Projects 62 409 20 Day to Great Bend KS

Well after last nights mock up session with a truck block and the H/P pistons good news exhaust valve clears the block but now the exhaust valve his the piston. So now its ether fly cut the piston or go with a cam that is not so aggressive.

 

So this is what I have been up to lately.
I have a problem with the exhaust valve contacting the piston so I need to have the piston fly cut for clearance.
So first step was to remove the exhaust valves set head on the block with pistons installed the locate piston at TDC then use a transfer punch through the exhaust valve guide to establish the valves center line of the valve on the piston so the machinist can locate the the relief.

 

Here's James after inserting himself into the engine bay to remove the remaining nuts and bolts holding the previous 409 engine that is being replaced:
And here is a shot of James with Chris and Nate, who've pitched in and contributed to the effort:

I kept my ugly mug behind the camera .

Cheers!
Tom

 

Not sure what you were watching Tom but those guys where not that much help. Just kidding I think they brought beer.

 

Someone else has found a home for those Vette looking W" valve covers.

 

Salty, make sure to add .100 to the cutter diameter, (over the exhaust valve diameter), so you'll have .050 radial clearance around the valve. Also, if that car doesn't already have one, better add the second upper control arm for the rearend, or more likely to @#$%&!

 

Thanks Ric I will pass that on to the machinist.
I am going to try and put the second upper control arm in if I have time but I am guessing this car will end up with a 9 inch some time soon.
This is a real nail biter trying to get all the ducks in a row for the short time that I have. I may have to test and tune on the trailer on the way there.

 

Latest update. I have the pistons at the machinist to be fly cut for exhaust valve clearance.
So I was checking push rod length and of course they are too short.
So I whipped up some adjustable push rods so that I can get a measurement to get some new hot not old and busted ones ordered here's some pictures of the process. Well some of the pictures were to large to load but I think you will get the idea.

 

saltflats check your "conversations"

 

Isky has some .096 wall sportsman pushrods, that aren't much more than $100 set.

 

Good news the pistons have bee fly cut and the complete rotating is at the machine shop now.
Tic tock tic tock I just may be able to pull this off.

 

The rotating assembly is back from machine shop holy cow am I going to be busy.
Here's a shot of the exhaust relief in this beast of a piston sure would have been nice to have something lighter oh well I think we are doing a good job of cleaning out the ol closet don't you think.

 

James, those are looking good!
Just got back from visiting Josh to square up on the shop tab .
Looking forward to the weekend!
Here are a few pics from Thursday night:

 

Got to be working on a Chevy with the BFH being proudly in the photo.

 

Ha Ha loudbang don't you worry I get that special tool out when I work on a Ford also.

 

Hey kids don' t do this at home

 

Never seen that trick before, pretty cool, elaborate Salty. I guess the theory would be a softer 'hit' than welding 'em? Plus the weight?

 

I have seen welded ones crack and the welds come out and go through the gears doing it this way I wont but any weld stress on the gears and if some of the lead slivers out it wont hurt the ring and pinion.

 

I am enjoying following your thrash. I have a question. Don't mean to highjack the thread. In my foggy memory I seem to remember that some truck blocks had higher decks. True or false?

 

No the deck is the same the truck block has a large relief in the exhaust valve area.
Thanks to my buddy Nathan for the use of his plasma cam he cut out my brackets for the extra upper control arm for the rear suspension.

 

Bracket on the rear end now I think I need a beer.

 

Crank in the block

 

Engine assembled now hope to break in the cam tomorrow.

 

2 truck loads of parts showed up this morning looks like another late night for me.

 

why 4.88's
1/8th mile track
tk

 

Actually the gear set we have is a 4.56 but it is a 1/4 mile track.
Have the line lock plumbed and the engine is in the hole nothing like running it down to the wire.

 

Truck blocks have a tall deck similar height to an aluminum Rodeck or they did when I ran "W" motors on the street and a blown Rodeck on alcohol.

 

No car or truck W-Motors were tall deck. Big block/rat motors had regular and tall deck not 348-409.

 

James and the guys took a break tonight and we did a little social for some of the 409 guys who were in from Michigan and Ohio on the way to Great Bend, KS. My buddy Bob Hurdle hosted us at his shop. Bob likes the C1 and C2 Corvettes -- a lot!




Cheers!
Tom

 

Dam one heck of a man cave he has.