Yes! The engine is finally in the chassis with the trans installed. Naturally the FatMan Fab ‘50 Ford aftermarket steering doesn’t clear the engine due to the modified engine location. I’ll need to put the stock parts back in. Once the engine is settled in I’ll get the driveshaft length reset. It was modified to fit the 1960 Vette SBC installed when the original Caddy engine expired. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No, I'll do a chassis dyno run when the car is done. Right now I don't have the induction system fabrication complete yet.
Understood.. we are really looking forward to your result...!! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No, I'm slower than slow. The engine is sitting in the car and I'm finalizing the mounts. I was most recently delayed when the oil pan interfered with the steering.
Try Tony Ross of Ross Racing Engines, he is Goatroper02 on here. He specializes on early Olds and I believe he does Cadillac also. Ross Racing Engines 1763 North Main St Niles,Ohio 44446 330-544-4466 w 330-720-1282 c www.RossRacingEngines.com
Saw runner on IG 390 complete for $2500 Look up @partswapper and @lurch1961 It will be at Pate Swap this upcoming weekend Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hey, c; FWIW, not a slam or putdown; just some thoughts from some long-term studies: While I'm partial to Studies, Cads are a kissin' cousin, same for Olds; like your project - thanks for posting & the info. You're going to like those carbs, = their main positive feature is the (almost) unlimited adjustability. Their main distraction is their (almost) unlimited adjustability... . Intake manifold looks really cool, but I'm pretty sure the log portion is going ruin(disable) the best part of the Webers/Dellortos, which is the IR configuration, resulting in hard-hitting throttle response, wide-range of carb-tuneability from idle -> wot & even fuel economy & topend power. W/the log I'm thinking you'll have soggy throttle response, hard tuning, etc. I'm thinking that carbs in the current location should have the runners extend to the opposite head, very much like Chryslers' long-runner manifolds of the early 60s'; or very short runners = just enough to mate carb bases to head should give you enough hood clearance? Don't know how good you are w/these things(I'm not[yet] - but read alot & have always been fascinated w/them, will be learning tuning on my 40 Dells in the near future), so if you want some good tuning advise, there is a long thread on an OT(acvw) site, that goes into every detail(downdrafts, not sidedrafts - but principle is same). There are 3 very good books on Webers/Dells, too. If you are interested, I'll post info here, or PM you. When you get this thing sorted, 5 dentists won't be able to remove the permanent grin from your face. Marcus...
Log manifolds have been around for a long time and I sized them based on the displacement and expected RPM range. There is actually some science in what I’ve done. If need be I can always add some baffles on the inside of the log to reduce the volume. They guy that rebuilt the Webers and will do the tuning has a Chevy/Austin Healey with downdraft Webers and both a 327 Vette and a 350 Chevy in a Kellison with sidedraft Webers. He drives all of them on the street and keeps them in running order. Advice is always appreciated though. I don’t expect that it will run perfectly at the first startup, but if it at least can be made to run and drive I can go from there.
Haha! The original engine had no thermostat. Looking at the original photos I have from 1954, it appears they just cut off the top of the water pump, so I have done the same (and plugged the vent hole from the thermostat housing to the pump). It ran for 6 or 7 years like that back in the day, so I’m hoping it will be OK. The upper outlets in the heads are piped right into the top of the radiator as the return.
Hey, c; Care to share on the intake manifold theory? Always willing to learn. I get plenums, n logs, but afaik(so far - ), they don't mix w/IR-type systems. Even on top of blowers or even turbos, their advantages are offset. Truly interested. I may have missed it, but since this is a new-school build, did you use bearing coatings, n the ultra-thin rings w/"almost polished" cyl walls(like the very newest oems)? Tighter bearing clearance to use very thin oils? TIA. Marcus...
http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/log-c.htm The new skool part is using the 390 crank, BBC long rods and forged pistons, not to mention the log manifold design which is based on the original manifold the car used in the 1950s.
Well, got the car to a couple of car shows over the past few months, the local Ruby's Whittier show around Halloween and the Grand National Roadster Show. I was fortunate to win plaques at both. This project has been fraught with delays for one reason or another. One of course was getting the car ready for the engine installation. Last August we installed the engine and were getting it tuned up and it seemed to have a head gasket leak, coolant in the oil, with fewer than 10 minutes of running time at idle or slightly above. We pulled the engine and returned it to the engine shop to find out what went wrong. Turns out there was a pinhole in the bore and as the coolant warmed up it shot through the hole into the crankcase. One sleeve later we got the engine back whereupon I dropped it on my middle finger and broke it. Luckily the engine was unharmed. Just today I trailered the car to Superior Automotive in Placentia to get it dyno tuned. The car would start and idle OK, but upon acceleration it would pop and bang and want to quit. With the air/fuel probe attached to the dyno, we could see that it wasn't too small of an accelerator pump shot as I was thinking. Once the stock Caddy vacuum advance was disconnected and the port in the manifold plugged, it ran great and just needed a little fine tuning of the linkage and idle mixtures. Air/fuel ratio was between 11-13 once everything was adjusted. Now time for the power run. Part way into the first run it was clear that I had a detonation problem on 92 octane unleaded. Luckily I had a few gallons of 100/130 Avgas in my trailer which solved that problem. I had very high expectations for this engine but was thwarted once again. My skinny Coker/Firestone 6.70X15 tires just couldn't hold traction on the dyno drum! Max power to the wheels was 134 HP and 176 Ft-Lbs at about 4,100 RPM, or about 160 HP estimated at the flywheel. That was only at about 3/4 throttle though and the HP had been increasing at a constant slope from 2,300 RPM. Torque was level at about 170 Ft-Lbs from 3,500 RPM up to 4,100 RPM where I had to abort. Still a few more bugs to work out on the car, but the engine and quad-Weber log manifold setup work great.
What a work of art...patience being a huge part of the success...congrats on the Milestone...keep us in the loop... @c322348
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