Restarting My '70 Nova Project

[BravoXray]

A painted driveshaft is better than a mattress.View attachment 1510716

WTF happened there?

 

[BravoXray]

Great, nice to hear things are progressing. Are you going to paint the block when it is all back together, or leave it bare ? I always think it definitely looks better, but do you have any concern about it trapping heat ?

No, that's not an issue. Besides, the block would eventually start rusting, and that will lead to other problems.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

WTF happened there?

A woman ran over a mattress, then drove 30 miles like that!
I don't think anyone was on it at the time.
Strange how someone put electrical tape over the mechanics eyes. They all had a different opinion as to how to remove it I'm sure.

 

[BravoXray]

Hopefully I have the new block the first of next week. Been getting parts that I'll need to get it all back together, like a new oil pan because the dipstick is on the right side instead of the left.
I ordered a bunch of parts from Summit Racing yesterday, so I should have most everything I need to get it started back together. It'll still take a couple of days to do a thorough deburing, chasing threaded holes and painting it once it get it back.

 

[BleedingOrange]

Thanks for the update. I was wondering how this project was progressing.

 

[BravoXray]

UPS brought a big box from Summit Racing today, right on schedule. Got it all unpacked and it all looks good.
I checked out the new oil pan, as I had some concern about it being too deep where it sits over the crossmember, but the depth is almost exactly the same. Tomorrow, I'm going either scuff it up or blast the paint off it so I can paint it orange. I thought about getting it powder coated, but they shop said they are 2 to 2 1/2 weeks out on that, so paint it is. I need to check into a small oven to do powder coating of small items.

 

[MossRoad]

UPS brought a big box from Summit Racing today, right on schedule. Got it all unpacked and it all looks good.
I checked out the new oil pan, as I had some concern about it being too deep where it sits over the crossmember, but the depth is almost exactly the same. Tomorrow, I'm going either scuff it up or blast the paint off it so I can paint it orange. I thought about getting it powder coated, but they shop said they are 2 to 2 1/2 weeks out on that, so paint it is. I need to check into a small oven to do powder coating of small items.

View attachment 1678839

I've been contemplating getting a used electric stove for the garage and attempting some powder coating myself. I can use the welder outlet.

 

[BravoXray]

I've been contemplating getting a used electric stove for the garage and attempting some powder coating myself. I can use the welder outlet.

That's what I was thinking about, just have to figure out a place to put it. Too damn much "stuff" in the shop. I could put it on a cart and also use my welder outlet, but still have to have a place to park it.
What I need to do is to get the brakes fixed on my old Yale forklift and get some pallet racking in the back to store things on pallets.

 

[BravoXray]

Decided to paint the oil pan today, started sanding on it to scuff it up for paint, and it seemed pretty thin, so I put in the blast cabinet and took all the paint off.
It's good I decided to blast it, as the paint literally blew off, wasn't bonded to the metal at all.
I gave it a coat of self-etching primer, and then three coats of Chevy orange engine paint. Looks pretty good.
The machine shop tech called about 4:30PM and said the block was ready to pick up, so I'll go in and pick it up on Monday.
So, maybe in a couple of weeks, I'll have it all back together and running again.

 

[BravoXray]

I picked up the block today, brought it back and hung it on the engine stand. Spent about two hours deburring sharp edges, deck water passages, main bearing bores and casting flash. One thing this block does differently than a stock block is to direct all the oil in the lifter valley to drain back over the camshaft, instead of through holes at the front and rear of the valley into the timing cover and over the rear crankshaft counterweight. I also countersunk every bolt hole and any oil passages I could get to. I blew it off with compressed air, but before final assembly I'm going to power wash it or maybe take it back to the shop and have them tank it again, just to be sure it's good and clean.
Then I'll mask off the block and get it painted Chevy orange. I started the fiddly process of gapping the rings, it's a slow process, but has to be done right or it can cause problems later. After that's done, I need to assemble the crank and piston/rod assemblies without rings, to check rod clearance in the block, bottoms of the cylinder bores and oil pan due to the 4 inch stroker crankshaft. I think, can't find it in the specs, that the block is clearanced for a 4 inch stroke, but I'll make sure.