Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 (edited) I have decided, in my 2nd [or 3rd] childhood, to "HOP UP" a 263 for my '50. The plan is custom pistons for a bore as large as practical. Cam grind for better performance. A little head work. To start of, I acquired a 1951 263 from Evan Ritter over in East Texas. It has been sitting in his shop for several years. He said 17. It is from a Dynaflow car, but he had a standard crank. I will need a Bell Housing and flywheel. Looks like that will come from Pete Phillips. Need a few lifters, fortunately, Bill Stoneberg came to the rescue. Pictures of the Engine as found. A little grotty!. Just a LITTLE rust. I have seen worse oil pans. I will attempt, over the next few days, to bring this up to date Enjoy Ben Just a LITTLE rust Edited May 1, 2016 by First Born (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 Well, this will be GOOD one to follow. Are you going to DUAL CARB it? At such a young age, YOU will do just fine. I will be a nice guy, and not kid you so hard, Dale in Indy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 1, 2016 Author Share Posted May 1, 2016 (edited) Don't be TOO nice Perhaps dual TBI??? Ben Edited February 21, 2017 by First Born (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 1, 2016 Author Share Posted May 1, 2016 After dis assembly, the block and head made the trip to the machine shop. Al is just a few years my junior and has been a motorhead almost all his life. He was a noted drag racer and engine builder in his younger years. The block has been bored .125 over. Actually, 85mm. This will give about 285 ci. Pistons and rings are in the pipeline, due around 1st of June. Pistons are supposed to give about a 9.5/1 cr. Crank is ready! Mains .020, rods .010. Mains would have done .010 but bearings were not available. Bearings are here from Terrell Machinery in De Leon, TX. As well as timing chain, cam gear, cam bearings and crank gear. Terrell has the water pump as well. I have done the oil pump and rocker arm assembly. On the shelf awaiting their time. Speaking of oil pump. I am planning on a full flow filter system. I have read several articles on how to do that. I would like to hear from any of you out there that has done this modification. Are you happy with it? Disappointed? How is this for an up to date tool?? Ben 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Did you spend the money on those fancy roller rockers? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 Naw, afraid not in the budget. Pretty, though. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Cool ol tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 1 hour ago, MrEarl said: Cool ol tool. Thank you. Probably older than you. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Ben, will that tool REMOVE a VISOR, just wondering? OH how I love dim dare visors. Dale in indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 11, 2016 Author Share Posted May 11, 2016 (edited) Not much to report. I did get the water pump back from Terrell. A thing of beauty. I had to lick my calf over on the rocker arm assembly. Sort of. I had forgotten to clean the oil passages in each of the rocker arms. And did they need cleaning!So glad I remembered when I did. Received update from piston builder and cam grinder. Pistons scheduled for manufacturing about May 24. Cam grinder has checked and surfaced the lifters and will be on the cam shortly. Now ! How about some help from some one out there? I believe I will air condition the car. And perhaps power steering. I would REALLY, REALLY like to see some compressor mounts/brackets and PS pump mount/brackets you have used. I hate reinventing the wheel [ oops, the brackets] Some pics of said brackets off the engine and on the engine without pump and compressor would be wonderful. Ben Edited June 17, 2016 by First Born (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 B4 we know it, it will be running. As a kid I always LOVED the sound of a Straight Eight with a gutted muffler. We would run up the RPM's in 1st. or 2nd, then let off, and hear the roar. Keep on keeping on Ben, Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 (edited) 10 hours ago, First Born said: I had to like my calf over on the rocker arm assembly. Sort of. I had forgotten to clean the oil passages in each of the rocker arms. And did they need cleaning!So glad I remembered when I did. Ben For you non rural's, what Ben means is... he had to "lick" that calf over again, in other words he didn't get the rocker arm assembly clean enough the first time so had to do it over again. Don't know how many times I heard my mom say that when I was growing up, especially about cleaning my room. Sounds like that '50 is on the way to becoming a full fledged restomod Ben...COOL!!!! Edited May 11, 2016 by MrEarl stupid typos (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-g-g0 Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Ben Not sure what you are thinking of for AC but might be good to contact Vintage Air and see what they might have to offer for straight 8's. I would guess the some one has done it before. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 11, 2016 Author Share Posted May 11, 2016 (edited) Lamar, thank you for proof reading. I do not intend to do any thing that can not be bolted or unbolted. Thinking an AC unit that hangs under the dash. Think a Mark IV. Power steering will be a "ram" similar to early vetts. All bolt on. Steering column will be untouched. And a very astute straight eight lover will , in all probability, be the only one to notice the engine change. Except for manifold, EFI and HEI. Gary, all I have found from Vintage is universal brackets that have to be modified. Just hoping to see what others have done. I have seen a couple of installations, but the brackets are always hidden by the compressors. Thanks to both of you Ben Edited November 16, 2016 by First Born (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Yep,,,,some compressors have a way of hiding the mounting bracket, but a mirror on a stick can give YOU a good look, IMO. All you need is a LOOK, then shoot a photo of such from down under, can't be to tough to make. Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 12, 2016 Author Share Posted May 12, 2016 "can't be too tough" , easy for a young man like you to say!! Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Chins up! If it was too easy every tuner drivin' kid would be snapping these oldies up and putting in a wankle engine and a fart pipe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 Been a quite period. Hurry up and wait. Block is done. Crank sitting in the garage, wrapped in a heavy plastic bag just waiting. Cleaning bolts and small pieces. REALLY exciting!! Hang with me. I promise more to com. Ben 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Is it true the crank weighs over 100 pounds? Glad you are ENJOYING,,,,,,'cleaning'. Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 Been two weeks!! Too busy having FUN. Not. Our son was helping remodel wifey's bathroom. CORRECTION! I was helping him. I cannot cut a straight line in a piece of lumber with a table saw. Smitty [Dale] , I thought I answered your crank weight question, but do not see it on here. Probably did not "submit". So, I do not know. More than this old fart wants to try lifting. The engine hoist handles it, though. Brought the cleaned, bored block home. Pistons have been made. Fitting new pins, last I heard. I was hoping they are "in the mail" but no such message has arrived. We , son and I, did get a trailer hitch installed so the tear drop can be pulled. Pictures as soon as I can get them downloaded. Later Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 I believe I read once that the big straight eight crank weighs 113 pounds, could be wrong. Keep on, KEEPING ON, YOU look good standing near the VISOR, don't ya just hate me? I'm watching, so keep the info/pictures coming. Cutting a STRAIGHT line on the table saw,,,,,,,well that's what the fence is for, hehe. Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 (edited) A small update. Some GOOD and a little bad. The block is home. Washed and primed. Will paint final color after assembly. Yesterday I received the msg "pistons were picked up by UPS". Arrive Friday. Happy days. About lunch time today, while having coffee with my bride of 40 years, received a call from machine shop that is doing the head. Oh boy, things are falling into place! NOT. #1 exhaust valve seat is cracked. I have located a head at good ole Pete's. A '53, but it should work. Hope to get it early next week. Maybe the flywheel and housing as well. Then the only unknown is the cam. I have sent an e mail to D Elgin, requesting an update. Hope to hear soon. Sorry, still have not downloaded pics. Can you say "procrastinator"? Ben Edited June 9, 2016 by First Born sp (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Me again, folks! Pistons came in Friday. Beautiful! Heavier than I expected. But they are beautiful. If a piston can be beautiful. Water jacket looks much better. Water pump from Terrell. Waiting still for the cam. Saturday will go to Pete's and hopefully come home with some more parts. I can't seem to get the pics in the post, just at the end, but you can see them any way. I hope. Ben Edited June 18, 2016 by MrEarl put pics with text (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Ben I moved the pics around for you... did you try placing your cursor below the text where you wanted the picture then clicking the add ( + ) button on the file picture? You sound like a kid at Christmas. And yes pistons can be pretty and them are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Ben, You may want to check out POR15 engine paint. I put it on my 47 or 8 or 10 years ago and it still looks like new. Just done get it on any skin unless you want to be wearing it for awhile. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Thank you, Bill. May try that. Had a successful day at Pete's yesterday. Came home with a head , flywheel and flywheel housing. Pressure plate and clutch disc as well. May not use them, though. Will look in to using a more modern pressure plate. I have to tell on us. Forgive me, Pete. We had to remove the flywheel and cover from the engine. And like two old pros, we started WRONG. There is a reason the shop manual is there. READ the darn thing and then REMEMBER! There are two bolts, up inside the flywheel housing that can only be removed after the flywheel. I knew this. So remove the fly wheel. Only the flywheel will not come off the bolts holding it to the crank. Just not enough room. May have to grind the bolts off. Surely the engineers did not intend that. Besides, how did they get them in there? Solution?? Read the shop manual. Again. " to remove the flywheel , the rear main cap MUST be removed". Then the fly wheel to crank bolts will come out, the fly wheel will almost fall off. I KNEW THAT. [ SLAP TO FOR HEAD] I found that out when assembling the 248 in my car now, after installing the oil pan! For goodness sakes, old man THINK. So, re move the oil pan, rear main cap, which by now had a couple bolts, that we had tried to knock out , hanging it up. Then all went as it should. Just a couple of oily hours and a smashed thumb longer than need be. But a good day with Pete and a good Mexican meal next door. If only I was a couple hours closer. Thanks, Pete Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Neat sounding project, Ben. Just tonight I was talking about how much fun it would be to "build" one of these straight eights and hang some modern go fast stuff on it! Dale, the crank, at least on my 320 is over 100 lbs, I'm sure the smaller engine is only a bit lighter. Never been a weight lifter, and I'm too old to start! That's why I have a young and fit son in law. I did some body work on his old beater, and he does me the odd favour helping me with heavy lifts. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Thanks ,Keith Still not much to report. I have taken the rotating "assembly" to the machinist who did the crank for balancing. Last word on the cam was "maybe" next week. Not much I can do until these two things are complete. Still trying to figure out the brackets for AC compressor and PS pump. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Brackets, have you check with VINTAGE AIR? They seem to have explored a ton of different engines, MAYBE. My 41 has air, but NO STRAIGHT EIGHT, hehe. For some reason, I JUST don't see YOU doing a Vette engine swap, NO I just don't see that happening. Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Probably not on the CHEVY swap!! But what better car to do it on? Four door, universally looked down on. Special, bottom of the line. But I will stay with the REAL BUICK engine. IF I was to swap engines into an old Buick, would probably be a Nailhead. Maybe a 500 CI Cadillac. CHEVY???? NEVER. Ben 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Understand, Dale in Indy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 27, 2016 Author Share Posted June 27, 2016 17 hours ago, smithbrother said: Understand, Dale in Indy I would be HONORED to ride in your Limited!! Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 I wouldn't OPEN the hood, YOU might get an upset tummy, hehe. But I would lite em up!!! The tires that is. Could I touch the V----? As payment,,,,,,,Gently, with gloves on? Thank You Ben, Dale in Indy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 CAM IS HERE!!! To late for any work or pictures. The Lifters are all dis assembled. I guess that will be an hour or two! Probably not much will get done this weekend. Honey doo , you know. Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Well with this long weekend, maybe you will find time to proceed. Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 Proceed I did. Slightly. NOT over the long weekend, though. Tuesday morning I took a copy of the cam card to the machine shop so they can finish the head. Came home and proceeded to drill holes in the block. Kinda sorta. I decided a long time ago to modify the oil system into a full flow filtering system. So, therefore, drill some holes!! Pictures later. Now ,if I can get myself organized, on to assembly. Head should be completed this week, Hopefully the rotating assembly will be balanced as well. Then throw it together!! Ben 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Ben, YOU are going to fool around and end up KNOWING what you are doing. Don't ya just love doing those tasks that you don't know how to do? I do, they are such a LEARNING EXPERIENCE. Keep on progressing, and say HI, to the 'visor' for me, huh? Dale in Indy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 Visor has your name on it, Dale. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Only if it reads, DALE LAMAR SMITH, it's STARTING to grow on me,,,,,, Be careful, with the added HP your straight eight will have, that visor may act as a wing, and off in the wild blue yonder you go. Dale in Indy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Ben, sent you a PM, let me know if you don't receive. I hit the enter key, and it disappeared off the monitor, so not sure it went thru. I struggle with pulling up my SENT PM'S. I can find received PM's, but not SENT. Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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