Projects BACK AT IT FINALLY!! RE-BUILD OF AN EARLY CHEVY COUPE WITH A 392 HEMI

This^^^!

 

You should have pins here^^^

Also, this does not look great! As I said, be careful man!

 

I'll give that a try Tim - thanks!

Yes, there is fluid in the jack, unscrewed the jack oil screw and fluid started to run down to the floor. Re-adjusted the weight lift to 1/2 ton (1,000 lbs). Thanks Sixball!

I found one pin, so there's 3 pins total. And yes, she started to lift finally off the floor! The hoist was Teeter-tottering to the side with the missing pin, so I will buy another one - thanks for the advice Rob!

I'm not sure, but there was fluid after backing out the screw. For the great prices that I've seen on the net, I will purchase a new hydraulic ram with a few more tons of weight lift capability.

I was figuring about 750, so close enough. Good info George, thank you!

 

I'm missing one pin, but wanting to ask you what size are the pins - 5/8" or 1/2" so I can order a few extra? I just ordered a new hydraulic ram 3 ton to feel better with a new one with extra lifting weight - thanks Mike!

 

My compliments on your engine, its awesome, as is the whole project.
The pins on my hoist, which appears to be the same unit, are about 3/4”. I’m sure it’s a metric size.
The replacement parts department website for that tool company is excellent. They provide exploded views, with part numbers, to order the exact part needed.
I hope this helps to keep you moving forward.

 

It certainly will - thanks Rob!

 

Just came back from my garage and lifted my hemi off the floor enough to remove the engine cradle that has been on the hemi since I picked up the engine WAY, WAY back in 2008! Left the hemi attached to the hoist and placing my motorcycle jack underneath the oil pan with wood and a soft sheet to pamper that wild looking candy orange prisma metalflake paint job! Next task is installing the trans adapter, spacer and properly torquing the bolt kit...

I also positioned my transmission on top of my frame so I can prep for new seals kit installation for the front pump and rear tail housing seals kit as well. My brother Scott gave me a hand with this task tonight for extra hands and very grateful for his help! Brothers - that big ass hemi is going in REAL SOON!!!! Stay tuned!

 

Fantastic! Your chassis looks great, you have put a lot of time and thought into it. I really like that orange on the Hemi too!

 

[QUOTE="brokedownbiker, post: 15391901, member: 283554". I really like that orange on the Hemi too![/QUOTE]Seems to be copper.

 

The paint WAS incredible looking when first painted, but it's been untouched since 2008 and hardly has any shine to it at all. When this hemi goes in, I will do a MAX detailing on both the paint and polish up all of the aluminum jewelry - can't wait to get my hands on it!! Wait till I roll out my chassis out of the garage and into the sun, seeing first hand how beautiful this candy orange prisma metalflake really is - shine up all of the chrome and stainless on the front end - including the polishing on the center section of the QCR!!!!

Seems to be copper.[/QUOTE]
Answer above George - hope with a lot of work detailing the paint will shine her up greatly! This photo has the ACTUAL paint chip attached to a photo I have in my photo album. You can see the multiple colors in the candy paint, but looking at it in real time is so different, the different angles of the light source makes this color stunning to look at!

 

Answer above George - hope with a lot of work detailing the paint will shine her up greatly! This photo has the ACTUAL paint chip attached to a photo I have in my photo album. You can see the multiple colors in the candy paint, but looking at it in real time is so different, the different angles of the light source makes this color stunning to look at!


View attachment 6214419 [/QUOTE]
Too used to seeing Hemi or Chevy orange, I guess.

 

Trying to move forward with installing the hemi and transmission, but found out last weekend that the flex plate bolts that were sent with the trans adapter is the wrong size. So along with the flex plate and spacer, they both need to be drilled to larger 1/2-20 size to be correct. What concerns me now is that if the drilling out to the larger bolts is not dead on accurate, it might cause the flex plate to be "unbalanced". May need a machine shop to carry out this task - need to ask around for more info.

Looked up Wilcap, established in 1946 - the company that originally made my trans adapter kit and found out that they were recently bought by a company called Speed Gems, specializing in transmission adapters. I asked them if they have both the flex plate and crankshaft spacer drilled out for 1/2-20 bolts and their response was no. The kit offers both the standard flex plate bolts, which are 7/16-14 and if asked, the 1/2-20. Their salesperson said that they have only the standard size 7/16-14 bolt holes, so I would have to drill out to the correct size of 1/2-20. I find this a bit hard to believe that they're requiring customers to drill out to the larger size bolt holes. Cannot and will not take this chance myself - anyone have their thoughts on this?

 

If Chrysler flange are like Dodge 7/16 is standard with a nut on the backside.
A fairly common mod was to thread the flange with a 1/2 to not have to deal with the nuts.
It really is a pain in the butt to get them in place betwin the flange and engine.

 

Well, first important step is getting the correct grade 8 1/2-20 bolts and lock nuts (8 each) from Hot Heads in NC. They're 1-1/2 long, specific for this kit.

 

tapping holes sounds like the answer!

 

Yup! Run a 1/2-20 tap through it, no drilling on the crankflange. Not wanting to dig through 18 pages for the tranny, if it's a 727 just use the 426 Hemi flexplate, will bolt right on.

 

Mike I have a mill could drill and tap new if needed. Give me a call or send me a text. I could possibly stop by one of these weekends and take a look

 

I would want to try working with the pin in the one ton hole.
Given that it would still clear the front. See attachment
Also I noticed that your lift test has the engine face at rear.

 

It is... Was hoping that I could purchase a new flex plate and crankshaft spacer drilled with 1/2-20 holes from Wilcap/Speed Gems (bought Wilcap) to no avail. Disappointing to say the least.

Thanks George, better to stick with the trans adapter kit.

Better yet, I'm off tomorrow, (Friday) I could drop by in the afternoon with my parts when you get home from work if this is okay with you. Haven't seen your family in a while - see if David could stop by.

Tom, got the hoist working like a gem, after replacing the hydraulic ram with a 3 ton capacity instead of the 1 ton that originally came with the hoist. Not sure what you mean with your last line...

 

Its been a good while since I did mine, I seem to recall there is one bolt offset so that the flexplate/flywheel only goes on one way. I mention this because you speak of drilling and that one photo show two holes offset, I mention this only as a caution and I may well be wrong.
I think when the factory assembled them they bolted up the flywheel; before the oilpan went on. They also take a special bolt where the head registers inside a flange, when you tap to 1/2" you go to a 12point head if I recall right, I think I machined a little relief for the bolt (I was working with an original flywheel, you may not have this problem).

 

Needs a Mooneyham blower. Hehe.

 

I went over to My buddy Dale's home in Phoenix and after a few turns, the holes DID line up. Then he drilled out all 8 holes to 1/2-20, once the crankshaft hub spacer was locked together with the flex plate with 2 bolts and nuts (flex plate and crankshaft hub spacer). Now once I buy all 1/2-20 grade 8 bolts and grade 8 lock nuts, I'll place the drilled-out crankshaft hub spacer and see if they line up with the threaded holes in the crankshaft hub.

Kidding aside, Mooneyham superchargers started in 1974, looking for a vintage supercharger from the 50's and early 60's.

 

Two McCullochs?

 

Got the flex plate and crank spacer drilled out at my buddy Dale's hot rod garage in Phoenix last Friday afternoon - yesterday, bought the correct 1/2-20 grade 8 fine thread bolts and locknuts from Ace Hardware. Did not want to wait for the bolt kit from Hot Heads in NC...

The threads on the crank hub looked decent, so I used and extra bolt (of the 10 each), with a little cutting oil and carefully used my hand/and or socket wrench to clean them. Now was the tough part... using the aluminum crank spacer to check if the bolt pattern matched the crank hub hole pattern. After a few attempts of spinning the spacer, some of the holes did not line up. Two of the holes in the spacer are closer together than the other 6, I believe it is the same for the threaded crank hub. I'll use a measuring tape next time and find the two that are closest together and try once again to get all of the bolts in place - I'll mark each bolt numbers 1 - 8, same on the flex plate and spacer to make this task EASIER for mounting these parts for good with Loctite and the lock nuts.

I just need a tool to install the front pump seal (rear tail housing bushing/seal is done - pics enclosed), install the TC to hear 3 clicks and the transmission is ready to drop in my frame and connect to my hemi. This is all going down next weekend, so my excitement will be most gratifying!

 

Lock nuts aren't needed. Locktite & the proper torque will do. The original set up used nuts because they were just studs stuck through the crankflange holes.

 

That's good to know - thanks George!

 

Just check what torque is needed on a 318/340.

 

STOP THE PRESS!!!! Dale came over to give me a hand, dropping the MEGA HEMI and 700R4 into my frame! My brother Scott was anxiously looking on, taking some great photos and not witnessing anything like this event before in his life! Then afterwards, I spent some hours removing the 16 years of dirt (not cleaning the hemi since 2008) and dust from my 392 so that Candy Orange Prisma Metalflake can shine and glitter like it did when it was originally painted! Enjoy!

 

Congrats

 

Awesome.
Great milestone.
Congratulations.