Projects My '61 Biscayne build

Nice work...Keep it up!

 

This is a good idea.. And, it woulda saved me some trouble.. But, having the puller made it a little easier putting the axle back in with the bias of the slide hammer to hold the axle straight.. I got it back in--and drove it 40 miles on Friday to a local show where again she got quite a bit of attention--both GOOD and "BAD" (Gotta love the shiny-paint nazi's...)

I still need to see if I can locate a longer speedo cable to try and hook up to the 700R4.. I put a cap over the speedo drive for now as I found that was where I had a major ****** fluid leak..

 

This past week I planned on driving the car to Cheaterama and couldn't get the car to idle. I took the air filter off and while turning the car over, I could watch from the driver's seat and see the fuel coming out of the 850's vents like geysers for the primaries and secondaries. I took the carb apart and also found the accelerator diaphragm for the secondaries to be leaking badly and rubber deteriorated. I bought a Holley rebuild kit and slapped everything all together..

Today, I put the carb back on and after setting the floats at the right level, the car ran great. Previously, there was a dead spot when flooring the throttle and was gone after the rebuild, so i WAS happy..

UNFORTUNATELY.. I never thought to change the oil (not knowing how thinned out it had likely gotten) and I'm pretty sure the connecting rod bearings on 1 or 2 are toast as of now.. The engine started knocking during a 2 mile test drive and had to get it home.. Sounded like a hammer was banging in the front of the motor.. I pulled the valve covers off first and found everything in there to be just fine.. Thanks for the 'person' who put the motor in for me, I can't get the oil pan off without taking the engine out. (pretty awesome engineering there...)
So--now it will sit AGAIN...

 

So... an update.. Just short of a year after spinning a few bearings..



I pulled the engine and trans and was able to locate a couple sheared pieces of what looked like bearing material in the oil pan and oil pump pickup.. I have opted to take full responsibility for not changing the oil in the car after having a ****ty carb issue--so now I'll pay for it.. The engine is in the shop getting looked over to determine what damage was ultimately done, and how to fix it. I plan on driving this car a few times this year..
Also--I dropped the trans off to get a good once over as it's 27 years old and prior to picking it up three years ago off of craigslist--I didn't know it's history.. It leaks like a complete slob--and I can't have that..
So--a little more $$$ and I plan on enjoying the lovely exhaust noises as it reverberates through the body and into the interior!!

 

Here's the carnage.. The #5 & #6 rod bearings and #4 main bearings were all spun. My builder said the block will only need a light align bore..
I picked up a set of '71 LS6 (3994026 castings) heads that will be built to better help the engine breathe with the L88 intake.
SO--I'll be spending some $$ to get this back together the right way and the heart of the beast will be a bit stronger this time around. New rods, pistons, and all cylinder head/valve parts will be new. Based on the internal condition of the engine--it doesn't appear to have ever been apart before.
I'm lucky to know one of the owners of the machine shop--so they are letting me work alongside the builder---I wouldn't mind calling myself an "apprentice" at the shop





The crank will be checked to see if it's going to be re-used.. Otherwise another will be sourced..

 

Can't wait to see how this turns out!

 

I spent about 4 more hours at the shop today. I removed all the oil gallery plugs from the block and got it set aside for it to be picked up for cleaning/inspection. Should look like new when I get it back.
I spent some time bead-blasting the cylinder heads and cleaning up the exhaust/intake ports and combustion chambers in preparation for machine work. New hardened seats will be installed along with stainless valves and other good stuff.
Here's the picture as I pulled them from the steam-pressure bath. All that orange **** is the solvent before it was rinsed off then air dried.

 

Hemi -

Looks great.
I used to have a 61 Impala, white with red and white interior. I had a 59 El Camino that I built a 421 inch..409 for. After I got the engine done, I decided I didn't want to put it into the 59...and went looking for either a 61 or a 62 Impala.
A friend found a 61 in a marginal part of town. Turned out to be a really nice car. I took the 283/powerglide out and put the big 409/T-400 in., lowered it a little,
a set of B***ett (older NASCAR wheel builder) wheels (10"x15"), big anti-sway bars, shocks, etc.

It was a lot of fun. I owned it for about 10 years.

Have fun with yours...keep that oil fresh...!

Mike

 

Mike--thanks.. I'd love to see some pictures of your '61 with the wide tires on it..

Yesterday the engine got closer to complete.. The timing cover and oil pan were put back on after everything else was thrown together internally.. This engine should run pretty nice when it's finished--much better than the previous version.. I'll make sure to post all the build details when it's all said and done.. The clock is ticking as I really want to drive to the Iron Invasion next weekend--and the only thing standing between that possibility is the engine being dyno'd and me putting it back in this week..
The cylinder heads are back on and torqued and the last part of the equation is the pushrods.
fingers x'd...

I painted it Low-Gloss Black and the tins were painted separately. NO shiney stuff will be on this motor... I have a set of old Edelbrock (cal-custom style) valve covers on the way which will stay kinda mucked up looking as well. And--I'll be painting the billet pulleys black too..

 

It's getting ready---






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Last post for awhile--the thrash starts tonite--


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No good news today... Since I had to pull the distributor out to put the engine in--I had a hard time getting the timing back correct.. Then my starter tool a ****...
So I grabbed a new one from the local parts place and I got her started a couple times--but timing was way off still... Backfired a few times--and the starter #2 did what you see down below...I have no idea why the nose busted the way it did??
Too much work over the past day to quit--but I'm out if time and luck.. '61 will not be on the road this weekend as i had aimed for-

11pm last nite



6pm today---




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..picked up a new starter nose cone today.. I'll get it back together in a few days.. Then I'll make some new trans cooler lines before attempting to fire it up again.. Damned lines that "someone" made are leaking baddddd..

Here's the video of the engine on the dyno.. It was run for break-in purposes.. Not for power on this pull..

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_WMqiqW3yLE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Today... she runs and drives.. Only thing left is to get the thermal switch plumbed into the trans cooler lines and get the TV cable adjusted more precisely.. I need to find an alternative location for my radiator electric fan switch as well since I can't get the plug out from the p***enger side cylinder head.. Oh well..
Took it down the road and put some gas in it (trans shifts like **** right now...)
Feels nice to get it on the road again even though the bias plys and pie-crust slicks are a little lumpy from sitting for a year.. I tend to believe they'll smooth out with some driving.. Got a few more weeks to drive until the weather will turn upside down here..
I plan on driving the Biscayne to a small local show next weekend..

 

So you going to be around long enough to enjoy your ride for awhile?

 

Going to be around long enough???

 

Love the Biscayne- enjoying the build-

 

Sounds good now go have some fun

 

No more deployments in the future?

 

*****

 

Get that TV adjusted right and the trans shifting good before you put any miles on it, or you will be putting another ****** in. Did not watch the entire video, but it sounded good.

 

Heck no.. I've had my fill of the BS.. 9 years active, 3 in the reserves.. Had enough although I knew I gave up quite a bit.. I was E-7 after 9 years--but, life goes on.. New choices--new path.. Old cars..

Keep it covered..

I'll post some new pictures this week.. I put about 10 miles on it today--trans stayed about 165--set the timing a little better with some help from the engine guy.. Gotta love his continued ***istance.
I'll put the seatbelts in this week, wire up the trans cooler tomorrow, and take the car to the trans shop on Wednesday just for a sanity check on the TV cable.. No burnouts for another week or so as I'm still running the Gibbs oil for a bit.

 

Maybe someday I'll make mine pretty...



(maybe put a real transmission in it again someday...)

 

Here's some shots from today...
Changes to be made--
1. New Taylor plugs with some thermal protection at the plug ends and maybe on the headers
2. Wire up remote electric trans cooler/fan
3. Install ratty seatbelts
4. maybe find a distributor driven tach for the steering column?
5. Fix trans shifting linkage (can't get into park--only reverse--should be easy fix)
6. Repair p***enger window setting channel--so gl*** doesn't fall out of track while lowered.
7, 8, 9, 10, ****x.. Drive the hell out of it..

 

diggin' it.

 

Here's pics from today..
Only things left on the to-do list is finish installing seatbelts, install windshield wipers, fix front driver turn signal, and figure out a way to get the damned water plug from the p***enger side head for the temp switch for the electric fan..

It's also got red '61 Illinois tags on it now..









One other thing being pondered.. Does a dual snorkel air intake with dryer ducting need to be installed???

 

Sure does built one out of a stock air cleaner with coffee cans brazed into oval cuts in the base used dryer duct to under the bumper plastic ducts from JC whitney and went .20 faster with an OT drag car. Two tenths is enough you can feel for probably less than $20.00.

 

Tonite I got some steam in me and decided to tackle the task of getting the coolant plug put of the p***enger cylinder head so I could insert the thermal switch for the electric fan.. It was overlooked during the head building task--and once installed in the car--oops..
So--starting with some drilling I was able to pop through the center of the old (stripped) Allen plug and I just kept going up to a 1/2" diameter drill.. I was lucky to have just enough room to fit my drill straight on so as to not cause any inadvertent damage to the head. After a couple failed attempts at heating the area surrounding the hollow plug in order to use an easy out--I used a mini hacksaw and cut on opposite sides of the loop. I then used a cold chisel and was able to break the loop and collapse the pieces in in one another.. I had to run the drill through a few more times to gain some extra space for movement-but the whole mess finally broke free.. I spun it out and didn't damage any threads or the inner p***age.. I put the br*** fittings in and everything works great.. After clean up I took her for a drive and she finally gets up to temperature (but barely) in the 39* temperature..


Next--get the speedo hooked up-wiper blades installed (looking for some original stainless blades needing inserts maybe???) and fix the left front turn signal...


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Good work. You did put some anti-seize on the new fitting right?

 

Are you looking for the hole wiper arms? if so PM me