Lookey what I got for a project!! (Hyfire Poly!)

well ya gotta remember.

Caffeine is a hell of a drug

 

I actually managed to slip home over the weekend and see my family... and my extended automotive family (some of my fellow Bishops). Blue is still in pieces across Marty's barn... but there is progress! One promise - wrenches will be turned and beers will be consumed over Christmas break... and that Polysphere is gonna get fired up!!! Marty - Rev... one night, we're gonna get the boys together and christen that motor!

 

OK... we have a date to work towards. As it stands, we're planning to fire the Poly for the first time on 19 December, at the Bishops Holiday BBQ and party. I'll be back in the PNW, and it'll be the perfect time. So there - hoe down and engine christening is on the calendar. In the meantime, I'll have to survive on a few images someone keeps sending me.

(if you squint, you can see the poly behind blue, and the tired, old rear end is out and awaiting the new, custom 8 3/4" axle)

 

More "proof of life" pictures from Marty's little shop of mayhem - looks like Gary's adapter landed in one piece, and now the engine and trans are mounted. Oh boy! We're still a ways off, but this is a big step!

 

Awesome build!

 

Thanks Damon. I can't wait to get back to T-town for Christmas and fire up that motor with my boys!

 

I'm home for the holidays, and can't wait to see about an engine...

 

I'm excited for you, good luck!

 

Hey, I don't hear anything!!!!!!!!!

.

 

As soon as we get that thing kicking over, you'll hear the hollerin. We're linking up tomorrow to have a little cookout and see about getting that Poly turning over and running! I promise to post pics and video when she comes to life!

 

Lookin forward to an update!

 

that looks like a lot of fun comming up cool

 

Lots more work to do! Blue is a roller again (rear is under her), but they sent the wrong clutch (fine spline versus coarse spline - suppliers bad, but will take 2-3 weeks to restock). Ugh...at least they sent the right starter! We'll just keep fiddling with the motor, and try and ground hop it some time next week. Test fitting the motor also resulted in an ultra-tight fit between the wheel wells. Hmmm. Those might need to be trimmed back so the valve covers aren't touching. Oh, and the trans tunnel may need to get "enlarged" a bit to handle the AX-15. Sigh. More proof of life photos to follow.

 

It sounds better to say you have to trim the inner fenders!

 

OK.. the front end is off, and she's ready to receive some lovin' on Friday. We'll ground hop the motor at long last, and see how she goes. Yes, George, it does sound better if you say she needs the inner fenders shaved a bit. We'll see exactly how much, and whether or not the steering box (please no!) might have to wiggle a little bit. I have seen other MOPAR small block builds where they didn't have to move the steering box, so I'm hoping like crazy. Otherwise - we may have to go with headers on the driver's side to get around it. I think the rear-dump manifold will make it, but Marty has been measuring and I'm betting it's going to be tight. Anyway - wifey is working a 12 in the ER on New Years Eve, so the kids and I are heading over to turn wrenches, spark a motor, and wish Marty (Dynaflash_8) a happy b-day.

 

Pete if yours is as tight as my 35 ... getting it in was not a problem .... working on the manifold or head bolt after the install was another story LOL.

I may have missed it in one of your post ... did you need an adapter for the AX-15 tranny?

D

 

Greasing it up and sliding it in will be the fun part - just gotta make sure everything is ready to go before we button her back up!

Gary (73RR) built the adapter for the AX-15. The whole shebop would be together and in the engine bay if the right clutch had arrived. As it is, we'll test fit everything and ground hop the motor. Some progress is better than none!

 

Pete, if the box and manifold are too cozy then look at shifting the engine to the pass side one or two inches.

.

 

Thanks Gary - we'll look to see if we need to offset it a bit. We lost the airbox for the heater, so we've got a little more wiggle room on the passenger side. The problem will be the rt manifold - it's a center dump. Right now, our current crisis is a cracked dizzy cap, discovered a little late. Gonna go hunting for a spare tomorrow so we can (hopefully) fire this pig on Friday. Delays, complications, delays - sturm und drang.

 

Pete I got mine at NAPA .... they did not stock them but they come next day. I broke one taking the engine out and one putting it in LOL Guess I should have left it off until the end.

 

Thanks Damon - I'm off to hunt one up B&E this AM, so hopefully we can slap it in and be up and running tomorrow! There are about 3 car parts places in a 3 block radius, and I'll find one somewhere. If not, I'll give a call to Hagens (or what's left of them) to see if they have one in stock. Barring that, I'll scare up a MOPAR LA model distributor and crank it up with that! Off to the hunting grounds!!

 

OK - lots to update, so it'll take me a series of posts to load everything up. We worked on the Hyfire for almost 6 hours (in between Marty's bday lunch of venison and collard greens) and were only foiled at the very end by a bum fuel pump. Here some pics and videos to show the progress. Before anybody freaks out about the fittings, hoses and wires we were using - WE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET IT RUNNING!!!! It isn't going to go into the car like that. Here goes nothing.

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We got cracking early - Big Blue sat quietly in the back of the garage, just watching us.

We moved the block over to the middle of the floor (closer to the wood stove, so we didn't freeze our paws) and set about pre-lubing the block. We pulled the gear out and Marty quickly fabbed up a "tool" out of bar that had a hex end on it. A few minutes of cutting and polishing, and it was just right. We hooked up an oil pressure gauge on the fitting, and fired it up. After a few little tricks (front sump - needed to tip the block forward a bit more), that beautiful, green Brad-Penn break in oil started moving. We got up to 70 psi of oil, and it was all coming out the right holes.

 

After the pre-lube was done, we buttoned up the holes, snugged down the intake manifold, put the plugs in, hooked up the wires, and set the timing. Then we plumbed the carbs to the (unbeknownst to us just yet) defunct fuel pump. With everything in place and the birthday lunch devoured, we splashed some fuel in the carb bowls, primed the (useless) pump, and set out to light her off. After several frustrating tries we realized the fuel pump was inop. The motor turned beautifully, makes an awesome thump when it coughs (like an old Sopwith Camel says the BEvERage fetcher), but without a steady flow of fuel to the carbs, she just wouldn't catch. Sigh. We'll see if we can get it going again before I head back to DC.... but it was a great day just messing around in the garage with the boys!


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Man, I love that intake/carb setup!

 

Can you hang your fuel tank overhead and make it a gravity flow to fire it?

 

We were running out of time (had to go pick up wifey after she worked a 12 hr shift in the ER - poor woman - couldn't be late for that), otherwise we would have tried that. I'm hunting another fuel pump... but may just go with a block off plate and run an electric when we do the 12v conversion. I'm open to suggestions. Sadly, I have to fly back to DC tomorrow... so I will need "proof of life" videos later - when it fires up!

 

IT RUNS AND SOUNDS AWESOME !!!!!!
Had a few issues with radiator hose leaks.
Once the carbs and timing were adj. it sounds strong.
Ran for about 1/2 hour, now if the weather will warm up I will take it for a drive.
Bob

Thanks for your help Dan.

It was cool to hear it run and it sounded real good. I realize that it was only 40 degrees out but with the fans on temp dropped below 170, we had to shut the fans off to get the "T" stat to open. Now that's a cooling system!! With no windshield that's going to be a COLD ride
Dan

 

ALLSTEEL - congrats on getting the beast up and running. I noticed you used an oil filter relocation kit to get it in a tight spot - which brand did you use? We're looking using a plate, then a relocation kit. Thanks

 

Sweet!