PhilAndrews Posted April 26, 2021 Author Share Posted April 26, 2021 Well, I don't plan on this being anything near a high performance engine. If it runs, that's good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 I found my calipers, put a new battery in and checked the big ends on the crank. All a uniform (thrust and slack faces) 2.125"-2.129". Wow. So the crank is good on that, I didn't feel like fighting the main bolts tonight, l will pull those and check the mains too (and bearing fitment) another day. Going to try to to the DMV and get the title put in my name tomorrow. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted April 28, 2021 Author Share Posted April 28, 2021 (edited) 40 rings doesn't look like a lot when you start pulling them off... I'm going to clean them, gap them and refit them ready to go back in. Phil Edited April 28, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Another Plymouth thread to follow 😃 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) Cleaned a couple pistons up in the ultrasonic bath. They came up clean but upon inspection they aren't new. Looks like they've honed the bores to death with a dingleball because a few of them are well, WELL outside spec. The ring gaps are grand canyon-esque. Piston slap ahoy. At least it won't have rod knock. Bottom end is good. Rods are the correct way round now. I'll see just how bad it is when I've got it all back together. My figuring is this will be good enough to putz about with for a short while. I'll probably look at either building up the spare block or sourcing a different engine altogether long term. Phil Edited April 29, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 383's are nice in Fury III's 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) 8 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said: 383's are nice in Fury III's Yeah, that would be nice... ...being as my other daily driver has this badge! Edited April 29, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 DMV task done, I now hold a temp title in my name. Just waiting for the official one to arrive in the mail. $337.60 poorer for that privilege too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) Got the pistons in, aligned correctly this time. Bottom end torqued down correctly too. Cleaned out the oil pump and refitted it. Got the heads back on, valvegear installed in the correct order and the intake on. Need to get some bolts for the lifting points and exhaust manifolds. Does the oil pump self prime on the 318? I cleaned it out and lightly oiled it all back up with engine oil before putting it back on. Phil Edited May 3, 2021 by PhilAndrews Typo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) It is possible to leave the gear shaft for the distributor out and spin the oil pump 'with a drill somehow. I've not done it lately, and can't recall if it takes a special tool. Pack your oil pump with vaseline, or engine prelube, or transmission assembly lube, so it will create a vacuum and suck oil up right away. Pre-fIll the oil filter with oil. Normally after doing some engine work, or a long sleep. I would just take the plugs out and spin it over with the starter until the oil light goes out, then hook everything up and start it. One caveat though, you might not want to do it like that if the cam and lifters are new and need to break in. In that case, you want to avoid cranking it much. Start it and get it up to 2000rpm as quickly as possible, so the cam and lifters get oil splash from the crank before the break in lube gets wiped off of the cam. The drill method might be worth investigating if you have a new cam. Edited May 3, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 How is the rear crank seal doing? If there is any doubt, you might want to scrutinize it. They are infamous for leaking a lot. It is a rope seal. There is a split lip seal available for.... I think a 90s 318 Magnum? Something like that. It isn't supposed to work in these oldies but it usually does. You need to make sure the seal surface on the crank is decent and round. It didn't have to be that perfect for the rope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 6 hours ago, Bloo said: How is the rear crank seal doing? If there is any doubt, you might want to scrutinize it. They are infamous for leaking a lot. It is a rope seal. There is a split lip seal available for.... I think a 90s 318 Magnum? Something like that. It isn't supposed to work in these oldies but it usually does. You need to make sure the seal surface on the crank is decent and round. It didn't have to be that perfect for the rope. A hex rod would work, one end clamped in a drill. I may do that, dropped down through the distributor hole. The engine had a complete oil seal set, I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks for the tips. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Measured across the flats, just under 3/8" so I can get a length of round 3/8" rod and file a hex end onto it to use to prime the pump. Couldn't resist, set the ancillary parts onto the engine. Someone hacked it all about, I need a spacer, some carb bolts, the valve cover gaskets too. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 Icky, icky, icky. I hate ethanol fuel. That is all. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron65 Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Ouch! You might be better off getting another core - that stuff is difficult to completely remove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 1 hour ago, Aaron65 said: Ouch! You might be better off getting another core - that stuff is difficult to completely remove. Yeah, the carb has been dropped several times, it's missing the choke mechanism and I don't feel like pulling the casting plugs to clean out the emulsion tubes. That being said, the ultrasonic cleaner does a moderately good job of removing the worst of it, so it'll be good enough to get it going and eventually just move the car about with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 Tangent! Back to the engine. I made an oil pump adapter and filled up the oil pan. After a brief Exxon Valdez as the oil filter adapter plate didn't seal, I got it set up and holding a steady 68psi on relief. Not getting anything up out of the top end yet which is a little concerning but the lifters did pump up so there's oil throughout the block. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 (edited) LA engines do still oil through the shafts like the older ones. The top end oiling may depend on the cam turning(?). I would dump some oil on the rockers to get it through the cam break it in, and check it afterward to see if it is oiling. It's probably fine. Edited May 6, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 7 hours ago, Bloo said: LA engines do still oil through the shafts like the older ones. The top end oiling may depend on the cam turning(?). I would dump some oil on the rockers to get it through the cam break it in, and check it afterward to see if it is oiling. It's probably fine. You are correct, the cam needs to rotate for oil to reach the top end; apparently to reduce oil overdose. I'll spin it over and get some oil up into the galleries first, the top of the pushrods will need oil also. It I do try start it, the gearbox will be without oil the block without coolant so it'll be a brief start until I can change that- then it'll need a 2000 rpm break-in for the lifters. It's hard to tell if the cam is totally new from looking at it. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 Yup, brought round to the correct position there's plenty of oil. Happy about that, everything's got a bit on it now. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 (edited) I might have become just a little carried away with work in the garage tonight. I'll check if that starter is any good tomorrow. Phil Edited May 7, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Does that distributor clear your firewall and hood bars? In any event, take it off before you drop the engine in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 9 minutes ago, Bloo said: Does that distributor clear your firewall and hood bars? In any event, take it off before you drop the engine in. It does, just about. Engine isn't going back in any time soon though. Previous builder didn't remove it and knocked the cap off, which was then left all on one side for years. Took a bit of persuasion to get the rotor to sit right. I'm going to crank it over (assuming that starter is any good) and see if the ignition module still works- it's an unknown right now. If it does, I'll feed it a little and see if it barks. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Those HEI rotors have a square and a round peg on the bottom. Just a possibility of why it could be hard to install. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 44 minutes ago, JACK M said: Those HEI rotors have a square and a round peg on the bottom. Just a possibility of why it could be hard to install. The rotor had been pushed by the cap for a number of years sat in storage. It was that which caused the problem. I have one bad starter and one that's lazy. Great! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 So fix it. They aren't complicated. Inspect the brushes and commutator. Only replace brushes if they are over 50% gone or so, The new ones will have to break in to the commutator, and will lose significant length right away, so keep that in mind when you inspect the old ones. Look at the bushings, check for slop, replace any that are sloppy or that you can see sideways wear in. When you inspect them you will see what I mean. Twist the drive gear. It should turn one way but not the other. It should be draggy and tight in the direction that it will turn. If it is loose, it will most likely still work as long as it stops in the other direction, but no guarantees. Inspect and most likely replace the copper bolt. Put in a new brake washer. Those are always bad. I see that starter in the picture has the 2 bolts holding the plastic piece in. I think those have a gasket(?). If your other one is really from 1966 and does not have the 2 bolts, you'll want some rope caulk from the hardware store to seal around the plastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 Well yeah, but that's the first time I had tried it and that was at lunch! I had another go. It was successful. Not bad for a carburetor made from electrical tape. Phil 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 8, 2021 Author Share Posted May 8, 2021 Cleaned the carburetor. That's not too bad, really. Phil 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 Better. Carburetor really isn't happy but it also needs an overhaul kit, or better yet, retirement and replacement with new. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 12, 2021 Author Share Posted May 12, 2021 (edited) Started on the body, in earnest. Pulled the stainless trim off the gutter, which really didn't want to come off. Reason? Gutter is bent. How this happens is beyond me but that's the way it goes. Deleted the "trim delete", need to dig in a little further but I pulled the rear window trim off and had a dig in the corner. It's a bit crunchy but not massively bad. Phil Edited May 12, 2021 by PhilAndrews Typo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 12, 2021 Author Share Posted May 12, 2021 I hate Bondo when there's no reason for Bondo. I need some stripping discs, wire wheel isn't the best tool for this. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 Found out why the entire scuttle panel is half an inch deep in Bondo. A dime sized hole for a CB antenna! What a mess. Either way, that can go with some new metal; the corners of the drain channels too, and the left side of the bracing box section is thin air, so that'll all be recreated. The rest is just pinholes and small issues that'll be fairly easy to fix. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 16, 2021 Author Share Posted May 16, 2021 Tonight, after much in the way of unpleasant words, the rear glass came out in one piece. Inspected the right hand bottom corner. Better than I had expected, to be honest. Left side doesn't look so promising but it could definitely be worse. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 Holed but a lot less badly than I thought it would be. I'll clean that all up a little better. I need to pull all the filler off the scuttle and next up have a go at the drip rails. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 Ground out about 3 lb of filler this afternoon. No real reason for it to be there other than laziness. Laid on the first can of gloss paint I had to hand, and there are a couple of ripples and a few small dinks that need to be dollied out. Why?! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 21, 2021 Author Share Posted May 21, 2021 I took the clock out of the dashboard last night because it was raining and I wanted to at least try do something to the car. I took the clock out of the dashboard to see if it wanted to work. Totally dead, so I pulled it apart to find out why. It's a regular clockwork clock, with the main spring being wound every minute or so by a solenoid. The escapement wheel was bent, one of the pallets was twisted and that's why it wouldn't run. I straightened that out, lubricated it and it started to tick away happily. The winding solenoid however was not so good. Measured open circuit, and when removed, rather crispy. I took it apart and measured 212 turns of 28 gauge wire, so I've ordered a spool of that. Hopefully that'll get the clock working again. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 Yikes. Those barely made it through the first couple of years. Do yourself a favor and don't try to fix it. The points will intermittently stick and run your battery dead. It looks better than the factory delete plate, so it's got that going for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 21, 2021 Author Share Posted May 21, 2021 (edited) Don't fix it? You know who you're talking to, right? Yeah, I can see the problems with the design, but if any of my cars sit for more than a day, the battery gets unhooked. It's fairly easy to see if the clock has jammed, as it helpfully has a second hand. Wound now it ticks away merrily, just needed a little TLC. As a side-note, I think I'll add a fault protection circuit in case it does jam, that'll prevent this from happening again. Phil Edited May 21, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 22, 2021 Author Share Posted May 22, 2021 The insulating bungy on the back of the movement had not aged well so I decided to make a new one. Quite simple but awkward to make, cut down from a faucet washer. The grounding strap sits on the larger step and the rubber acts as a sitting to ensure it makes good electrical contact with the back of the case. Only a small thing but it needed doing. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted May 25, 2021 Author Share Posted May 25, 2021 My stripping discs arrived, so I started going at the bodywork. The "before" shot. The swage line is the wrong shape and is dented in two places just behind the wheel. Couple big ripples on the upper quarter. Digging in, the average depth of Bondo on the panel was between 1/16" and 1/8", all over. I stripped it all back and beat the worst of the creases out. Bit of gloss blue again to show the profile better. A couple wibbly wobbly bits, need to pull the anti drum coating off the inside and dress that down a bit more flat, and the swage line is now straight. Still more work to do but that's a start. Then, a small amount of Bondo to fill in the imperfections. Body filler has its place, which is the majority of it sanded off and the rest in the tub because you don't need to use that much. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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