Projects Austin Somerset Gasser Build (DragNasty)

I'm NEVER on the HAMB anymore and just read this entire thread. Absolutely awesome, love it! Very nice work and awesome to see you and your Dad enjoying this together, that's what its all about.

 

Thanks.

 

So in preparation for the EFI, we are making a few other upgrades over the winter. I decided to change the heads and ordered a set of Brodix Race-Rite Aluminum 294s. I had planned on a special 110cc combustion chamber to keep my compression ratio closer to the current 9 to 1. However "wrenchbender" talked me into putting the larger 119cc and then upping the boost if we feel we need to. The heads are good through 7500 rpm and that is good thing because my new cam guy says that is where he is headed on the upper end of the Isky Roller.

 

Are the heads that you are taking off a closed chamber head?

 

Those are the ones I was talking about.

 

Yes they are GM High Performance but prior to the Open Chamber Technology. They are 840 heads, 107cc Closed Chamber. They are cast version of the aluminum L88 Heads from

 

As is par for the course for me, my Christmas present showed up two days late...but I am not complaining too much. They are Brodix Aluminum Race Rite 294 heads with 119cc chambers.

 

Man wish santa had my name on the list crap all I got was the slim opportunity to work on the tow car for my digger and get the old greasy thing to start it's not bad for a greasy old ford in a 55 ford wagon





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WOW , what did you do, rob a bank? LOL. But anyway, I am really interested in the hilborn set up and how this will play out. I would like to go that rout on my blower. This is gettin CRAZY COOL NOW!!

 

No he doesn't have to rob a bank he's loaded lol if I had his money I would burn mine to stay warm lol of course I wouldn't stay very warm very long lol


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Jackson just make sure that old Ford has a good heater core in it.

 

Damn, and I felt like a big shot today ordering gaskets, now I feel really POOR. LOL.

 

Banks can be dangerous...I prefer Pigley Wigleys...

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Who needs a heater hell im gonna be wishing it has a/c when I drive it to the meltdown cause god only know it will be hotter than hell lol


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If you plan on pullin your car to the Meltdown with a Ford you better leave early.

 

You boys need to take this over to the Meltdowns thread...I am sure Scott would have a Ford retort..lol

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Didn't I see you pullin your heap with a Ford?

 

Yep. I spend so much stupid money on the Austin, all I can afford to tow it with is a busted up old f150 and an open trailer.

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So much for Jackson's loaded theory...lol

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Something tells me that when you get the rubber on the road again you are going to find it a completely different animal.
Better strap in tight!!

 

So as you have seen the heads are in and I got some news from the machine shop Saturday on the block and crank. I seem to have the worst luck with Machine Shops. I dropped the block, crank and mains off last week. Then this past weekend popped into to wish them Merry Christmas. However all they had for me was a small lump of coal. When he looked it all over earlier in the week he showed me a peculiar wear pattern on Clevite Main Bearings and asked if we line bored it before put it together. The answer at that point was, I guess I don't know.

You see after the blower audible and rebuild started, I decided we needed to sure up the bottom end. After having the fall out with the first machine shop over having my engine for a year and then not supplying me with the parts I had paid for, I had to look for a new place. After talking to quite a few folks I decided on another very reputable shop to drill and tap the block for four bolt mains. While I was there, if you remember, he had a new set of Howard Billet Main Caps setting on his shelf from a build that changed directions etc. He sold them to me. However, he basically demanded if he was going to do the mains and the line bore that he have crank and he would order the Clevite bearings and do the install. I thought that was good news. I was at his shop just after the mains were drilled and took some photos. Then he supposedly did the line bore and installed the main bearings and Crank.

When I picked it up he said you are good to go. I did not even think about tearing into it to make sure. When we got it home I double checked the torque on the mains and they were perfect. I also quickly checked the end play and it was within spec. So we just installed the rods and moved on. What I found out Saturday was the block was never lined bored. The new billet mains were uncut and none of the holes were even close to the same size (in machine shop terms). Someone just installed the bearings, dropped the crank in and torqued her down. I don't know if that was over site or negligence but it certainly didn't help matters.

So now the block has been line bored, the crank turned and a new set of proper Clevite bearings are on the way. AND...this machine shop has invited me over for the crank fitting and install. I really appreciate that kind of understanding and service.

 

Sounds like you finally found a good, honest, machine shop. Can be hard to do now days! I only use one guy, he is the shop owner, and personally does my stuff, right the first time at a great price.

 

AND...I suppose while I am on a rant here I will tell you about the head debacle as well. I almost just left this stuff out and moved on but to be honest, it is all part of the build so here you go. I mentioned earlier that I believed the failure all started with the valve springs. So I finally had some time Sunday to really tear into the heads. You will not believe what I found.

Now I sent a pair of really worked over, bare GM High Performance 990 Heads to the first machine shop. I purchased them with a new set of Manley SS valves and Springs etc. The machine shop was going to do a valve job and double check the springs to make sure they were the appropriate for what we were going to do. If they were not, they would just trade me out etc. When the heads came back they were assembled and spotless, they looked amazing (there are photos way back somewhere in the build). AGAIN...at the time, I had no reason to doubt the work etc. We literally removed them from the plastic and installed them.

So what I found Sunday made me absolutely sick to my stomach. First off, it was obvious these were not my heads. They had the same amount of amazing machine work on them, ported and port matched etc. But when I flipped them over to look at the valves it was obvious they were not 990s as these were closed chambers. I didn't notice it when I got them back. We were so excited to get it running that it slipped right by me. I checked the casting numbers and as I reported earlier, they were 840 heads. Still a good head but smaller 107cc chambers and closed. Now at this point I am still on the fence. I mean there is a lot of debate about which is the better head and these crazy things have some serious machine work.

But I fell right off that fence a few minutes later. I flipped the head back over and while Dad went to get valve spring compressor, I just pushed down on one of them with the palm of my hand. Just being stupid standing there waiting etc. However, I could move it. I could literally over come the seat pressure and open every valve on the head with my bare hands. My suspicions were played out a few minutes later when I found the valve stems so mushroomed it was nearly impossible to get the keepers out and then of course every single one of them had to be ground to get them through the guides. These valves and springs were completely worn out.

There is no way in the limited time that I ran these heads with no spring pressure and roller rocker arms that we put that kind of wear on them. There is no way the machine shop installed these either. So the only explanation is all the port work done on these heads is from way back. The machine shop must have simply bead blasted these heads or cleaned them in some way and handed them to me with worn out springs and valves to install on my blower motor.

So I have learned a couple of good lessons. Slow down and really look at what is going on and question everything. Heck I don't even trust Brodix now....that is why ordered bare heads...I want to know exactly what is in them etc. LOL

 

DAMN!!!

 

I run almost the same set up. if you plan on running a iac it can go into the threaded port that is plugged in your pic. hilborn also sells a air filter that slides into the scoop if you plan on doing any street driving. they make a big ugly one and one that's completely inside the scoop. a lot of guys make the mistake of having too small of a vent in the system. I use a number eight on mine along with a number eight return. the fuel rail can be flipped so the fuel comes from the back if needed. finding a shop that can dyno tune it will pay off big time when its able to run.

 

Thanks, good information. Yes, I did ordered the iac for this unit. We are definitely headed to the dyno to tune it. That was best thing I did with this car the first time around. Are you using the Holley ecu?

 

no. I use a fast xfi-2. it has traction control capabilities along with a 23 channel data logger that's built in. as you get closer to getting it running look in your area for someone to tune it. I have found most tuners do one maybe two systems. if you have a holley you need a qualified holley tuner. ask around to see if their customers were satisfied. fast; mega squirt; big stuff etc are not the same as far as software and programming.

 

Sorry to hear about your machine shop hardships. Sad thing is that isn't an uncommon storey. We have a shop here that is notorious for those kinds of underhanded deeds. I was taught many moons ago to stamp all of my parts before leaving them and always find your stamp on the parts before paying for them.

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Dang man, I had not heard good things from your first guy, but hadn't heard bad front the second guy.... who is the third guy?!? I had an issue once in the Camaro and have assembled every engine for it since. I did have the 348 in the wagon assembled because I didn't have a ring compressor that would work with the chamber in the block, and didn't want to buy one.

I can't imagine having that kind of grief without totally blowing a gasket..... and I ain't talking about one in the engine!

 

I know. I must have Cometic Gaskets in "MY" head as well....cause I seem to be holding it together fairly well. You know me, I have no problem dropping names but I will PM you. HOWEVER if you are in Southwest Missouri and looking for a Machine Shop or lack there of...don't hesitate to PM me as well.

Anyway....back to better news. My new machine shop introduced me to a killer cam designer that they have known and worked with for more than 20 years. He works from his house is OSHKOSH, WI. After this if you would like his contact information, send me a PM.

We spoke for quite a while. He actually went to work for Ed Iskenderian right after he started in 1946. He was just 16 years old and he learned his trade right along side of Ed who he claimed got most of his inspiration from Gene Winfield. He said they visited Gene's shop in '46 and took a look at a machine Gene had built from war surplus machinery to grind cams. Anyway he has personally ground cams for Smokey Yunick and several other early NASCAR Names. He ground for some pretty heavy hitting drag race names as well. However he spent most of his later days in the World of Outlaws. He blew me away. He is under contract with Comp Cams and does a lot of design work for them but also free lances. I could have talked with him all day long.

Long story short, he has put together a custom grind for me that includes the 4/7 switch. He says there has always been lots of discussion about finding more horsepower there. However in his opinion there is very little if any to be found, especially in my supercharged application. But he says there is a measurable advantage in the dynamic spectrum. It will run smoother especially through the higher RPMs and after checking with Brodix on the flow characteristics of the new heads, he is aiming for a power band through 7500 RPM. Which is a good deal deeper than we ran her the first go round! I have the stupid grin back on face again!...