....oh well.....i really haven't had much to say recently (even though my legendary crankiness has shown through on a couple of posts :yesnod: )....

...the reason is, i STILL don't have my engines back but the sb should be ready in a week or so....the guy doing the work has a long history of building bullet-proof big block 1/4 mile engines and i was warned he is slow - but he is S-L-O-W :rolleyes: ( i also didn't think i needed tolerances down to the 0.000010" level but at least i will be convinced that the engines are perfect)...


...got a call last night, as they were finishing up the sb, at least 3 of the main cap bolts let go when they went to torque them down - bolt holes stripped...as it turns out, 3 of the bolt holes were already heli-coiled :eek:

...well, i'n not sure what else can go wrong and i CAN wait for the engines but it just underscores what a crapshoot this stuff really is - with the small block, when i bought it, it was trimmed as 365hp but the valve covers were clearly wrong (major league tip-off that the guts would be a problem) - the dead net on the problems with the engine are: wrong harmonic balancer, wrong timing chain cover, wrong heads ('68 vette - anybody want a decent set?), stripped bolts for - the fuel pump, intake manifold, end caps and oil pan, crank had some throws at 0.10, some at 0.20 (yup, new crank) and new pistons (no big deal on that one), solid tappets running on a hydraulic cam and the oil pump literally fell apart when they dropped the oil pan (the windage tray was cut open to allow clearance for the incorrect pump).........

.....HOW does bubba strip end cap bolts????? - you gotta be a real dumbazz for that one.....


..even though, i was basically financially prepared for rebuilding both engines (just not at the same time :cry )

..makes you think about what you REALLY have under your hood - no?



[Modified by Kid_Again, 7:53 AM 5/10/2002]

 

Been there done that my friend!! Took the guy who built my engine almost a year :eek: :mad Anyway, he's been working vettes for over 30 years, has a good rep, and is willing to help out on anything. One of the types that he's the garage guy on the corner where you can stop in and shoot the crap with him.

...now if I could keep my butt out of the ZR-1 and get back on the '64 maybe I'd hear it run :D

 

Man what did you do to annoy Bubba?

I am sorry to hear of the trevails. Sad part is that a lot of cars are like this. The Humps who own them don't know what they are doing and they farm work out to other Humps who are looking for a quick buck. Result......well what more needs to be said?

This too shall pass. Keep you perspective things could be a whole lot worse. When I say "things" I am not talking about the cars. Some folks went to bed last night and they are not gettin up this morning, next stop for them the "wrong" side of the grass. Hang in there.

Oman

 

Sorry to hear about your engine problems.... I am getting ready to pull the engine in my 63, but I think I will go the ZZ route and rebuild the NOM that's in there now with no rush. I just hope Bubba doesn't have a cousin up here..... :jester

With the helicoils in the bottom end I wouldn't want to be pushing the tach anywhere near the red..... unless you like fireworks..... :D

 

my god, that's awful. i wonder if the guy that owned yours also owned mine?

 

..hey guys, thanks....

theOman....'ya know, i've only reported on the sb - so far so good on the bb - but even with that, i bought the #781's off of ebay and they looked great to the unaided eye (obviously just came back from the machine shop, the guy who sold them to me was clearly honest)....but once my guy took a look at them, he did a total r&r - new springs, seals, redid the seats and guides, etc., etc., etc :cry

...ok, two points here - first, my engine guy is REAL picky (this is good, but S-L-O-W) and it's amazing what fersheet craftsmanship is out there - BECAUSE the head's former owner paid some decent money to have the heads redone (my guy sez they used a very good machine to mill the head surface - just used junk parts - go figure)

...on the helicoils, thanks for the observation but i've been assured that it wil be OK for a street engine, especially the way that i drive (not QUITE a granny driver but i don't take chances)...if i wanna teach some youngsters a real lesson, i'll just go out and rent a diablo vt4 for a day and get it out my system

thanks and be :cool:

bubba - i'll get you one of these days (frankly, i think this is the major reason why it's sometimes so difficult to track down former owners - they remember their "craftsmanship" and don't want any problems :rolleyes: )

 

Just picked up my BB heads on Thursday. Had them done by a guy who does not even advertise his business. He just operates on word of mouth within the dealer network and the "real" auto parts stores down here in Fulton County. He does a lot of work on recip aircraft engines and has a Cessna 182 in a garage next to the shop.

Very very fussy but very laid back and easy to work with. He said my guides were "not bad" but really not up to his personal standards so he redid 'em for me. I told him when I left the heads off....." There are new origional GM: off a crate motor they might have 15K miles but the backs of the intakes have a fair amount of crud. Fix em like they were your own. HIs comment to me when I picked them up "They were not up to the specifications I would demand of myself so I brought them down to tolerances I cold live with if they were my heads.

Gotta love someone who cares about his work. Quality is sooooo important. I never cared about what a job cost if I got what I paid for.

Oman


[Modified by TheOman, 8:23 PM 5/10/2002]


[Modified by TheOman, 8:26 PM 5/10/2002]

 

Kid_Again wrote: "bubba - i'll get you one of these days (frankly, i think this is the major reason why it's sometimes so difficult to track down former owners - they remember their "craftsmanship" and don't want any problems)"

________________________

Kid: I think that passing comment and observation holds a LOT of truth, indeed!!!!

:cheers: :cheers: And good luck!! My time is short coming...... :yesnod:

*******************

*******************
Jeff
Ô66. Modified L72
ÒThe Silver BeastÓ
Keep on :flag :seeya :seeya

 

<< Kid_Again wrote: "bubba - i'll get you one of these days (frankly, i think this is the major reason why it's sometimes so difficult to track down former owners - they remember their "craftsmanship" and don't want any problems)" >>

Absolutely! And I have to confess that more than once during my still unfinished restoration, I've had to proclaim, "I have met Bubba, and he is me!"

- (name withheld by request)

 

Yeah but if the "Numbers Match": wel then ...............who cars about anything else! Bubba usually is a guy who does not know how to fix it right, he only cares that the casting numbers are corect. For my money function oerides matching numbers anyday,


[Modified by TheOman, 8:32 PM 5/10/2002]

 

Joe

I am sorry to hear that your "lucky" streak is continuing. However, it is best you found it now and the mechanic notified you as opposed to just putting it back together and you finding out later. I dont ever remember hearing about an engine with so many bubba destroyed items. Perhaps you should consider having an exorcism performed on the car before you go any further !!!!!!

BTW is DW doing the engine work ???

john

 

...hey john...i see you're on right now.....i'm using wolfie's engine guy - precision automotive in pemberton - been in business since th early 70's and he's closing up shop this summer - the real reason why i did both engines at the same time

 

Tough luck,
Am curious who you bought your cars from?
Private parties? Dealers? Fixer uppers? Restored?
Did previous owners own the cars very long? etc.
Were they advertised as Orig? Matching? NOM?
Have folowed your painful journey for quite a while now
and am just curious. On the bright side, when your finished
you will know exactly what you have. A good engine builder is
great when you find one. One of the best in my area, is Scott,
owner of "The Corvette Shop". And am 1/2 way looking forward
to having him rebuild my next engine. (Kind of a stupid thing to hope for)
:lol: :lol: :lol: But it is really nice when you find someone who really
knows what they are doing.
Good luck.

 

...rat....got the first one, the 66 bb coupe, off the 'net in scranton pa (about 150 miles from here)...bought it from a guy who holds on to cars for a short period of time and sells them when he gets tired of them - no pretense of docs and i was told the engine had just been rebuilt :rolleyes: ...the major feature was high grade 2 condition and no rust on the frame...obvious evidence of a carb fire

..got the second one from a guy about 2 miles from my home who advertised in the local paper...a real jerk and not a car guy but basically the SAME story, high grade 2, no rust, engine JUST rebuilt (no receipts, of course), engine suspect with the wrong valve covers , etc, but no rust frame........

...don't regret either one - i got exactly what i expected ( not trusting anyone, i'm rarely disappointed)