Hot Rods Dare to be different - 63 Scout

Soon my pet... soon I shall feed you the world !!

 

My friend James came over today to give me a hand. We struggled to get the magneto in but once we realized we were being dumb-assess and lined up the oil pump it dropped in. (Duh... ignition install 101... must have skipped that class) We are a little concerned it isn't seated / sealing well so we added a some goop to the gasket and we'll cross our fingers. It'll be tough to deal with it when you have to pull the blower to get at it... We also wired up the mag and the coil including the kill switch and a parallel circuit through a relay so we can kill the mag using the master cut off switch. While we at it we pulled out about 40 ft of cable and wire that is no longer needed. Might have lightened it up 5 lbs just in excess wire and wire ties. We mounted the blower and injection for real and would have been only a set of plug wires away from firing it up except we found that the idler pulley bearing was pooched. A friend of mine is lending me one until I get a replacement so my focus this week is to get the plug wires made up and install the fuel shut off cable as well as the throttle cable. I have always hated the current pedal and cable set up... now is the time to do it right. I also want to add an engine diaper as well as install the new belts.

These past weeks I've been digging deep into and under the Scout and I'm very aware how badly the Scout needs a tear down for maintenance and cleaning... It desperately needs real body work and some decent paint - maybe this winter

Still on schedule for a track test on June 25

 

I have to be honest. When I first saw the title, my thought was... WTF. So, I kept away, but every now and then, popped in to see WTF was going on. Now, I tell you, Sir, keep kicking ass.

 

looks great. you might want to run a bar in front of the tank to protect it. not only for safety but to be legal. any fuel tank mounted outside of the frame per the rules needs to be protected. a good thing to do if you have not already taken care of it is to sand the manifold. i pack the intake full of clean rags. i then use lay out dye on the manifold. i have a large heavy flat plate that has sand paper glued to it. the manifold is sanded until its flat. remember any distortion after the manifold is torqued in place will be transferred to the blower. having only a few thousandths clearance in the blower it doesn't take much. i use a torque wrench on the blower and the manifold. this extra care is well worth the effort. you might be surprised how much distortion you have. your blower will thank you. if you get tired of spending 25 dollars u.s. on blower gaskets the manifold can be machined for a o-ring. that truck is going to be a beast.

 

I think my blower is on it's last legs. It's literally a converted GMC bus blower. No Teflon no nothing. Still makes 9 lbs at 5% under. I have a buyer for the carbs and he may want the blower as well. May have to upgrade for next year. I am aware of the bar in front requirement. I'm looking into how to get that done. May have to add a cross bar to the frame rails. That may be the easiest solution. I had the manifold machined flat 2 years ago when it was installed. I always use a torque wrench on the blower...

Thanks for the advise... always appreciated... even if I can't afford to follow some of it

 

9psi at 5 under is good. Littlefield will service the blowed. They are the only company i use. I have had great service from them.

 

Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
Mark Twain

The lightning has a path to travel - The ignition wires are complete...
I even managed to cut them to the right length without using foul language and having to buy extras...

The only thing stopping me from firing it up is patience and common sense. No point in rushing into it and screwing something up. I need to and run the fuel shut off and throttle cables... I'll tackle the shut off tomorrow. Then I need to complete the mock up, tighten down... well... everything...

 

Down to the last few details before we attempt to fire it up and troubleshoot. I anticipate a ton of problems since we made a lot of changes. Experience has shown me that a couple of fiends with wrenches, rags, screw drivers and test meters should be close by when we light the candle.

The first gremlin popped up when we put power to the system. We confirmed the few remaining systems that work off of the battery still work (Gauges, lights, water pump, trans brake) with one exception - the most important one - the starter. Somewhere along the way, as we yanked out wires and deleted switches with extreme prejudice - we pulled the wrong wire so the starter switch failed to respond as expected. Rather than tackle it after a weekend of thrashing we decided to stop where we were and enjoy what was left of the beautiful day we had spent in, on and under the Scout. I will address it tomorrow.

Time for a Rant:
Engine diapers - love the concept - hate the install.

I knew this piece of equipment would be a problem when I saw the mounting brackets off the headers and the tight confines I would be working in to complete the install. I had been putting this off for a while now but finally I had run out of excuses... Once I got into it though I found I was mistaken ... it was a LOT worse than I expected.

Fenderwell headers would have made this a 10 minute job but the Scout uses 68 - 74 Corvette inside the frame units that are very tight on the passenger side. I needed a 2nd wrist or elbow on both arms to snake my limbs around the header tubes in a painful gymnastic like effort to thread the straps through the mounts and then attach the clips. All the while with the bag / diaper itself sitting on my face ...(That's sounds a little creepy...) Thank you to my wife for showing up at the right time to provide me some assistance from above. Now that the unit is in I realize that a routine oil change just became a major chore. Once I get the Scout running I will need to take the time re-engineer the mounting points and straps. Even if it's just to separate the straps from the bag so when the bag is un-clipped it will simply fall clear leaving the straps and clips hanging.

 

there are several types of diapers. the better ones attatch to a header bolt like you have. the adjustable strap with the clip placed lower on the bag makes for easier removal. its like comparing disposable diapers to cloth diapers. if you are running a fire system a nozzle on each side of the engine placed inside the bag will save wear and tear on your fire suit. you are running a fire system right?

 

How do I answer the fire system question with a "No" without looking like an idiot ?

At this time, I am not considering a fire system. Yes I realize - safety is always a good thing and I should be adding as much as I can regardless of the rules - but I can't afford that right now and I am not mandated to have one until 7.49 or faster. The Scout will not see times faster than 10.30's - on a good day - down hill - with the wind behind me. At least this is how fast I want it to go. Yes I realize playing with the evil creature that is alcohol makes it a new ball game. A better fire suit and fire suppression system are always a good idea. Now - having said "No" and looking like an idiot - I have contacts in the Fire and Safety world and I am pricing out a system now. Maybe I'll trade a few feet of fender space to put their name on for a system...

 

I really think you will be surprised how fast the scout will be capable of going. not 7.99 fast but fast for sure. I have a five pound system with a cable im not using. the bottle is full but past certification. its complete minus the lines. I would sell it for 50.00. that's what I have in it. if you cant afford a fire system how are you going to afford skin grafts along with a months stay in the icu. fires are the worst. the parts you have screwed together are capable of some serious hp. I know you don't want to go crazy fast due to the chassis. sometimes with these parts detuning too much can cause a huge problem. im not trying to bust your balls I just don't want you to get hurt. they don't have a safety crew suited up ready to put out a fire at the melt down. if or when you do have a fire and you get burned its too late to say the rule book said I didn't need one because I wasn't going 7.99.

 

I totally agree with everything stated - like I said - how do I say "No fire system" without sounding like an idiot ?? I'll change my position to - "I hadn't planned on one until you mentioned it". (Thank you by the way)

I have a line on a basic 2 nozzle 5lb system with a possible sponsor deal for at least a discount... (came together since this am... cool huh) If that doesn't pan out I'll be in touch. This guy can at least replace or re-certify the bottle for me.

 

thats great. if you need to upgrade your suit I have a guy who is a dj safety dealer. he is cheaper than good vibrations. upgrading your car with a diaper is so important. most guys view them as a containment device. they also serve another purpose. they contain the oil fire so the fire system can knock it down. without the diaper the whole under side of the car is oiled and no fire system can put that out. I put my fire pins on a lanyard so they don't get lost. they are pulled right before a run and replaced on the return road. the last thing you want is to be looking around for a pin to pull that's if you can even see it while on fire.

 

I should mention do your home work before you buy. there are several suppression agents out there. some are dry chemical some are a gas and some are like a foam. the dry chemical is very messy and corrosive stay away from that. having a fire extinguisher in the truck might be a good idea also. after all you will be on the scene first and most likely the only guy in a fire suit to fight the fire. I have seen plenty of engine fires. atf is extremely flammable also. you probable have 10 quarts of that on board to think about.

 

Like the old saying goes......Your car (truck) can be safe, fast or cheap - pick any two........I think your doing a great job, cant wait to see what it'll do with the injection on methanol....

 

I used to joke that the only thing I can do to be more entertaining is to go though the lights upside down and on fire ... this line of discussion puts a little grey cloud over that doesn't it

 

Jjohn dunn
1- 217- 377- 2087
Two piece spec- 20
1398.09 us dollars

 

On the cooling system, I had alky inj on my dragster, 582 BBC, and I didn't run a rad. I did run water in the block and circulated it with a electric pump so I would get accurate temp readings. Great build, I read the whole thing last night. Also, I drove the dragster back to the pits also, 4.50, 150 mph in the 1/8. I could hot lap it if I had to.

 

Welcome aboard the Scout build...
Thanks for the feedback... always appreciated

Rad and water pump are still there because I don't really have the time to figure out a different set up... besides, if I don't need it I simply don't turn it on. If I do need it - it's there

 

First fire was not as expected...

The good
The mag works and the beast wanted to fire immediately
We managed to change the rotation of the pump without dumping fuel all over the place

The bad
The injection is leaking badly... my friend then over tightened the side bolts on the nozzles and crushed the little copper gaskets... which made it leak worse
When it did fire it was backfiring badly through the injection
When it stayed running it would stop suddenly like it vapor locked
When it did run it would not respond to throttle changes
Headers were screaming hot after only a few seconds (too lean ?)

We stopped before we did any damage or start a fire. I'll reset the timing and the mag this weekend and see what I can do about the gaskets. I hate to think I will have to wait 2 weeks to have spares mailed up. I need to talk to Mike at Alkydigger about the leaking and maybe some troubleshooting ideas. I'll also have a better compressor that will sustain 80lbs so we can re-set the barrel valve properly

 

With the kind of mag you have make sure you are pulling the rotor against its rotation to take up any slack. It does sound lean. Most leak down gauges operate at 100 lbs. You are figuring a percentage of leak. 0 is no leak 100 is all leak. Thats why it cant be accurate at 80lbs. I prefer the moroso single gauge. The tavia double gauge will work but you have to pay attention as it basically reads backwards. You have to be aware at all times that your air compressor is always over 100lbs. I bleed off the air until the compressor turns on. When it stops i take a reading. How did you determine the initial tune up. Leak; idle pressure; main jet etc. Here is my info as to how it looks.

 

Usually I get stubborn and try to muddle about and learn on my own - but I simply do not have time to advance my learning curve on this stuff and still be ready for Meltdown. So rather than risking damage due to my ignorance and inexperience I am shipping the Scout over to Wiebe's Auto Service in Letellier Manitoba June 20th.

Jeff Wiebe is a racer and has a lot of experience with Hilborn injection... blown and un-blown, gas and alky. I am very comfortable with having someone with his experience and know-how establish the basic tune and then pass on the knowledge to me.

Maybe next year I will actually leave well enough alone and stop making changes to the Scout that sees me thrashing during the weeks leading up to the event... highly unlikely - but it would be nice.

 

Sounds good. I ordered my new fire suit from john. If you plan on getting one before the md do it very soon. They are running a few weeks out. Check out dj safety for the needed measurements.

 

Another bonus to working in my garage rather than at my brother's shop - my wife comes out to give me a hand. This is very cool !! What started as "Honey can you hold this wrench" - while I tighten the bolt on the other side of the firewall.. has become a part time assistant. She knows her tools, knows which way to turn bolts and I think she's actually enjoying herself... I even heard her telling her co-worker she helps on the race car

I only have 1 more day to tighten things up a bit before I take off for my yearly fishing trip into Northern Manitoba. (There be sea monsters up there... 40 inch pike and 40 inch lake trout) The day I get back is the day I haul the Scout over to Jeff Wiebe to get the magneto and injection sorted out. Like I said earlier... I usually enjoy taking the time to learn new things, but in this case I'm out of time if I want to be testing on the 25th...

 

Another bonus to working on a race car, or hot rods in general, is the instant camaraderie we share with other gear heads. I have been agonizing over a better throttle pedal and something safer than a bicycle brake cable as a throttle control. Of course I left it too long and now its too late to order something in before I head north and then truck the Scout over to Jeff.

This evening I wandered down the street to talk to my neighbor (who I haven't met yet) I've seen (and heard) his open wheeled modified and figured he might have something I can use. Go figure - his name is Dave (So is mine by the way) and he has a wrecked chassis in the back - that just so happens to have a throttle pedal assembly in it. He lent me some tools and gave it to me for a handshake... If you've read the previous posts then you may remember there's a guy with beer and metal in one direction on my street and now a guy with race car parts in the other... Did I mention I live 100 ft behind a Home Hardware ?? God I love this small town stuff...

My wife and I spent the evening putting in the pedal and rigging up a Morse cable (also known as a B&M shifter cable) for a throttle linkage. It won't be pretty but it will be functional. I can make it pretty another time.

 

thats cool. sounds like my neighbors. i live in the middle of a corn field with nothing around. at least nothing you are going to walk to. seeing that you are now working on the throttle. i have found the chassis shop to have the best cables and parts. the supreme cables they offer are worth it. they are located in michigan and have a on line catalog. they can make the cables to your specs usually shipped in a day or two. they are on of my favorite places to get all sorts of cool race car parts. this beast that you put together will have throttle response like you never had with the carbs. i prefer the longest arm i can get for the injector. it slows down the action making staging and pedaling much easier.

 

Roger that on the wife being part of the team. After nearly 50 years together we have done a bunch of work together. Be it holding that wrench on the side you can't reach, or helping lift the parts that you need some assist on (like putting the engine into our VW Bug back in the "old days", we have shared a lot of times getting greasy together. I remember back in the old days after she called BS on a buddy who was bragging on how fast his basically stock '55 Chevy was he told me later that no girl should know that much about cars. I had to explain to him that we spent most of our weekends at the drag races and she had more than a "gee, that's pretty" interest in hotrods.

Besides, it's nice to have a "crew chief" with a personal interest what we enjoy.

 

Proud moment for me was last year at the Terrace Bay event when a wanna-be wandered over and started talking about "his" race car ... that wasn't in attendance, for some reason or another. He mentioned he was running a 421 sbc with 3 kits that was good for about 1200 hp ... through a Powerglide and 9" My wife looked over and matter of fact asked what he ahd done to the 9"... the guy replied "Noth'n... they be strong enough to take 1000 hp - stock" (or something to that effect) - My wife just shook her head and stated - if he was going to run a stock diff then he should be running a Dana 60 over the 9 inch otherwise he should bring a bucket of oil absorb to the starting line on every pass.

The guy kind of mumbled something about - 9" is the way to go and would never run a Dana - and wandered away. My friend and I fell out of our chairs laughing once he was gone.

 

I found that when my wife was included things went much smoother. We had two kids in diapers and we still barnstormed all over the country. She would help belt me in; tow me to the line then start the nitro beast. She had no problem towing back either. In between all that took care of the kids and made lunch. Lots of good times. She can put some guys in their place to.

 

Dropped the Scout off a Wiebe's Automotive to let Jeff do his thing. I expected a laundry list of issues and problems and a few comments about the setup... Not to mention a healthy bill... He called late in the afternoon to tell m it's ready (Really??). Turns out the problem was the timing was out - a lot. Once again I was biting off way more than I could chew and trying to do too much at the same time - and forgot the basics. After he confirmed the butterfly gap and set the barrel valve he checked the timing. Moved the mag one tooth... reset with the buzz box and - Boom goes the dynamite !! He's telling me it's crisp and nasty...

Picking it up tonight... I'll have video of the load or unload (one of the two)

Once again I have left everything to the last minute and the last 2 local track dates to test... and they are calling for high winds and rain yet again this weekend.