opel kadett gasser amc engine build

Ok.
See you next year.

 

well i just talked to the machine shop and i guess the 401 crank is getting nitrated{sp?}and should be back soon.i cant use the canton oil-pan on the 360{397}stroker motor because of the main stud girdel.so it looks like i have to make a new one out of one of my old oil-pans and some sheet metal.in sure its going to take me some time to make sure everything fits and there arnt any pin holes in my welds.as soon as i start ill put some pics. up.

 

Do you have a facility local to your region that can perform nitrate hardening, or do they get sent away somewhere?
Tom S.

 

im not sure where he sent it.haveing something nitrated is alittle out of my relm of doing things,but i guess if your going to spend alot of money haveing everything custom made its worth the extra money.

 

Well worth it. Absolutely, yes. Hard chroming used to be the in thing, but gas nitriding is what the industry uses to make crankshafts and other parts last. I just wonder who does that kind of work on a individual part basis?
Bet it's not considered cheap.
When we had to turn a Chrysler crank down past the nitride surface, it would not wear nearly as long, but there were places that could hard chrome and even build a shaft up where it could be turned back to new standard dimension.

 

well im not sure how much the nitriding was but the guy lost the crank!!!!!!i dont know if he messed it up or what but its gone.im waiting to find out who and whats going to happen.i guess it only costs $100 to nitrate it but there is already $1300 in the crank between cross drilling,offset grind,opening up the side clearance,and neutral ballance.i have another crank but im not giving it to them.they need to find,and pay for one themselfs!!!!sometimes i wish i could just leave well enough alone and build a stock motor,or just buy a SBC out of the bible{summit cataloge}and be done with it!!!

 

I use to have a Opel Manta from California, bought for $300. I beat the crap out of it before I fried the rod bearings. It held up for a long time. I was going to put in a V6, but sold it for some extra cash for another project.

 

Man that's really bad luck! Been following your Opel build for quite some time, and love the tenacity you show at getting the AMC's to work for you! Most would give up and just go with something cheap and easy.
Hope they figure out where that crank went!

 

Just read this thread all the way through. This is one cool little car! Please don't switch to an sbc, the AMC motors are one of the things that make this car so unique. Hope they find the crank.

 

If the pins are 'press fit" to the rods, for the pins to move the interference was not sufficient ( ~ 0.0010" diametral) or the rods were broached/skyved when installed by pressing together (instead of heating the rod eyes to shrink fit).

When we installed rods and pistons we measured EVERY one. You never know what you're dealing with, even with brand new factory stuff.

 

thanks guys!!so for i have had to pull the motor 6 times.twice the first year{melted forged pistons and broke rings}i though the engine was good.i put a vortec supercharger on my hornet and i thought i just burnt the plugs {rear float stuck and i leaned it out}.i took the pistons out,chiseled the rings off,ang used a hacksaw to make new ring groves.work for that year.built the 360 with all stock crap,except forged rods with arp bolts.kept haveing water in the oil and head gasket problems.fixed it every year till this year when i found the wrist pin problems.then of course the 390 that had the clevite bearing delaminate.the 360 had 350-400 passes and it didnt owe me anything but the 390 really hurt.i could have put my 401 in it but i just have to much money in the short block to put old cam,lifters,springs,heads,front cover,ect.on it.i just keep thinking that i could buy a crate SBC with 400+hp for under what i have in my 401 short block.it will never happen but its getting old spending so much time,money,and effort to keep the amc engine in it.

 

the machine shop did this for me.there were heat marks on each one of the rods.some times i just wish i could be there for every step of the machine work to make sure they do everything right but i dont think they would like it!!!!

 

Do you have any shots of the car being built? Details, like what axle? I noticed on the Opel picture thread a lot of them run the same style spindle-mounts.

P.S. Might get bigger wheelies with a little engine set back!

 

I feel your pain on this thing nothing worse than watching all the money you put into an engine go splat on the track surface!!!
with that said
is it more important to be different? or is it more important to be wheels up racing?
if you ran a sbc in that thing there are tons of used motors around (cheap)
and the same goes for parts if you break somthing.

 

In my opinion, it's important to be different. (No offense to anyone)

I have always regretted putting the SBC in the Scout. Sure the Scout is different and will draw a crowd especially with it's wheels up antics, but the ordinary factor that comes with Chevy is a bit disappointing. I put it in because it was what I had at the time. Since then I have looked long and hard at the 500 inch caddy we have at the shop as well as a couple of BBC possibilities. None of which will ever happen. (No $$$ at the moment)

As long as you can afford it or until you are completely frustrated with the combination, stay with the AMC

 

Do you want to race or be different sitting in the back yard?
In 70' we had a Thunderbolt that had been adulterated with an Econoline beam axle to run Gas classes in Modified Eliminator. After we had run out of High Riser FE parts, there was no choice to but switch to another more current brand of motivation for this car which was still quite competitive on the saturday night circuit, and abandon the obsoleted original which had become limited to the H&M source only for parts which brought a hoarders premium to even inquire about.

Sometimes........ you do what has to be done to remain in the show and be competitive. Who knows there is an AMC or even a rare FMC under a closed hood, as long as it still ticks good numbers......... ?

 

i cant find them on this computer.the car has a chrysler 8 3/4 rear with 4.56 gears.front are anglia spindels.engine amc with a turbo 400{amc one out of a jeep}with a trans brake.all dom tubing tig welded.my friend don{rebel reaper} let me build it in his garage with the help of my car club{slick devils}.from start to finish{never finished}it took two and 1/2 months to build.at first i planed on having the engine set back 10% with the crank 24'' center.after several diff. ways i couldnt stand how it looked so i said screw it and put it as low and back as i could.i still wanted a driveshaft and with it where it it the tube is only 3'' long.

 

as for putting a sbc in the car its never going to happen.i can build a stock 360 for the same money as the sbc.the only thing that is hard to get is forged pistons.i figure i had about $800 in the 360 including machine work and it lasted along time.it was prob.making about 360hp.the main prob.with the amc motors is the oiling.the pumps or in the front cover and pump to much oil and the drain back sucks.with the 401 and 396 this has been fixed so i dont think there will be a problem.i think don with the {rebel reaper}has about 500 passes on his 401,so if you have the wright stuff done to the engine they will last along time.

 

Check out all the AMC parts from Indy Cylinder Head @ different heads and an aluminum block. 360 rods are cast iron the break easily.

 

i thought about getting the indy heads but decided on edebrock instead.the stroker motor has the indy front cover and indy intake.the 360 had forged rods in it.the old 360 had cast rods and i use to take that motor up to 7200rpms without a problem.

 

well the 360 stroker motor isn't finished.i decided to finish the 401.i ended up buying a new front cover from bultear with the 3 valve oil pump.i called barry allen and he speced a bigger comp cam for me so i had him order it.i got it 3 days ago and started putting the motor together AND THE CAM BEARRINGS ARE TO TIGHT!!!I GIVE UP!!!i called him and asked if i could bring him the engine and have him clearance them and finish putting it together.he said ok.im going to his shop tuesday to drop it off.Im glad im going because im going to have him break it in and dyno it for me.im pretty scared whats going to happen and what kind of #s is going to pull.ill post what happens when i find out!

 

I had my motor redone this year and it is the best thing I could have done for my confidence level. Len (at Corners Quickly in Wpg Mb) found a ton of little things wrong or that he didn't like and fixed it all. He redecked and line honed everthing. Even threw in a stud kit for the mains as part of the deal. On the Dyno the motor started and idled so much better I couldn't believe it was the same motor. The dyno pulls were crisp and solid. I quite literally see myself not touching this thing for 2 or 3 seasons.

Taking it to the professional rather than using "in-house" expertise is solid advice as far as I'm concerned.

 

Good luck with the new engine, hope the worst is behind you buddy.

 

The same dyno that blew up on the 6th pull ??

Not the Dyno's fault. The bellhousing was installed poorly and came loose and rotated. Took out the Servo and the wooden spacer with it. Come to think of it, I believe you sold him the replacement parts...

It was all good. I'll tell him Hi for you...

 

He had to have more than 6 on it....he's had it for a year ...Shit ,he didnt say why he needed a servo....I havent talked to him since I sent him one..hope it got him out of a jam

Sorry for buttin in Opel

Tony

 

Sorry dude... (and for hijacking the thread)

I should have said... MY 6th pull. He's put a lot of miles on before I ran my junk.

 

not a problem guys!!
its just that i feel like i am worthless not finishing the motor!I have always put my engins together and i have alot of fun doing it,but with the money i have in this one and the few problems i had trying to get it together i think its best to let someone else put it together.
im not looking forward to driving 5 1/2 hours to drop it off then come back home but in the AMC world barry allen is one of the best engine builders!!!i also hope he can finish it soon because i would like to get some seat time before the season starts.

 

well im off to west virgina.hopefully everything checks out fine and the dyno numbers are high!

 

Good luck with what you're doing, american opel. Hope you have a fun season of racing ahead of you.