Projects First time knuckle bruiser

I'm still a newbie working with old cars but the love is old. So here's a documentation of my project for the other newbies and whom ever wants to read it. When I bought the car I wanted to do so much but didn't have the know how or as much of time as I wanted. Finally a break thru after reading many many threads and asking all kinds of stupid questions I accomplished a task which seemed big and overwhelming to me. I wanted Dual intake, split exhaust running to lake pipes and to clean the engine compartment up a little. I wanted to make it my own. I bought stuff little by little until I had everything. It took me about 7 months to get all the parts up, searching for the best deals and look for my 1959 235 inline 6. Heres a before picture.

 

nice!

 

I started with the Fenton headers first. My big idea wast to keep the original single intake on and just install the split exhaust headers so that I could throw the lake pipes on. Good idea at first until the throttle linkage didn't fit because of the Fentons. So I got bright real quit and flipped the linkage assembly around so that the throttle rod would pass thru the Fentons freely.




But the throttle rod still couldn't reach the carb. Soo, I just stood in the middle of my work shop looking around at all the miscellaneous junk and decided the only thing I had was some old budweiser can openers. They worked after a little tinkering.

 

After all that the car would not start! I couldn't believe it! I couldn't figure it out to save my life. I even waited a couple of days thinking I flooded the carb and yet it still didn't start. Boy my wife was PO'd when she found out I needed her car again. Some time went by and I looked at all the stuff I had to do and just said screw it, I'm installing everything I bought for this car now whether my wife throws me out in the dog house or not. Not knowing where I would end up I just began.




As soon as I pulled the intake and carb off, gas went everywhere. Talking about being upset! I cleaned it up a little and and went to town on it.

 

I had to figure out how to get three pieces on that seemed they had to go on at the same time and heres were the bruised knuckles and cursing came to play. I felt like I needed an extra arm instead of a third leg. LOL! I finally got them on using 550 cord (parachute cord) as the extra arms, but still had problems getting the Fentons to seat right. Soon as I got the fentons seated right the dang intake wasn't seated right. Took me hours feeling like an idiot in a cave to get it right.

 

I installed the carbs and long and behold the two of the bolts were too short and had to go hunting for the right size. Lowes, Home depot, Ace, mom & pops. I could not find the right ones even with the employees help. Went to Auto Zone and they had the closest thing until I find something better. So far I was on my third weekend with this project and its getting colder than a brass bra on a witches tit.

 

During the whole installation of the carbs I went to the net and the HAMB to research the reason for the carb spacers. I didn't see any reason to use them on my project, the intake is aluminum right? And I took my time putting the carbs on making sure everything was perfect.

 

Great job !

 

Alright! The carbs are on and now lets install the linkage and get this puppy barking! Bahahahah! Yeah right! After flipping the throttle rod back to the original position the I felt trapped again. I searched the HAMB for answers but nothing was heading in the right direction. I found a website that might bring me good things.

http://www.americanclassic.com/Google_Base_HTML_Pages/IM-14P-1957.htm


Looked like it might work. I pondered it for a while and decided I wasn't gonna let it whip me so the next weekend I went out and stared at it for an hour then beat, bent, grind, beat and bent it some more until it worked in the original spot. Looked ugly as hell but it worked and you can't see it behind the Fentons anyway.

 

Well, I moved to the fuel line after finding the right fittings for all the hoses I needed to hook back up. I had some old rubber and steal fuel line, just a bunch of left over spare pieces and figured I'd use that until I could sneak off and buy some more nicer line. Ha! Never, Never, Never again will I take a short cut like that. God what a mistake. Overzealous me hooked it right up and was ready to fire it up until I turned the key and watched the gas pour from every crack and crevice known to man. Here we go again!



I took the line back apart went in the house and went to bed. I was done for the weekend. LOL!

 

Well, I moved to the fuel line after finding the right fittings for all the hoses I needed to hook back up. I had some old rubber and steal fuel line, just a bunch of left over spare pieces and figured I'd use that until I could sneak off and buy some more nicer line. Ha! Never, Never, Never again will I take a short cut like that. God what a mistake. Overzealous me hooked it right up and was ready to fire it up until I turned the key and watched the gas pour from every crack and crevice known to man. Here we go again! Here's a picture of the disgusting thrown together fuel line.



I took the line back apart went in the house and went to bed. I was done for the weekend. LOL!

 

You did very nice work looks great just takes a little time patience.

 

The weekend finally came and I was determined to make it right. I went to Auto Zone and picked up some steel fuel line had it all figured out until no one carries a 5/16 compression elbow fitting I needed to fit the carb and the line. Threw me for a loop, just couldn't get right.



Went back to the zone and asked them for a flared fuel line with the fitting on it about 2 feet if possible. They had it thank god. Went home and started bending away. Felt like a dang artist it was coming along. Finally progress in the right direction. Here's the finished product.

 

The weekend is over and I'm still trying to figure out what the hell the hose leading from the header that did end up going to the air filter on the old set up with the single carburetor. I don't know if it was to oil the old carb or what. So if anybody knows, I'm all ears or... eyes. I also have two throttle cables to hook up if I really need them who knows? As soon as thats finished I'll be done with the carbs and move on to ether the lake pipes or radiator. Maybe the pipes cause I got to order the radiator. Found a great site for those. Here it is if your interested.
http://www.ecklersearlychevy.com/chevy-aluminum-radiator-2-row-1949-1954.html

Also, here's a pick of the old setup with the mystery hose coming from the head and going into the air filter.

 

Looks good and great write-up!

 

It does look good. Good job.

 

Son of a bitch! I feel like a retard on a door knob! Yep, so I got off early from work today and figured I get a jump on my project and start her up. No go! I get in the car turn the key and it just turned over and didn't fire up. I looked under the hood and saw gas were it had ran down the side of the engine from the intake ports. Holy dog feces! As I stood there with my heart falling out of ass and my panties in a bunch (bad combo), I finally figured out what the dang problem was. The Fentons don't fit quite right with the Offy. Gonna have to do some grinding on them. So I shut down shop went inside and jumped on the HAMB searching, "Fentons don't fit", a whole lot of threads popped up so I began to read every damn one of them. Turns out its a common thing with Offy intake and Fenton exhaust. S-H-I-T! I'm gonna change my HAMB name to Gun jumper instead of J DE LUXE, that or Self punisher. LOL! I'm going tomorrow to buy a bigger grinder table type. Along with grinding the Fentons I think I might have to grind the biscuits too so I can get the intake tighter. Also, I think there is too much gas being pumped to the carbs. Do I need a regulator cause it seemed to work fine with the old 1 carb. (BAFFLED). There goes a whole weekend right there on the same part of the vehicle. I know now that I need a heat plate too and the list just keeps growing so I'm gonna have to sell some stuff. I gotta guy coming tomorrow to buy two of my guitars and I'm about to sell the roch carb that was on my car first. It works great and has all the pieces, it should go quick. Oh yeah, the throttle rod is sticking when I press the gas pedal and the dang gas pedal is sticking. It's a mess. Some of the HAMB guys said to use a throttle cable, how in the hell that suppose to work I don't know and the whole set up is expensive. I might just have to suck it up and go with the back up plan and buy that linkage from american classic.



If anyone at anytime has any ideas on the throttle assembly or the fuel, please hook me up. Thanks.

 

Any luck dude?

 

Boy ! It seems that if you didn't have bad luck , you wouldn't have no luck at all, This kind of stuff happens to me most of the time I am trying to modify perfectly good situations , but the Hot Rodder in us causes to plod on ,,Hang in there ,,,,Sam

 

Short note today: I'm grinding the snot out of the headers until the Offy sits right. I'll update this tonight. LOL! OH Yeah, Lady lucks a BIT*# but at least she's good in bed.

 

Walrus, you and I spoke too soon about lady luck. While I was outside grinding the headers, my little girl pours water right on my laptop destroying it. LOL! WTF! Bahahahah! S#!t! LOL! I'll have the intake and headers all done tomorrow and get started on the throttle linkage bit.

 

Yesss! Finally I got the stuff back on after a lot of grinding the headers and the intake. Everything seems to fit snuggggg and right. OK, so I did a lot of prep work yesterday for the headers, intake and the new gas pedal assembly. I cut a couple of metal blocks to put on the fire wall to push the pedal assembly out a little so that the cable would fit. Since I don't have a welder I use the next best thing, JB weld. LOL! Man that stuff works as good as they say it does. Anyway, I'm waiting for that to dry so I can attach the pedal assembly to it. I needed the linkage to go North and south and thats why I chose to bring the cable out at the top like that. I took a spring and attached it to an existing bolt on the engine that was used the hold the old generater on. I had to attach the sping to the cable some how so I used a female quick disconnect, looks pretty good. Anyway, just take a gander at these pics of the progress. I'm about to go get a new battery tonight while the JB weld is drying.

 

Nice project - sweet carb set up.
Fairly typical around my place too - something that should take only so long should usually be multiplied by a factor of 4...
Do we get to see a full pic of the car?

 

Once I get it running and out of the garage. I gotta clean it up a bit as well but I'll put the whole finished product up as soon as I get it done.

 

Alright, so I finished the headers and intake a whole lot easier than last time since I used pieces of a pipe that I cut to fit in the intake ports. It fit like legos.
I went advanced auto to get my battery charged up, some new spark plugs and carb starter. I'm waiting for the JB weld to dry on the pedal and screws. Tomorrow I'll throw in the new plugs, hook up the fuel line and all other lines. Can't wait for the first crank! Man I love the smell of my car!!!

 

Alright! Its loud as hell right now with the open headers. I got that beast running, I just need to dial the carbs in a little. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the lakes on and quiet this thing down a bit. The first start was so loud and scary! Crap was falling off the walls. The idle was so high at first I though it was gonna blow. The gas pedal assembly I installed works ok, I just need to tweek it a little more. Some of you wanted to see the finished product. I have some pics here of the car but its almost there so here you go.

 

Got my smithy's and lakes on today. Sounds B.A.! Just can't get it to idle right just yet. My oil pressure pounds are at 35 which is normal but feels like the rpm's are a little high.

 

I bought a Uni-syn (carburetor synchronizer tool) but I won't be getting that in the mail anytime soon since Oklahoma's turning into the north pole. I'm still gonna mess with it a little tomorrow freezing cold or not.

 

Cool dude. Car is looking good.

 

Thanx man! Sucks I can't drive it today with the weather sucking so bad.