starting corvete
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 140
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From: Sunnyvale TX
starting corvete
HI
im doing a body off restoration for a 74 corvette. Ive rebuilt the engine completly and am ready to try and start the engine. I want to try and start the car and be able to steer it a bit just to make sure everything works before i put the body back on. I REALLY wouldnt want to have a major problem and have to work in such an enclosed space if i could help it. Do yal have any ideas on a setup? In particular a good way to mount the radiator up front.
Is there anything specials i would need to start it? or would it just be a matter of hooking the battery directly to the starter?
Thanks
im doing a body off restoration for a 74 corvette. Ive rebuilt the engine completly and am ready to try and start the engine. I want to try and start the car and be able to steer it a bit just to make sure everything works before i put the body back on. I REALLY wouldnt want to have a major problem and have to work in such an enclosed space if i could help it. Do yal have any ideas on a setup? In particular a good way to mount the radiator up front.
Is there anything specials i would need to start it? or would it just be a matter of hooking the battery directly to the starter?
Thanks
Last edited by BigJim13 JR.; Sep 23, 2005 at 09:40 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
From: Clearwater Florida
Starting Engine
You don't have to have the steering column in or a seat. You can do this with the engine mounted in a rolling frame.
Get a piece of pegboard and mount it to the drivers side of the frame. Cut it out so that it stradles the A-arm.
Mount some cheap gauges (oil, temperature, voltage, tach) to the pegboard. Use your exisiting wire harness. Wire and plumb everthing up including the ignition resistor and key switch with plenty of zip ties.
Mount the radiator and support where it nomally mounts and secure it with straps from the side mounting points on the core support to holes in the frame.
Rig a garden hose to feed cold water to the raditor from the bottom drain point. Get a prestone flush kit and attach the piece that fits into the radiator cap opening to some clear long tubing. Get a long enough piece so you can route it out to the driveway.
Fire, the engine and adjust the water feed in the garden hose as needed. It doesn't take a lot of water to keep the engine cool. Use the thermostat mounted where it is normally mounted. The garden hose keeps the radiator full of cool water.
Have the complete power sterering system installed including the frame mounted gearbox and the lower half of the rag joint. Pre fill the power steering pump with fluid to the add mark. While the enginer is running you can turn the rag joint by hand so that the wheels go from lock to lock. Refill the pump with fluid as needed while doing this.
I did this on a frame off 67 I did a couple years ago.
PM me for more details. I'd be glad to go through it with you.
Get a piece of pegboard and mount it to the drivers side of the frame. Cut it out so that it stradles the A-arm.
Mount some cheap gauges (oil, temperature, voltage, tach) to the pegboard. Use your exisiting wire harness. Wire and plumb everthing up including the ignition resistor and key switch with plenty of zip ties.
Mount the radiator and support where it nomally mounts and secure it with straps from the side mounting points on the core support to holes in the frame.
Rig a garden hose to feed cold water to the raditor from the bottom drain point. Get a prestone flush kit and attach the piece that fits into the radiator cap opening to some clear long tubing. Get a long enough piece so you can route it out to the driveway.
Fire, the engine and adjust the water feed in the garden hose as needed. It doesn't take a lot of water to keep the engine cool. Use the thermostat mounted where it is normally mounted. The garden hose keeps the radiator full of cool water.
Have the complete power sterering system installed including the frame mounted gearbox and the lower half of the rag joint. Pre fill the power steering pump with fluid to the add mark. While the enginer is running you can turn the rag joint by hand so that the wheels go from lock to lock. Refill the pump with fluid as needed while doing this.
I did this on a frame off 67 I did a couple years ago.
PM me for more details. I'd be glad to go through it with you.
