money is not a issue.
Stroker flywheels are not cheap, nor is the labor for installation, but unless taken to extremes are probably not a big factor in longevity at the rpm most street engines will be run. Flywheels can become unusable, usually due to damaged tapers. If such is the case with yours, then stroker flywheels become an attractive option.
Increasing the duration of the cams will get more air in .... and out; increasing power. Again, unless taken to extremes, this will not decrease longevity to any great extent. Cam duration will, however, effect the rpm range at which the engine will make its power. A higher lift cam will tend to increase the power over the entire rpm range, assuming the heads flow more at the higher lift than they did at the stock cam's lift. Keep in mind however that nearly all cams that have increased lift also have increased duration. This is probably not something that should be a matter of concern for a couple of reasons. #1 Most cam grinders know what they are doing, and won't steer you wrong if you tell them what mods you have done on your engine, and what you are looking for in performance. #2 If you are having your stock cams reground, the material that the cam grinder has to work with is probably not enough to create a cam that is going to be too "hot" for your motor. Having your stock cams reground to "hotter" specs could possibly even save you some money if the lobes have unacceptable wear , but the shafts are still usable.
Porting, done correctly, is win/win situation. Porting is the act of physically modifying the shape and/or size of the passages from the carb to the intake valve and from the exhaust valve to the exhaust pipe. Without a flowbench you will have a tough time measuring the results of any modifications you make here. On flathead engines, usually the term "relieve" goes hand in hand with "porting" (ie.: port and relieve ) Relieving is the act of physically removing material from the cylinder between the valve and the bore to aid in air flow. While this is a time tested modification, it will have the effect of lowering the compression ratio. Popular opinion is that to make power with a flathead, airflow is more important than compression ratio. I have some thoughts of my own as to the method that is commonly employed in relieving, which I will share later in this series of posts
(I originally started to post this series about a Flathead build on my website, however due to ongoing issues with that web site coupled with the ease of posting on this blog have caused me to move it here)Some time ago Joe approached me about doing an engine rebuild on the 1944 big twin flathead motor that he had recently acquired. He indicated that he had been gathering parts to build it as a stroker, and wanted to know if I would be interested in doing the engine build as well as some porting work. Well, any
one who knows me, will tell you that I am one of those who still believe the words "high performance" and "antique" can still be used in the same sentence together. In the following pictures and posts I am going to attempt to follow the process in pictures and words while giving some (hopefully) good technical advice. If any of you would care to offer their opinions or advice, plea
se feel free to comment.
one who knows me, will tell you that I am one of those who still believe the words "high performance" and "antique" can still be used in the same sentence together. In the following pictures and posts I am going to attempt to follow the process in pictures and words while giving some (hopefully) good technical advice. If any of you would care to offer their opinions or advice, plea
se feel free to comment. These are a few "before" pictures. Wouldn't you love to have the vintage S&S carb cover? Heads are cast iron painted silver.
It is at those times when we don't really understand God's sovereign plan, or the methods he chooses to accomplish his will that we as Christians are tested. It may be a situation that we do not care for, which is all part of how God is forming and molding us into the image of his dear Son.
This was one of the major themes of this morning's sermon. The text was Genesis 37; the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his own brothers. A proper understanding of God's sovereignty can help us through times of trouble. Often I think we hear the the phrase "God's plan" and consider it like plans we may make, that is, subject to changes or even cancellation. No, God's plan is more like a blueprint. One that will be followed in detail.
Keeping in mind that God's way is the best way, his plan is the best plan, and that his plan WILL unfold as he has decreed should be a great comfort as we fight life's battles. Trusting God's sovereignty should not only help us to submit to those who are in authority over us, but should also comfort us greatly every day.
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