Summershandy Posted October 4, 2019 Share Posted October 4, 2019 13 hours ago, PhilAndrews said: Manifold isn't sealing worth a hoot so need to slacken that off and redo. Can't remember if I asked if you checked the manifold. Mine was leaking and I had to get it machined. It seals perfectly now. Great job Phil! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 4, 2019 Author Share Posted October 4, 2019 The exhaust in the center is the worst- that's where it's leaking from, primarily. I need to find a place that is willing and able to skim it down a touch. There aren't many good, old-school machine shops around here. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 8 hours ago, PhilAndrews said: The exhaust in the center is the worst- that's where it's leaking from, primarily. I need to find a place that is willing and able to skim it down a touch. There aren't many good, old-school machine shops around here. Phil i've heard of some using two sets of intake/exhaust gaskets to get a better seal. but i agree about getting the manifold set milled to make sure it's perfectly straight and true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 5, 2019 Author Share Posted October 5, 2019 I'm going to take some measurements and eyeball how it sits. It's very particular also about how it's tightened down also, must start from the center and work outward. A few people have suggested the hard work method of spray gluing a sheet of abrasive to a sheet of glass and using that to face the surfaces. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 I had hoped and tried Permatex Ultra Copper to seal up my original leaks with little success. I took mine to a reputable shop but they still said they had a hard time fumbling around with it. They ended up breaking the choke tube off but that was an easy fix. I was still skeptical when I reinstalled it but they obviously made it better. Worse part was the price but what was I to do? I think I've seen somebody using a belt sander too on the manifold but that can't be very uniform. Would be easier but you could really screw things up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 Phil.. did you have intake and exhaust manifolds apart..? I would let the 4 bolts (2 long,2short) slightly loose, then torque manifold to block. Then tighten these 4 bolts. May save you some trouble machining. Just your time. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 5, 2019 Author Share Posted October 5, 2019 John, I did not. It usually sits better than it did this time. How does it locate the two sections? Simply by the bolts clamping the two together? If so that may help as it appears to be the exhaust manifold is slightly out of line to the intake. It may have a warp too looking at the pattern of soot it left behind when I took it off to put the engine back in the car. I'll take a look if it wants to split when I get back home (currently in Texas for a wedding, been seeing all the shiny cars and bikes heading to Mississippi the opposite way all day- Cruisin' The Coast starts tomorrow). Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 .As you know, it onnly takes a few .0001 inch to leak. The 4 bolts could possibly have left it shift a little through handling, on /off the bench. It is 60 + years old and things get brittle. I had mine apart when i repaired the heat riser. The new gasket between the intake/exhaust manifolds will compress slightly.thats why i left them loose.. if you have new gaskets all around, i would sequence torque all 14 bolts/studs together. (Intake/exhaust studs to block and manifold to manifold bolts) hope th8s helps. Nice job on the trans... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 5, 2019 Author Share Posted October 5, 2019 John, it does. I'll give that a try first. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 *heave on bolt* *bolt finally begins to move* *tighten up again to clear threads* *head shears off* Doubt those have been undone since they were put in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 That's the problem, right there. John, you were correct. All 4 bolts sheared, despite application of heat. I can get a grip on 3 but one will probably need to be drilled out. For now though, they're going to soak a while in PB Blaster. Pain that the bolts sheared (didn't really expect anything less to be honest) but glad I split the manifolds because the join between the two has been leaking for a while, there's soot all over the underside of the intake manifold. I'll hopefully get the bolts out, new ones in and everything sitting down nice and flat and sealed and quiet. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 2 hours ago, PhilAndrews said: *head shears off* Exact reason I didn't attempt it when I had my leakage. I had already broken a flange bolt removing the exhaust then went ahead breaking off the "ear" of the manifold flange itself trying to remove the rest of it with shitty taps. Ended up costing me in repairs on top of the machining. Sometimes when it ain't broke..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 I may speak to my neighbor. He has a decent welding machine, should be able to weld a couple nuts on the remnants, give them a couple wallops when red hot and see if they'll come loose that way first. There's more of the 4th stud left than I initially thought, there's gasket material I can remove (carefully, it's probably asbestos) to allow better access. It looks like there's maybe an inch of threads actually into the metal so there's still a chance of getting these out. Much heat required! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cevensky Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 (edited) Phil, I feel your pain. I was so surprised when none of my studs broke off taking the manifolds off the block. Very solid. But I had to shell out like $85 just to get the manifold-to-manifold bolts removed. If all else fails, I have an extra intake you can just have. Great job on everything by the way, I’ve been following along. Edited October 7, 2019 by cevensky (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 That sucks !! But you found a second leak also. With what i saw you do with the trans, this will be a piece of cake for you phil.. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 24 minutes ago, john hess said: That sucks !! But you found a second leak also. With what i saw you do with the trans, this will be a piece of cake for you phil.. john Well, hopefully. Where there's a will there's a way, I guess! Manifold bolts/studs are always a crapshoot, normally with the game rigged against you... Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 There was fire. There were drill bits. Finally there were threaded holes. The intake manifold was moderately easy. I've already had to drill the exhaust oversize to 3/8 and am beginning to tap a thread (got about 3/4" deep done tonight but it's hard metal and slow going and I've still got another one to go yet. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 On 10/6/2019 at 10:37 PM, cevensky said: Phil, I feel your pain. I was so surprised when none of my studs broke off taking the manifolds off the block. Very solid. But I had to shell out like $85 just to get the manifold-to-manifold bolts removed. If all else fails, I have an extra intake you can just have. Great job on everything by the way, I’ve been following along. Do you have a split set, just the exhaust? If this all goes pear-shaped I may be looking for one... --Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cevensky Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Well... I can’t recall if they’re split yet... I can see/try sometime this week. I think they’re off a 51 but the manifolds should interchange at least from the 40s to 54. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 (edited) If not already split, and if they don't show signs of having leaked, don't... you're likely to end up with the same problem I have with this one. Whereabouts are you located? Edited October 8, 2019 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cevensky Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 I’m in northwest Louisiana. They’re a spare set off a spare engine, a little rusty and greasy so hard to tell too much about leaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 Opposite corner of the state to me! I'm in the south-east, about 60 miles south of New Orleans. I'll see how this goes. If it clamps together adequately we should be ok; if not I may be giving you a holler. Thanks --Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cevensky Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Ah perfect! I get the chance to leave Shreveport for the south every now and then. Good to know there's an experienced hydramatic rebuilder in-state 😂 (only partially a joke!), I've seen some of your other work rebuilding the radio and all that and I'm real impressed. I'll be needing help in the future There's no good reason your manifolds shouldn't seat together with a new gasket between them. I'll be running the same experiment when my 8 is out of the shop in a month or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 Expert? No! I can give advice (mostly- get the factory manual, it's pretty good) I really need to get back to the radio, it's in bits still. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 Manifold now bolts together- with no gaskets, bolting the manifolds to the engine makes them seal correctly to the engine but the two halves don't come together flat or correctly. Hopefully should be able to get it as close as possible, I'm going to then try sand the faces flat if it won't sit. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 The tilt of those machined surfaces (and the height) where the two pieces bolt together should set things in such a way that all the ports line up to the holes in the block (in the up/down direction). Any slop sideways can help line up the intake ports flush with the exhaust ports where they contact the block. Sometimes bolting it to a block with the bolts not tight can help you line things up. Once you have all that, if the surfaces are out of plane where they contact the block, you might have to machine the whole assembly flat where it contacts the block. The quick easy way to fix that it to run it over a surface grinder, but you don't see those much in auto machine shops anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 Yeah, I loosened the two sections and bolted the center two bolts down and worked outwards alternating sides as I went. The mating faces come together at the outside edge (closest the fender) and have a modest gap at the back. It was too hot and my shoulder was making protest so I stopped, but I am going to split it off again, clamp the exhaust by the inner two, see if I can get the intake to line up better- within the expectations of the gaskets- if not I will bolt them together, lined up as well as I can get them and see about getting the engine side faces flush. Last thing I want to do is get a little over-zealous and have the thing crack after a few heat/cool cycles. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 It goes again! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 Needs gaskets and a good tune up, but it changes gear. Phil 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Thanks for the ride. Sounds great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 Pulled the car out of the garage and cleaned up the floor. No oil leaks! (All the stains are legacy). Rinsed the dirt off the car and topped the gearbox up as per manual instructions as it was a little low. Gear changes are better now. Everything's still bedding in and settling down but it's better. Brakes have all seized up from being sat so that's on the to-do list also. Only the front brakes are exerting any effort right now. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 Ugh, I think I found the cause of the rough running. Does anybody have the service sheet for a Delco-Remy 1110818 1A8 distributor? Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Whats wrong with the distributor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 1 hour ago, Bloo said: Whats wrong with the distributor? Somebody butchered the plate. I had a go at straightening it out. It's significantly less wobbly than it was. Phil 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 4 hours ago, PhilAndrews said: Somebody butchered the plate. I had a go at straightening it out. It's significantly less wobbly than it was. Phil i have an extra nos dual point conversion kit, breaker plate with two new points, you would just move the condenser to the outside of the distributor housing. here's pictures of the conversion in my 55 pontiac 287 distributor - same size housing as yours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 Do you find any benefit from a twin points setup? The I-8 is hardly a high revving fireball. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 The misfire is really apparent in this video, once I get up to real light throttle in top gear. I ran out of time yesterday to troubleshoot after taking the distributor apart- is a strange misfire that I cannot put my finger on. I am going to move on to the carburetor next. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 On 10/13/2019 at 9:13 PM, PhilAndrews said: Rinsed the dirt off the car It's always nice to see your car from a distance rather than a foot or two away for months on end. I find myself parking in a parking lot as far away as possible....not to protect it from getting scratched but to take it in for the walk back. Sharp lookin'! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 4 hours ago, PhilAndrews said: Do you find any benefit from a twin points setup? The I-8 is hardly a high revving fireball. Phil most people don't understand the benefits of dual points, because the 1st point does the opening and the 2nd point does the closing, a better spark is made from the coil, and with the dual points, the point gap setting will last longer. it has nothing to do with how high or not so high an engine can reach in rpms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 (edited) 54 minutes ago, pontiac1953 said: most people don't understand the benefits of dual points, because the 1st point does the opening and the 2nd point does the closing, a better spark is made from the coil, and with the dual points, the point gap setting will last longer. it has nothing to do with how high or not so high an engine can reach in rpms. I've never had the system nor had the reason to look into it (all my CB equipped vehicles over the years have just been single points). Than you for clarifying, every day is a school day. I want to investigate the fueling first because I've not done so yet but it's a strange misfire. Edit: thinking of it, that allows for a very variable dwell... Phil Edited October 15, 2019 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now