Inliners International Forums General Discussion Bench racing 12Bolt shop pic's and happenings

We would show a video of machining, but the coolant makes it un viewable. So here is the next best thing.

12Bolt's newest offerings. Dual Manifolds for Plymouth- Dodge 201-218-230 flathead 6's and the 25" Chrysler- DeSoto Duals also. And progress on the shop expansion. 24X42

Stage 2 of shop expansion is taking place. We moved core engines and parts over to the new building. Also the Blaster and Bake oven. This allowed the area for expansion to get ready for concrete work. As of today, the concrete is in. We had to dig out 8" of gravel and dirt to prepare the floor for concrete. 2" of insulation and then the radiant floor tubing. Concrete is 6" thick. Area is 24x42 and 14 tall






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Have most of the parts/ engines moved into the new building. This is allowing the expansion of the machine shop. Having a forklift is a must! Might be the largest inline 6 Chevy parts offering in the world.

Here is what is going on in shop today. We rework the factory flywheels. Bake, blast, remove gear, grind, install gear and rebalance to under 1 gram. Most shops wont do this.
Lumps being machined in CNC also.
The shop expansion is nearly complete. Insulated and interior tin installed. Wiring done also. Overhead hoist is next and then move the parts in.

Heads lined up to go though the CNC . We deck them on 2 sides. intake/ exhaust surface and the Head/deck surface. Next they are cleaned, assembled and QA tested for proper seal. Also have a bunch of PES intakes done now too.

I like those intakes Tom.

Have worked through all those heads. Pics are example of a head with beehive springs , 1.94/1.6 and lump kit. They are now assembled and on the website. Also just received another batch of PES intakes. Got valve covers to pickup next. My foundry is rocking!

This is a note from a customer. 64 Biscayne 230 3 sp stick w overdrive. Stock lower end and stock camshaft. He lost 1 MPG at 75 MPH but then made it back up with another mod which he discusses.
"Tom,
I just thought I'd let you know the results of installing the 1.84
intake/Standard Rocker performance head on my 230ci 1964 Biscayne daily
driver. The install went normally in May and since then I've put 5,500
miles on the car. I have driven this car since 1970 in Kansas below 1000ft
elevation and much of that was under federal 55mph mandates. Six years
ago I brought it to the high desert of New Mexico at 6600ft elevation
and the car lost over 20% of it's already meager hp to the altitude. As
a result the car stayed in the back of the shed and driven infrequently
since it was a hindrance to normal traffic flow, especially on the
interstate at 75-80mph. The Clifford intake with 2bbl carb helped but it
still wasn't really drive-able in normal traffic flow because of low
acceleration and frequent kick-down from overdrive going up hills on the
freeway at 75.
The swap to the performance head made all the difference. It now
performs better at high altitude than when it was new in Kansas. Even though
it only has a 230ci L6 with stock cam and lifters on a 3500lb full size
family car it can now easily accelerate and merge with traffic on the
freeway and only kicks down out of overdrive above 5,500 ft on the
steepest of interstate grades. When taken back to visit family in Ks the
performance is now really stellar at the lower altitudes.
Of course fuel economy suffered a bit with the higher horse power
available but recently that has been addressed with a Carb Cheater
auto-tune kit (thecarbcheater.com) that keeps the carb tuned whether
it's just a 2000 ft altitude change on the 35 mile trip into Albuquerque
or a 6000 ft altitude change over the 700 mile trip to Ks. Of these mods
the 12 Bolt performance head made the biggest single improvement in
performance and allows this car to once again be my daily driver for
around town or long hauls on the interstate without any loss of
performance or economy.

Working on the next group of heads. There are 3 more on another stand. Need a longer set of rails to work up these heads.
First step is cleaning
2nd Mag the decks and chambers for cracks
3 pressure check
4 mark each head for problems ( ie bad bolt holes ect)
5 install guides
6 machine for positive seals
7 machine exh seats
8 machine intake and exh seat (roughed)
9 unshroud valve bowls, port, cut bolt boss for lumps
10 install lumps
11 final valve job
12 deck intake/ exh flange and deck of head
13 final clean
14 assemble
Sometimes there are more steps, it just depends on the head.

Ran into one that was severely overheated. No telling how deep those cracks are.

EDIT does anybody really read these updates?

Each and every one without fail.

Yes Tom, keep the updates coming. It's cool to see all the work you're doing, and parts that are now available.

Have a show and tell for you guys. We are working up a group of heads. Some are worse than others. Here is one that had rust issues. The exhaust seats were severely eroded, valves stuck. Once it is chamber worked by hand and decked, it will be ready for action again. These are 1.84/1.6 valve seats. The seats/ chambers are only roughed in in these pics.

Something we provide as a service. Doubt anyone else offers this. 292 engines came with a 168 tooth flywheel. Many people want to use them with a 153 tooth flywheel. GM never made such a thing.
We take a 250 flywheel and remachine it to be used on the 292 with dowel pins as required. The 250 has 7/16 bolt holes and 1 dowel pin hole, 292 uses 1/2 bolts and 3 dowel pin holes.
https://www.12bolt.com/.../Flexplate_or_Flywheel...

Tom,

Nice save on that rusty head! I really appreciate reading your posts and learning from the work you do.

David

Sent this 12 Port head out for heat treating. It is a raw casting from One of the Lands Down Under. Will get started on it soon.

I read every one that you post and enjoy every one that you post so thanks for taking the time to do that!

Tom,
I, too, look forward to your posts. Amazed at the operation you've got going there.
Wish I lived closer so I could make it to an open house.

Pete Geurds

Here is a painful repair. Valve cover bolt hole. Previously "repaired" by someone long ago. They must have broken off the bolt and then drilled on either side of it. Only 1 of those 2 side holes went full depth.
I thread locked a bolt into the angled hole and then milled it off. Then mounted the head into the CNC with the VC bolts inline to the machine. I also have the exact bolt pattern in memory.
Milled the correct bolt hole into the pad. Installing a new insert into the right spot.

Update on RUSTY the cylinder head. This is from a few posts back. It had rusty deck, chambers and exhaust seats. After the new seats installed , bowl enlargements and hand porting was done. The final decking was finished. A total of .030 was milled from the deck. Same as is done to almost all of our heads. The pitting is gone.

Good save!

We have started making side covers again.

Holy Cow...and I've spent a week and a half putting a DRO on my Jet 16 Drill/Mill.

I have also installed a DRO , but on a Bridgeport. Well worth doing.

We started the shop expansion last year in March. Life threw a big curve ball at me since then. Now getting my feet back under me. The shop expansion is nearly complete. This is the area that holds the majority of inventory, and packing. Also made a impossible to find bolt. Making another casting to include 292 water neck with bypass hose also.

The 2024 summer engine teardown has started. 90+ engines are scheduled. 24 are done. there are still some hard workers out there.

Roller cams are in stock. Many built heads to choose from and exciting news.
In the near future 12Bolt will have reasonably priced performance pistons.
Both 250 and 292 versions in .040 and .060. Both piston designs will be hyperuetectic and have same compression heights as our forged pistons.
Ring design is also of a modern design low drag, same as used in modern engines.
250 will be true flat top and the 292 will be 18CC dish to provide a good compression ratio.
Both will be hitting the shelf by end of October. No preorders will be taken. These will be a stocked piston kit , will also include rings, pins and spirolocs for free floating or pressed pin arrangements.

Plenty of things going on in the shop.
New KA pistons for 250 and 292 on the shelf.
Locking tabs for 292 flywheel bolts
Parts inventory collection
Berco Crank Grinder

Today was applying serial #'s to heads and thought you might also enjoy seeing this view. All fully machined and going on to the website.