Restarting My '70 Nova Project

[BleedingOrange]

Yup, when I am working on different projects, I wake up during the night, and re-think and re-build this stuff until I fall asleep again.

 

[BravoXray]

Don’t forget to double check everything. Treat it like a pilots check list. I did engine work on a 70 Challenger, I double checked everything twice except adding coolant and water to the radiator. I caught it in time but just barely.

I'm pretty good at double checking things. That's one good thing about going slowly on projects like this, it gives me time to go over not just my written checklist, but also my mental checklist. A few times, I have caught myself and gone back and corrected something.

Yup, when I am working on different projects, I wake up during the night, and re-think and re-build this stuff until I fall asleep again.

I have had the same experience, lying in bed and rethinking what I did that day, and getting up to make a note to check it the next day. Most times, I had done it correctly, but did catch myself a couple of times.

 

[Alan46]

That's a good looking FAST Mustang you had there.
FYI, a 4" X 4" V8 is a 402 cu.in.
You have to go to 4.125" bore to get 427 cubes.
My 434 is just a 0.030" over 427.

Pulled all the paper off the block today, it looks pretty good, really orange.
Spent about an hour chasing out all the threaded holes in the block, and there are a lot of them. Blew them all out with the air nozzle, the head bolt holes on the Dart block are blind instead of open into the water jacket like the stock block.
Unpacked the new main bearings and made a small modification to the rear main shells to get more oil the the thrust surfaces, a mod I've seen a few SBC builders recommend. Installed the rear seal half in the block and the rest of the upper bearing shells. Got the crank, wiped and blew it off, lubed the bearings and journals and dropped it in place. Installed the lower shells in the caps, lubed them and dropped them into place. Seated them in the block, installed the cap bolts, snugged them up, forced the crank forward and aft to set the rear cap and thrust bearing properly. Dial indicator show .005" end play, which is in spec. Torqued the 7/16" main bolts to 65 ft.lbs. and the splayed 3/8" bolts to 35 ft.lbs., as per the block specs. The crank even spins nice and freely, which is good!
Not sure I'll have time to work in it tomorrow, going to visit some friends from out of town and need to get the BX out and mulch up all the leaves that have fallen. Most of the trees are pretty bare, except for the oaks, they always hang on to their leaves all winter.

View attachment 1734356View attachment 1734357

Thanks for the correction! It’s been many years since I had that engine built!
Where did you get the knowledge to build your own engines?
Have fun with the build, I can tell you really enjoy doing it!

 

[BravoXray]

Thanks for the correction! It’s been many years since I had that engine built!
Where did you get the knowledge to build your own engines?
Have fun with the build, I can tell you really enjoy doing it!

I have been working on cars since I had my first car, a 59 Buick, that I converted from a 2 barrel carb to a four barrel and installed dual exhaust with Cherry Bomb mufflers.
Then, working in the family construction company operating and working on construction equipment and later in trucks and trailers. I've rebuild dozens of Detroit Diesels, Cummins and CAT engines, in addition to lots of Ford, Dodge and Chevy car and truck engines. Until recently I still had service and overhaul manuals for a lot of them, but I sold them as I had no use for them.
I also have rebuilt two Continental aircraft engines, the O-300D in my Cessna 172D and the IO-520BB in my Beech Debonair.
Oh, I also rebuilt the Yanmar 3TA-72 diesel engine that I installed on the genset I built, and a couple of Honda engines off other generators.
So, I have a nearly 60 span of working on engines and mechanical things in general, and understand the importance of procedures and specifications in the repair of things.
Sometimes, I'm sorry I know so much, but I also don't trust many others to do things correctly and not rip me off.

 

[Alan46]

I have been working on cars since I had my first car, a 59 Buick, that I converted from a 2 barrel carb to a four barrel and installed dual exhaust with Cherry Bomb mufflers.
Then, working in the family construction company operating and working on construction equipment and later in trucks and trailers. I've rebuild dozens of Detroit Diesels, Cummins and CAT engines, in addition to lots of Ford, Dodge and Chevy car and truck engines. Until recently I still had service and overhaul manuals for a lot of them, but I sold them as I had no use for them.
I also have rebuilt two Continental aircraft engines, the O-300D in my Cessna 172D and the IO-520BB in my Beech Debonair.
Oh, I also rebuilt the Yanmar 3TA-72 diesel engine that I installed on the genset I built, and a couple of Honda engines off other generators.
So, I have a nearly 60 span of working on engines and mechanical things in general, and understand the importance of procedures and specifications in the repair of things.
Sometimes, I'm sorry I know so much, but I also don't trust many others to do things correctly and not rip me off.

Like they say “ if you want it done right then do it yourself “

 

[BravoXray]

Like they say “ if you want it done right then do it yourself “

And then if it goes titsup, you know who to blame.

 

[BravoXray]

Got started installing rods and pistons today. Got everything assembled on the bench so I could get this done in an efficient fashion. The oil rings are really fiddly to get assembled and in position, In addition to the two rings and expander, there is a spacer ring that sets at the bottom of the groove to support the other rings where the groove extends into to piston pin bore. Getting all four pieces positioned just right is an exercise in patience, but I finally got them and the other two rings in place and installed into the tapered ring compressor. Installed rod bearings, lubed the bearings and crank and applied moly lube on the rod bolts. It slid into the block easily and seated onto the crank journal. Rolled the block over, attached the rod cap and snugger the bolts. I'll go over all the bolts once I get all the pistons installed rather than doing them one at a time.
I was fiddling with the oil rings on the next piston, when the lights went out. Power went off. Went outside and checked to make sure the fuse on the transformer for my house hadn't blown for some reason, but it was okay. Also checked the one on the pole at the end of the road that feeds the houses on the road, but it looked fine also. About that time I heard a couple of sirens leaving the fire department, so maybe there was an accident and someone hit a utility pole.
Rather that dig out the generator from the back of the shop, I decided to just wait and come back down after the power was restored, besides, I had a couple errands I could run and be back in a couple of hours.
Got back after 4:00PM and power was still of, so I checked the utility company's web side and it said power was expected to be restored around 4:30PM. Figured I'd wait on it, and it finally came back on about 5:15PM, and I was having dinner with a friend at 6:00PM, so that was it for the day.

Maybe better luck tomorrow.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My wife & I took auto mechanics at a local community college in the 70s. One student rebuilt his motor and it ran but oil smoked. "I don't understand" he said, "I had all the piston ring gaps lined up".

 

[Alan46]

My wife & I took auto mechanics at a local community college in the 70s. One student rebuilt his motor and it ran but oil smoked. "I don't understand" he said, "I had all the piston ring gaps lined up".

UH-OH

 

[BravoXray]

Got to work on the engine for a while this afternoon. I had gotten the rest of the pistons installed yesterday, and after running some errands this afternoon, I installed the cam, chain, sprocket, and timing cover. It's a two piece and when I installed the cover, the top three bolts that are 1/4" flat heads, were too long, and bottomed out in their holes. So, another trip to the hardware store for some shorter ones. Got those in and set up the degree wheel and checked to make sure top dead center is still correct on the damper and adjustable pointer. It was within 1/2°, so I put the damper on with an adapter that allows using a 1/2" drive ratchet to turn it over. I set the head gaskets on the block and set the heads in place, then installed the head studs. I got the ARP lube on the ones on the right side and got the nuts snugged down. Tomorrow, I'll do the left side and get them all torqued down. I get a little done every day.