Hot Rods Yes it’s still Possible.

Great story! Amazing save! Thanks for taking us down memory lane...

 

@Mitchell Rish
You did a fantastic job of breathing new life into this time machine. Thanks for letting us follow along. When the gray ghost roams the memories flood back and it resparks the old days in the minds of those who lived it on both sides of the windshield.

 

I started off I guess on the outside as a kid. Now on the inside. For the most part makes my realize how much of a journey it/I have been on. Makes me smile a lot.
Also funny you referred to it as Gray Ghost. That’s Wes’s last name. Might stick lol

 

Been putting a few miles on late at night when it’s cooler. Been a strange and changing last 60 days. Hope Mick approved. Even the speedometer is working lol

 

better get some gas soon...

 

Mitch, get that QC in there. We going to have a TFive grudge race at B-G in future. 283 feeling kinda rowdy. 5spd gives me freeway mph.

 

Pat surf the gas gauge actually shows me with 5 or so gallons at E. I also have a measuring stick. I could bend the wire arm on the universal sender but I didn’t want to pull it out and mess with it. It’s averaging about 12 mpg. But I’ve been in city and running around the city square /sonic and such so I’m not using 4th much. I don’t like lugging one.
Doug you are correct. I do need to hurry up and get the QC in there. Still taking care of stuff right now and watching Mrs Ann ever so close.
Gonna get there.
If I could figure out how to post videos I have the run in of the Willy’s /the 57 /and the blower motor. I’d send them to someone /text /phone if you guys know a short cut

 

My doors have a ledge that hooks into door panel about 1/2in above bottom. Does the 57 have same.

 

Kinda. It’s the recess that the seal attaches to I think.ill have to look at it now that I think of it.

 

Ok Doug here is what I got. One door shot one door sil shot

 

Went to see the Mississippi Kid ( aka Chris Martin) yesterday. His Father drove up in his old 56. Kinda similar yet different.

 

Ok. Took a road trip in the 57 today. Total logged up near 150 miles. Went to Tupelo MS. Ate lunch at Johnnie’s Place. Oldest Dinner in Tupelo. And for those that are Elvis fans and historians you then know this was one of his favorite hangouts /dinners. I headed back before dark so I missed the opportunity to get a photo with the Neon Lights on. Maybe next time.

 

I love it. That drive-in looks like a perfect match for that car.

 

Went to Wes’s old shop today. Found the last box of parts for the 57. And the 56 he used to have.( had the V 8 emblem for the 56) Headlight bezels and the back fin /bumper parts. I was looking for it in a cardboard box. Turns out it was in a mail carrier box. ( labeled no less. lol). also found an old set of Crower roller rockers 3/8 stude and locks.

 

And yes that’s a huge tire gauge. Told Wes I was taking it to. He said it was dead on. We will see but I love it.

 

Quick Change...... time

 

Maybe in the spring Doug. Still haven’t pressed axle tubes in bells yet. As the other winds down I should be able to back in things. I did at least get the Prefect painted. lol

 

Ok. Time to ask for help and info etc.
right rear axle bearing started leaking.
What is the go to rear axle bearing for my 57.
For years I was always under the impression that Timkin. ( RW307R) was the go to bearing in just about anything. Ms Bearing Supply cannot get NOS bearings ( Timkin )for that number.
Every article and thread I’ve read on the Hamb and tri five doesn’t speak well of the other bearings. So I need the next best option in bearings. Anyone got a confirmed bearing supplier that is a quality bearing with the right seal / and out side o ring.?
Simply trying to cut to the chase and get the right /quality bearings.
Thanks ahead of time.

 

They're surprisingly expensive, but there's new/NOS Timkens on eBay you could get. For all the ****ing around it'll take to replace them, I personally wouldn't use anything else (unless New Departure made the same ones and I could find some NOS ones of those).

I luckily have not had to pull my rearend bearings out. But I do know that the new replacement fronts they sell are ultra cheezy, the ball cages were plastic in the new ones. I ended up finding NOS GM replacement fronts.

 

I got NOS A2/A6 for the fronts when the disc brake kit came in. Didn’t even consider using what came with the kit.
I have a set of PrecessionBearings coming. Supposedly USA made and all rubber seals. Guy wouldn’t let me pay until they are here and we can take them outa the box and inspect. These were from Oriellys. But I can’t fault him because he was /is willing to do this and it’s a special order according to them.
Napa is SKF and it also has the plastic seal and for 175$ each no less
summit listed for 87 $ each but you can see the plastic seals in the picture(Timkin ).
So we will see.
I think the 57 is telling me in a nice way it’s time for the qc to go in.
Being fair this Rearend hasn’t been out of this car since 79. All I did was add /check grease and add some possi additive and put on brakes and wheel cylinders and go

 

Ok from what I can tell this Rearend has never had axle bearings lol. The bearing had some slack but the seal wasn’t awful but it was full of sludge etc on the back side where the spring was.
The New bearings are dimensionally the same but the seal arrangement is different.
Put a cutting disk on 4 inch and cut the lock ring and the outter cage and the inner race. One lick with the hammer and done. Not a mark on the axle.
Machine surfaces looked good. Cleaned up well. Pressed new bearing on. Then Lock ring. Then a a coat of RTV up to the seal lip on the out side.
Insert. It dropped in to place and two good whacks with my bfh to make sure the O ring seated. RTVed a small tear at the top of the flange gasket and then tighten down and back together.
May be a day or two before I get the other side. Got the bearing for the other side so even though the driver side isn’t leaking it can’t be far behind.

 

Also got lucky with how it leaked in the drain area as it was designed. Didn’t grease the brake shoes.

 

Ok. Made a decision to leave the driver side alone. No movement in the bearing and with the drum off it’s bone dry.
The QC is going under it sooner than later. This will let me ride until that time. If all else fails I bought a pair of bearings I can always install it. Just don’t want to fix if it isn’t broke.

 

Made it to the track Sunday.It did well for a 250 hp 327 /muncie/ 3:55 posi. No the q change isn't in it yet. Still got the factory posi and 3:55s .

 

So, what was your time?

 

Low 8s in the 1/8. But all over the place really. I lined up out of the rubber so it wouldn’t hook up for fear of destroying the Rearend. I wasn’t kind to it. Rear ends don’t typically like side stepping a clutch.At least not a stock 3:55 posi.

 

Enloe has a video coming as soon as I text it to him. He’s the man. Lol

 

Here you go

https://youtube.com/shorts/4MuQ53ekNis?si=aweRxPVQX2qhh3SV

https://youtube.com/shorts/XcQmtk0VfKI?si=leAVV5E3430y0lcT

 

Well some news. Not bad but not really what I would call good. Over the last week the 57 has picked up some blow by.
Perfect oil pressure( 55-70) idle to full throttle.
No noise
No loss in power( still pulls to 6k)
No blue smoke from exhaust/ headers etc. Still sounds like a million dollars.
But noticed some oil residue around the valve cover breathers.
Pulled the breathers while idling and there is a fair amount of oil residue/ blow by.( more than a little or should be)
Now I did lose about 1/2 qt the last 150 mile trip. Not as leaks or blue smoke but it went somewhere. Still runs and sounds great but now is the time to fix it.
Here are the facts/ that is originally a 250 hp 327 from a 65 vette . 20K pull out. ( was replaced with a L 79 crate upon returning from a service tour for Uncle Sam). Engine was in dry storage over 40 years. I changed cam/ pan to fit the 57 / intake /carb and headers- all else is as was. It was super clean and cross hatch ( in bores from the bottom was perfect) I have every hard part in stock.( even .001 under bearings / and even factory steel shim( .018 head gaskets) When it warms up Ill do a compression check all around and go from there. Again now is the time- Not after it ruins a perfect engine for this car.
Worst case/ may be a ring / or rings have collapsed / or maybe and intake gasket is pulling oil from the bottom side. AS good as it still runs I cant see it being more.
Plan is to diagnose / pull engine if need . I cant see a total tear down. More like pull heads and pan and fix what I see. Have heads freshened. If rings and no bore issues- hone( clean up super good/ flush) and new rings. Back together and ride. Just cant see it being anything in bottom end bearing wise. 50 at hot idle/ 70 at full throttle hot.

 

What does it have for valve covers, and breathers? PCV? What intake?

40 years is a long time for condensation to get in there and mess things up...