Ongoing Progress

Today we finished bottling the wines for 2009. Collectively we did over 4,000 case of wine over several days. The food provided by Sarah Gates as usual was out of this world. Thank you Sarah!! The weather co-operated and thankfully is wasn't to warm, just the right breeze to keep us from being uncomfortable.

 

Signature Bottling again came through with a great crew. Our regular Signature Bottler (Drew) had a medical emergency and an operator from California (Matt) was flown in, as well the owner (Dave) drove up from Oregon to assist. I though it went very smooth with all things considered. We all wish Drew a speedy recovery. Every employee who Signature has sent has been great to work with. Thank you Matt & Dave you did GREAT!!

 

GET WELL SOON DREW!!!!!!!!

 

Now for the important stuff, while I was down slaving away at Coeur d' Alene Cellars (ha ha), Jason was at the house putting the primer paint on the repairs of the sponson. He is coming back Saturday to put the color on, then the clear. We should be ready to resume our activities - first up - Hayden Eagles car show, then off to the Pateros Hydro Classic on the Columbia River in August.

 

I bought a whistle from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty that goes into the #1 spark plug hole to determine TDC. (TDC is top dead center)

 

For some reason I've been having an opportunity finding the exact TDC (you would think this was the first engine I've ever built...... well it is the first one since I turned 65.....).

 

Anyway!!!!!!!

 

The first time I assembled the engine I used a dial indicator with the heads off to locate TDC. When we ran the engine the first time, Scott didn't think it sounded exactly correct, so we manually marked TDC using a piece of solder down #1 cylinder to establish TDC (when the solder stops bending you should be @ TDC). That method indicated that TDC was more to the left.

 

We ran the motor at Moses Lake and it again didn't sound good, so it is either timing or fuel or both.

 

After I took the motor apart and before putting it back together, I (we) again used the dial indicator to determine TDC and Scott used a harmonic balancer and he fingers to determine where TDC was.

 

Fired the engine and you have seen the videos. It AGAIN said timing was correct. The engine has always run and it has sound crisp, just not snappy at the right RPM rang (so we have been very, very close every time, but it is a very fine line to determine exactly).

 

After manually turning the engine over manually twice, it whistles indicates TDC exactly right in the middle of all the other markings and it is EXACTLY where I originally had it marked before I ever assembled the motor (Sharpie mark on the outside of the chain coupler).

 

If we are correct, the engine is now timed around 15*, which maybe just fine for what we are trying to do.

 

Today Russ (our neighbor) came over to help me time the engine. It takes more hands then I have to do everything that has be during the process. We ran the engine several times and had several stack fires before we got the timing settled down.. It was very hard starting at the timing mark I wanted to time the engine to, so we set it were it ran best. That will or should last until we make a final decision about what the timing is/s/b.

 

All outstanding issues from Moses Lake have addressed and corrected.

 

The new YouTube video is the last setting, I won't post the video's of the 2' stack fires. You will have to see them on my PC if you want to. The stack fires got a WHOA from Kathy.... LOL

 

For a summer break, this should be the last e-mail for many of you. The regulars will continue to receive any further updates, but the non-responders are being removed from distribution.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4LKEsvOWzc YouTube URL of the engine being timed by Russ and I. 

OKAY, OKAY - you asked for the stack fires - you pyromaniacs.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se7yNovV9Ec