Project "My Happy Mess"

[oldblue1968chevy]

Look GREAT!

engine looks terrific! what're you using to clamp wires to the back of the head area/valvecover??

[litew8]

Hey John, who said you could post in my thread! j/k!
Teasing cause I remember talking w/you in the Engine thread a while back before I bought the top-end kit.

Thanks for the compliment. Are you talking about holding the wires to the backside of the heads?
I wasn't planning on attaching them to the heads themselves. Maybe a couple cheap plastic looms on each side just to hold the wires together.
The two metal brackets I attached to the TH350 bellhousing are holding the wires pretty good (tight) in place.
No real slack in the lines going to the spark-plugs either.

If you notice in the pictues, the brackets on the bellhousing - they are identical brackets (they didn't have L/R).
That makes one facing the inside and the other face the outside. I think I'm going to take the passenger's side one
off and bend it backwards so it installs like the driver's side, with the wires being inserted from the inside.

--------
I'm not even certain those brakets are suppost to bolt up where I put them.
I was thinking they were to go on one of the bolts for the bellhousing>engine. But those bolts are too large.
So looking around, I found a spot that seems appropritate and went with it.

[litew8]

I've just been informed that "The Fixer" has finished drilling the holes in my valve covers! Going over tonight to take a couple pics.

[Tyz082]

First Post ! Awesome documentary footage of the build! I am starting a build myself and find this thread very helpful. keep it up. you rock

[litew8]

Thanks man! Glad the information can be useful.
Will check in on your thread from time to time. Ask (PM) any question you may have and I might have an answer.

[litew8]

Distributor set to TDC, plug wires finished being installed.
Valve cover holes are drilled, K&N breather and PCV valve installed last night.
Finished putting the two front looms on the block today.
Started (got one side done) scuffing the radiator support for paint.

Will post some pics later. Thanks for looking.

P.S. My older Brother, lets call him "The Pit Boss" (unless he requests it be changed), has mentioned (behind my back) that the plug wires
are going to arc, and that the fuel line routed inbetween the intake will cause vapor lock.


PLACE YOUR BETS FOLKS!

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by litew8

Distributor set to TDC, plug wires finished being installed.
Valve cover holes are drilled, K&N breather and PCV valve installed last night.
Finished putting the two front looms on the block today.
Started (got one side done) scuffing the radiator support for paint.

Will post some pics later. Thanks for looking.

P.S. My older Brother, lets call him "The Pit Boss" (unless he requests it be changed), has mentioned (behind my back) that the plug wires
are going to arc, and that the fuel line routed inbetween the intake will cause vapor lock.


PLACE YOUR BETS FOLKS!

I'd vote no on the arcing but regretfully yes on the vapor lock on the fuel line (as I mentioned) ....

[litew8]

That's okay VA, it's all fun and games. Anything can be fixed!
Keep the bets coming in folks, it's almost race time!

"My Happy Mess" will either shoot out of the gate or trip and land head first into the dirt!

[litew8]

Cheap plastic looms












Front retainers -






Moving on...

[VA72C10]

Looking GREAT!!! Nice details!!!!

[Tyz082]

Sweet! looks amazing, do u have plans for the brake booster? chrome? paint?

[litew8]

Thanks! The accessories were bought early one morning after researching for a good hour. The baffles I used are from Summit. Didn't see anything similar during my early search. Figured they'd be the best options and I can switch out the breather/pcv to whatever, whenever. The air cleaner is brighter in the pictures. Without the flash it blends in good with the other aluminum. Everything else you see in the engine bay won't be changing (heater box might get painted black and MC might get a new cap). A little old school character. Like good red wine, better aged.

[oldman3]

Nice job....Jim

[oldblue1968chevy]

thanks for the pix

[litew8]

Thanks, yw John.

Woodsmith just stopped over with wood finished samples. It is Ash wood. I decided to go with a medium dark (oak) to match the bronze better. I decided to go with a satin finish. Anyone got an example of what it'd look like? Hard to tell what it'd look like with just a sample (he didn't have a sample of satin finish, but semi gloss, don't want gloss).

[litew8]

Ash is almost indistinguishable from Oak.

Found a couple pics (russj67).
His is stained Oak, but the Ash sample I checked out today looked similar in shade (more like the 1st pic).

Don't think this is satin, maybe close.

[litew8]

Another one I think it will resemble (or close) -

68_short_step's

[litew8]

Friday Update

Painted some parts during the week -


Back by popular demand, Zero Rust!





(not Zero Rust, but a rustoleum type)



Radiator support bushings. Had to buy new bolts/nuts.
Didn't come with the kit or they were stripped out beforehand -






Installed power steering lines. Had to modify the return line.
Bent the outlet on the backside of pump for hose fitment/clearance.
Notice the (universal) return line isn't metal like the original and doesn't run
underneath the bracket like pressurized line does.




Will install a magnetic oil pan drain plug.
This will be useful especially for the engine's break in period.
Will catch any pieces of metal that may be produced.




@mightymouse - thank you for the pictures of your build.
After seeing your aluminum radiator a while back, I found one on
fleabay on sale and nab'd it. Griffen 2 row, for our trucks.




More fitment issues brought to you by "My Happy Mess"

Seems like the radiator doesn't want to seat properly, and maybe I have the wrong
size rubber pads the radiator sits on and secures up top with? All of the rubber pads are the
same size/length/thickness (even though I specified Upper/Lower) - from Early Classic.

I think the pads for the top brackets should be longer and thinner, because the ones they sent don't fill the
bracket. The pads that go on the bottom seem to fit okay. But, aside from that, it also seems
the brackets don't align with the radiator correctly. I installed the shroud and it bolts up
correctly and aligns with the bottom, so that tells me that the radiator support is correct.

Not sure why the brackets don't align. Am I forgetting something?




Alignment seems off. And if I put the rubber inserts in, the brackets
sit way too high.






The radiator is nearly the exact same size as the one I took out.
We may have to do some modifying.






Last but not least, my Woodsmith dropped by with another sample.
I asked him if he could darken it up some since the last sample.
Not a problem! Forget what he added to darken it, but it works good.
He said the wood (I got from Bruce Horkey) has lots of dark grain areas.
So a lot of the wood will look like the end of this sample.
Golden Oak (with something added to darken), satin finish.

[hgs_notes]

Looks like the passenger radiator hold down should be in the holes to the left and the right one should be moved to the right so the holes line up and the bracket is aligned on the weld seams of the radiator where the tanks are welded on. They fit over the ridge where the tanks are brazed on on the original radiator. I like those valve cover connections you have for the breather. I'd spray some rattle can black on the brake booster though. It pulls your eyes from that great looking engine.

[litew8]

Thanks hg_notes. Maybe I was so tired tonight I was that far off in placing the top brackets? But if I remember correctly, if the top brackets went over the seams, there's no way the brackets would bolt down to the support. They'd sit too tall. And that might go back to having the wrong pads for the top brackets because the height of the new rad is the same as the one I had. I think I have the originals still in the trunk of my car.

The connectors are actually baffles (all aluminum construct, made?/sold by Summit). They are great for being able to swap accessories out whenever to whatever, but their sole purpose is to prevent oil from splashing up into the breather/pcv. Something I found at the last minute and I'm glad I did. I think they are better than just having a grommet in a hole. Especially true for custom drilled holes.

[hgs_notes]

Those rubber pads will crush into the brackets or give enough to bolt down, or they should anyway. But looking at the last pic showing the mounts from the side it looks like the top ones are for a 4 core radiator with 2 core rubbers in them. The hieght would be the same though. Swap to the shorter radiator hold downs with those rubbers in them and put them in with the rubber directly over the tank weld seam.

[litew8]

That's an idea and I did think that the top brackets seemed too long, but like you said - if they go over the seams, then they'd be long enough. Trouble is (I think), If I moved one of the brackets (say the passenger's) to the holes on the outside, the shroud won't line up. There's got to be an easy answer to this since both radiators are the same size. Don't think they are 3/4 core brackets because I don't think my truck ever had a need for one since it's been a SB and not BB. But anything is possible. Maybe a PO changed them some time? hmm I need to look back at pics and compare maybe.

[hgs_notes]

Those holes to the left are where it belongs. Measure the distance between holes on the shroud then measure the distance between the flanges on the radiator. Should be close to the same.

[JDeere550]

she's lookin real purdy and hgs has good input, i agree with what he said. but when you get this thing going i'd like to hear some news on how that radiator works out, cause i'd like to get one.

[chevy2racr]

I'm surprized noone had shot a picture of thier under hood, I would but my 71 has no shroud/4 core and my blazer has 4 core/zip tied shroud

lookin good all in all man!