Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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I knew you could do it Don, it sounds great. Next trip on youtube will have to be the complete car. Go have a beer I will buy.
Brad

Thanks guys, yep, it is pretty exciting. Funny part was, I didn't realize how close I was to getting it fired up. When Dan started pushing me to do it there seemed like a million little things we needed to do first, and I kept telling him there was too much to do. But he finally got out some paper and said "ok, what all do we need to buy tonight?" Turned out the list was shorter than I thought it would be.

I'm really glad he urged me to get it running because now a lot of "unknowns" are out of the way. It starts up, runs, and seems to have no issues. After we did the video thing we put jackstands under the rear axle to get the wheels off the ground, and I was able to shift the transmission through the gears. It seems fine, and the driveline seems to move smoothly and quietly.

Good thing we ran out of time or I might have bolted my pondering chair to the frame and taken a quick lap around the block. Now I can concentrate on my brake lines, wiring, and getting some paint on the body.

I'm really glad I could do the Youtube thing and share it with all of you who have been so supportive and fun throughout this build.

Don

Oh, thought I would pass along what we learned about the starter problem, in case anyone else has similar issues. When I went back and pulled up Jag454's thread in our archieves, the Tech guy from Powermaster said there should be 15/16 inches of clearance from the centerline of the mounting bolts to the front facing edge of the flexplate or flywheel. When I measured mine, it was about 7/8, so my flexplate was further forward than the perfect dimension.

I called B and M because I am using their flexplate, and the guy there (not the most helpful one I have ever run into ) said if the counterweights were on the front of my flexplate I had it on right. They were. So the obvious thing was to make up a thicker shim to move the starter more forward, away from the flexplate. Dan made up one out of 1/8 inch plate, and that did the trick. There is now sufficient clearance between the starter gear and flexplate. Dan is going to make up a permanent spacer out of aluminum and tig it to the mounting base now that we know it works this way.

I'm not sure what is going on with these aftermarket, high performance starters. There have been numerous posts on lots of forums about people having clearance issues with them. Gee, for years all we did was go to the local auto parts store, buy a starter, and bolt it on. Now we have these high tech starters and they seem to need fine tuning. Very strange.

Don

Don,the car has alway's looked great now we know it sound's great. Now tear it all apart and do the rebuild on youtube.

Ron

Don, that sounded great for a SBC. Nice job. I can hardly wait to see the car together and running on the street. You'll have to Utube that too.

Kinda like givin' birth huh? Only we didn't have to go through that breathin' and hand holdin' thing (phew!).
Yes, of course you'll get your shape back.

Congrats Pops!

Don, over the years I've heard many complaints on sbc starters not lining up correctly be they after market or from the parts store. When I put the 400 in the '62 pickup I swapped the nose cone from the 400 starter with the 283 starter and bolted it to the bellhousing and never had any problems.
Your engine sounds really good and I can hear the need for the baffles. Forty years ago it wouldn't have mattered. As with others I anxiously await it being finished and on the street. It will be a head turner.

Thanks again y'all. Yes, it is sort of like giving birth.......although I can't say I was brave enough to ACTUALLY go into the delivery room when all that was going on. If I did, the Doctors would have had 2 patients to deal with......my wife, and ME laying on the floor passed out.

I am convinced that baffles have to go in there. I am ordering turnouts to deflect the fumes and sound outward a little, but no question it would raise the attention of too many cops if left unmuffled. I hope even the baffles keep that from happening.

Don