Thread: Project "Left Overs" is back alive !

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Geez, thanks, Charlie. I feel the same way about other people's builds and I get excited when I see their thread alive again with new stuff being posted.

Pat, I think it does do more than just the align bore or hone. It had an overhead arm that sort of reminded me of a Bridgeport that probably does the resurfacing. I know so little about machining that it is all Greek to me.

Steve, I was surprised last night when we were flipping it over and over for welding on all sides that it isn't as heavy as I thought. I mean, it is still not light, but Dan and I were able to move it around without using the crane. If I had to guess, I would say maybe 150-200 pounds, so far. The individual rails seemed heavy, but maybe because they were hard to handle compared to the completed frame.

We are still going to add some round tube crossmembers in the rear, and I think I want that 2 x 3 piece of tubing that is laying across the frame in the one picture cut and welded across the rail somewhere behind the tailshaft. I think that will stiffen up the frame a lot, especially since there will be a pretty long distance from the front crossmember to the transmission crossmember.

As for paint vs powdercoat, still not sure. I would love to have it powdercoated because all I would have to do is drop it off and pick it back up when done. I hate dragging out the paint equipment and all the prep work involved. But the problem is, I do want a slightly distressed or at least aged look to the car and the only way I can get that faded look it with paint.

But as you guys know from my past history on these things, I will change my mind 100 times before the whole thing is over and done. Instead of being indecisive, I prefer to think of myself as "flexible."

Don

yep like said its a machine center more or less a big mill .no it will not hone they can do all block machining with it if you buy it....I look in to one 10 years ago the RMC /Sunnen is made in saginaw mi 30 miles from me

Yeah, like I said, me looking at his machinery was like someone seeing a UFO. It was all a mystery to me.......guess that's why I'm not a machinist.

He had a bbc on the dyno that was making 1000 hp, that was pretty impressive, but not as impressive as the last one he had on there making 2200.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Yeah, like I said, me looking at his machinery was like someone seeing a UFO. It was all a mystery to me.......guess that's why I'm not a machinist.

He had a bbc on the dyno that was making 1000 hp, that was pretty impressive, but not as impressive as the last one he had on there making 2200.

Don

yep must be great to be were the money is machine shop business is a tuff deal up here i know 5 guys less then 40 miles away all can build 1000+hp engines. machine s are very pricey love to see that guys over head is . like i said i did look in to buy one of them machines but hard to justify a 80.000. dollar machine when guys do not want to pay 160. for a bore job?thats alot of bore jobs ... i am not crying i have a very nice shop.happy with the machines i have its been a long road to get were i am at .I have some of the best tools and machines to do the job ever built .they may be old but no mother broad to burn out to stop me.. i keep rolling less i get hit in the head . were i can set up 4 machines to run at the same time do 4 jobs at one time were once the engine is in that machine if he has a guy walking in that needs a fast job your hands are tied till that engine is out of that machine sorry for venting

Pat, like you once said, it is the guy behind the machine that makes the difference. There is no doubt in my mind that they don't come any better at that than you.

The guy down here was expressing the same thing the other day, sort of. He says he gets a lot of wannabes who want a 1000 hp motor but want to cut corners to save $$$. He says they buy a $ 10,000 motor from him and wonder why the guy at the track who has $25,000 in his beats him.

He does keep pretty busy though, and says a lot of it is coming because the other shops in town are turning out crap...........no kidding, I found that out.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Pat, like you once said, it is the guy behind the machine that makes the difference. There is no doubt in my mind that they don't come any better at that than you.

The guy down here was expressing the same thing the other day, sort of. He says he gets a lot of wannabes who want a 1000 hp motor but want to cut corners to save $$$. He says they buy a $ 10,000 motor from him and wonder why the guy at the track who has $25,000 in his beats him.

He does keep pretty busy though, and says a lot of it is coming because the other shops in town are turning out crap...........no kidding, I found that out.

Don

well thanks don i may not be the best but i spend way more time then i get paid for to make sure every thing is the best i can do. that is the only way i can sleep at night .nothing gets out the door half ass .my name is on every thing. i know there bad shops down there i still have customers that send stuff up here for me to fix.

Yes Don definitly get it balanced, it makes the world of difference

Don,
I just discovered this thread! Seems like I remember you starting this project on a different thread and I was waiting for updates. I was beginning to think you had been sidetracked like me...

Anyway, back in the early 70s I had a '68 Olds 442 with the 400 engine. It started smoking and I decided it was time for a major rebuild. While I was having the block bored and the crank ground, the machinist talked me into splurging for a balance job. He said that Olds engines had some of the beefiest bottom ends of any engines made and they, therefore, are notoriously out of balance. I finally agreed to let him do the balance job on it and I was not disappointed. It made the thing run as smooth as silk even with a lumpy sounding cam. Improved acceleration, too. If the extra $$$ won't break the budget it's worth it...

I didn't balance my current engine as it was "factory fresh" but the 351++W in my last car was done and even with a very strong Lunati camshaft was really silky. That was probably the best $150-200 spent on a single thing on that engine

Jim and Dave, I agree about the balancing. Dan and I talked it over last night and I have his flexplate and damper in my car, ready to take over to the machinist. I'll drop that off today.

We took a quick look at what I want for the front perch on my project and I am going to cut the pieces today also, that way one night this week he can weld it up for me. Once all the critical pieces are done (that I don't trust my own welding on) I won't have to bug him to do those for me and can do the non structural pieces on my own. There are things I will weld and things I won't, depending on where they go and how good they have to look.

Don

I dropped Dan's flexplate and damper off at the machine shop today, and told them to go ahead and balance it. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.

After that I stopped at the shop to see what I could do to start building my front spring perch. I have usually just make a perch up out of some flat stock, but I had a Total Performance one laying around and although it was made for a round tube crossmember I figured with a little cutting I could hack off the parts I didn't need.

I wanted it to tilt up on a 9 degree angle because my frame should rake down at about 2-3 degrees and my kingpins will lay back about 6-7 degrees. There is some adjustability in the spring perches that go into the wishbones, so I can dial it in later if I need more or less king pin angle.

The hard part was figuring out how I was going to firmly hold the perch in the bandsaw because it is an odd shape. But after a little measuring and creative clamping I got it where I wanted it, and cut off the parts I didn't need. I was pretty proud of myself because usually I need Don or Dan's good eyesight to cut things straight, but somehow I hit it on my own.

Here is how I cut it and how it will look butted up to the front crossmember. One night this week I will have Dan weld it on for me, then I can start bolting the front end stuff on.

Don

Don, I am so disappointed. Not one pet picture since post 26. And that wasn't even a real pet, just one of your many friends. Anyway, a real question. As I have not ever built one from the ground up and want to do one someday (I have started getting the parts together that I have never needed before). where did the kingpin angle figure of about a 6-7 degrees layback come from and why? Do you already have the tire diameter and center point heights calculated that you are using at this point of the build? I guess I'm asking some of this because I wanted to know how much I need decided before I start cutting into the 2x4 3/8 thick ? does this play into the four link set up? Last question about the four link, how is it hidden? Are you going to run fenders up front?

Kingpin angle is one of those areas different people feel differently about. Some say 4-6 for Chevy spindles and 7-9 for Fords. For me 6-7 seems to work fine. Too much makes the car harder to turn, but can make it go straighter.............that is why you see dragsters with so much inclination, but why the wheels flop when turned, or backing up. I have gone as high as 9 degrees and didn't really see much difference than the 6-7, but that is where I start.

Yes, I already have my front tires and they are 25 inches in diameter, so my spindle will be at 12.5 inches. I like the rake I set the frame at, it is on about a 3 degree rake, so I will put my axle in place, calculate where the frame will rest when loaded, then make the holes for my wishbone tie rod ends at that level. Sometimes you luck out and hit it, and sometimes you do something to raise or lower the front to reset your kingpin inclination. I'm sure smarter people than me have a scientific method of figuring it out, but I just wing it.

As for the 4 link, that will be only on the back and will be hidden by the bedsides. Up front I am using a Speedway wishbone setup that looks like early Ford stuff. Fenders? We don't need no stinkin' fenders !

And just because you asked, I am posting a picture of Lucky Cat and me taking a little nap. If we don't do this every afternoon he gets cranky.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

............................ If we don't do this every afternoon he gets cranky.

Don

Funny............he says the same thing about YOU!!

Whew!!!!!!!! Every time I see your name as posting on one of my threads I get this scary feeling that I may not want to open up that post. I was really relieved to see just text, no pictures, this time.

Don