I really haven't done anything on my rpu project for the past 6 months. We were busy with getting the new motor built for my Son Dan's rpu, and a lot of other stuff. But I bought a lot of the engine pieces I needed for the Chevy crate motor at Turkey Run a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday I got a chance to get a lot of them installed. Dan and I did build the Hurst style front engine mount and I had it powder coated black. Now we just have to modify the rear crossmember a little and the engine and transmission will be hung. Here are some pictures of where I ended up last night. Next step is going to be to get the bodywork started............not my favorite part of a build ! Don Here is the motor mount we made before it was powder coated:
Great to see you guys with another build, look forward to the progress. Body work is the easy fun part, the wiring is the killer. Bob
Cool. The Hurst style mount is a nice. I wish we saw more old cars with Hurst mounts, very trad. What are your plans for mid mount? I plan on using the lower 4 bolts on my bell housing and mounting with biscuits like the fronts with my build, unless of course you have a better idea. Anyway cool.
Benno, I am probably not going to use the mid mount at all, even though the frame brackets are still there from when I was using the Olds engine. I figure that the sbc is so much lighter than the 394 Olds and the distance between the front mount and rear mount is shorter, that there will be no real stress on the bellhousing. Plus, this motor is a low hp version, so I won't be abusing it like I do with my 27. But, if I do encounter a problem, the mounts are there and will only take some brackets like you described. Don
No, Dan is licking his financial wounds for a while. He just spent a lot of money having a new 468 Olds built for his rpu and we flew up to Philadelphia a few weeks ago and he bought a 2004 Mach I Mustang, so he is laying low for a while. But after the new year he is thinking about getting back on it. In the meantime, I have some welding for him to do for me. Don
Don, looks real nice. Great job on the front mount. I used to go to the Turkey Rod run when we lived in Lake Mary back in the early days around 81-86. It has grown greatly. My friends still go. I am running a Hurst takeoff on the front of my 324 and a rear mount on the 37 Buick ****** in the 31. No mid mount..........do you think that is going to lead to a problem?????
Don I remember Dan having issues with the first motor in his RPU. Did he have problem's with the second one as well ? Gregg
My understanding is that there is "some" possibility that an aluminum bell housing can develop cracking because of the long distance between the front Hurst style mount and the rear transmission mount, especially when running a really heavy motor. But I bet you are using a cast iron bell housing with that Buick transmission, and, to my knowledge, the cast iron ones don't have that problem. Years ago I bought a 371 Olds and Cad Lasalle transmision setup that came out of a 32 Ford, and I put it in my 32 rpu. That one used a Hurst mount and no mid mount, and it was just fine........and the guy that owned it before me was reputed to have done serious street racing with that setup, with no cracks. You should be fine, I bet. Don
Yep, Gregg, he is on motor number 3. First motor scored a couple of cylinders when the rings cracked. Engine number two was much better, but cylinder number 8 would never seal up right, it had valve guide or ring issues that let it foul that plug. So, we hauled the whole thing to Mike Thompson Race Engines in Naples, and told him to do whatever it needed to make it right. He built Dan a 468 Olds that came back as a work of art. He builds 7 second cars, so he really knows his stuff, and the motor sealed up from the first fireup. It also runs cooler and holds 50 psi oil pressure. When you saw us at Turkey Run, the issue he was having was the carbs getting hot from idling a long time, and the fuel starts to boil. He is going to replace the aluminum spacers with phenolic (I think that is the word) spacers that should cure that issue. But for all practical purposes, he finally has a car that he can drive without worrying about it. Now Don is in the middle of having Mike Thompson build him a new 302 for his T bucket. Two nights before Turkey Run his engine ate an intake valve. I have never seen so much damage inside a motor ! Actually blew the cylinder wall out in 3 places. Luckily, Don had a spare 5.0 roller motor sitting in the shop, so we are hauling it to Mike on Saturday. Cars are SO MUCH FUN ! Don
Finally had a chance to work on my headers yesterday on my rpu project. Don's T bucket is back up and running on the new motor, and Dan is in town this weekend, so he can do my welding for me. Dons motor fired up on the first revolution and the test drive went great. Mike Thompson builds a really good motor. After a few false starts on the headers, I broke down and ordered a U-weld-it kit from Speedway for the sbc engine. It came this week, and is a really nice kit...........comes with all the bent tubes, megaphones, gaskets, flanges, bolts, etc. Yesterday Dan and I got started on fitting the tubes to the flanges and the megaphones, and this is where we ended up last night: Today we are going to keep moving on them, maybe even get around to starting the final welding. Once they are done I am going to drive them to Tampa and have them ceramic coated by the guy who did Dan's headers. This header thing has been holding me back from doing the body work, so once this is out of the way I can begin doing that and getting the car in paint. Don
Nice project, looks like you are using a 28-29 Fordor cowl, they are about 2 inches longer than any other A cowl, should make for a good looking car. Bob
Good eye, Bob, that is a 29 Murray cowl. The roadster body is built from a cut down fordor. Dino, the intake is an Edelbrock and the carbs are Rochester 2g's. The water pump is a "short" aluminum pump from Summit. I had a long style on at first, but wanted more room between the radiator and pulleys, so I bought the short setup. Today Dan and I worked more on the headers and got one side pretty well done. It is all welded up, except we still have to weld on the ring at the end of the cone for the block off (or, in my case, a baffle) It came out great and I am happy with the look. Dan did a good job for me on the welding.......isn't that why you have kids in the first place ? Here are some pictures from today: Don
Always enjoy seeing progress on this build. Thanks, guys. No, Dan and Don are both in bands and are playing next weekend, so we won't make it. That is one event we really like too, the Billetproof gang do such a great job and the cars are the best. Don
Today we finished up the second header............FINALLY !! We put in a 12 hour day and got them knocked out. Very happy with the results, Dan did a great job of welding them together. Now I can leave him alone so he can work on his own stuff again. We put the flanges on the ends for the caps, and I am going to cut a hole in the middle of each one and install a Car Chemistry baffle setup that Dan had left over from his own rpu. Should quiet it down pretty well. Next Friday I am going to drive up to Tampa and drop them off at the ceramic coater up there. Don
Today I drove up to Tampa and picked up my newly ceramic coated headers . I had them do them in a cast iron finish but with a semigloss clear over the top..........I figure it will be easier to keep clean. I am very happy with the results, the guys who did them also did Dan's headers and exhaust system on his rpu. Company called Engine Armor, really nice Dad and Son operation. I haven't been to the shop yet to bolt them on, but here is one of them: They also did the baffles we made: Don
Went over and trial fitted the headers on the car tonight, maybe a tad darker and shinier than I thought, but I think the heat from the exhaust and time will tint them the right shade. But overall, I am happy with them. Now on to body work. Don
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