Technical Roothawg's 390 Cadillac build

It's always in the background. I am in interior mode now for the roadster.

 

Roothawg! Your intake looks great man!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Started blasting a few parts today. It’s only been about 6 years since I grabbed this thing off of Craigslist. Now to find all of the parts…

Picked up a few more cans of oven cleaner to do a little degreasing on the oil pan and timing cover.

On a side note, I need a 3 groove pulley for the crank if anyone has one they wanna sell.

 

So, I got a few free minutes today and decided to pop out the old freeze plugs and the oil valley plugs to get it ready to get dunked in the caustic vat. Not too exciting. Just a quick tutorial on how the Caddy plugs are different from the sbc.
You can’t just knock these in. If you start wailing on them, you will tear some **** up.

I used a dent puller.

I drilled a small hole in the center and screwed in my lag bolt.

They all came out easy peasy. Everything looks pretty good.

The only issue I as is someone ****ed up the threads on one of the oil plug. I can probably save it though.

 

I’m just glad to see I’m not the only guy pacing himself on a build

 

It’s pretty pathetic….I should have been done years ago.

 

Nope. Life happens.
At least ya making progress
Mines still waiting

 

I am waist deep in a house renovation due to the October tornado, so shop time is pretty much when I can sneak off for a brief moment of sanity.
I look for things to do that I can unbolt, sandblast etc. Mainly things I know I will have to do in the future, that will add time to the project.

This seems almost not worth posting, but it is all I have to keep moving forward.

Crusty old cast iron water neck, after the bead blaster.

20 minutes with a high speed and some roloc discs.

Nothing groundbreaking. Just a fat guy and a little progress. It will all get primed and painted soon.

 

Looks great....I dig this detailing work

 

Thanks. I have some smaller cones on the way. I’ll go back and hit the corners. Do a little more clean up prior to paint.

 

Hi Root, mines coming along slowly also but for other reasons though,
forward steps are another tick off the list.

 

Hey @Roothawg finished the renos yet and got back to this?

 

No, I jump projects like an 8 year old. We bought property and I am in the process of building the mega shop. It’s taking all of my time, not to mention money. I need to send some stuff out for chrome, but I haven’t had a chance. I bead blast it and it rusts before I can get back to it. I just live vicariously through @flamedabone.

 

I hear ya, buried the same way at the moment. Thanks for the update!

 

I really need to get back on it, but man, it's hard to get motivated, knowing I have to move everything I have ac***ulated in my shop for the last 22 years.

 

I picked up a 390, so I'm back in the research phase. How's your build going? Also, since you have an exploded view of a 390, can you see places that would need to be plugged to allow for a dry sump to operate? So far it's on my ideas to make a Cadillac motor do fun things in the turns plan. Happy 4th!

 

Man, I am the wrong guy to ask about going in circles. I have been a straight line guy my entire life. There are some guys on here that do some road racing with the Caddy stuff. I will defer to them.