Hot Rods XO/PP Bonneville project

You just need the salt Gods to look down on you with a smile. When asked I never said how fast I wanted or needed to go; I responded with what ever the Salt will give, I will accept…it been great at times and drove me nuts other times. John you also make your own “luck” by looking and checking everything twice like your doing.
If you get a chance print off the website the back of the inspection sheet. Pretend you’ve never seen your truck and go thru every line one at a time checking off as you go. Check NA when it doesn’t pertain to you also.That will get thru tech easier. I still do this today when I’m running at El Mirage. Even as an inspector for 25 yrs things have changed. As for meeting the PP rules you know what they want and possibly what a competitor may quiz them about what could not meeting the specific rules.
One last thing, put on your fire suit/helmet and safety gear, sit in the truck, have the person who’s going to help you on the salt give you the belts and set everything for you at you garage, touch all the controls making sure you can reach everything strapped in tight.
You know your truck better than anyone else. I’ll be watching results every day…..JD

 

I'm not the driver but He has spent a great deal of time sitting in the truck and we have made quite a few changes to make him comfortable with all his gear on. My driver is Dave Russell and does a fine job and has the ability to relay to me what he sees during the run.
Again I appreciate all the info you guys have shared with us. I learned a long time ago I still can learn new things if I listen and think it out. Two heads are always better than one.
Never get to old to learn new tricks and you will progress forward every time.

 

Got started installing new brakes and drums on the hauler today

 

I've been looking in off and on and enjoying this ride. First rate operation looks like to me. Best of Luck!
I hope to meet up with you on the Salt this time.

 

As I'm sure you know, most trailer tires today are iffy at best. I went through a couple of sets on my RV 5th wheel, and no it wasn't over loaded. Keep an eye on them and stay at 55 or below. When I was pursuing a warranty claim I found that most ST rated trailer tires have a 55 mph rating.

 

I'm using 10 ply rated
Load range E. There all new not taking chances this trip. Blew 3 last year going to Bonneville. But they were older tires

 

John, a trailer trick I use, in hot weather especially, is to take along an infrared temp gun, and at every stop, first thing check temp of all trailer tires and axle hubs. Often you can spot trouble coming before it happens.

 

Finished up on new brakes and drums on the hauler today and all new 10 ply E rated tires.
Don't want to go through what happened last year going to Bonneville.
3 blowouts in one day.. wheew that hurt my feelings boys...

 

Thank you Dave Mancarie
For the big box of parts and cash donation to the 640 project. Your an awesome supporter and are appreciated very much

 

Update. Pulling the engine after finding the engine hard to turn over while re adjusting the valves. The engine was actually stuck but broke free after a hard pull with a wrench on the retaining nut of the harmonic balancer.
I pulled the head thinking stuck valve in the guide.
Nope everything there was perfect. After further inspection we found where the ring in cylinders 3 and 4 had actually stuck to the cylinder wall ..See photo.
Looks like ring replacement time..
Thanks to Dave Russell and Son Ely we have the front end pulled off and the engine ready to pull tomorrow.
Better now than later on the salt..

 

What were your ring end gaps set at?

 

Grumpy said he always noticed a power increase after honing the cylinders after the run-in of the engine.

 

.022 top .018 second

 

I got the engine pulled out today and striped down.
After closer inspection I found signs of extreme heat on the piston tops.
They were beginning to melt. They prolly would not have survived had I not had them thermal coated. I'll report what I find tomorrow once I pull them out.

 

That adds a new dimension to the term “Hot Rod”. ‘Hope it’s nothing serious.

 

It looks like signs of incipient detonation. I would reduce the total spark advance . How much are you running? In my inline Ford inline 300s I have had to reduce total advance to 30 degrees to keep from blowing gaskets with no loss in performance. Granted, those 300s are a different animal, but I have noticed that racers tend to want to increase total advance when in fact the addition of higher compression and volumetric efficiency improvements will create a faster flame travel which will mean total advance needs to be reduced from the stock engine curve.

 

We were at 32 Deg total advance with C12 VP racing fuel don't think it's detonation. Just think we got it to lean. Don't think it's hurt but still pulling it down for a better look.

 

John, I’m having trouble understanding the photos from Tuesday showing the ring marks and the color on the cylinder above the top ring. It appears to be rust. With such limited time on your engine this confuses me. Was the coolant drained? We’re all cylinders the same? How does the head gasket look? I always drained the coolant out of the head but left it in the block of my GMC’s just as a precaution even at Bonneville over night. I was and still am scared of head leaks either by a crack or poor head gasket seal. Not the familiar with the Ford 6 but I even drilled and taped the back or the head to make sure the hot water could flow up to the radiator or water tank in additional line to not leave a chance of hurting a head. Just a thought. Looking forward to your runs at Bonneville….

 

Was there enough carbon pattern in the head and on the piston top that you could get an idea of incomplete air fuel charge burn?

 

Carbon print and chamber look lean and the rust is something I can't explain head gasket was good.
Piston skirts look just a bit tight but not scuffed. Rings checked out good .023 installed at .022.
I will be honeing the bore another .0005 to .0007
And put it back together
All bearings look like new
Just a precaution to look at these things after dyno pulls I found the black marks in the cylinders rubbed out with some 000 steel wool. Should have the engine back together in a week to 10 days.
All is well....

 

Great work day today engine apart and measured worked on the hauler breaks again today and found a bad electric brake control box ordered one this afternoon.
The engine goes in to Jimmys on Munday for honeing and cleaning
Engine measured out with very little wear every thing looked good but the piston to bore fit
.0033 . I'm going to open it up another .0005 to .0007 for a little more oil clearance...

 

Engine in to Jimmys today and will be honed tomorrow then cleaned and made ready to go back together by Wednesday.

 

I finished the piston clearance and cleaned up the block .
Pistons back in the block,
Cam installed and degreed in.
Will continue assembling
Tomorrow..

 

Big thank you to DENSO
Spark plugs for supporting the Virginia
H.A.M.B. Special.
You make the best racing plug in the industry
Thanks,
Team 640

 

Progress report..
Crank girdle on, oil pan on, water pump on, crank trigger on, oil pump and hoses on, front motor mount on.

 

Just read a salt report ..
3 courses will be ready
10 mile, 8 mile, and a 5 mile. Reported the best salt conditions in a very long time. The tracks are smooth and hard.
Pray it doesn't rain until after speed week.

 

The engine is done and ready to install tomorrow.
I also want to thank Ron Dick for his generous donation to the project.

 

Progress report..
The engine is back in the truck fired up and ready for speed week 2021.
Want to give a special thank you to Dave Redman for coming today and helping get everything done. And I want to thank him for his generous donation to the 640 project.
And I can't thank the 640 crew Dave Russell, Scott Robertson,Sam Pollard, Lee Pollard, Dan Urbanske, Doug Dwyer, and Rick MacHale nough for what this crew has done this year
Thanks guys, I could not do this without you nor would I want to.
Not forgetting all those others who have helped make this adventure possable..
Thank You.

 

I've been lookin' at this thread so long that I forgot your are running a 232/262. My old 64 F100 had a 232 in an I liked it a bunch even though I changed it out eventually for a solid 292 yblock. Sold it, sadly. Still looking forward to meeting up with your team. Good luck again!

 

Thanks