66 slammed hearse

[1963chevyshort]

Nice build keep it going

[Captainfab]

Man you're just having all sorts of trouble kd!

That oil filter adapter should have a O-ring to seal it to the block. I've not had problems with them leaking in the past.

The aluminum intake shouldn't cause any problems with grounding.....aluminum still conducts electricity. You do however need to ground your engine to the body, either directly or via the frame. Of course the frame would need to be grounded to the engine.

What type of thermostat housing are you using? I gave up on the chrome ones long ago. If yours is warped, you can straighten it out with a hand file and a little time.

[kdrodworks316]

Hey capt, I do have a new chrome thermo housing, I knew it would leak but I bought it anyway, somthing about men and chrome that makes us lose our better judgement.
I have the battery grounded to the water pump, and there is a ground strap that goes to the valve cover bolt to the body that I didnt reattach yet. I cant understand why it wont work? It worked great with the 6 banger.
The filter adapter has a o-ring on it, but it leaked right from the start, I torn it down and found it had twisted. I siliconed it in to the groove on the block and reinstalled the adapter, not tight, just snug so not to crush the o-ring. I refilled the oil and fired it up, got it warmed up and it didnt leak. I then shut it down and let it cool off, then refired it and thats when it started leaking. What am I doing wrong? I hate using silicone, but it was worth a shot. It runs great but I cant drive it losing oil. Its one problem after the next.
The newest problem is the fuel gauge is pegged at full after I changed the tail harness, grounded out? I didnt work on it today, I am about ready to set it on fire.

[Captainfab]

Originally Posted by kdrodworks316

Hey capt, I do have a new chrome thermo housing, I knew it would leak but I bought it anyway, somthing about men and chrome that makes us lose our better judgement.
I have the battery grounded to the water pump, and there is a ground strap that goes to the valve cover bolt to the body that I didnt reattach yet. I cant understand why it wont work? It worked great with the 6 banger.

You should be good once you attach that ground strap to the valve cover bolt. Is there one on both sides?

Originally Posted by kdrodworks316

The filter adapter has a o-ring on it, but it leaked right from the start, I torn it down and found it had twisted. I siliconed it in to the groove on the block and reinstalled the adapter, not tight, just snug so not to crush the o-ring. I refilled the oil and fired it up, got it warmed up and it didnt leak. I then shut it down and let it cool off, then refired it and thats when it started leaking. What am I doing wrong? I hate using silicone, but it was worth a shot. It runs great but I cant drive it losing oil. Its one problem after the next.

Only thing I can think of right off is just tighten it some more?

Originally Posted by kdrodworks316

The newest problem is the fuel gauge is pegged at full after I changed the tail harness, grounded out? I didnt work on it today, I am about ready to set it on fire.

Yeah I had all kinds of trouble with the one in my Burb. I never did figure out what was really causing the problem. I just kept cleaning and checking connections, and tried a couple different gauges and finally got it to work

[soba_03]

KD check your grounds for your fuel tank. Something is not making a good ground. I actually found that my tail light problem was my headlight switch wasn't making good contact, cleaned it and used dielectric grease on the connection. solved the problem, Same on the Fuel tank on my C10 cleaned all teh grounds and used a little dielectric grease on the electrical connections and it reads right on....

[soba_03]

OK I backed up and read the Trials and Tribulations of this Burb Build, Yes ground straps are necessary for it to operate correctly. Additionally, your spin on kit should not leak at the block (I know call me Mr. Obvious) something there is not right. Either you have it not seated squarely or it's a seal problem. Is there no filter adapter on the block for a spin on? as for the Thermostat housing, go to the FLAPS and ask for the leak proof thermostat gasket and yes they make them. It should solve your problems, it's a couple bucks more but then your done....

[kdrodworks316]

Hey Soba, No there was no spin on adapter, this engine has a canister type filter on it. I hope to work on it tonite and maybe solve some problems. The fuel gauge worked till I replaced the tail harness, I think the wire is bared somewhere and grounding it out. I cleaned the ground strap from the tank when I had it out and it worked till I screwed with the rest of the tail harness. I am going to run a new wire to it and see if that fixes it.

[soba_03]

KD, looks good. Just so you know MSD.......


MSD = my sh*ts done

[scot 6 feet eleven]

thats sounds like something id like to do tooo zombie theme!!!!!!!! id make it so when the doors open hydrolics like the coffin out and the lid opens and a zombie comes out or frankenstein would be cool tooo,

[soba_03]

It has been said before tops half put in some things that looks like a corpse, the bottom hlaf make a Beer cooler out of it.... it will be WILD.... Drinking beer out of a coffin.... It's sure to be a hit...lol

[kdrodworks316]

thats a great idea, double decker. I was goig to do a deep cooler, but this will be so much cooler and easier. Heres what I have so far....

[soba_03]

Ok well you know that people are going to think that your freakin nuts, you have a coffin in your spare room.... and your going to make a cooler out of it... just hindge the lid and you can lock the top half and open the bottom half for drinks... line it with some satin and then get a dummy torso and your in...

[RunninLo]

Originally Posted by kdrodworks316

Hey capt, I do have a new chrome thermo housing, I knew it would leak but I bought it anyway, somthing about men and chrome that makes us lose our better judgement.

Men maybe. Trucker definately. I have another friend who hauls for a living and his G/F of many years refuses to marry him becaue "chrome is more important than I am." she says. I know when my lowrider friends wanted some blingin switch extensions the truck stop always had them in stock.
At least you don't have the light bug. well yet anyway
Josh

[4dranch]

KD,
I saw this on CL and you came to mind..

http://memphis.craigslist.org/cto/867839336.html

[suzq044]

lol. That last sentence should've been left out by the poster.

[4dranch]

I thought so too. but hey, it may be the part that sells it, who knows..

[kdrodworks316]

ok, I will straightin a common misunderstanding about funeral cars. 1st nobody died in the car, therefor no spirts or ghosts, people die in ambulance's every day, therefor spirts or ghosts hang around them alot(if you belive in that stuff). Dont get me wrong, I would LOVE to have a 53-54 caddy hearse, but they are hard to find, expensive, and nearly impossable to get parts for from the dash back because they are built by coach companys, just like our crew cabs and stageway burbans. Hearse's have a bad rep, almost always painted black, and they carry dead people, so everyone thinks they are haunted. The nieghbors hate my burban, they have called the cops and want it to go away, and its not even a real hearse. some people cant stop staring, some people run the other way. Its a cop magnet, because its a hearse thats daily driven, it must be illegal. Now that people know I have a coffin in my house, it will only get worse. Any of my friends from this board will tell you, I aint a "goth kid". I am a normal person (ok boyz have fun with that one) But I am in mortican school to become a funeral director. Theres great money in it, everyone needs you someday. I am building this rig to be a head turner, which it is, and for doing halloween stuff like trunk or treat and spook alleys. It just got rented out tonite for the week of halloween to be a prop at a spook alley. Cha ching, $100 a night for 10 nights, and all it has to do is show up and sit. Sorry to rant, but people are starting to wonder about me and these cars already have a bad rep. So, to anyone who may want to buy a hearse I will add, do your research. They are heavy 7000lbs +, are gas hogs with big motors, are really hard to get parts for and the glass is all but impossable to get, are know for being unreliable, are plagued by the curse of the hearse (just read this thread again and you will know that) and if you are creeped out by death or spirts it not the right rig for you. Most anyone who buys a hearse will only have it a short time before they sell it, the presents of things they cant explain is to much for them. If anyone finds them out there, feel free to post pics, just remember there are some strange people out there that will write anything to sell something.

[kdrodworks316]

well I worked on the cursed hearse tonite, and it still leaks oil and coolant. I bought a new o-ring for the oil filter adapter, installed it as careful as possable, and it leaks like a syve. It also changed the thermo housing and....I broke it. I did however do some good...I fixed the fuel gauge that GM screwed up. the wire was pinched in the frame between a crossmember and the frame where it was rivited. I dont know how it ever worked, but it does now with the help of a new wire. Now back to the oil problem...I cant seem to make this thing stop leaking, what am I doing wrong? I double checked the o-ring was where it goes, carefully put the adapter in and installed the bolts. I tightened them to the point of very snug, but not buried. I am going nutz screwing with it. is there a better adapter out there? I am over $100 out in oil on the ground. I also grounded the body to the intake in hopes of getting the temp gauge to work, and that didnt hep. Like I said before, I tested the gauge and I know its good and workingand tried 3 differant senders, all new with nothing. any ideas?

[soba_03]

KD, I'm assuming that your using a remote filter? I mean should have lines from the block to your spin on unit? it the thing leaking where you put the filter on it? is it a gm spin on kit or a ford spin on kit I'm pretty sure that the two take different filters. Guess I'm confused where your getting your leak from. You said that it was from the block..where the filter adapter mounts. If it had a canister I thought those were remote mounted. As for your temp gage is it the stock gage or is it an after market? If it's after market does it need a seperate ground? Did the temp gage work with the 6? Can you adapt a fitting to make it work with 8?

[jonzcustomshop]

A friend of mine in texas bought a 70's caddy hearse , parked it at the apartment complex the first day, and right away started getting complaints... some lady freaked out, and thought her husband had died...?..., the mgmt. frowned on it, and asked him if he could back it in so that it wouldnt scare people.
Yet again the 'bambalance is what you need to worry about, if it is a hearse, they have been gone awhile.
He only kept it a couple months, it was a real pita to drive, lots of blind spot and just plain huge. fun to ride around in though.
A guy here in town has one with personalized plates, w8tin4u, ansd another friend had one with grimrpr on the plates, he also had a full size coffin in the back, with a tie hanging out of the lid

[RunninLo]

find one of those big plastic ice cream cones to put on top.... start refering to it as a "good humor" truck at least until some of your gremlins move on....then you can go back to being "cursed". :lol

Just a thought man. I don't suppose a torque wrench ever came out on your oil adaptor? I know on my lil truck I had more than my share of problems with the pan gasket and the torque wrench cured my leaks there. Guess my calibrated thumb was off.
Josh

[kdrodworks316]

Soba, its just an adapter to go to a spin on type filter. The engine had the stock canister, a filter element in a metal can with a thru bolt to hold it to the engine. This hunk of pot metal adapter replaces that part. it bolts to the filter hole with 2 bolts just like the newer style engines and has a round machined part for the filter to spin on to. Here is a picture of what I am using...the face you can see is where the filter screws on and the o-ring seals the bottom against the block.(unless its on my stuff, then it leaks like crazy) The bolck is machined with a little lip for this o-ring to sit on, its not like the newer ones thats flat where the filter spins on and seal right to the block. This is where mine leaks, between the block and this adapter.

[jonzcustomshop]

why did you convert to spin on?
my 56 265 has the canister type, and seems to work ok, I haven't driven it in 5 yrs or so, but when I was I was able to get the right element at autozone & napa.

[kdrodworks316]

I was having trouble finding a filter for it, then it rubs on the exhaust. but now I found the filter so I may go back for right now, if I can get it to seal.

[Hoffman65burb]

looks awsome! HAHA L O V E the coffin ! you gonna get it all nice and ready for Halloween? haha awsome man