Projects My GN Cycle Car tribute build

Very often I thinking about you,hope you see some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Thanks for all the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers. It has been difficult, but we're slowly getting back to "normal" taking into consideration what the COVID pandemic has done to everyone and everything. I've tried a few times to post, but I cannot for some reason using either my iPad or my iMac due to the Tapatalk app issue. Not happy, and not quite sure how to resolve it.
For fun, I thought I would try here at work before I left for the day and voilà, no issues! In the mean time, there has been no progress on the speedster as I picked up another project that has turned into much more work than anticipated - a 79 International Harvester Traveler. This will be my tow rig for the speedster. I was supposed to get another rust free one, and just do an interior swap, but the deal fell through, so unfortunately I'll be into major metal work. I'm hoping in the next few weeks to start again on the flathead assembly. Cheers for now.

 

Good to hear from you @Ziggster...

 

Good to hear you’re still working on it.

By the way, I use an iPad for the site but I don’t use the app. I just use Google Chrome and the website address. I don’t have any issues that way.

 

On top of what @brEad put forth regarding The Hamb here is a link to the Version I use through Google Chrome on the Ole Cell Phone...note this is not the App...

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-gn-jap-tribute-build.1131795/page-6

 

Just thought about using my phone to access the site. D’oh. Get the same message, but I can actually click on “continue” using Safari, and it works. Will try the solutions above when I get home. Many thanks.

 

First sorry to hear of your loss, man that sucks. But seeing as how you have had the block milled and looks like the heads also, make sure you clay em and check clearances before locking em down..........

 

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. I hadn’t thought about doing that, but you are right that he did skim both the block and heads. My last big push was trying to get head bolts from TSC in Ogdensburg. They were supposed have my order ready in Feb, but then the world changed. I’ll give them a call tomorrow to see what happened. I really would like to install the heads and intake.

 

So I called TSC, and of course their distributor never actioned my order, so I’m kinda back to square one. It’s been a while, so back trying to figure what my options were for the head bolts.

 

I was just putting the finishing touches on my sand blast cabinet which I had purchased back in Feb just before my wife passed away, and I decided to start “loosely” assembling some parts on my flathead. So nice to start back at it again. It had been a tough year so far and I need to get back at doing “normal” stuff. I was able to hand tighten all the original head bolts except one. I’ve got to finally decide what to do for attaching the heads.

Block still looks good after over a year under wrap.


Heads on. Guessing doesn’t matter which one goes where. Lol!


Water pumps and orig dizzy installed. Couldn’t find the cover I had purchased fir my helmet dist. Lol!

 

Oops. Forgot to add pic of dizzy. Hard using my phone to type and post pics.

 

Finally decided to order some ARP bolts from Allen Fasteners. Total for delivery to my place is US$173.48 which I think is very reasonable based on some the prices I’ve seen for various ARP stud kits that were north of US$400.00. For the record, I have the following additional info for those interested:

1. ARP stud kit (39-48 stk iron heads) (Item#1708) from Red’s Headers is US$261.00.
2. Cyl head stud kit (38-47 stk iron heads) (P/N 32-18288-1) from Mac’s Auto Parts is US$104.99. Includes nuts and three stud lengths).
3. ARP Gr 8 Black oxide flange head bolts (Product ID 0506A) from Allen Fasteners are:
2” lg - US$2.77 ea (qty 16 req’d)
2.5” lg - US$3.07 ea (qty 4 req’d)
2.75” lg - US$3.18 ea (qty 28 req’d)
4. Caterpillar Gr 8 Black oxide hex head bolts (most similar to original bolts in terms of head size):
2” lg - P/N 0T-0319
2.5” lg - P/N 1D-4703
2.75” lg - P/N 1D-4556
I don’t have pricing, but I’ll call the local Cat/ Hewitt dealer tomorrow to see what they say.

 

Nice to hear from you!
Welcome back.

 

Cleaned up the timing cover for my helmet dizzy in my blast cabinet. Can’t believe I’ve done without one for so long. It cleaned up in a matter of minutes. Got the dizzy disassembled and ready for blasting tomorrow.
Before.



After.

 

The dizzy disabblemed. Will be ordering new parts for it today, as well for the fuel pump and carb.

 

The walnut shells aren’t ckeaning up the way I would like. Increased line pressure from 80 psi to 100 psi, and no real change. I think I have some glass bead on hand which I’ll try tomorrow.

 

I would try the glass beads on that.do it on the backside and see if you like the results first.

 

Ordered the head bolts from the local Cat dealer as well. Thought it was Hewitt, but it is actually Battlefield. Some of the bolts had never been ordered before in their system, but they should arrive on Monday. Crazy cheap. I think they were as follows:

2” lg - P/N 0T-0319 - CAN$1.68 ea
2.5” lg - P/N 1D-4703 - CAN$2.09 ea
2.75” lg - P/N 1D-4556 - CAN$2.86 ea

Total = CAN$115.32

Will post pics when I get them.

 

Got some glass bead and tried it out on a few things. The cabinet still leaks a bit around the glass window and one of the hand openings.

Helmet dizzy housing.


Early aluminum manifold. Just started in the middle section.


94 carb housing.

 

Re-blasted 3-bolt dizzy cover. The glass bead cleaned it up better than the walnut shells.

 

Fantastic!
Those glass beads turned it into bronze.

 

Haha! I wish. Got a few more things blasted.


Parts for the helmet dizzy ordered today. Hoping to get one good carb built from the three “barn find” ones. Forgot the seller gave me a new unopened carb rebuild kit from when he was out west with motor.

Was looking for a new oil pan drain plug for my heavy duty oil pan and came across this ad for one. Damn US$700.00! I think the CAN$100.00 I spent on my flathead has been the best “investment” of my life. Lol!

 

Got the dizzy cover painted. Used same paint as rest of engine, but was thinking of going black to match the water pumps, but decided that would be too much black up front.


Have a thread going over on Ford Barn about my helmet. Painted it with some Tremclad high-heat paint. Will use same on my aluminum intake.




Also picked up some copper tubing and a few compression fittings for some vacuum, oil, and fuel lines. Trying to figure what folks use in terms of fittings for those things. Used to know that stuff inside out when I worked at General Motors Diesel Division, but that was 30 years ago. Lol!

 

Turns out the compression fittings won’t work, and upon further reading aren’t recommended. Seems double flare is way to go with Cu-Ni or copper tubing for fuel. There is lots of debate on use of copper, but I did purchase some from Roy Nacewizc last year that I’ll try first. Still have a bit of blasting to do, but should be done today. Need to order the large drain plug for my oil pan as misg threads are destroyed, and upon a closrr look at my dipstick, it may also need to be replaced, that us even if one is available.

Spark plug wire tubes. Both had numerous dents, but one was worse than the other. For it I decided to use some JB Weld, while I used some spot putty on the other.



Compression fitting and attempt bending eith simple bending tool. The copper was crushed slightly around the bend. I’m thinking it’s too soft. The compression fitting is supposed to work on copper, but the ferrule was really loose.

 

Forgot to include pics of dipstick and drain plug...

 

Some pics of the misc carb bodies that I have to deal with.

Blasted, but seized.


Acid dipped awaiting dissassembly and blasting.


Acid dipped, awaiting blasting, not seized.
View attachment 4916166

 

Bolts arrived, and I just picked them up. Noticed through the plastic bag that they had the “Cat” logo on the head, so I just had to take a pic. Lol! Total with taxes was a meager CA$119.49.

 

The Caterpillar bolts have a taller head, which looks better and holds the wrench better.
I wonder who makes them? In-house?

 

Yep, a bit taller and wider than the ARP head bolts.

Decided to give it a go and see what I could do to try and salvage the dip stick. I was really surprised it turned out as good as it did. Took only about 15 mins to straighten things out. The single tang did break off though at the lowet end. I’ll braze it back on as well as brazing a bit more material around tbe sealing disc. The disc/dip stick was repaired at some point and welded on crooked. Not sure how the dip stick was supposed to seal against the top of thetibe, but I’m guessing there was a rubber seal of some sort

 

Also got the first coat of paint on my intake manifold. I used my gas powered pressure washer this morning for over 5 mins to get the remmants of a wasp nest and some dirt out. Will clean again before installation to make sure nothing else is left. When the paint goes on wet it actually looks identical to the natural cast aluminum.