I've been cutting off unneccessary crap and smoothing on this engine for 3 days with at least a couple more to go. It's not super trad, but it is getting some HAMBer made finned valve covers and going in a '62 Corvette (Black with a Red interior). Oh yeah- it's over a hundred degrees here in Texas! Through it all I'm happy to take away some of the production line ugliness and make it smoother.
Been using a combination of 3M 80 grit discs, coarse and medium Stotchbrite discs and 150 grit sand paper and elbow grease! I was working on cars LONG before I wrote about one- will be working on them long after too I missed this crap for a few years- happy to be smashing my fingers again!
Nice work. I've been working smoothing out a set of Corvette manifolds that are going on a LQ9 thats going into my dads truck. I too would like to see the finished product as well as those finned covers. Thoses 100 degree temps seemed to want to spread the wealth now instead of being concentrated here in south Texas. It was only 102 today down here.
That's the very first thing I noticed, all your edges beveled nice and even. That thing would look killer polished...
Would have to have a stock one next to it to see everything that's been done. Back by the rear edge of the block just below the head there was a big ugly square chunk sticking out- I cut it off and hand ground that bullet shape in there. On the front edge there was another big square sticking out between the two bosses just under the head- I ground it out to look like it was never there. There was 3 blocks sticking out at the bottom edge of the block- cut them off too and ground the edge of the oil pan to match the block- it DIDN'T before! Lots of little stuff to make it look better. It will be painted red.
Jim you are not alone. I smoothed my first engine in 1976 and have been doing it ever since - I have lost count of how many I have done but I usually reckon on a week to do one and yes I reshape mine too.....
Quick question ... are those pads that JimA removed ... were they used by the factory to align the block for machining purposes and will they be needed in the future if the block needs additional machining? John
They should not be necessary in the future. Seen plenty of small-blocks bored without them. May have been used at the factory- they are HISTORY now!
Nice work but it seems pointless, after you bolt all the rest of the parts on you wont really see that much of the block.
Nice work. Did the block on the Kopper Kart, and my own 46 Chevy 292. I feel your pain! Have you gotten to the point of doing all the inside corners, with a carbide cutter, and cartridge rolls yet? A hit of soap, or wax on the carbides make them chatter less, and get a smoother cut.
Yeah, it's kinda groovy baby. Ford Ultra violet metallic ca 1994. Paint code is GN 95 fyi - and the powder coating between the fins is almost a dead nuts match and commonly available. However I am told that purple is 'ghey' by a bunch of kids who have no concept that it is a primary kustom favorite from way back when.... The point of smoothing an engine is to satisfy one's burning need for attention to detail for us OCD folks, so that pro-assholes cannot pick holes in the build quality of your ride.
You should have sent it out to Kruger Industrial Smoothing! Hint: If you never heard of it, it's from the Seinfeld show.
I can see you aren't cursed with the addiction. But then again, what's the point of anything hotrodders do? A Kia will get you from point A to point B. I was just looking at the Turbo 400 for my 55 yesterday, thinking "Man those parting lines and fixture mounts don't need to be there!". Larry T
I've seen that color on the Ford Ranger pickups... I thought it was cool at the time... Kids!.. What do they know??? Huh??
I have 8 box's of spiral wound sanding rolls, 1" diameter X 1 1/2" long with a 1/4" mandrel hole 120 girt. There are 25 pcs in a box. $15 a box + shipping. Buy them all and I will ship them for free. They would really work good for the final finishing work. JC
I did this on my Sedan motor. what a mess but it sure looked nice.. lots of grinding stones and flapper wheels. Told myself i would not do it again, but I think I might do some clean up of casting marks for my current Modified project
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