1946 WR model

[kitabel]

Have a nice day

[RUBONE]

Back to WRs and WR clones. It is easy to hot rod 45s to a certain level.And even WRs have their limits. Whatever you decide to do have fun with it. Pay attention to wheels as well. 18s at the least. Many WRs ran 19s for handling and some ran 21s up front.

Some cylinder pictures.
Far right WL, middle WLD, left WR. WL and WLD have same valves but different sized ports and straight valves. WLDR large port and WR have angled valves closer to the bore. Note the size of fins.
Intake ports gradually larger on each variation.

[RUBONE]

Head variations, the #5, #6 and a late WR with relief. Also the difference in piston crown height.

[RooDog]

Have a nice day

Please forgive me. I was under the impression that you are the daddy of the Victory Library & “The Linkert Book”
Please advise....
...RooDog....
PS: Have a nice day...

[animal12]

So kinda curious , how big/what size were the ball bearings on the crank & cams ?
thanks
animal

[VCA Hank]

My WR has connecting rods that have drilled holes in the web and are chromed. The holes are very evenly spaced and centered; whoever did it did a nice job. Does anyone know if this was a factory option or was it done by a third party?

[RUBONE]

My WR has connecting rods that have drilled holes in the web and are chromed. The holes are very evenly spaced and centered; whoever did it did a nice job. Does anyone know if this was a factory option or was it done by a third party?

The connecting rods are NOT chromed, they are polished for strength (removes surface imperfections to equalize stress), chrome would make them brittle and worthless as they would fail the first time used. The holes are factory, so is the oversized crankpin and rod rollers.

[VCA Hank]

Thanks Robbie. The rods looked chromed when I saw them but that was in 1971 so my memory failed me.

[RUBONE]

Thanks Robbie. The rods looked chromed when I saw them but that was in 1971 so my memory failed me.

Here is an NOS set of factory WR rods, drilled and polished from new. The rusty looking smears are Cosmoline. And compared to a set of standard WL rods.

[kitabel]

IIRC the std. 45, K, XL, & UL plain cam bearings are 11/16", the WR, KR etc. are 1/4" R6 ball bearings.
The std. 45 main shafts are both 7/8", the WR shaft ball bearings are 1" sprocket shaft and 3/4" pinion shaft (to allow room for the #2 & 3 inboard cam bearings).
The WR crank is the smallest of the 3 "stepped" pins, uses 3/16" rollers like the late twins.
WR: 1" tapers, 1-1/4" journal
EL/UL 1940-*: 1-1/8" tapers, 1-1/4" journal
KR 1955-*: 1-1/4" tapers, 1-1/2" journal, 2-1/8" rod race, 5/16" rollers

All 3 fit the original flywheel tapers, only the journals are larger.

[RUBONE]

A comparison of some cam covers. WL, WLDR, and WLDR/WR with vertical mag. Not shown here are a couple more WR covers, the early with no vertical mounting, and peek-a-boo type with access to the front mounted mag with vernier gears. The ones shown look identical to standard WL covers. The others are different and not easy to mistake for standard.

Note the WLDR and WR have figure eight holes for the idler shaft. That is to allow the front mounted mag. The ball bearing covers have the large holes for the bearings.

[kitabel]

W/r/t piston crown height:
Thanks for the pictures.
The next development in pistons is the K, (22251-52, etc.) which closely resembles the WR except for an even taller crown, another 1/16" above deck. Depending on the measurements of the subject engine, it may fit the WR recess, or require either shimming the base gasket or a thicker head gasket to get .035" P-H (I think the factory clearance is 3/64", or .047"). May be used in a KH by trimming the skirt.
The next piston (22251-52A) was used 1954-56 in the KH with a shortened skirt for flywheel clearance. The compression distance and dome remain as-is, since the 3/8" taller KH cylinder cancelled out the extra 3/4" stroke length (3-13/16" becomes 4-9/16"). It's not a stroker piston, and not suitable for use with 45 or K cylinders with T&O flywheels etc.
May be used in either K or KH.

[kitabel]

In the photos, notice the valve seat placement (especially the exhaust) is quite different in WR & K vs. WL & WLD.
The valve stem is tipped inward w/r/t the cylinder axis, which improves flow to & from the seats (but uses a tapered cam lobe for alignment).

It also reduces combustion chamber volume by shortening the distance between the seats and the bore, which raises the static CR without compromising breathing.

The WR head is the common bolt pattern (the K isn't) , but the valve relief pockets are,, again, closer to the bore. This head, used on a WL, WLD cylinder, with "normal" seat placement, will be struck by both valves as they open: damage.

A common aluminum head (WL, WLA, WLD, etc.) can be modified to use on WR cylinders, but this requires much Tig weld and machining to close up and re-locate the relief pockets. Very careful work on the common head for use on the original cylinders can improve flow by analyzing the KR head diagrams, especially the area behind the valves.

[kitabel]

In the combustion chamber pictures, the last (right) is the 1948-* WR for use only with the pop-up piston.
The 1941-47 chamber is used only with the flush or zero deck piston. AFAIK the only difference between early and late chambers is the relief, so if this is added the early head (Bridgeport) it may be used with a pop-up piston. A real 1948 piston should work as-is, a K piston probably needs a bit more room for P-H.

The Linkert WR, K, & KR bombsight was a great innovation, and found in current high performance carburetors (Holley). It does not flow more air, or more accurate mixture, or add power except under the following conditions:
1. it's a small engine (std. stroke) with large intake ports (WLDR, WR, K)
2. you want to use the largest Linkert 1½" 4-bolt carburetor that has excellent manners. The EL M-61, etc. is too small (1⅛" venturi), the FL M-74B is too large (1-5∕16" venturi).
The booster venturi increases vacuum over the main nozzle, allowing the large 1¼" main venturi to work smoothly at low to moderate speeds and still deliver great peak power.
Unless you have both 1. & 2., it won't help.
The 45" K needed it, the 55" KH didn't.

[RooDog]

There are booster, gun sight, ventures available for $&$ carburetors, E & G series< and I wondered about how useful one would be. The above comment seems to indicate that it may help a smaller engine, if over carbureted, but not so much on a larger displacement engine.
Comment?
....RooDog....