Smooth! Nice job!
Smooth! Nice job!
It's going to be very nice when you're done, Brian. With all the work, you might consider putting an LS or LT motor in it. They idle/run very smooth, have lots of power, don't leak oil, and are easy to install (at least my experience). Good work!
I agree totally with Richard! (might be the first time??? *L* .. Not really, we usually agree but have no problems voicing our differences when we don't!)..
I too think you might want to consider an LS engine... pretty reasonably priced, great performance and mileage, and lighter weight on the front of that 39!
More of a traditional SBC guy muself never cared for ugly plastic engine covers.
There are really nice two piece polished aluminum valve/coil covers available, not cheap, but nice. A number of manufacturers make them.
Thanks guys. A LS engine would be nice but the plan for this car is a small block chevy with a carb. Trying to keep it as simple and low budget as possible so the most modern technology will be an electronic ignition distributor.
Hard to believe it's been almost 6 months since I posted an update on the project, Just haven't had much time to work on it this summer as I have been busy on other projects and family obligations. Then I got covid at the end of July so that slowed me down for 3 or 4 weeks. Felt like crap for a couple of weeks and it took over a month to start feeling normal again. Finally got some time to start working on the 39 again in late September.
Just for a change of pace I decided to see if the engine I had bought from a co-worker about 20 years ago would run.
Actually was a whole car minus the transmission. He had bought the whole car just to get the transmission and only wanted $50 for the rest so I took a chance on it as he said the engine still ran good. Just a 305 from a 78 Caprice so it won't have much power but a running engine is better than nothing.
So to test it out I just bolted it in the frame and wired the starter to a battery and HEI with an old ignition switch. The intake was for a 2 barrel carb which I don't have so I just squirted some starter fluid down the intake to see what would happen.
When I turned the key it fired right up. Also when turning the engine over by hand it seems to have really good compression so I decided to clean it up and take a chance on getting it running.
Here is what it looked like after cleaning off the really built up grease and oil. The intake is aluminum from the factory but is just a 2 barrel. I had a 4 barrel intake from a 77 Chevy pickup with a 350 so I got that cleaned up and repainted and found a used Quadrajet on ebay for $62. Seller said he had it rebuilt at a shop in CA and only used it for 5,000 miles, so hopefully that will work ok. It also came with 2 sets of new Edelbrock jets and metering rods so those alone are worth the purchase price.
After a couple days of cleaning with lacquer thinner and a small brush and wire wheels for the rusty areas it is ready for some paint. The oil pan and timing cover were still rusty but if those gaskets need to be replaced I can clean those up better and repaint them at that point.
Easier to see in this picture where I added a timing tab and balancer mark. The timing tab was behind the long water pump which won't work with the short pump I plan to use, new tab and position takes care of that problem.
With a fresh coat of paint and clear coat looking much better. I won't be using the valve covers on it now. Those are from my 55 engine which was from a 62 Chevy. Just using them to keep dirt and debris out of the engine.
Here are the valve covers from this engine cleaned up and repainted ready to go back on.
Here it is all put back together with new gaskets and grommets. The carb is just sitting on the intake in this shot. I will bolt it place after the engine is back in the frame. The headers I got from ebay for $98. including shipping and sales tax. Obviously from China at that price but they are stainless steel tubing and the quality and welds look decent. The only complaint I have with them is they tuck in a little to close to the block and both sides are the same (unlike my $400. Sanderson headers on my 55 which don't tuck as tight on the passenger side) so routing the exhaust around the starter will be a pain, but should work ok.
View from the other side. Starter is just cleaned up and repainted, and the plug wires are the originals just cleaned up.
Still need to get some wire separators to route the plug wires better. So far the only purchased parts are the headers, carb, and gaskets. Everything else is cleaned up and repainted original parts. We shall see how good it runs once I get it bolted back in the fame which is my engine test run stand for now. Before that happens though I need to get the under floor brake pedal set up so I can get the rest of the floor boards welded back in.
That will be the subject of my next post.
Brian