When is that again? If not that I'm supposed to be down in your neck in May and possibly building a store not far from there this upcoming year. We'll have to I try and get together.
Ok fuel lines to the carbs.... Is 1/4 diameter enough? Can I use regular copper? Planning to go fuel pump to rear carb brass T to front carb... Can I solder a copper t instead of brass? At the store getting it her stuff and was going to grab some copper tube for that. I'll probably have to rethink this like 43 times between now and actually doing it so please tell me if I'm going about it the wrong way.
Did a little research when I wasn't in Home Depot going to take back the copper I got and order some stainless tube. Planning on stainless tube from front carb to brass T connecting second carb. Then to fuel pump on the stock riser. This will all be unflexing since they're all attached to the engine. Then rubber line to connect pump to firewall. Shouldn't have any issues with fatiguing. Should look similar to this guy's setup I found on a Google search. And I'll quick polish the brass to make it look a little better. Still deciding if I want to roughly polish the carb bodies when I'm rebuilding those. Similar to the pump.
I found those fittings in stainless, through connections I used to have where I worked. Expensive to buy, but if you can get them they look good.
You also need a different tool to put the flairs in stainless as it’s harder I believe . Just want you to have your bases covered before you start
Compression is what I was planning. The 94 top hats take a compression fitting fir the feed line. So I just figured I'd keep it consistent. Found some stainless fittings online. So more waiting for parts while I wait on the machine shop to get to my engine.
So a year ago or so we tore down a house at work to build a store. Then didn't end up building anything. Before we tear them down and after the previous owners salvage rights are up we usually go through and sometimes find cool stuff. This place was quite a find. Dont get me wrong it was a nasty hoarders shithole but i found a rusty old flathead single carb intake off an 8ba, a neat gas powered water transfer pump, a bunch if flathead gaskets, and buckets full of strips of bullets (not smart enough about it to know what they were from) There was also this piston rings expander new in box never been used. Well I refound it tonight while cleaning up in the garage at home. Just thought I share. I think I'm going to use it when assembling my pistons just to say I did. I'll post some pics if the other stuff next time I'm out at the shop.
Got the call today from the engine hospital. Crank is straight... The main bores were slightly off straight. So a line hone and everything is good to go now. I'll pick it back up when I get back from Missouri probably Friday.
Sure hope I can buy one oil ring. Broke one but other than that I got 7 pistons installed. I also finished putting the trans back together which was uneventful. I got my carb kits and stainless tube and fittings for the fuel line so I can finish that stuff up while I wait in an oil ring. It's getting there. Little motivation mock up Can't wait to finish this up it's killing me not driving this old thing.
Took today and tomorrow off to burn vacation planned to work in the car and a little spring cleaning around the house... Then got the call my mom had a stroke this morning and spent most of the day at the hospital. She's doing a lot better now and showing a lot of progress so I headed to the shop for a little while. I got a new oil ring ordered and decided to work on throttle linkage and fuel lines since it's not quite as messy as doing the valves like I had planned. Wasn't real happy with the section between the pump and the t but I didn't have enough stainless to remake it. Probably run it like this until it annoys me enough that I redo it.
Yeah bending hard lines can be like that, but man the reward is worth it. Looks good man even though it bugs you Glad to hear your moms recovering well, that’s some gnarly shit :/
Sorry to hear about your mom. I am glad to hear she is making steady improvement and I hope she continues to recover well. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Got the pistons and valves installed. I had to take the pistons out to clean up a little nick and back together. Then I checked clearance from valves and piston to the heads and is squashed the old playdough I used to check. Not very much room to work with. Anyone know a spec on that? I had no gaskets in like it said to so there's a little to gain there. But the valves were all 1/16 or less. I'd hate to run a valve into the head. Pistons were a little better still around 1/16 but seemed better than the valves. Guess I'll work on cleaning rebuilding and possibly polishing the carbs. And I can put the bottom end all together with pan gaskets water pumps etc.
Decided to order a 1 piece front seal. Decided that tonight oops. So while I wait on that I put the flywheel and clutch on and moved to the carb rebuild. Started polishing the body of carb #1 which was the one I was running before. I know it looks like some guy polished it in his garage in 15 minutes but I kinda like the look. I'll dig out the drill cones and get a little into the nooks but i think I want to keep some if the crust. Similar to the fuel pump it looks shed built IMO.
Had a busy week and didn't get much done. But sorted out a couple things I met with Gene Cross (cool local hot rodder fromna few pages back) and picked up a rebuilt crab distributor since the one I initially ordered from speedway was backordered forever. I'm not that upset because it was going to stick out with all my older parts and a brand new dizzy. Next I happened upon a guy selling flathead parts on Facebook and he had the fan bracket that I need on the cheap. I was planning to reuse the ugly electric I had until I could find all the parts to redo the mechanical properly. Well when I asked him how much for the bracket he said "it's attached to this fan assembly if you're interested in that too" haha. So long story short I need to take the assembly apart and make sure I'm not missing anything and that it's good to use. Got my second carb done and ready to go... I think I'm basically ready to bolt on heads and intake and get ready for the first fire. I'm going to have to put it in the car for that since I don't have a run stand... Wish me luck that it goes well and gets to stay there. Should I fire with the stock intake to break in and initial tune the carbs individually before trying to sync them on the Fenton? Thought I read somewhere that might make it go smoother. Things I still need to find and sort out before go time: Fan belt since I hadn't planned on getting a fan yet Long head studs for mounting the generator bracket (reviews if the speedway ones say they're just all-thread is there another place to get better ones?) Get the cast piece out of the old throw out bearing and into the new in si I can mate the engine and trans Power wash, clean, degrease, possibly paint the engine bay just because Tighten steering box while I have room in there Anyway here's your pictures
redzula, I would be really careful with the cart you have your engine on. That doesn't look like it is very stout and I can envision that thing folding up and your engine ending up on the floor - that would make for a very bad day... By the way your engine is looking great!.
Good call Thor1 I hadn't really thought of that. kinda made me nervous since I was out of town for work when I read that haha. Back now and all is good pulled it off the cart, cut the plug wires to length, and half mocked everything up accessories wise. Still need to make the plug wire end connections. Still looking for the right length studs for the offy generator bracket. Van pelt only goes up to 3.7" and I need 4.25 for the bracket. Mocking up though I realized I'll also need longer ones for the oil filter too and those are the 3.7 van pelt has. I'll call a couple places tomorrow for the longer ones and if I don't have any luck I guess I'll just have to get the ones from speedway. Just not too keen that those are just grade 8 all-thread. Replacement generator belt is too short. My old one is stretched a little but still too short. I suppose it's a good sign that I'm to the fiddly stuff. Pics are basically the same as the last 10 posts but they are keeping me motivated to finish up. I'm planning to bolt on the trans and drop it in possibly this weekend we'll see how that goes. (Edit I got the trans on before I left but no pics.) I asked earlier but does anyone have an opinion on if it'd be easier to set up and sync the carbs if I ran each individually on the stock intake first then fine tune and finish syncing on the Fenton?
Curious on what you're using to space the filter above the fins? My machine shop suggested searching for spacers at McMaster-Carr. I found these: https://www.mcmaster.com/#92510A798, and I'm drilling out the holes to work with my head bolts. Here's a link to an article on setting up carbs that may be of help: http://www.hotrod.com/articles/installing-synchronizing-multiple-stromberg-97-carburetors/.
I was thinking I would bolt it with the extra length sticking through the nut then bilt the filter on with a second nut. Seemed like it was very close to the right spacing and it'd be close enough that a washer could get me the rest of the way. It didn't rest on the fins last night but when I at the head gaskets and torque the but it probably will just start to touch. The generator bracket has thicker bosses so no spacer is necessary. I had thought about making some spacers but at the price of those I'd probably go with them too if my original plan doesn't work.
So I'm painting the engine bay and firewall before I put the flathead back home. Do I go white that'll get dirty or black that's boring?
Problem with off white is the scallops are straight white and would be basically right next to each other
Moose put some color on for me in the photoshop thread. Off white it is and if the difference bothers me I can change it later or put my hood back on. Probably overthinking it anyway.
The Jalopy Journal
