My TA build for X Ray

[TurboWh1]

I machined the dipstick boss and hole on my Bridgeport Mill. Not to terribly difficult job.

Did you write a problem or just free hand it? Location needs to be spot on. Makes me a little nervous to potentially damage the block.

 

[turbodave231]

Here is a link to a couple of pictures:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12PHmlT02Ko_DTWcBIWz_UaD6DXJlfTvx?usp=sharing

I would not recommend freehanding the operation.

I have a cylinder head fixture that is doweled for the head. I used this fixture bolted to the table to locate and hold the blocks. Using my DRO, I located the dipstick hole and angle in the stock block. I switched the the setup over to the TA block . Once I had the block located (0,0) I had to choose where to put the boss and hole.
The Stock block has the dipstick hole inline with #3 main bulkhead. The hole cannot go there on a TA block because of the solid bulkheads and crossbolted maincaps. I picked the best location with good clearance for the crank and machined the boss, then drilled the hole.

As with MOST machining operations it took hours to setup and minutes to machine.

The unmodified stock dipstick tube fits in Rick's TA block and bolts up to the header in the stock location.

DR

 

[X Ray]

Using my DRO,

FYI ......Digital Read Out

 

[turbodave231]

Here is a link to a picture I took while machining the dipstick tube boss.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12QiRtM1OEu36LFiC_HbwwKiPk2sSkhWc/view?usp=sharing

If you look close, you will se the flat aluminum plate between the deck of the block and the mill table. This is my head fixture with dowel holes that dowel into the deck/head. That plate bolts solid to the table, then I clamped the block to the table That way I could swap between a stock block and the TA block and keep the same X,Y coordinates on the DRO. I changed/adjusted the angle on the mill head to match the oil dipstick hole in the stock block (that may not be completely apparent from this photo).

Glad you found this post useful!!

 

[TurboWh1]

Here is a link to a picture I took while machining the dipstick tube boss.

Thank you for sharing!! I have been brainstorming the best way to accomplish this as well. Did you machine a flat area like the stock block has or just drill a hole for the dipstick tube?

 

[turbodave231]

Yes, I machined a flat spot for the stick to sit on.

 

[hemi8]

Or you could just install a dipstick in the oil pan.