Dallas CC: engine drop Wednesday pm!

[FST FOX]

Originally Posted by hey,littlecobra

welllllll??????????????????

engine in????????????????

K

Yes engines in, tranny's in with very few issues

[JRoss]

It's in, transmission too. I'm sure SSSammy will post some pics.

John

[SSSammy]

Many, many thanks to JRoss, fst fox, jshel, damdfw, joe wicked, Bwana Snake, Adam, and MadMiles442 .. great turnout and I really appreciate you guys coming out on a weeknight. Some of you came a long way and stayed a long time ..THANK YOU!

Relatively few issues .. surprise, an FE just barely fits in an ERA .. a car designed for it We really needed JRoss' fancy 4000lb engine tilter. My hoist was too short to go over the nose, so we did it from the side, after removing one wheel .. something I learned from reading ChuckBrandt's build thread.

Here's the crew getting ready to go down ..



It's in there ..



Stabbing in the DKT aluminum toploader ..



Issues: can't get a torque wrench on the engine mount lugs, just got them as tight as we could with a box wrench. And the OEM style alternator bracket bolt actually touches the right shock mount .. must use the ERA provided hardware. Had to cut the OEM off with a recip saw .. we were NOT going to lift the engine to save a damn bolt

Special recognition to MadMiles442 for making the effort and being with us only two weeks after hip replacement surgery! Miles you looked great .. keep getting better every day .. you and Annie will be back in no time!

SSSammy

[hey,littlecobra]

holy $hit! that looks like abdominal surgery there! wow!
glad it went in relatively smoothly. What did you do about the blanket stuck between the bolt and shock tower?? (from the other thread)

congrats!
kristen

[LuvDaBlues]

SSSam,

Is that a vacuum advance distributor? What's up with that?

I'm also quite jealous, an FE? Ya lucky turd. And a great looking vehicle ta boot. With that much help, I'm surprised ya got anything done.

[FST FOX]

Sammy I'm sure you have another pic available ( you know one where i'm not so up close and personal in the side of the photo)

[SSSammy]

Steve! That is a vacuum advance .. it came with this gently used engine. Shortly I will replace it with an MSD billet, but right now it is keeping track of #1 TDC for me Of course you don't need FE p*nis envy, you have a 460 BBF, for goodness sake.

Miles, you left your 12 pack of Shiner Bock untouched We're going to try for engine start on Sat, Sun at the latest .. so come back if you can and we'll have it chilled for you.

Patrick, I used that photo just because you were in it

Pulling the dash off now to wire it .. gotta go!

Sam

[Joe Wicked]

Glad to come out and help. My arm is a little sore from trying to get that motor mount tight, but I had a good time. Got to talk cars for a while and get some good opinions on different kits. I am usually bad with names, but I got most of ya down last night.

John did tell me it was mandatory for me to come out to the next meeting.

[rokndad]

Friends are what makes the world go 'round. That DFW, TX bunch is hard to beat.

[damdfw]

I had a great time as well. I would love to be there for the first start. If it looks like a Saturday start up, I would be happy to help.

David

[SSSammy]

Good and bad .. Pulled the steering column and then the dash. Got the dash wired, speedo cable came in and actually fit. Re-did the ground strap to the tranny casting that we had grounded to a piece of rubber Went to Elliotts and got some bolts to connect the driveshaft until ERA sends the real ones.

John R was talking about doing the clutch bleeding, and I got the slave and mechanism out for a trial fit .. ahhhh sh!t .. my particular set up puts the fork a bit further forward than ERA allows. I think the slave bracket was designed for a diaphram pressure plate and I'm using a Long style that stands taller. End result is there is no way to mount the slave cylinder with what I have here. The clutch fork is too close to the slave cylinder. ERA makes a solution, an adapter block that moves the slave cylinder back .. I'll have to get them to send one asap. Will call in the am. But I don't think we are going to get to start it this weekend .. maybe next weekend. Can't start it if I can't disengage the clutch.

I'll still be working on it all weekend, if anyone wants to come look. Headers and sidepipes are ready to install, and wiring the engine up. Coolant hoses, gas lines, accessory install. Everything I was going to do prior to actually turning the key.

Sam

[Madmiles442]

Had a great time guys.

It's hard to tell just how gorgeous this car is. I'm still not doing it justice.


The realization that it's not going to get there going over the nose.


Aaahh. Mo betta!


Everyone gave their all


I'll take one aluminum toploader to go, please


Not much wiggle room, but it's in there!


Not only tight side-to-side, but check out the front-to-back clearance.


The late night closing croud. Bartender, get these men a beer!


Sam, the Shiner is for the rest of the build. It looks like AT LEAST a 12 beer job, perhaps more.
I really overdid it with my hip that night. Paid for it the next day. Had to hit the ice bag. Oh well, no better cause.

[SSSammy]

See what I was saying about that Viper Red .. it's so red it saturates the video processors in the camera and PC

Well, today's developments include finding the necessary clutch slave spacer at ERA and they will overnight it to me, Saturday delivery requested. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get to start it this weekend! I'll try to post a notice if I can determine when that is going to be.

Meanwhile, I'll be out there working today and all weekend, so if your schedule permits you to stop by, there is plenty of beer! If you want to pick up a wrench, have at it! Call me first to make sure I'm not 1) dead from exhaustion, or 2) gone to Home Depot for tools.

Finishing up the rear wiring .. about to put the dash and steering wheel back on in a little while.

Sam

[Joe Wicked]

My arm is still sore from trying to get that darn motor mount tight.


Sammy, if I have time on Saturday, I may stop by and help some. I have several things to do that I promised the wife, after I do the yard work that I need to. I gotta keep the Mrs happy first. Wish I could have stayed longer to help finish up, but 5 AM comes early when you get home at 10:30 and in bed at 11. If I would have stayed longer, I would have been falling asleep in my afternoon meeting with a customer, and that would not have been a good thing.

[SSSammy]

Joe, you're welcome to come by whenever. Thanks very much for wrenching with us. I would be way deep in a hole without all the help you guys provided.

Tomorrows agenda includes header and side pipe install. The car is up on jacks for that. I'm trying to get the MSD mounted in a decent place, not under the hood ... then can put the dash back on as it is done. Need to finish engine hookup, wiring, dist, alt, radiator, fuel line, carb. None of it very difficult or time consuming.

The issue with the aluminum tranny housing we had Wed night returned. That one bolt we took out to connect the ground strap to is stripped. Sorry DKee, but I think it came stripped. When I filled the tranny with oil, it leaked from that bolt hole. I drained the oil, took the bolt out, chased it, cleaned the hole out, washed it with brake cleaner, dried it with canned air, and absolutely packed it with silicone gasket sealer. Drained the tranny again to get all the brake cleaner out, will fill it tomorrow. If it's sealed, fine, if it leaks I'll have to send the thing back to Kee .. maybe after a few miles and a few smiles.

Sam

[hey,littlecobra]

diligent. do these people know you are an engineer and this is all just a huge set of challenges to be conquered???
You will have this thing accomplished in like two weeks. A record! Maybe you'll make r n g after all! wow!
good luck, Sam!!!!!!
kristen

[FST FOX]

Well tonight was an awesome night to cruise so get that thing together, we can all cruise together, might bring Jessica over for a little, she has not ridden in the car yet just the ole farm truck, so hopefully unlike most she won't know what a snake bit feels like just yet.

[SSSammy]

Kristen, you know that's why I'm hurrying .. but those guys just HATE it when someone drips greasy stuff on their track. So I'm not going unless this car is READY and tight and broken in, etc. etc. But crossing my fingers, yes!

SSSammy

[SSSammy]

Full day here Sat, John Ross came over and we covered a lot of ground, Patrick came by with Jessica .. what a sweetie But most of the day was spent flogging away at the clutch slave bracket issue. The part ERA overnighted came in, but did not solve the problem We tried every way we could think of, but it just moves the slave off axis in a different way. Looks like its cutting, drilling, grinding, welding, time this am ..

We got the Hurst 4 spd shifter installed on the toploader (it's not leaking oil!), quite a trip back to the 60's Also got the wiring finished, and the dash back in. Windshield wiper system installed. Today's agenda: solve the clutch slave bracket, install carb and engine gas line, install temp and oil press sensors, radiator hoses, distributor, headers and side pipes, gasoline, battery .. that's about all that remains to get to startup. May make it today, may not .. depends on the clutch thing.

Open house all day if anyone wants to stop by, beer is still here .. nobody drank any yesterday .. too busy!

SSSammy

[Joe Wicked]

So were you able to get to the start yesterday Sammy? I finally got all my stuff done yesterday and just sat and relaxed for the afternoon.