Towers anyone ?

[Ron Hill]

Don't tell me you are giving up in the clutch????

Or did I not see it??

Cool pieces!!!!

Where is your OLD Polaris 350????

[will350]

No , I'm not giving up on the "Old " one . I'ts the most reliable thing I have despite running 3 laps of the final heat at DePue ( 2004) with the pick-up hose dangling in the wind and getting so bloody hot I couldn't touch it for over an hour . Forgot to re-torque it before we ran at Lawrence . In spite of that oversight , it made testing on Friday( low 80s with me in it ) and almost 2 heats ( collision in turn 1 between Bill Diamond and my brother ) before I noticed that it was missing a nut on one of the head studs . Blew a head gasket but that's pretty much it . The bores look wonderful despite all the abuse .The "old" one was direct drive to begin with so it's an easy thing to upgrade to on this . Just have to have the cash to buy the parts .
If someone would buy my Dodge .............. I could pay for my teeth AND do this up with a clutch .
Since it's snowing like crazy now and my friend isn't home today( he won't let me abuse his tools without supervision) , I'm going out to shop and pull the top off the "new" motor and drill the pulse ports I'll need to run those Tillotsons and do some "thinking" about the adapters I need to turn them so I can get the linkages lined up .
Will

[Ron Hill]

My two teeth were $2,300...and now that I ain't got no job, that came out of my racing budget!!!!

Dodge?? What year??? Put that SUCKER on E-Bay...Sold everything but my Sleek....

Do they run 350 Runabout at DePue??? I could borrow Dave Mayer's DeSilva...and run your old Polaris!!!!!! Chad knows how hot motors get without water......He blistered his hand on our Parker V-6......That baby was hot for two days after the race....and Chad is still "HOT" about the gearcase coming loose!!!!

So, the clutch is after you get her running????

[Joe Silvestri 36-S]

Thanks for the feedback Will. Sounds like a very interesting project. I'm anxious to see it done.

[Lee Tietze]

Will,
Your new Tower project looks great. To me the most interesting part, is that your making it with hand tools. Do the layout with a scale, scribe and punch it by hand, cut it out on a band saw and drill all the holes. And as you know if the powerhead to Gearcase alignment is not correct. The tower will shake itself apart and then crack. And its tough on gears.

On my newest tower desing I start with a solid Billet of Aluminum 4" x 6" x 11" long . The blank Starts at 17lbs, then 4 hours of machining later it weighs 6lbs. But I use the Haas drill press with power steering, so its load and go.
My Bridgeport Mill is mostly used an anchor. it make a mess on the floor, and makes too much noise, I cant hear the big screen. keep up the good work

Best Regards
Lee Tietze
Machined Components
Aluminum, Try Racing Without It!

[will350]

Will,
Your new Tower project looks great. To me the most interesting part, is that your making it with hand tools. Do the layout with a scale, scribe and punch it by hand, cut it out on a band saw and drill all the holes. And as you know if the powerhead to Gearcase alignment is not correct. The tower will shake itself apart and then crack. And its tough on gears.

I rough these out with a skil saw about an 1/16" outside the scribe lines to start . On the first ones LOTS of hand work to get them straight and square and get the finished edge "acceptable" . Started the same way on this but I experimented some and found that I could run it through the table saw
and come out square , straight and paralell with a finish that only needs a minor amount of "dressing up " and if I really want to go nuts , through the jointer for a "machine shop" finished edge .
Since the line up is so critical that's why I do these on center-lines .
As long as the center-lines match and the foot and front plate are square and perpendicular ( and your crank center stand-off is right )
you're "in em " . I've only had one gear case problem when one of my first efforts ate up a couple and in-put shaft . And... These are mechanically fastened for several reasons . They "buzz" pretty hard and welds BREAK .
During assembly , if you screw up a little , you can adjust for your mistake
without having to make a whole new piece ( unless you REALLY...........)
Last but not least ... They look pretty cool ( all those screws )

On my newest tower desing I start with a solid Billet of Aluminum 4" x 6" x 11" long . The blank Starts at 17lbs, then 4 hours of machining later it weighs 6lbs. But I use the Haas drill press with power steering, so its load and go.
My Bridgeport Mill is mostly used an anchor. it make a mess on the floor, and makes too much noise, I cant hear the big screen. keep up the good work

( heavy sigh and lots of wishful thinking + smiling and chuckling ) I can help you out on the messy floor and noise issue . I "think" my S-15 will pack that Bridgeport and I wouldn't mind not being able to hear the .......
Will

[QUINAULTRACING]

WILL, i have the middle of next week open all day 12/6, 12/7, 12/8. I'd like to come over and watch you work on the tower and talk a little prop. what is the best day to come over, the day that you will be doing a little of everything measure, cut , hammer, drill, the whole works. send me an e-mail with your address, i can drive the first the first 129 miles but once i get within 1 mile or less i make a wrong turn. Indiaola right. send me street address and best day. see ya later steve

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

I am really enjoying your writeup on you making up this hybrid. The cost involved being so economical I can see the word "heresy" , "tar" and "feathers" on some other engine builder's and owner's lips though there is no sound, their lips are still moving! LOL!

I can sure remember the days of the Tillotson HDs on the JLOs and Hirths and the freeair 2 strokes of the 1970s snowmo development period. A pair of them seemed big enough to swallow the driver behind them! and that sucking noise!! Hungry for fuel/air even on a 340!

[will350]

I can sure remember the days of the Tillotson HDs on the JLOs and Hirths and the freeair 2 strokes of the 1970s snowmo development period. A pair of them seemed big enough to swallow the driver behind them! and that sucking noise!! Hungry for fuel/air even on a 340! [/QUOTE]

Since I can't abuse my friends tools till Sunday , thought I'd finish up on my carb adapters and pulse ports . Pretty straight forward for the ports , drill down through the flange right through the sleeve .( I did this after the adapters were roughed out and mounted so the block port to adapter port matched exactly) Then notch the sleeve up to the hole . The adapters were pretty simple too . Layout the bolt holes and the center hole ( I used the drill press and an 1 1/2" hole saw for that )
drill and tap for carb studs , drill and counter sink the mount holes . Then cut a groove in the carb face for the pulse port .
We'll just see if these monsterous things will work out .
Sort of "off topic" but this is the motor that will go on this tower but then sometimes these threads have a life of their own.
Will

[Ron Hill]

Will, you told me you find these motors on E-Bay, sometimes... Would you tell me the model or size that you are using, maybe I'll buy a few...

As I have told you before, I think you are on to something....

Am I invited to come watch too??? I might come up.....