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Old 05-08-2009, 08:41 PM
Kerry Pinkerton's Avatar
Kerry Pinkerton Kerry Pinkerton is offline
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Near Huntsville, Alabama. Just south of the Tennessee line off I65
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Default The Art Deco Imperial Project - Part 20

THE ART DECO ROADSTER PROJECT
6/18/08
Slight delay. Those of you who know my son Kris may be interested to learn he and his wife had a baby girl about a month ago and Carolyn and I have our first GrandDaughter. Last Friday his wife went in for some minor outpatient surgery. She was supposed to be home by 2 pm Friday and ended up being in the hospital for 5 days. Soooooo Carolyn and I got to experience what it's like to deal with a newborn by ourselves. Dang getting old and not getting sleep ain't as much fun as it used to be!

I had an hour or so here and there so here is what's been going on since Bennett left last Tuesday afternoon.

The first thing I did was find my pressure bleeder and make an adapter plate for the master cylinder.



The pressure pot is just a simple pump up sprayer with a hose adapted to a barb fitting screwed into a tapped hole in a 1/4" plate. Some gasket material and some clamps holds it tight with no leaking.

Fill with fresh brake fluid, pump a few times, lock the trigger open (notice fancy trigger lock!), crack the bleed screws, and let it flow until all the air is out. Works better than any other tool or method I've ever used and I've used this pump on probably a dozen cars.



Before Bennett arrived I cut down the side of the original tranny tunnel and made a Burt buck for the shape that will be behind and under the gas pedal.



I've decided to redo the tranny tunnel to better fit the actual shape of the trans. There is a lot of space that can be recovered and I'm of the opinion that you cannot have too much foot room.

I'll probably remake the whole floor board down the road and just use this for testing and mock up. None the less, these two pieces were pretty challenging. I also got to practice tigging steel.



It's actually better than it looks. The gas pedal will mount on the upper part of the flange.



I've also ordered a new cam. I discovered that my existing cam has a very large duration that gives very little vacuum and a rough idle and I just want something more drivable. The new cam should be in next week. 7/3/08
I'm a dumb ass and I've probably trashed my motor and wasted a grand and a bunch of time. I ordered a new cam from Clifford for my Chevy 250 because the one that came with the motor was just too hot for a street car, one of their 264s based on their recommendation. The cam that came out of the car had a thrust plate AND a tapped hole with a bolt and washer to locate the cam. The new cam did not have the tapped hole and I didn't think anything about it (THE CORE MISTAKE IN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS). Froze the cam and pressed the timing gear on, installed, set the rocker clearances etc. Used the Crane Cam Break In additive. Motor ran for about 10 minutes and started backfiring through the carb.

I quickly shut it off, pulled the valve cover and noticed #4 pushrod was about 2" below the rocker...pulled the side cover and found a lifter broken in half...bottom half and internals in the pan.

The cam walked backward and the lifters got off center lobe and a couple lobes are wiped. Called Clifford and they said there is supposed to be an allen screw behind the rear freeze plug on the cam gallery that determines the forward location for the cam and the thrust plate determines the rear location. News to me and there was NO paperwork or instructions with the cam....still it was my fault. No warranty of course but whatever I do it won't be another Clifford. I expected some instructions at least but I still
should have called them with questions.

I'm still using the head with the repaired boss and stock springs. The locak speed shops said it would be fine with stock springs. Clifford said I needed 125# springs anyway and I'm not sure the head will hold up to it so I'm not sure what to do. I have no idea what new stock SB springs rate and don't have a way to test them.

Haven't pulled the block yet so there may or may not be damage in the innards.

I'm thinking I basically wasted a bunch of money on this whole thing...I've got three choices as I see it.

1- IF my short block is good, I could get a new head. I'd like something better than the stock head especially since I have the Clifford intake and a 500 cfm Edelbrock and tube headers. I do want a very streetable motor though...something the wife can drive without having to slip the clutch at 2000 rpm to get it moving. What kind of head work do you think I'd want, cam to go with it. Who builds such things and what kind of price would
the loaded head run me?

2- IF the bottom end is ok, replace the cam with a milder version that will work with the stock small block springs (new) in the existing head. If I do replace the cam I'll drill and tap for a retaining bolt/washer if the new cam doesn't come with it already. According to Clifford, some manufacturers do...some don't and I was too ignorant to know.

3- If things are bad in the short block, I found on ebay an outfit in Washington state that offers a totally rebuilt 292 for $1000 + $175 shipping + $175 core and it has a 7 year 100,000 warranty that looks really good. Everything new. I have room for the 292 and it's only $100 more than the 259...no subsitute for cubic inches and all that. Should have gone that way to begin with but EVERY DAMN TIME I TRY TO CUT CORNERS IT BITES ME. EVERY TIME! You'd think I'd learn after nearly 60 years.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...%3DOp2%26ps%3D5
Anyone ever heard of them?

I'm asking some questions on the inliners board. This happened this morning and I was so happy I just cut the grass...

Dang, I don't like this mechanical stuff any more. I just wanta shape metal! Quote:
Kerry that plain sucks!! The old head broke a stud boss? If so before you trash it take it to a machine shop and see if it can be machined down for screw in studs. You take the stud boss down about 1/2" and tap the hole 7/16nc.

Jeff the stud was broken when I got it and an extended 7/16 stud was drilled and tapped all the way into the water jacket. I took it to a speed shop and they said it should be fine with stock springs. The head has a lot of work but obviously has this problem....not sure it's worth messing with. Quote:
... How much hood clearance do you have. The 292 is taller then a 250. Not sure how much, but the inliners would know.


The 292 is less than 2" taller. I have room. Quote:
edit: I forgot, the stock sbc spring pressure is 80lbs on the seat. The 250 would run 1.7 instead of 1.5 ratio rockers and more lift and more agressive opening rates, usually. That's likly why they recomended the stiffer springs.


80 lbs huh? Didn't know that. Stock 250 rockers is 1.75 ratio and that is what the cams are designed for. Some folks use big block rockers (1.7) but you have to change to longer pushrods.

I just don't know if I want to continue to mess with this head....I've got a line on a brand new performance head loaded for $850. Probably be closer to $1500 with the new cam and stuff to go with it....or about the same price for a totally rebuilt with all new parts and warranty on a stock 292...

I need to check the state of the short block this weekend. If it's not hurt the new performance head may be the way to go. I don't know... I'm heading up to Dutch's next week with Bennett and I'm sure we'll solve all the worlds problems before we get back.
7/4/08
Sigh...

Well crap, this is the gift that keeps on giving.

Dropped the pan and found all sorts of Chunks 'O Lifter in the bottom but no apparent damage. Until I ran my finger down in the broken lifter bore... Really rough and a good lifter won't go down it. Lifting the car this is what I see from the bottom:



You can't really see the scoring but the bottom part of the bore is pretty chewed up. Don't know if this can be saved or not but I doubt it without some heavy duty machine work. I could hone the bore but I expect the lifter would wobble and soon wipe the cam lobe.

Given everything else I'm leaning hard toward just buying a rebuilt, warranted long block 292 and be done with it.

Ya pays for your education one way or the other. I've now learned that you ALWAYS need to replace the aluminum cam gear when you replace the cam because the press fit has to be tight enough not to let the cam slide backward. If I had drilled and tapped the cam for a bolt I'd have been OK.

The Clifford guy was wrong about a set screw in this particular engine. It's the thrust plate and the press fit gear that locates the cam.
7/7/08
Talked to some local machine shops today. None are set up to do inline engines but will 'try'.

Picked up the bronze sleeve that is 1.002 od. The technique is to bore/ream to 1.000, freeze the sleeve and press in place, then bore/ream to the .845 lifter diameter. I've talked to Ray (the machinist who does our shrinkers). He has the reamers and other tools and we're going to do it at his place when I get back from Dutchs and get the motor out... 7/29/08
No metalshaping but progress non-the less. Last weekend Ray Ferguson (the machinist) and I installed the sleeve in the lifter bore. Came out fine so the short block is in good shape.

Given the problems in the head, I've decided to get a new head with the work done that I want (bigger valves, lump ports, hardened seats) and the valve springs for the cam I'm going with.. It should be here on the 11th. Also ordered a new cam and lifters from Competition Cams.

I'm probably going to swap the Clifford intake for a Offy intake which is better on low end. The Clifford is mainly a race intake.

More money in the repair than I wanted but it should give me the engine I want.

Oh, I've also got a 'pull' type slave cylinder. The bell crank system just was too many failure points.

I'll be glad to get this thing running, drive it around the block, so I can get back to metalshaping. 9/14/08
Been working on the car. Some of this update was posted on HAMB but the rest is new.

Bought a new head (long story) from Tom Lowe with lots of head work and lump ports. Put in a new Comp Cam and broke it in September 2. Everything went fine. On Thursday the 4th I drove the chassis for the first time.






- I'm not running a PS pump. I've tied the two power steering lines together with fluid in them. I'm concerned that as light as the car is, it will be twitchy with power steering. It turns easily even when not moving and is nice and responsive on the road.

- The front coilovers have too heavy springs on them. They are TCI All Americans and I'll order new springs when I can weight the car. You might notice the front end sits a little high. That's because of the hard springs.

- Everything worked great. LOTS of power...scary fast and I didn't even get on it....bat out of hell comes to mind. Got it in 4th probably up to about 60 and let off.

- THEN I heard a GROWLING sound coming from the right rear. With no bodywork the right rear is about 3' from my head so it was pretty easy to pinpoint the noise even while driving. Turned out to be low on positrac additive and rear end dope. Nice and quiet now.

Earlier this year Matt Ischo from Kustom Chop Shop in Decatur, Al spent a few days at our shop working on some difficult door skins. He offered to help with the gas tank for the roadster and since I've never done any before, his offer was gladly accepted.

The roadster is a bit cramped for space so I went with two tanks that fit just in front of the Corvette rear on either side of the driveshaft. They are cross connected. I chose 11 ga 3003 aluminum (1/8"). Monday I picked up the metal and took my mockup tank over to Matt's shop. The mockup was done with 1/4" masonite (7 sheet) and the aluminum duct tape....handy stuff.

In short order we had sheared out the panels on Matt's stomp shear and started TIG'ing them together. Matt did all the internal welds. All seams are welded inside and out except for the top. I did a lot of the external welds.

The trapazoid shape of the tanks made the internal welding a challenge, especially with the heat conductivity of the aluminum. Try sticking your arms through a 6" slot welding, and touching the metal!



Both tanks have baffles. The top was welded on last and, of course, it could only be welded on the outside.



Pretty welding! My welds aren't that pretty but seem to be OK. Won't be able to see them anyway.



Here is Matt with one of the finished tanks. I've leak tested them and everything is good. Hopefully I'll be able to get them installed early next week and get rid of the plastic gas can and hose! Bennett Chapman had turned some 2" bungs for filler and balance tubes while he was recuperating from his knee surgery. I also bought a length of 2" ID gas line.

My Stewart Warner gas gauge was an easy install. You can see the hole where it goes on the top of the tank.



THANKS MATT!

We probably both had 8 hours in making both tanks but a good bit of mine was watching Matt weld. I plugged everything up and put about 5psi in the tank. Some soapy water showed one tiny pinhole in the pickup tube weld which I fixed.

Each tank holds a little over 8 gallons so I'll have 16 to play with. At 20mpg, 320 miles will probably be all I can stand anyway.

Then I realized that I had located the filler tube in a bad place and my gas filler tube would be IN the cockpit. Not good! After a few minutes turning the air blue I bit the bullet and took a pie cut out of the bung and laid it back toward the rear.

For mounting, I bent some 1/8 flat and welded it across the frame at the front top and bottom of the tank PLUS some space for some gasket isolation material. Then some straps and brackets were fabricated. When the nuts were tightened, everything is really locked in tight.

For NOW, I'm just using the right hand tank since they will probably have to come out and go back in several times.



If you've been following along, you may have noticed that the body structure is now painted. It's getting that time that I'll need to start putting metal on the structure so I got a gallon of Southern Polyurethanes Epoxy primer. GOOD STUFF!

I talked with Barry Kimes, the owner. He said that this stuff will not chip and I should need nothing more where I'm putting the aluminum on via pinch joints like on the doors.



While I had the floors out, I decided to redo a few things. A new pull type slave cylinder makes the clutch work really, really nice. I was able to use a good bit of the bracket I had made for the bellcrank setup.



Also decided to redo the tranny hump and make it tighter to the tranny. Learned the hard way that the tranny hump needs to be a separate piece. We'll be remaking the floors (for the third time), either next weekend at Pat Groovers meet or at MM08. Yep, I'm coming.

Did quite a bit of shrinking on the front portion to get it down tighter to the tranny.



Kind of in a thrash to get the car ready to go to Pat's meet. Bennett is coming over next week for a few days to play so we should make it.
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