This thread is awesome! I read the whole thing! Cannot wait to hear about how it runs AND see it in that black 56!
That plumbing job looks great Martin, but I got a question. Does that tube for the choke feed into the exhaust cross-over? Is there an inner tube that draws vacuum through the exhaust gas to the carb? I have seen tubes passing through the exhaust manifold, but this one is new to me.
Thanks guys! I'll have more pictures for you tomorrow. Sam, good question. I've seen the illustration in my manual where it has a tube inside the intake, but on my car, it just has a tube in the open underneath the intake manifold. Don't know what I was thinking? Right now it's just connected to the exhaust crossover, so gases could go into the choke. Do I need to change that?
Not unless it does not get hot enough to fully open a correctly set choke. On the old 55-up chevys, the hole passed through the RH exhaust manifold, and was open on the bottom. These cars did have heat-wrap fabric on the pipe to the choke, to help with the heating.
You want to change that. You will be sucking exhaust gas into the carb and the choke thermostat will get carbon-up. Ask me how I know. You might be able to use a Holley electric choke in place of the factory one.
Alright, here it is. My favorite update: The engine is painted! When my buddy Adam came over on sunday, I had already cleaned the engine several times and put on some etch primer. So he got to do the fun part. Color! We put on a couple of coats of the base gold and then started with the candy. Thank god we used the small parts first, because here is proof that those little paint samples are not always accurate: So we decided to ditch the candy all together and just clear over the gold base. Monday evening I took it off the engine stand and put it onto my break in stand: And then yesterday, Adam painted the valve covers to match: Today I finally got to put the oil filter on to see how the conversion piece fits: And I also picked this bad boy up today: Can't wait to get it hooked up and plumbed, so I can finally use it.
Looking fantastic! Just like mine - only with a different set up. I'm running a 600cfm 4 barrel Holley on a modified stock intake manifold.
Martin, It is looking great. Nice job on the paint. Check your compressor paper work and see if they tell you what grade of oil they recommend. I have the same compressor but no paper work. I was told SAE30. ??!!
Your going first class with that paint job, I just use rattle cans! The valve covers looks great, I think you should paint the valley cover to match.
Thanks, you need to post some pictures of yours! Mine came with their own synthetic oil. Extends the pump warranty to 2 years when you use it. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200334649_200334649 Used rattle cans on my truck engine. paint is already coming off. Hope this one lasts longer, and I could get different colors going this route. You are right on the valley cover. I might have to do that... Thanks for the comments, guys!
I'm on the other side of the fence. I think the valley cover looks good as it is. Fits better with the intake manifold in my opinion.
Thanks, Chad! I think I'm with you on this on, AJ. I've looked at it some more. The fins are cast a lot different. They are thicker, spaced closer and not as deep. Would be tough to make it look right with color. Your engines have been a huge inspiration to me. Olds brotherhood! Thanks Adam, I really appreciate all the work you've done on this for me. Can't wait until we get it started for the first time!
The inspiration is mutual, watching yours come together has me working on my 324 again. I'm looking forward to that video of yours running- soon!
It's one of those things that if a year from now you decide to change it, it's fairly easily done. But I just think it ties in well with the sides of the valve covers, the intake manifold and the carb tops. Is she close to running yet?
You guys do such awesome work on these!! Both of your threads are majorly inspiring me to take my 324 apart and at least try to clean it up nearly as nice as both of you did. Mine- I've just been hesitant to work on my 324 Olds, since the only engine I've ever rebuilt was a 390 Ford back in high-school in 1994.
Will do! Don't worry, I've never built one before this. But with all the help from on here, lots of reading, and the big help of Tony from Ross Racing Engines, I might be able to pull it off. Fingers crossed
I remember the truck start-up, the engines frame twisting torque, the gravity feed fuel tank. Can't wait to see this start-up.
You mean this one, Sam? <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V-3hz4Gi0hw&hl=de_DE&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V-3hz4Gi0hw&hl=de_DE&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Been walking by this thing a bunch of times now, but didn't feel ready to do the spark plug wires. Guess I was just scared to mess them up. Cut too short, run out of wire, whatever. Another piece in the puzzle.
I don't know what it is, but adding the spark plug wires took the motor from 'looking really good during the rebuild', to 'damn this thing looks bitchin'!' I really like seeing how this is turning out.
The Jalopy Journal
