tektrans

What a clusterf*ck
I'm cracking up here-I'm sorry Lol
We all have been there in some way or another, myself more than once, more than twice....

L88Plus

Previous comment is right, you have the main mast on backwards if the straps won't fit. It should lean backwards.
I have a nickel that says you won't do that again...

vettezobsezzed

... Well, I see the err in my ways, I bolted the mast up tite first.. Which for whatever reason stood it straight up/a little fwd. I bought it as a pile of parts, didn't have a pic of one to work with, and I didn't look for one... Too big of a hurry...

Had I looked into it a little further, I would have left bolts loose, pulled mast back, may have been the cure... She's too bent up too tell now, and I haven't had a chance to look it over. Either way... My little "Jonny" fires rite up @-20c and got me fixed up last nite... Who needs a crane
=>Nothin runs like a deere<=

Really appears to be no damage, so I installed the flex plate last nite, and I'm moving forward... Just glad this fail didn't happen over the side of my car

Realistically that crane didn't cost much, and came with a free engine stand... Or most of one, lol

vettezobsezzed

Bolted on starter, Holley 110gph fuel pump and edelbrock water pump, not without issue, I have #8810, which was for 69-70 vette, it appears what I should have had was 8812, for 79 vette, big deal?? It's on now

vettezobsezzed

Got out hammer and fixed her up, gave a test run, think it's ok

vettezobsezzed

Ok. Finally got to hear my monster Growl last night.

Been a couple weeks in the making but I got it fired up. After the whole crane fail thing I need a break for a bit, did some other small projects and come back later. So when it was time I started off with a carb overhaul. Edelbrock 750. Have had this carb since '99, never really got much use of it, and always doubted it was much good. This would be my second attempt at a carb rebuild, did one a year or so that ran, but i was never really proud of it, so 1 more try, right?. So i stripped it down, soaked it for a day or so in a special blend of seafoam/gas and other solvents i had in the garage. Stripped it down, cleaned it up, looked good. Calibrated it 1 step rich in both power and cruise modes. The calibration is greek to me, but have all parts to retun to stock and start over. so far success.

OK. Feeling it again. Added Oil, and primed it with Summit Priming tool and drill, while cranking over with breaker bar. Not bad, looking good, lots of oil thru pushrods, all good. Might as well stab dizzy, This went on for over an hour, what a chore, got it tho, one whole plug wire off, but i have lots of room to play with now (Not in car). Sat in this condition for a week, while life was in the way again.

Strolled into garage one evening, breaker bar still on floor, figured id give it a roll, just 'cause. Got this weird Ting sound as I cranked it. Well that got me going, could hardly sleep for 2 days over that, Night mares of tearing it down and starting over. Untill I went out another night pulled the dipstick and it was all bent up... Was catching on the crank, Phew... i think. rotated it a half turn on the tube, squishing it all outta shape in the process, but ting was gone. OK

Couple more days pass. Got a chance to get in there again, this time to rob all the pulleys and belts off the car and give it a real mock up. This was going good, until I tried to mount the fan… that "Incorrect" waterpump is indeed wrong. 5/8 pilot shaft on pump, 3/4 pilot on fan. Start tearing thru my SBC junk pile, scored a 5/8 fan. Will fit this app. Perfect, Soldier on. Alt/crank/water pump pulleys and belts installed, not without one more pump struggle... the pulley was too deep to fit the pump, customized a spacer to get it shimmed in perfect. OK.

OK, Sat again for a couple more days. Managed to install Plugs and wires on to distributor… joke, using Mallory dizzy and coil/cap. Never again tho… had to pull the coil to get wires on poles. Stupid I thot. My opinion, and does not express or imply the views of corvette forum...lol. Any way, done deal

Got home yesterday, Wife has a friend over who happened to bring her husband… Sweet, not used to an extra set of hands around, (besides my 3 yr old). So off to the garage we go. Installed the headers. OBX side pipes - Not a slam dunk like id read. Had to put the die grinder onto 4 of the holes, (Same 2 each side - 2nd one in from front and back) but success. Next was some mad customized rad support on the engine stand. (Red Green Special for the people that know who red green is...) but again Success. Rolling right along now, install rad with old scrap hoses, and fill with coolant, we then plugged the holes in water pump... lol. Went without thermostat for now. Rolled it all out to the bay door. Plummed in fuel lines, custom fabbed up kill switch and starter button. went to town for gas and ready to go.

Hit the starter, and what a grinding sound… added a shim, nope, added 2 shims nope. Made a real mess of the flex plate. Not sure the issue, but very soon after… starter quit all together… didn’t even get it hot. Skip white ebay special for those who are keeping score. So off to the scrap pile of parts, fished one out, its smaller than i expected, maybe off a V6 or something, anyhow, bolted it on, shot of gas thru the carb, and vrrrrom... wow.

So all in all success so far, it runs… now for tuning, and prep car fur surgery… as long as I get it between the rails by spring

http://vid1358.photobucket.com/album...pstjoqo1oo.mp4



Special thanks to all that contributed to this project, its far from over, but it feels like the worst is over any way...

76strokervette

Congratulations on getting your engine together and running.It sounds healthy and I'm sure spring can't come soon enough.Do you plan on dyno tuning in or out of the car?

63mako

It says "Folding Shop Crane" Made in China. Looks like it worked as advertised!

c3_dk

resdoggie

Red Green, lol! So, how much duct tape has gone into this project?

vettezobsezzed

76, Cant really see myself dyno tuning, Just cant see myself dishing out the cash for it.... Unless i some how get myself in a situation that i cant get it running how i want it, but even then, id probably be doing it in the car. No sort of dyno machine within 150 miles of me anyhow.

Mako, i folded that crane up like noones business... once i reverse engineered it with my precision tuned Hammer tools, its working fine now

resdoggie, although no actual duct tape was used in the engine, a few time it felt like it was going to get to that point... Its kinda funny when little things come up like... whats gonna hold the rad, then ya gotta drop the engine tools and grab measuring tape & saws, then back to wrenching, forgetting to plug holes while pouring in coolant, classic, and not being able to come up with one to fit either...haha, stand there with a finger in the hole, while trying to swage down to right size. Maybe even a little "Mr Dressup", with all the "lets see whats in the tickle trunk, like spare starters, pulleys, brackets, wiring harness...HAHA. Wife got a laugh out of it, i cant ever find a wrench i want when i need it, but i knew where to find stashed chevy parts that havent seen the light of day in 5-10 yrs... and she thinks im not organized...Jeez

vettezobsezzed

Gonna Order a new flexplate and starter, any recomendations?? Pretty much sold on this unit
http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...9526/overview/

Mostly Because i can use all 3 mounting holes, the other night i had the option between both starters to use both patterens, and the starter definatley twisted under load, hoping using 3 holes will help out a bit

Who doesnt love a 3-holer anyways

vettezobsezzed

Well, my new power master starter showed up yesterday, along with flexplate and flex a lite 7 blade fan. Installed starter and flywheel. Whirled over just like it should. Fired rite up.... Gonna make it hard to not keep playing with it...

Now for the next phase, engine removal

vettezobsezzed

Well, in the last cpl weeks I've pretty well wrapped up my garage overhaul, and I gotta say I'm impressed with my workspace. Got the place 1/2 tidy'd up today ( ran outta attention span) and decided it's time... To yank engine.

Car is sitting on wheel dollies, but it's not high enough to get under the car. So I figured I'd throw some wood under the wheels, piece of cake right? Oh ya, went perfect, car was at just the right height to work on from above and underneath. Perfect. Just give it a shove to position it just right..... Crash! When I rocked it front wheels rolled, spit their dollies out. Drivers side dolly jammed up into the rocker, did some damage. F^€£ sakes!

Pressed forward, fabbed up some little wheel chalks, put it back how I wanted it, gave it some shoves, good to go now, I hope. Either way, moving forward, removed all engine accessories, brackets, A/C hoses and such.... My shenanigans cost me 1/2 my night, but in the end, some progress was made.

Just about ready to abandon this project. Things aren't so hot up here with the price of oil and such... The household budget has been hacked to nothing, so the rest of this project is gonna be penny pinching focused. At least I've already got most of my parts, and should be ok for at least the power steering overhaul, and engine swap. Not looking like a tranny Chang is gonna happen this year.

vettezobsezzed

Only had an hour or so tonite, but managed to get the headers off, but not without mangling the oil press sender and probably the temp sender as well... But, headers are off, starter, flywheel cover, and spark plugs are now off. Hopefully tomorrow it's ready to lift... Just tq converter bolts/fuel lines/bellhousing bolts, and motor mounts to go

vettezobsezzed

Pre job safety mtg


Positions every one


Good effort out there...



Now... While I'm at it......

vettezobsezzed

Well, this has turned into a zero $$ project now, pulled all the power steering parts out, put in the new parts I had, reused all the tiered ends, they felt fine anyway, installed new pump onto new engine, think I'm pretty well ready to drop in. Leaving trans and tq converter as is, hopefully it's ok?? What do you guys think? Just doesn't seem rite to put a new converter onto old/worn trans, I'll just run as is and use it on a new trans whenever work picks back up??

Strange predicament, when I work, never any time to work on car, now work is slow, have all kinds of wrench time but too scared to spend a cent on parts for a "toy"

bluedawg

What stall and what cam, sorry for not rereading the entire post.

DO MA NEU!

vettezobsezzed

0.050 duration is231/239. Advertised is 282/290 Lunati20120712

412 ci, idles around 850-950, fairly lumpy, but comes on hard and fast, don't think it'll be a dog of the line, but I won't know until I put it together..

My real concern is the stock tq will be loaded all the time, will this destroy it?

bluedawg

What size stall do you have now?

DO MA NEU!