Gator Squared

[justinburnett]

Just make sure there are pistons readily available for the engine .020 over. I could be totally wrong, but if I remember right when I did mine the only ones I could find without paying extra were .030 or .060
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[sumran]

I will check.
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[justinburnett]

Northern auto parts sells them in .020 .030 .040 and .060 in kits. You should be just fine. I retract my previous statement. Sorry about that. Maybe next time I should look before I start spouting off misinformation.

[sumran]

No problem. Measure twice, cut once.

[justinburnett]

I always end up with a lot of extra lumber....

[Restrorob]

Originally Posted by sumran

Shows!? Your talking shows?

Well..... At the rate your going it will be all back together in no time, After ALL the $$$$$ and ALL the work your not going to leave it sit in that little culdesac are ya ?

You gotta show off all that hard earned money and talent building a one-off truck, Besides..... You already have yer foot in the door.... I'm "Da Judge" !

Originally Posted by justinburnett

I always end up with a lot of extra lumber....

Same here......That's why I buy more than needed.

[sumran]

Originally Posted by Restrorob

Well..... At the rate your going it will be all back together in no time......

I hope you are right. It doesn't feel that way at the moment. My real deadline is (typical major college town answer) FOOTBALL season. After all, they don't call it a "tailgate" for nothing. Nobody "hatchbacks" or "trunklids" before a game.

[sumran]

I ordered all of my engine internals yesterday. Cam, lifters, pushrods, pistons, bearings, timing set, oil pump, freeze plugs and a full gasket and seal kit. They are supposed to show up at my door starting today.

Also ordered the engine paint. I am going to use the "Olds 455 Blue" from Eastwood. I know it is not an Oldsmobile or a big block, but I like the color. Why should the engine paint be correct when nothing else is correct on the truck?

[justinburnett]

It should be exactly what color you want it to be!

I guess if you were fully restoring it to sell, it would matter, but that doesn't sound like your goal (or you wouldn't have your kick-ass headrest logos and such). I wish my project was coming along as smoothly honestly. Everything I do takes weeks at a time for the smallest thing it seems like, and I haven't even started THINKING about body and paint. Well, I think about it every day, but I mean actually considering doing it.

[sumran]

Engine parts have been pouring in during the last few days. Still waiting on valve springs and pushrods and assembly lube. Glad I didn't throw away the oil pump. The new one did not include the pickup tube and screen, so I will need to reuse those.

I should have my block and piston assemblies back this week. They are installing the cam bearings for me, so I should be ready to put it together. The first step will be painting the block and oil pan. It will be the following week when I get the heads back. I received the paint on Friday.

I am in a quandary about the initial run of the engine. I am not sure whether I would be better off installing the engine in the truck for that process or if I should do it on the stand. It would be nice to have it done and ready while I'm waiting for the truck to get out of paint, but it seems like a lot of extra trouble to rig everything. Since I will be running a serpentine system I would need to get a short belt, since I don't have my A/C compressor yet and wouldn't want to spin the power steering pump.

I have rebuilt several engines over the years (this is my first SBC), but I would not say I have ever built a car motor properly. I have done some motorcycles the right way. There is a big difference between rebuilding something to get another 100k mile out of it and building a motor for a project like this one. I am having to study and plan for each part of the process. I am learning a lot, which is enjoyable.

[justinburnett]

As far as I know, you need some load on the engine to properly seat the rings. I've never considered trying to break in an engine on a stand. Have you done this before?

[sumran]

Originally Posted by justinburnett

As far as I know, you need some load on the engine to properly seat the rings. I've never considered trying to break in an engine on a stand. Have you done this before?

Nope. I have seen it done. It is very unlikely I will do it on the stand. It is not practical for me. If I built engines regularly it would be one thing. This is the first car engine I have done in 10 years and I don't know when I will do another. Even if it is in the vehicle it would not have significant load on it, since it would be in park. It would have some.

My first concern is the cam. I don't really like breaking in the cam and the rings at the same time. The cam break-in requires operating the engine in a narrow rpm range (2,000-3,000) for 30 minutes. When I am seating rings on motorcycle engines I usually want constant acceleration and deceleration in a wider rpm band. That allow the rings to seat before there is any glazing. I have never done a cam and rings at the same time.

I'm sure there is lots of info available, but I haven't had time to study it yet.

[justinburnett]

I ran into the same problem with my truck. How do you run it at 2500rpm AND constantly accel/decel at the same time? Well, you can't, obviously, so I just let it high idle for about 5 min and started driving it. Seems to have worked out fine. I didn't really know what else to do about it. It is a good question, and I'm sure there is literature available someplace that you could read up on. My machinist and mechanic were actually both there by some freak accident when I put the engine in (I did it at my house). Mechanic drove by about the time I was finishing dialing in the timing and then the machinist guy was on lunch headed home for a minute but saw us both standing there so he had to stop and talk about it too. They both said that you pretty much have to find a happy medium as far as the break in goes. The only other thing to do would be to use the old cam for the ring break in, and then put the new cam in after that's done, but I didn't really want to tear the front out again so I didn't do it that way. Maybe someone else here has better ideas.

[sumran]

Oh, and for good measure I will have a carb I have never used and is only adjusted to what I think are the right settings. In other words, my first experience with the new engine, it will probably run like a poorly maintained garbage truck.

[sumran]

I decided to start the week with a note of wild optimism, even if it is unwarranted. I ordered two fender covers TO PROTECT MY PAINT when I am working on the truck. This at least makes me feel like I will have a truck with paint on it and it will be at my house so I can work on it. The kind person on the phone at JEGS assured me that the covers will arrive at my house by Wednesday. I have no assurance of an arrival date on the truck.

[justinburnett]

That has to be really frustrating. You'll be happy when it's all done though. Keep up that wild optimism!

[Restrorob]

Originally Posted by sumran

I have no assurance of an arrival date on the truck.

Awww, Don't worry Randy. Once paint prison decides their ready to release your poor truck, It then has to go through the review board. I don't know about your review board but when it comes to my money, Mine is very very strict on the overall outcome.

Whatever you do, Don't let the warden talk you into early release. Make sure the review board is happy on all accounts, That will make for a more positive build.....

Cya

[sumran]

Originally Posted by Restrorob

Awww, Don't worry Randy. Once paint prison decides their ready to release your poor truck, It then has to go through the review board. I don't know about your review board but when it comes to my money, Mine is very very strict on the overall outcome.

Whatever you do, Don't let the warden talk you into early release. Make sure the review board is happy on all accounts, That will make for a more positive build.....

Cya

Good advice. Quality is my first concern. Cost was a consideration, but that is fairly settled at this point. When I started, I thought time would be less of a concern. In part that was because I overestimated my ability to keep things moving through paint and body. Partly because I underestimated the effect of having time, money, energy and emotion invested in a project that is stalled.

This will pass and many have had much longer stays at "the big paint house" than I will have to experience.

[sumran]

Went to truck visitation at paint prison. I told him last time that I really needed the project to start moving forward and see some change. Well, I got both. The truck had been pushed forward about two feet in the bay. And they had changed the tools that were sitting on top of it. The boxes of parts had also changed positions.

I've got to start being more specific.

[sumran]

Stopped by to get an update after vacation and business trip. Substantial work had been done on the truck. All the metal work on the cab has been done. Still work to do on the doors.

The bed has received a good bit of attention as well. The front wall of the bed was really beat up. Over the years, people must have thrown heavy stuff into the bed and let the front of the box stop it. I ordered a replacement panel from LMC. It was cheaper than having the original fixed. I don't need the bed to be pristine, because it will get spray on bedliner and the truck will need to earn its keep as a truck. I plan to put a tonneau cover on it. But the front of the box will be visible and needs to be straight.

They were preping the engine bay and frame for paint when I stopped by.

[Restrorob]

Good to hear progress is being made Randy !

Sometimes is can be a pita to get prison workers motivated, Maybe you will get this rig back sooner or later. Our next show is November 5th.....

[sumran]

Got my seats and console back today. I am happy with them. They had not been used for several years and the foam needs a little massaging. The leather is very nice to the touch. Now if I could just get a truck. The large insert below the armrest will be removed and I will be fabricating a billet aluminum dock for Ipods and cell phones. I also have some paint work to do on the plastic pieces.

[motornut]

those look really nice

[juiceman650]

Wow, the upholstery on those seats and center console is amazing!
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[sumran]

Thanks. The color combo probably wouldn't be suggested by a designer, but it works well in this area.