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Hot Rods Morris Minor Gasser build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by southcross2631, Oct 22, 2016.

  1. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Dan, I will catch up with you.
     
  2. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,497

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    GOOD LUCK
    BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN :)
     
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  3. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Enloe ,are you coming up or are you going to the cruise-in and see the same old cars? There are a bunch of new cars and the cars were flying Friday night at the test and tune.
    I am still having shifter/ trans/ clutch issues , but had a 1.40 60 ft. and am in the 7's. Looking for some 6's today.
     
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  4. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,497

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    We didn’t do either today.
    My daughter and I spent the afternoon running around Chattanooga together.
     
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  5. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Well ,first I would like to thank my wife for her hard work and support this weekend. Second all of my family that came to support us . Next to all of the HAMB members who came up and let me know that they have been following my car build and all of the trials we went through to make the car and to finally get to a SEGA race. A special shout out to Johnny Royals owner of the Fiddle Picker C/Gas Studebaker who jumped in Friday night and helped me make some suspension adjustments that allowed me to pick up almost a second of the e.t. of the first run.
    The race was excellent even though we broke the motor in qualifying . I think I have discovered the limit of a stock Ford crankshaft. They do not like 8,000 rpm shifts. When I pulled high gear I felt a bad vibration and the rear main seal was shoved out and a severe oil leak cut my day short. I will be pulling the motor out tomorrow and hopefully it isn't too bad.
     
  6. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    I'm glad you made it to a SEGA race, wish you the best going forward.
     
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  7. brianf31
    Joined: Aug 11, 2003
    Posts: 934

    brianf31
    Member

    Johnny is a heck of a good guy. How did it handle up until you had to get out of the pedal?
     
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  8. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    It handled pretty good. I need a stabilizer on it though it gets the death wobble a little bit ,but I managed to drive through it. I never did get out of it until I was across the finish line.
    I will have the motor out tomorrow and will start the autopsy to see why it vibrated so bad and pushed the rear seal out. I am thinking it might have either broke the crank or lost a thrust bearing.
    It still had good oil pressure .
     
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  9. spanners
    Joined: Feb 24, 2009
    Posts: 2,062

    spanners
    Member

    Was it twitchy like some short wheelbase can be? I ask because I'm thinking of building a Austin A40 pick-up, Gasser style.
     
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  10. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Not really ,it drove really good. I have almost 8 degrees of caster to help slow it down.
     
  11. savannahDan
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 149

    savannahDan
    Member

    Mike, it was a pleasure to meet you. Sorry to hear about your motor, hope its nothing serious.
     
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  12. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Well the autopsy is completed. It broke a rear main cap and then it spun a main bearing. Or it spun a rear main bearing and then broke a main cap.
    The damage wasn't limited to the motor. The input shaft collar broke and the input shaft was twisted.
    It probably twisted on the launch because I could barely get it in gear on the return road.
    Surprisingly I was able to drive it back to the pits and it still had good oil pressure and no knocking noises coming from the motor.
    It is time to break out my 289 block and start building for next year. I will need rods and pistons and a new cam. Talking to Jimmy Huff, noted Ford engine builder . He has a Boss 302 crank and I can either go that way or use my 289 crank and build a 294 and take some more weight out of the car.
    Going to contact Liberty about a cryo treated input shaft or just go with a big block input shaft. DSCF3563.JPG DSCF3565.JPG
     
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  13. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,274

    loudbang
    Member

  14. savannahDan
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 149

    savannahDan
    Member

    surprised that the rear main cap broke, that's the one with the most metal. Can't see significant heat coloring on it either. Who knows, sometimes things just break. That's tough luck on your first race, glad to see you're planning to return with some improvements. Were the rods and pistons hurt?
     
  15. brianf31
    Joined: Aug 11, 2003
    Posts: 934

    brianf31
    Member

    Ouch. Racing ain't cheap. At what point do most guys step up to a Hightower trans over a Liberty? What are the cost of each?
     
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  16. savannahDan
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 149

    savannahDan
    Member

    brian, none of the big boys are running toploaders. Some are running hightower, a bunch are running G-force, and a few are still running jericos. Cost kind of depends, deals come up pretty often for used hightowers/jerico/g-force. Or you can spend just about as much to make a toploader handle the beatings short term, but after you repair it once you might have so much invested in it that you'll wish you'd have bought a hightower/jerico/g-force and saved a bunch of time, maybe a wasted race trip. I believe Mike got a really good deal on his toploader with some good work already done to it.
     
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  17. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    I bought the top loader with all of the Liberty guts except for the stock input shaft for a grand. I can upgrade to a big block input shaft for about 300bucks ,That includes the input shaft ,bearing collar,throw out bearing and fork.
    We ran a similar trans in a 67 Firebird in G/Gas. that was way heavier with way more tire. It had a 9,000 rpm small block Chevy.
     
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  18. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    The rods and pistons look brand new. I was going to change them this winter anyway because they
    are 2 eyebrow flat tops and only made 10.5 to1 compression with my heads.
    If you know anybody wanting to build a .040 302 street motor. I will sell them at very good price.
    They are Mahle forged pistons with metric narrow rings and Scat I beam rods with ARP bolts. They have about 20 minutes of break in time and 4 1/8th mile passes.
    I am pricing which way would be the best way to go. If I change to the 289 I will need a new balancer and flywheel because they are 50 oz. balance . My flywheel has a removeable weight and can be zero balanced.
    I can get another 5.0 block and put a main girdle on it and hold my breath that it will stay together.
    I can buy a Dart block and go either way. Or build a 408 and go to A/Gas.
    B/Gas 294 .040 over 289 = 2352 lbs. 308 .040 over 302 same block 2464lbs. 408 351 .030 over stroked A/Gas 2448lbs. These are all the weights with the driver . the car weighs 2232 the way it was at Knoxville w/o me in it. Tough choice.
     
  19. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    I'm sure you know where you would need to be with power in any Class.
    If I thought I could build reliable power to out run those A/Corvettes, that's what I would do.
    In my years of racing, it all costs about the same.
    Go A/Gas !
     
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  20. rawcjw19
    Joined: Oct 8, 2012
    Posts: 581

    rawcjw19
    Member

    Nice to meet you and your wife at Knoxville Mike. Sorry to hear about your motor. We have to decide on some motor changes for next year also.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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  21. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Uncrated my new bullet. This is a late 65 289 block . bored .040 over honed and ready to wash and throw some pistons with some big knots on them. I just need to decide whether to use the 289 crank that I have or go 302 crank and go back the way I had it. Its nice to have a spare on hand. DSCF3569.JPG
     
  22. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,497

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    289 is way cool
     
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  23. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Mike.. I am a dumb ass.. I somehow lost my notifications to the HAMB and have not watched your thread lately so I didn't realize until tonight you were at Knoxville. Now that I think back, you were sitting beside me in the drivers meeting!! I still didn't put two and two together even when Quain introduced you to the group. It wasn't until I pulled this thread up and it hit me... what an idiot!! Anyway.. glad you made it to the race finally and made some laps in the car. Also very glad you kept it after the health scare.

    You should have just said "hey dumb ass... don't you recognize me from the HAMB?" lol.

    Promise... next time I'll come seek you out dude ;)

    Get that thing back together. Jimmy Huff is awesome. He is always willing to lend a hand on anything.
     
  24. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Rusty, That's ok. When we sat down for the drivers meeting ,I said hey Rusty but you must have not heard me.
    I am one of the new guys in the group and after ending my first race by breaking in the first round of qualifying I didn't expect many people to recognize or remember me.
    Putting all of my efforts into being prepared for the first race of next season. I could just stick it back together, but I would have only been able to make one more race this season. We have a granddaughter getting married on the day of the finals at Shadyside and family is more important than a race.
    Hopefully 2020 will be a better racing season . Working on some sponsor deals .
     
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  25. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    I didnt hear you. I typically wear hearing aids but dont at the track. I spent my youth thinking I was bulletproof and was around loud engines and guns without using hearing protection. Now I am paying the price.

    Dont beat yourself up. It's a very tough game and just getting there is 9/10th of the battle. ;)

    Sent from my SM-G960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  26. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    I have decided to build a 294 inch out of my 289 block. I will buy some SRP 150070 pistons and a set of Eagle H beam rods since nobody makes a good I beam rod for under a grand. I know I could use a stock Ford rod and polish the beams and hone them out be full floaters and add ARP bolts ,but with every pass going to approaching 9,000 rpm's I would feel better with some new rods. 2 years ago Crower rods were 700 bucks and now they are over $ 1,000.00. Lack of popularity I guess.
    Need to get my solid roller cam reground. Any suggestion's ?
     
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  27. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    Bullet Cams - 662-893-5670
    Call and speak with either John Partridge or Chris Padgent
     
  28. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    I have contacted several companies and they have told me that it is not possible to get enough from the cam that I have to regrind it. So I will save up and buy a new cam and try and sell my old one .
    Talked to a quality machine shop about balancing my motor when I get my parts.
    Time to beat the bushes for some sponsorship to help make sure I can race all of the races next year.
     
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  29. tpw35
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 342

    tpw35
    Member

    What crank do you use to get the 289 to a 294?
     
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  30. savannahDan
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 149

    savannahDan
    Member

    stock crank, bores are .040 over to add 5 cubes
     
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