I'm sure tryin' to! I just finished up the wiring, got to finish installing the floorboards and seats. Got to replace all the original grease zirks with modern type and grease her. Had to order a new drum tail light, mine is just too far gone to mess with. Test drive and keeping my fingers crossed that it does better than the last time.
Way cool. Timm will get to see the filthy 283 in my stake truck, and hopefully he and I will be able to check out your sedan, and you and I will finally be able to put faces with names!
You need any parts for this man? I just picked up two sedans a 29 and a 31 and made me think of this project- the 31 is the best of the two but if there are any odds and ends your hunting lemme know- I think I'm just gonna part them out- Any more progress? I feel like I wasn't planning well building all my two seater hot rods with all of our girls- a sedan would be the way to go! (-; Lookin great Tim Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
And yeah we've been messing with the valve cover adaptor and what itsngoing to take to make that work. Been waiting till it's done to post it all. Other wise been trying to get the 46 ready for the hamb drags. Think it's throwing a tantrum because it hadn't been driven for a couple weeks
Ok so I'm not done with it but it's turning into a lot of photos so I'll post them and you can get the jist for now.
Ok those loaded out of order so I guess I'll explain a little. 1: make cardboard template of each valve cover foot print 2: lay them on top of each other and make a single one 3: bolt it on and realize the fronty needs to be 3/4 shorter 4: make a new cleaner one from stiffer thinner material 5: mark it all out on 1/4 plate 6: use a cut off wheel 7: use a torch 8: clean it up 9: test fit and figure out how much of the water neck/ thermostat housing your going to have to grind off. It's supper beefy and even the stock tin valve cover scrapes to fit on. These are what I assume are BBC rocker arms and don't leave a lot of room for dancing around. Post hamb drags the plan as of now is cover the motor and prune the bits that are in the way. Then test fit the plate and refine it, further clean it up. And then take a band saw to my nice Frontenac cover and cut it in half about 4/5 to the front and remove a 3/4 inch and stick it back together. Weld a nut on the cross overs in the plate we are making, drill corresponding holes in the cover. The idea idea is to permanently bolt the plate to the head and the. Sit the cover on top, then thread some all thread in from the top and spin a wing nut on to hold it together. There's more to it but that's the jist. I can't install the threaded sections and sit the cover down over it because of the way the motor is tucked back into the big divot in the fireball . So that's why the procedure. I'll probably slot the top of the all thread so I can crank it down with a screw driver before I wing nut everything.
It won't fit for a mock up :/ for some reason I thought it fit once but I must have moved the motor again. I have this head nestled back in that factory divot like it was made just for it so I can't even wiggle it on and slide it to the back to see. We're getting close though. I'm antsy to see it even if it's all mocked up. Then I think I'm planing on steering so we can build the intake and exhaust around it. I've got a pile of stuff for the car at a friends shop but he just had twins when we had our daughter so neither one of us is in a huge hurry
LOL that is just common stuff before the HAMB Drags. This is actually the first year since '04 that my driveway is not full of cars on their way to Joplin. Hell one year we started changing an engine on Tuesday evening and left the driveway Thursday evening, after one trip around the block. We will see you there, even if we have to come tow you in. I just visited @Tim 's heap yesterday. I sure wish I had his ambition.
Well, I fired her up Saturday and all is not well! In May of last year, when I tore it down, the engine was purring like a kitten and other then the front end, everything was cool! When I started it up Saturday, I noticed a knock at idle. I shut it off, I had checked the oil prior to start up and it was at the mark but I checked it again just in case! Still at the mark.. Started doing some checking, as far as I can tell, the knock goes away above idle. I have an exhaust leak so it's a little hard to tell for sure. I also noticed that the water pump was leaking and that there is about 3/8" end play in the shaft. If I get off my ass, this morning, I'll try shorting out the cylinders and see if that changes the sound of the knock. I did a lot of reading yesterday about engine knocks and both the exhaust leak and the end play in the water pump could cause that knock. Yesterday afternoon, I pulled the fan belt off and started the engine but the knock was still there, so much for that. Still got to seal the exhaust and see if that helps. Man, this sucks!!!!!
Not much new. The 46 got banged up some so I’ve been focusing what time I have in the garage on getting that back together. Did bring home some more parts though and start mocking them up a bit. Got some hanging pedals for the clutch and brake, leaning towards dual 40-8 masters instead of the Chevy truck stuff, the correct pressure plate for the swap, a hopefully better hood a steering column and box and a few other Knick knacks. I shoved the 38/9 truck column and box into the car and it seems like it should fit perfect but I need to cut the tank out of the cowl to clear the column support before I know for sure. And I need to replace the subrails before that or at least get it braced up. Just pickin away and day dreaming
Little photo update of not much other than thinking. Valve cover adapted keeps getting whittled to fit, I chopped the cover in half to get over the scary part of fitting it and that’s about all the physical progress that’s been made. Unless I hadn’t mentioned putting some dropped tie rod ends on the steering arms to clear the wishbone... Anyhow real quick ramble while the baby sleeps. I’ve been really trying to accomplish the same ideas with everything I do on this build. Make it simple, make it strong, make it easy to work on. So I foresee a ton of mock ups in my future. If the cover fits the motor but I can’t remove it with the motor in the car or with out removing a bunch of stuff then the only person to blame is me. I want to be able to remove the master cylinders, exhaust, intake, valve cover etc with out removing anything else. Or having to remove something so I can get at a bolt. Anyhow here’s are some photos of stuff cut up and scribbles/ inspiration photos of headers and intakes this is actually an idea I wanted to get on paper before it got lost to memory lol It’s two lengths of 1x1 square tubing that would run along the top half of the firewall from Cowl side to side. On the drivers side a piece of 1/4 plate is flush welded with the back side and is drilled and tapped for my knock off ansen pedal set up and for the 40-48 masters. So I can bolt the pedals and masters on with no nuts and not have to worry about duct taping the nut to the firewall while i try to screw a bolt in. Thought about doing a beveled/ counter sink to help start the bolts even. Above that you see two threaded holes that the above drawn dash/ steering column brace would bolt into On the passenger side are 4 tabs with captive nuts or threaded holes and a 3/4 price of marine grade plywood would bolt to it. Maybe little threaded top hat inserts in the wood so I can skip a washer? The fuse panel would bolt to that wood and it would all tuck back to the firewall nicely The studs to the center are threaded lugs for grounds. I figure I can weld or even cable to ground this structure all to the body and frame so I don’t have to question a good ground source Add to that I can add threaded holes or tabs to mount my pivot for throttle linkage or pedal. From inside or outside the firewall. The hump I drew below indicates that the 28/9 firewall does have a big bulge I would need to work around. It’s not a totally flat firewall.
Im also considering using some weather pack type connectors to make some wiring a little easier to keep clean or remove parts. mainly thinking for all the gauges. I could wire the entire dash all nice and neat on the work bench, locate a connector in the appropriate spot and then bolt the dash in and plug the wiring in. Bam it’s done and tidy. It does mean one more connection in the line that could be an issue later but I think the percs probably out weigh the possible issues. Anybody have any experience with that sort of product?
We use connections like that commonly on the equipment we design and build at my company. I work close with the electrical guys one of which is a car guy too if you need any specific info.
Obviously; it is your choice; but adding connectors, etc seems like way overkill and just extra work; since the wiring itself on a basic hot rod is so simple.
We use mostly Deusch connectors at this point for a good connector that is sealed. Our application is, however, a little more severe than what is on most cars since it is on equipment that gets used in environments that are prone to more dust and/or water intrusion than most cars would see.
I’m mainly thinking for the dash. I’ve got big hands and behind the dash of a model A is gonna get real cramped real fast. So if I can wire all the gauges and lights on the bench, put it in the car, and just plug it in that seems like a good idea.
Just wire it before you put cowl top on; chances are you will never have to touch it again. If you did, it would only have to be a single component, whether it be a bulb, gauge, or switch.
Just a whole lot of sit and stare at it, sit and think, take it off, put it on and repeat. Got some some rocker arm interference so I painted the adapter white again and will do some more mocking up and marking to see where things need moved @Austin kays read threw this all, should give you an idea of some of what your in for
This is my plan on my '30 when i build it. But then i'll have to have a plan to weather seal the cowl top.
A '30 is a different matter, need to weld the cowl top in solid along with that skinny little windshield filler panel that goes across it by the windshield.
You think so? (Not being a smart ass here.) I was planning on making a steel cowl support (frame) to hang pedals, steering wheel, fuse panel, etc from to provide any strength lost when I cut out the tank. I think then that I can leave the cowl top removable. Tim, sorry for the hijack of your thread.
The only time I've had to get back under the dash on the Chevy in the six years or so that it has been on the road was to wire up a winsheild wiper after our first soggy drive to Colorado for the Hillclimb.
I’m currently planning hanging pedals and want to keep the master cylinders off the firewall so i’ll need access to them.
The Jalopy Journal
