My engine build thread (NEW PICTURES)

[rocket366]

Tell me about the shock tower braces.

Looking good!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

they look good and give good access to the engine. I think they could be made with a better grade of aluminum plate though. MPG Heads sells them, but I'd try someone else like TCP maybe before I used these again

 

[Dave72Rcode]

That is a BEAST! Awesome build Jeff! Sooo much hard work... I can relate to being on the floor and re-doing other people's work... over and over again... Congrats!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

here it is

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Well the Nitto 555's fit nicely. They are even balanced fairly well. They are worn almost to the wear strips but were sitting for more than 3 years before I got them.

315-35-17

at 24 PSI they still spin a fair amount in first and second-didn't try third, but I'm sure they'll spin if I want them to . . .

But in 2nd between 5 and ten miles and hour I can roll into the throttle and hit 60 mph FAST !

Lower air pressure next time and maybe I'll hook better. I'm thinking 18psi might be a reasonable target, but will drop down incrementally while I scrape the outer layer of rubber off the tread.

 

[protouringstang73]

Are the tires 315mm wide?

 

[Ray]

really?!!! lol

These days you have to consider the origin of parts, my shop does things right and we have had way to many premature bearing failures in the last 2 years. Mostly when we allow our customers to get their own parts, but also parts that we got from our supplier. It's a hard thing to deal with, when you want to install a good bearing costing 5 times more than an on line part in a white box, and people go on line to price stuff often to assure themselves the shop,isn't gouging. I would think though that you used a good bearing and were truly aware of its origin. My point being that a lot of shops are getting a bad rap do to inferior parts all over the place in the market. Just a thought. Oh and many years ago I used the pipe thing also and never had a problem as a result it's just much easier to use a press LOL. Had a guy bring me some ball joints he got on line for $12 a piece after I told him they were $69 each. I refused to install them . Tough trade , but I love it.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I have read through some of this thread and just wanted to share some of my experiences from the past.

In the beginning you were talking about how to clean the block. Yes pull all the plugs and run the brushes but use lots of hot soapy water. Hook your hose up to the hot water tank or use a pressure washer. Scrub the thing like you are going to have dinner on it. I worked in a NASCAR engine shop back in the 60's and 70's while I was in tech school and also after I started a tool & die apprenticeship. It was Roger Ingram in Asheville and his brother was 7 time national sportsman champ. He made me scrub all the engine parts and the hot water heats the metal so when you blow them off they dry fast then spray with thin oil or WD-40 and immediately put in plastic bags to keep all dust and dirt off. Talking about how they put the cam bearings in we made out own driver with pilots and guides for all size bearings. You had a 1" bar that screwed on them to put the cam bearings in. Most engines have a wet lifter galley due to hydraulic lifters so oil control around the lifters was always a concern to them. The 427 side oiler solved this problem by being dry. I forget the clearance he used but I am thinking it was less than .001" but just cannot remember. I know if the lifter holes were too large the lifters went out for hard chrome to make them tighter. When we did Pontiac engines for Buck Baker the factory would supply all the parts. Roger would call up the engineers and tell them what size to make the lifters. He would hone the lifter bores all the same size before he ordered them. If you used the stock lifters and stock block too much oil was lost around the lifters and the bearings would go due to too much oil going around the lifters. All rod and main bearings would be put in and torqued and measured with a .0001" dial bore indicator and the crank was ground to fit the bearings. Not just grind the crank .010" under and put it together. Everything was held to usually .0001" even the bores. The oil pumps were not that high of a pressure. High pressure will erode the bearings. If you ever tear down an engine and the bearings are washed out you had too high a pressure. No bearing made will stand prolonged extreme high oil pump pressures. I have seen engines come back after 2,000 miles of track racing without a failure. The bearings were usually starting to wash out or erode. I wish I had written down all the clearances we used but my memory from then is long gone, too many years in the tooling trade. When you would bolt a crank into a block with the correct clearance you could spin the crank with one hand and it would keep going. With all pistons in you could take a 3/8" ratchet handle and spin the crank with one hand. Back then we used Cleveite 77 bearings and Thompson products valve train parts.

I have seen many 289 engines that would spin over 12,000 rpm that were drag cars.

You should always prime the oil system by using an electric drill and pump the system and get all air out. Some performance cars like the old Porsches would not crank until it cranked enough to have oil pressure then a switch would let the ignition fire.

On break in the only thing in an engine that needs a brake in is the rings. Everything else should be right. Yes you will have to adjust the valves. One heat cycle on an engine is all the break in for the rings. Nothing special was done to the racing engines. Put them in start them set the timing and take them out and make the engine pull hard to 45 mph and let off and coast do it a few times and that is it. Change the oil and run it like you stole it.

To give you a today example my son works at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, S.C.. He is at the end of the line and did some of the testing on the rollers. He would pull the vehicle on the rollers and take it to a minimum of 152 mph the first time the engine is cranked. Every car is done this way. If it is right no worries if not that is the time to find it.

I agree with those that think they can do better than the "professionals" some of them just do it like a book says but not like it should be.

The little shops like Roger had are hard to find that can do it all from valves, boring, align bore, balance and do it right. He is gone and don't know of but one more that would be Ben Barnes or Barnes Racing Engines in Asheville. I have got to get over to see him and take a couple of engines to get the machine work done. Anyone with two hands and tools and common sense can put the engine together.

Never let someone scare and say you cannot do it because you are not a professional. Hey even lawyers can do it, lol. Great thread covered a long time and lots of tribulation.

Oh by the way I have been my own attorney 4 times and won every time, lol. If it is right it is right if not something breaks, law and engines.

Only one thing I would not try to do myself and that is play a musical instrument other than a player piano that I am rebuilding, also my first. Just 8,000 pieces they tell me I am not counting.

David

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Somebody recently asked me if it was hard to be an attorney. My response was "It isn't particularly hard if your head is in the right place, but if you think you can binge on coke and hookers, the best you'll ever manage is politician . . . or Judge."

Agree with everything you said. The block was very clean when I brought it home, and when we finished it was indeed spotless and clean enough to eat off of.

The first main seal never really even printed on the crank, when I changed it I verified it was properly installed, staggered and facing the right way. But it leaked badly. I got the better seal and did not stagger it this time, just applied red RTV sparingly and let it sit overnight before adding oil. This time it seems to be behaving. Everything else seems to be performing wonderfully. I have not updated all the little tweaks that have been done to it, but you get the idea.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Somebody recently asked me if it was hard to be an attorney. My response was "It isn't particularly hard if your head is in the right place, but if you think you can binge on coke and hookers, the best you'll ever manage is politician . . . or Judge."

Agree with everything you said. The block was very clean when I brought it home, and when we finished it was indeed spotless and clean enough to eat off of.

The first main seal never really even printed on the crank, when I changed it I verified it was properly installed, staggered and facing the right way. But it leaked badly. I got the better seal and did not stagger it this time, just applied red RTV sparingly and let it sit overnight before adding oil. This time it seems to be behaving. Everything else seems to be performing wonderfully. I have not updated all the little tweaks that have been done to it, but you get the idea.

A funny thing that happened to a friend working on a chevy engine. When he got it together after an extensive build the rear main poured oil. They pulled it out and replaced and it still poured. So out again. Someone happened to be there that was really sharp and noticed that the hash marks on the seal surface were going the wrong way pushing oil out instead of in. The crank he had used was for a marine application for a twin engine boat that one engine ran backwards. So he had to get a correct crank and no problem.

A friend that did high end restorations had a run in engine stand so he could do the ring break in and check everything for leaks before putting the engine in a pristine engine bay. Caught a couple leaks in brand new crate engines.

My gal friend is an attorney and I have this tee shirt that says " You say Lawyer like it's a bad thing". She laughs when I wear it.

This is one of the better threads on the Forum in my opinion and shows how dedicated to learning you are.

David

David

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Thanks David.

 

[DK73]

Well you deserve a Big Congratulation on a build of one mean engien Jeff!! Must bee a blast to feel all that power!! Regards Lars :whistling::coolphotos::goodpost::thankyouyellow::bravo:

 

[tony-muscle]

Awesome thread..... awesome engine.... great work.....

1971 M-code Mach 1

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Thanks guys, it has been "done" for a while now. New rear main seal is sealing, and I'm doing some work on the brakes at this time as the rear lines were crappy and the master cylinder bore was a little too large, engine is still beastly, but I may tweak the carb jetting a bit over the next few weeks.

With research, a little effort, a bunch of spare change, and help from your friends you can do anything-sometimes it just requires more change and more help. lol

 

[Mikes73]

Nice nice engine, I bet it runs sweet!