History :::little honker digger... On the warpath for hamb drags:::

Well, i posted in the hamb drags thrash thread, but i think its getting a bit lost. I like to keep up with the previous threads and what we have been up to, so here it is.

We ran the honker at the hamb drags last year, made one light run at the end of the day. In october, we took it to Larry's Showdown Drags at beaver springs and was a good time. Push starts and real runs. The track was SUPER sticky, which kind of counter acted what we are trying to do. The engine seized up at the beginning of the last start, so we put it in the trailer and headed off. Something was off.

I stripped it down this spring after taking it back to detroit autorama, and low and behold it had ruined the rod bearings and hurt the crank. It was a combination of an unbalanced rotating assembly and the super high spring pressure in the adjustable pressure plate that Hays had built for us creating problems with the thrust of the crank and oiling issues.
Anyways, we started the rebuild this last week, in preparation for this year at Mokan. Take a look

First pass ever at the drags last year, "check out pass", it smoked thru the clutch and was shut off early..
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Staging the car at beaver springs in october..


The ill fated last run..


the big thing with running an overdriven supercharger is compression. The pistons we had in the engine were probably a bit on the domed side for our application, so we had them cut down flush, takin about 2 to 3 points down to around 7:1 where it needs to be..




I scored these cal custom chrome covers too over the winter, if we find the right small eelco style breathers they might have to go on..


Rods have been side clearanced, crank fully polished and balanced, back assembled short block in the car..

 

Flat tops in their new home...


Got this blower drive from my mom's parents stash.. Was on their Ed Pink early model in their don long fueler for the later part of its life until they had a rear engine car built-survived a blow over at suffolk and atleast three different backfiring supercharger incidents. It's an early donovan piece, and the corner tab had been broke off last time it was used... Had a buddy tig it up rough so i could machine it down..


Next on the agenda is the supercharger. Had a stock GM 671 with a pete robinson drive on it. Yeah, the robinson drive is super rare and killer, but he had his pulleys machined so that you had to run his pulleys almost exclusively. Also, even though in better judgement, we decided to atleast put a half ring starter cage for using a snout starter this year. The push start is my favorite part of the deal, but for ease of starting in the pits and keeping the program running, we will make do. Robinson out, the ed pink drive is in, along with the new case


Unpolished 671 that has tighter rotor tolerances, big heavy duty WEIAND bearing plates, and the Isky slider style idler pulley bracket..
Note the WEIAND ribbed heavy duty bearing plate, here i am cleaning out the threads on the front gear so i can put the female reciever for the blower drive on..


Here it is installed..


The weld milled down nice, will have some more to update in the next few days..



Will keep up with this thread, on the road to the HAMB drags which pretty much turns out to be how the indy nationals used to be for us. See everyone there..


TH

 

Go man Go!!

 

Can't wait to see it making some hard passes. It's so cool the cars you and your family builds get driven and raced hard.

Tell your dad I said Hi.

 

Im tryin Piero!

Were hopin for a real pass this time rudi... Will tell the old man you said hey..

Machined the head down on the main bolt that holds the gear cluster to the front of the rotors on the supercharger tonight, took about half its width off in the lathe, so that the male splined shaft would not bottom out and prevent the drive from laying flush. Got it back in and torqued, so the supercharger is coming along.

More work comin, i'll leave it with Snively leaving hard at Pomona...



TH

 

What's your price on the Pete Robinson cover?...I'm a bit obsessed with his legacy...

Glad you guys are getting Li'l Honker back together...I dig the hell out of that car...

 

Inspiring! You guys are the real deal!!!

 

Playing with cool stuff and not afraid to break it. You guys have all the fun!
I just told your dad I wasn't going to the HAMB Drags but if this is done I may have to change my plans. I am looking forward to Bakersfield!

 

Ruiner, as far as Sneaky Pete speed parts i dont know if you could even put a price on the drive, it would have stayed on but we wanted to use the isky parts and this drive.. Its a priceless set up
Junior, you know as well as anyone how we break stuff... ha ha.. I am planning on bakersfield, see you there!

I'll back track a little bit with a few pictures..

Heres all 8 the night i took them out..


And heres one of a few completely cooked connecting rod bearings... ouch


And to the present.. Tonight.. Mocked up with the snout starter cage on as well, just to get an idea..



The 'as found' Cragar rear cover...


And finally, the original box of the drive i have been working on from Ed Donovan, sent to Ed Pink, and then on to my grandparents for use on their fuel engine..Now being ressurected for use on a gas for now, hopefully fuel later burning 394 olds



TH

 

Man, The Little Honker is KILLER!!!! Love to see it making full passes(soon). Push starts are part of the show but you gotta do what you gotta do. Thanks for sharing and keep working to get it back out on the strip!

 

Can't wait to see a full pass at speed... carry on Little Honker!

 

Got some more goods from GOATROAPER here on the hamb... Ross Racing Engines are the go to guys for all your early olds needs...

Cruisin around looking for a new bearing and seal for the blower drive, as the old seal was shot and the race on the old bearing was starting to gald up..





TH

 

Not the best picture, but i found the correct two inch idler pulley for the isky slider bracket, just mocked up the front of the supercharger case to get an idea..


The weiand supercharger intake has two capped elbows for running water in the block, possibly will machine something new if we are going to run water as the new idler set up hits the existing water necks. Stay tuned..

TH

 

FUCK YEAH!!!! CANT WAIT!!! DO YOU GUYS EVER SLEEP?

My "Little Honker" T-shirt is my favorite "going out"shirt. I had some biker hoosier chick ask me " hey does your shirt say DC on the back?"
Ha,ha.

 

Brian, look for a PM in a couple days from me.. What are ya plannin on bringin out this year?



TH

 

You gonna put ALL 8 of those pistons in there - i heard them oldsmobiles make so much power you probably don't need more than 6 or 7 of them!

 

Might put all 8 bullets in... Lost a wrist pin at the machine shop, been thrashin for days. See ya in the traps.

Grand dad in his lyndwood on the hit at "the beach" (colonial beach for the east coast boys)


TH

 

Yea!!

Bitchen!

Sam

 

Good updates,Tyler.
You guys are the real deal.
The Olds motor is the kicker.
Great shot of Gramps at the beach.

 

Yeah. Slim

 

You always come thru with the great shots rich. Perfect.

The olds bullet is a beast. This time it should be even more unruly. More updates comin.



TH

 

Jim McClennan and slammin sammy hale with the champion speed shop car... That is a proper run along the same lines of what we would aim for if all was perfect
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TH

 

Can't wait for the Drags at Mokan... see you guys there, Tyler!



Malcolm

 

August 20th ..bitchin .
"AND THE BOWTIE ROLLS ON"

 

Would love to go, can't find anyone around here to go with.

 

That's something you don't hear everyday! My moms parents only had cookbooks!

The Little Honker is always a favorite. Go get em'

 

Shitty spy pics of it Mocked up. Set the case on the intake and put the two port on top. Lookin good.. Also got NOS Offy exhaust gaskets from Ross Racing Engines and a set of new pushrods to build for the new Gotha rocker assemblies. Titts!







TH

 

Final Assemby coming this weekend... It might even breath fire before sunday if we are lucky. Stay tuned..



TH

 

wow. Nice work! I'd love to hear that thing run...

 

weekend build up started tonight... Had Daddy Whitney modify and tig up an extended capacity oil pan i bought over the winter that was done back in the day from a stock pan. Windage tray and all, its pretty slick. Daddy did a great job...
Outta that, we ended up bumpin up our oil volume to 7 quarts instead of 4.5.... Much needed! Will get some pics tommorow of the Gotha rocker assemblies going together, and reaming and machining new push rods. Its goin together quick.. stay tuned...


Pop at Hagerstown Md. this time...




TH