71 Restoration Progress Photos
01-31-2006, 12:54 PM
#42
Drifting
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Well everyone, the past few weeks have been pretty productive. I can now say that my chassis is 99% complete! 
Needless to say I'm pretty pumped.
All thats left at this point is to put some wheels on it and do a few little odds and ends and I can move onto the engine and tranny.
I've added a January 29th update to my website for those interested in checking it out. I threw in some before and after shots too, it's a pretty awesome transformation! http://www.corvette-restoration.com
One thing is for sure, after 4 months and 240+ hours of work getting to this milestone is pretty exciting. Of course I couldn't have done it (or at least not nearly as well) withouth all the help from you folks. Thanks!
Needless to say I'm pretty pumped.All thats left at this point is to put some wheels on it and do a few little odds and ends and I can move onto the engine and tranny.
I've added a January 29th update to my website for those interested in checking it out. I threw in some before and after shots too, it's a pretty awesome transformation! http://www.corvette-restoration.com
One thing is for sure, after 4 months and 240+ hours of work getting to this milestone is pretty exciting. Of course I couldn't have done it (or at least not nearly as well) withouth all the help from you folks. Thanks!
Last edited by Maine Vette; 11-29-2006 at 11:02 PM.
03-01-2006, 09:47 PM
#44
Drifting
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So, after finishing the chassis I decided to take a little break before starting the engine work. Well, I'm back at it now and managed to make some decent progress last weekend. Although I'm still a little unsure of exactly what I'm going to build, I figured I'd get started on the motor disassembly anyway ('73 454). Right now I'm planning on new heads, intake, cam, carb and some new headers to help the old girl breath a bit better. The problem is deciding exactly what combination to use. 
I've posted a few photos of what I got done last weekend below. For those interested, I have several more pics with narratives under the February update on my website at http://71corvette.100free.com.
Originally I was going to just do the top end, but now that I'm in the middle of it I think I'll go through the lower end too. I figure it's cheap insurance to avoid big time problems down the road.
I've posted a few photos of what I got done last weekend below. For those interested, I have several more pics with narratives under the February update on my website at http://71corvette.100free.com.
Originally I was going to just do the top end, but now that I'm in the middle of it I think I'll go through the lower end too. I figure it's cheap insurance to avoid big time problems down the road.
Last edited by Maine Vette; 03-01-2006 at 09:50 PM.
03-01-2006, 10:43 PM
#45
Melting Slicks
your framework is lookn awesome, great job. your website is as good as your frameoff so far, excellent!
03-06-2006, 09:16 PM
#46
Drifting
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Hey everyone! Well, as those following my "started engine teardown today, having second thoughts" thread in tech/performance already know, my engine rebuild is well underway. Below are a few photos of my progress so far. It's been quite an interesting process so far to say the least.
Removing the oil pump:
Piston and rod removal:
I'd say a few of these connecting rod bearings are toast:
This piston ring is junk too:
Checking crankshaft endplay:
Checking crankshaft runout:
A few of the engine internals:
Here's the shortblock ready to go to the machine shop:
As usual, I've also added an update my website which has several more photos and better narratives on my progress and findings. Those interested can check it out at http://71corvette.100free.com.
I'm taking a trip to the machine shop tomorrow to talk with the shop foreman. If all goes well I'll have my block in for some work by the end of the week.
Removing the oil pump:
Piston and rod removal:
I'd say a few of these connecting rod bearings are toast:
This piston ring is junk too:
Checking crankshaft endplay:
Checking crankshaft runout:
A few of the engine internals:
Here's the shortblock ready to go to the machine shop:
As usual, I've also added an update my website which has several more photos and better narratives on my progress and findings. Those interested can check it out at http://71corvette.100free.com.
I'm taking a trip to the machine shop tomorrow to talk with the shop foreman. If all goes well I'll have my block in for some work by the end of the week.
03-07-2006, 08:53 AM
#47
Pro
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Tim - excellent job on both the car and the website. I'm watching with a close eye on your work, as I plan a body off on mine in a few years, and want to start thinking about it now.
I'd like to put a link of your website on mine if you don't mind. I really like how you've documented your work!
- Mark
http://www.1970stingray.com
I'd like to put a link of your website on mine if you don't mind. I really like how you've documented your work!
- Mark
http://www.1970stingray.com
03-07-2006, 07:13 PM
#48
Drifting
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Originally Posted by AirTrafficController
Tim - excellent job on both the car and the website. I'm watching with a close eye on your work, as I plan a body off on mine in a few years, and want to start thinking about it now.
I'd like to put a link of your website on mine if you don't mind. I really like how you've documented your work!
- Mark
http://www.1970stingray.com
I'd like to put a link of your website on mine if you don't mind. I really like how you've documented your work!
- Mark
http://www.1970stingray.com
03-07-2006, 08:42 PM
#49
Tech Contributor
Nice work Tim, your car will be better then the day it rolled off the line- no question about it. When you're done drive it and drive it alot!
Good luck on the balance of the project!
Good luck on the balance of the project!
03-29-2006, 08:32 PM
#50
Drifting
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Ok, so it's been a while since my last update. This our busy time of year at work so my free time has been a little limited lately. Nonetheless, I've had the opportunity to make some progress on the car.
No big news quite yet on the engine, although I was talking with the engine shop earlier tonight. I've got a nice recipie for 500 ponies simmering on the back burner so stay tuned for more on the engine build (coming soon!).
In the meantime I decided to play around with the oil pump a bit. First I wanted to check out the stock pump, overall things looked good with very minmal wear.
So why am I planning to reuse the stock pump some of you may be wondering? Well it comes down to this - while reading several books on building performance engines most of them really recommended that if you can, stick with the stock big block oil pump! Apparently these pumps have a solid reputation for being bulletproof. There are also some compelling arguments for not going with a high flow / high volume pump, essentially questioning the need for them (they are on my website for those interesed). However, several of my references recommended a few minor modifications that can be made to improve the stock pump for use in a performance engine.
First on the list was to lightly chamfer the edges of the gear teeth with a file. Pretty simple, eh?
Next, and definitely a lot scarier, was pressure balancing the oil pump. By creating small grooves in the pump housing the hydrostatic forces on the idler and drive gears can be more evenly distributed. This reduces the amount of pulsating forces that are transmitted up the oil pump drive shaft and ultimately into the distributor. Although not a major problem, from what I understand the pulsating contributes to spark scatter at high RPM. The pressure balancing also helps prevent cavitation and allows the pump to operate more efficiently and on less horsepower.
Having said that, below I've laid out the locations of the pressure balancing grooves on the pump housing. (Yeah, I'm going to take a dremel to this thing!
)
After a few hours of careful work the grooves were complete. Below is a picture of the modified housing. Note that care needs to be taken to assure that the two grooves in the cover (#1 & #2) line up with the vertical grooves on the pump housing (#1 & #2). The other two red arrows are pointing out vertical grooves in the pump housing (a bit hard to see in the photo) that connect to the grooves on the bottom of the pump housing.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, the proper end clearance between the gears and pump housing cover needs to be established. Excessive clearance results in poor priming ability and inefficient pump operation. Ideally end clearance should be about 0.0025 inches. If excessive clearance is found the housing can be sanded down by using a piece of fine to medium grit sandpaper placed on a flat, hard surface. Conversely, if the clearance is too small the gear height can be reduced by using the same sanding procedure above.
After establishing the proper clearance and a very, very thorough cleaning I reinstalled the pump cover and screws using loctite on the screw threads.
As I've done in the past, I've posted additional photos and more thorough narrations on my website at http://71corvette.100free.com for those interested.
Enjoy and stay tuned. This puppy's gonna rip!
No big news quite yet on the engine, although I was talking with the engine shop earlier tonight. I've got a nice recipie for 500 ponies simmering on the back burner so stay tuned for more on the engine build (coming soon!).
In the meantime I decided to play around with the oil pump a bit. First I wanted to check out the stock pump, overall things looked good with very minmal wear.
So why am I planning to reuse the stock pump some of you may be wondering?
Well it comes down to this - while reading several books on building performance engines most of them really recommended that if you can, stick with the stock big block oil pump! Apparently these pumps have a solid reputation for being bulletproof. There are also some compelling arguments for not going with a high flow / high volume pump, essentially questioning the need for them (they are on my website for those interesed). However, several of my references recommended a few minor modifications that can be made to improve the stock pump for use in a performance engine.First on the list was to lightly chamfer the edges of the gear teeth with a file. Pretty simple, eh?
Next, and definitely a lot scarier, was pressure balancing the oil pump. By creating small grooves in the pump housing the hydrostatic forces on the idler and drive gears can be more evenly distributed. This reduces the amount of pulsating forces that are transmitted up the oil pump drive shaft and ultimately into the distributor. Although not a major problem, from what I understand the pulsating contributes to spark scatter at high RPM. The pressure balancing also helps prevent cavitation and allows the pump to operate more efficiently and on less horsepower.
Having said that, below I've laid out the locations of the pressure balancing grooves on the pump housing. (Yeah, I'm going to take a dremel to this thing!
)After a few hours of careful work the grooves were complete. Below is a picture of the modified housing. Note that care needs to be taken to assure that the two grooves in the cover (#1 & #2) line up with the vertical grooves on the pump housing (#1 & #2). The other two red arrows are pointing out vertical grooves in the pump housing (a bit hard to see in the photo) that connect to the grooves on the bottom of the pump housing.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, the proper end clearance between the gears and pump housing cover needs to be established. Excessive clearance results in poor priming ability and inefficient pump operation. Ideally end clearance should be about 0.0025 inches. If excessive clearance is found the housing can be sanded down by using a piece of fine to medium grit sandpaper placed on a flat, hard surface. Conversely, if the clearance is too small the gear height can be reduced by using the same sanding procedure above.
After establishing the proper clearance and a very, very thorough cleaning I reinstalled the pump cover and screws using loctite on the screw threads.
As I've done in the past, I've posted additional photos and more thorough narrations on my website at http://71corvette.100free.com for those interested.
Enjoy and stay tuned. This puppy's gonna rip!
05-02-2006, 09:50 PM
#51
Drifting
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Well I figure it's about time for another update. Progress on the vette has been a little slow lately, but it should start to pick up again here soon. The last time I posted an update I was getting ready to take the engine block to the machine shop. The good news is I have my engine block back! My rotating assembly has been balanced as well, I just need to go down to the machine shop and pick it up! (shops about an hour away in New Hampshire)
While I was waiting for the machine shop to finish up, I paid a little attention to the flywheel and clutch. I knew that eventually the machine shop would need it, along with the clutch pressure plate, to properly balance the rotating assembly. A quick visual inspection of the flywheel revealed a real need for some machine work. Luckily there were no visible cracks or other damage.
I ended up taking the flywheel down to the local NAPA after verifying that they do their flywheel machining using a stone (rather than a lathe). It cost about $40 and took less than an hour to come back with a nicely reconditioned flywheel.
As for the old pressure plate and clutch, both were pretty worn so I opted to replace them. After weighing a few options I decided on the Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch. Although it will require some minor modifications to the clutch linkage, it provides 90% more holding power than the stock clutch (necessary for the engine I'm building) while also reducing pedal pressure.
I ended up having quite a bit of work done to the engine block. First they baked, blasted and washed down the block. Once that was completed they magnafluxed the block to check for cracks and luckily none were found. After establishing the block was suitable for rebuilding I had the cylinders bored 0.030" over. In addition to the cylinder boring, the block was also top decked to ensure a truly flat and uniform mating surface for the cylinder head gaskets. Lastly, the main bearing bores were align honed. Some may consider this unnecessary for a street engine rebuild, but we had some concerns about the alignment of the bores because of the unusual wear patterns we found on the main bearings. Align honing will serve as an insurance policy that the bores are properly aligned as they should be.
The block sure looks a lot better now than when I dropped it off!
Here's a close up of the cylinders where you can see the cross hatching in the cylinder bores that results from the honing process. In the bottom left of the photo you can also see some hatching on the interior face of one of the main bearing bores. That hatching is a result of the align honing process. Lastly, evidence of machining can also be seen on the top deck.
Getting the block ready for paint was quite a process. I spent the better part of two hours with a bristle brush and lacquer thinner scrubbing every inch of the block that would be painted. After scrubbing with lacquer thinner I gave the block a final and thorough cleaning using brake parts cleaner before painting.
Below is a pic of the block with two coats of paint applied. The paint looks real nice so far. I expect I'll need to put on three or four coats to get complete and even coverage.
Well, that's it for now. The real good stuff will be in my next update when I come home with my balanced rotating assembly and start putting this thing all together again!
As usual, I've posted additional photos and more thorough narrations on my website at http://71corvette.100free.com for those interested.
While I was waiting for the machine shop to finish up, I paid a little attention to the flywheel and clutch. I knew that eventually the machine shop would need it, along with the clutch pressure plate, to properly balance the rotating assembly. A quick visual inspection of the flywheel revealed a real need for some machine work. Luckily there were no visible cracks or other damage.
I ended up taking the flywheel down to the local NAPA after verifying that they do their flywheel machining using a stone (rather than a lathe). It cost about $40 and took less than an hour to come back with a nicely reconditioned flywheel.
As for the old pressure plate and clutch, both were pretty worn so I opted to replace them. After weighing a few options I decided on the Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch. Although it will require some minor modifications to the clutch linkage, it provides 90% more holding power than the stock clutch (necessary for the engine I'm building) while also reducing pedal pressure.
I ended up having quite a bit of work done to the engine block. First they baked, blasted and washed down the block. Once that was completed they magnafluxed the block to check for cracks and luckily none were found. After establishing the block was suitable for rebuilding I had the cylinders bored 0.030" over. In addition to the cylinder boring, the block was also top decked to ensure a truly flat and uniform mating surface for the cylinder head gaskets. Lastly, the main bearing bores were align honed. Some may consider this unnecessary for a street engine rebuild, but we had some concerns about the alignment of the bores because of the unusual wear patterns we found on the main bearings. Align honing will serve as an insurance policy that the bores are properly aligned as they should be.
The block sure looks a lot better now than when I dropped it off!
Here's a close up of the cylinders where you can see the cross hatching in the cylinder bores that results from the honing process. In the bottom left of the photo you can also see some hatching on the interior face of one of the main bearing bores. That hatching is a result of the align honing process. Lastly, evidence of machining can also be seen on the top deck.
Getting the block ready for paint was quite a process. I spent the better part of two hours with a bristle brush and lacquer thinner scrubbing every inch of the block that would be painted. After scrubbing with lacquer thinner I gave the block a final and thorough cleaning using brake parts cleaner before painting.
Below is a pic of the block with two coats of paint applied. The paint looks real nice so far. I expect I'll need to put on three or four coats to get complete and even coverage.
Well, that's it for now. The real good stuff will be in my next update when I come home with my balanced rotating assembly and start putting this thing all together again!
As usual, I've posted additional photos and more thorough narrations on my website at http://71corvette.100free.com for those interested.
05-10-2006, 01:09 PM
#54
Drifting
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Let the engine building begin! This past weekend I took another trip down to the performance shop and came home with all the major engine components needed to finally start putting the engine back together. Here's the final engine combination I decided on:
Pistons: SRP Forged Aluminum, 26cc Dome
Connecting Rods: Scat Forged I-Beam
Camshaft: Hydraulic Roller, Duration @ 0.050" : 230° Intake, 236° Exhaust, LS 112°
Gross lift w/ 1.7:1 rockers : 0.595" Intake, 0.581" Exhaust
Cylinder Heads: Airflow research 305cc Rectangle Port (as cast)
Intake Manifold: Edelbrock Performer RPM
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
Carburetor: 850 cfm Speed demon, mechanical secondaries, annular boosters
Exhaust: 2" Primary Headers w/ dual exhaust
As part of the cam selection process the performance shop ran this engine combination through an engine simulation program. Although they know it's not exact, they feel it will serve as a reasonable estimate of how much power to expect out of the engine when it's complete. It'll be real interesting to see how their simulation compares to the actual dyno runs I have planned. I haven't given the go-ahead to the performance shop on ordering the cam so I welcome input on the cam specs listed above before it's too late. (4 speed, 3:08 rear will likely get swapped to 3:55's or 3:70's at some point)
So, assuming a 15% drivetrain loss, I figure I'll be somewhere around 480 horsepower and 485 ft-lbs torque at the rear wheels. Sweet!
For pistons I decided on forged aluminum dome tops. I probably could have gone with hyperutectic pistons, but I've heard enough horror stories about broken ring lands and such to make me think twice about using them. I decided to play it safe and go with a more durable, although slightly more expensive, set of forged pistons
First on the to-do list was to file fit the piston rings.
Filing the rings is pretty a straightforward process and using a smooth flat file clamped in a vice made the job pretty easy. After a few passes on the file I would take the ring back to the block and check for fit. I used one of my old piston and ring assemblies set the ring evenly in the cylinder which worked perfectly.
Checking the ring end gap with a feeler gauge. After a few trips back and forth I was able to get a good feel for how much much material was being removed with each pass on the file and I was able to make pretty good progress.
After all the filing was complete, and after all the end gaps were double checked, I used a piece of fine grit sandpaper to lightly deburr the end of each ring.
Next I moved onto the oil rings. Getting all three parts of the oil ring in their proper positions in the piston groove, as well as getting the ring end gaps in the proper location, took a little effort but went pretty well overall.
After several hours of work here's the last one - piston number eight with all three rings installed.
Next week I hope to get the pistons mounted to the connecting rods and also get the crankshaft installed. Oh, and I welcome any last words of advice or tips on building engines before I really get into this. Hopefully a few tips from some seaoned verterans will save me from a few headaches down the road.
I do plan to post another update on my website, but I haven't had a chance to get one up quite yet. It should be up tonight though. As in the past my website will have more pictures and narratives for those interested. http://71corvette.100free.com
Pistons: SRP Forged Aluminum, 26cc Dome
Connecting Rods: Scat Forged I-Beam
Camshaft: Hydraulic Roller, Duration @ 0.050" : 230° Intake, 236° Exhaust, LS 112°
Gross lift w/ 1.7:1 rockers : 0.595" Intake, 0.581" Exhaust
Cylinder Heads: Airflow research 305cc Rectangle Port (as cast)
Intake Manifold: Edelbrock Performer RPM
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
Carburetor: 850 cfm Speed demon, mechanical secondaries, annular boosters
Exhaust: 2" Primary Headers w/ dual exhaust
As part of the cam selection process the performance shop ran this engine combination through an engine simulation program. Although they know it's not exact, they feel it will serve as a reasonable estimate of how much power to expect out of the engine when it's complete. It'll be real interesting to see how their simulation compares to the actual dyno runs I have planned. I haven't given the go-ahead to the performance shop on ordering the cam so I welcome input on the cam specs listed above before it's too late. (4 speed, 3:08 rear will likely get swapped to 3:55's or 3:70's at some point)
So, assuming a 15% drivetrain loss, I figure I'll be somewhere around 480 horsepower and 485 ft-lbs torque at the rear wheels. Sweet!
For pistons I decided on forged aluminum dome tops. I probably could have gone with hyperutectic pistons, but I've heard enough horror stories about broken ring lands and such to make me think twice about using them. I decided to play it safe and go with a more durable, although slightly more expensive, set of forged pistons
First on the to-do list was to file fit the piston rings.
Filing the rings is pretty a straightforward process and using a smooth flat file clamped in a vice made the job pretty easy. After a few passes on the file I would take the ring back to the block and check for fit. I used one of my old piston and ring assemblies set the ring evenly in the cylinder which worked perfectly.
Checking the ring end gap with a feeler gauge. After a few trips back and forth I was able to get a good feel for how much much material was being removed with each pass on the file and I was able to make pretty good progress.
After all the filing was complete, and after all the end gaps were double checked, I used a piece of fine grit sandpaper to lightly deburr the end of each ring.
Next I moved onto the oil rings. Getting all three parts of the oil ring in their proper positions in the piston groove, as well as getting the ring end gaps in the proper location, took a little effort but went pretty well overall.
After several hours of work here's the last one - piston number eight with all three rings installed.
Next week I hope to get the pistons mounted to the connecting rods and also get the crankshaft installed. Oh, and I welcome any last words of advice or tips on building engines before I really get into this. Hopefully a few tips from some seaoned verterans will save me from a few headaches down the road.
I do plan to post another update on my website, but I haven't had a chance to get one up quite yet. It should be up tonight though. As in the past my website will have more pictures and narratives for those interested. http://71corvette.100free.com
Last edited by Maine Vette; 08-23-2006 at 08:40 PM.
05-10-2006, 08:02 PM
#55
Drifting
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Well, a tight-lipped group today...
I meant to ask in my previous post, does anyone have a suggestion for a decent oil pan that doesn't cost a small fortune? It seems they're either all $25 chinease cheopo's, or they're $150 pans that require another $100 worth of baffles, extended pickups, etc.
Thanks.
I meant to ask in my previous post, does anyone have a suggestion for a decent oil pan that doesn't cost a small fortune? It seems they're either all $25 chinease cheopo's, or they're $150 pans that require another $100 worth of baffles, extended pickups, etc.
Thanks.
05-11-2006, 05:04 PM
#58
Le Mans Master
Looking good. Engine assembly is even more rewarding than the
chassis - since it doesn't take 6 months to do. I'm dying to get
a BB someday. With the price of gas - my vette will never be a
commuter. I figure "go for it" - the difference in mileage is irrelevent.
What machine shop are you using (and where) in NH ??
-Dave
chassis - since it doesn't take 6 months to do. I'm dying to get
a BB someday. With the price of gas - my vette will never be a
commuter. I figure "go for it" - the difference in mileage is irrelevent.
What machine shop are you using (and where) in NH ??
-Dave
