The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 4: Burnouts for Distance

[jeffsqartan]

Good luck with it. Seriously I hope thing turn out how you'd like.
Just seems like a whole lot of work swapping tired old engines that at least need to be freshened up

The thing ran and drove just fine when I picked it up. I do remember a slight tick on startup, which was those lifters.

The goal was a cheap engine with a new cam and gaskets to swap into my car. Originally for boost, but now if it gets boost it won't be for long. This engine will come back out, but I need something in the car for a few months while I figure out what I'm doing with the permanent engine for this car. Hence my disregard for pistons, rings, and bearings.

If I hadn't driven this engine personally before pulling it, I'd be far more likely to start replacing everything in sight.

 

[jeffsqartan]

To quote the great Freiburger - don't get it right, just get it running.

 

[thunderchicken]

To quote the great Freiburger - don't get it right, just get it running.

Fair enough. It's your quarter in the pony ride, so however you want it's fine.

I was just saying that from my understanding what was in it ran, you just had that annoying vibration. In my mind, I would have just lived with it until I could accumulate the parts to do a decent rebuild on one of them...or a 351 as you mentioned. Just different perspectives, but I respect what your doing. Maybe that's a little bit of OCD on my part lol

 

[churchmouse]

I wouldn't be feeling good, I know that

Oh hell no.
Hell no.
Hell no.

Argh….. ….. …….

 

[churchmouse]

If you have it out on the ground or on a stand and it’s down to a short block never stop there. Never.
What you have is budget driven mechanical denial and it will cause you pain.
Rings are ild and will not seal up against the increased pressures generated by a bigger cam. Oil pump is tired and will not float the crank bearings under those same conditions and add to this higher RPMs.
Come on man. “Butt”
Not sure about that crack. Is that on a head bolt hole.

I have a life long racing buddy. High school street racing all the way through life. We pitted together at the drag strips. He owned my Black Biscayne before me. Great guy. But he a had a Kitley racing mentality when it came to his endeavors. Glue wire and duct tape. Silicone was his mainline tool for leaks. Junkyard engines with his go to big cam and manifold header combo. Same with the transmission. T-350 with a plate in it.
Base line 3500 stall converter that would push 4K in that heavy car when the fluid was hot. It actran (when it actually ran) fairly good and he has 3 Wally’s to show for his efforts. 2 street bracket track championships and a big race win in foot brake.
“Butt” he was constantly working on it. I mean all the time. Sometimes all night to make the Sunday on a 2 day race for points. It drove me nuts and wore my ass out.
We were a 4 car traveling circus for about 3 years. I found a Vortec 350 roller miter in fair shape a friend pulled out of his wrecked truck. With some serious efforts and trading skills I gathered enough parts to start a build. Had a set of Fuely heads from an older engine. 62cc chambers and 2.02 intakes. The 2 other guys we rolled with came up with a hyd roller Comp cam. I found an intake. So over the winter I put together a new engine for him. With 3 of us involved the rings bearings and gaskets were the real cash outlay.
We snatched up his car in the late winter and stabbed the engine in the hole while he was on vacation. It hauled the mail for a simple build. Put the trailer back where he kept it and said nothing.
He flipped when he heard/saw it. Ran it for a whole season with zero issues.
Just thought I would share this.
Do as you will my friend. It’s too much fun yet aggravating to watch all in one package.

Now about that crack

 

[churchmouse]

 

[churchmouse]

To quote the great Freiburger - don't get it right, just get it running.

Roadkill would not be a solid mentor base. But I love those guys.

 

[thunderchicken]

Roadkill would not be a solid mentor base. But I love those guys.

Amen to that

I dig some of what they do but much of what I've seen probably doesn't have much longevity

 

[jeffsqartan]

Not sure about that crack. Is that on a head bolt hole.

Yes, it is.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Yes, it is.

I had to go back and look, that pic must not have been there last time I seen it.

Looks like you might have found where you were losing the air pressure.

 

[jeffsqartan]

I had to go back and look, that pic must not have been there last time I seen it.

Looks like you might have found where you were losing the air pressure.

Actually, when I filled the block with water and added air to pressurize, I found that one of the clamps was not tight enough and causing even water to slip out. Once I fixed that, it actually held pressure just fine.
Question is, would it do the same once it's heated up...

Btw, how often did the previous owner change the oil in this thing?

 

[Jaybird1980]

Actually, when I filled the block with water and added air to pressurize, I found that one of the clamps was not tight enough and causing even water to slip out. Once I fixed that, it actually held pressure just fine.
Question is, would it do the same once it's heated up...

Btw, how often did the previous owner change the oil in this thing?

I don't know how often, but I would guess not regularly. Whenever I did anything to it had already been put off until it had to be done.

Does that crack look like it would come out if the block was decked or do you think it's into the water jacket?

 

[jeffsqartan]

I don't know how often, but I would guess not regularly. Whenever I did anything to it had already been put off until it had to be done.

Does that crack look like it would come out if the block was decked or do you think it's into the water jacket?

That seems about right...

I'm not sure. I am having trouble really telling how far it goes. It doesn't seem to be open, but if I run my finger over it I can feel a slight bump, not recess, there. Like that entire spot has been lifted ever so slightly. I have no way to measure it. Maybe I can't measure it, but I might take one of my flat tools and set it over to see how lifted it is. See if I can get a visual representation.

 

[Jaybird1980]

That seems about right...

I'm not sure. I am having trouble really telling how far it goes. It doesn't seem to be open, but if I run my finger over it I can feel a slight bump, not recess, there. Like that entire spot has been lifted ever so slightly. I have no way to measure it. Maybe I can't measure it, but I might take one of my flat tools and set it over to see how lifted it is. See if I can get a visual representation.

If you want to use it as a running engine while you refresh your other one I get that, but I thought you were going to use the mountaineer heads on the other engine.

I probably wouldn't put much into that engine and would probably skip the boost, especially if you want to keep those heads usable.

 

[jeffsqartan]

If you want to use it as a running engine while you refresh your other one I get that, but I thought you were going to use the mountaineer heads on the other engine.

I probably wouldn't put much into that engine and would probably skip the boost, especially if you want to keep those heads usable.

That's how I'm starting to feel about it. I was going to go ahead and boost this one, start with low boost while I get a forged piston engine together, then swap engines again and go higher on boost if needed. The more I look at this, the more I think it's a waste to try that. Or potentially fatal to multiple parts.

I think NA it will be "fine." The biggest thing I really want to know here - is this thing going to fix my vibration?

I'm going to see if I can get a video for you guys later. It's not just "annoying," it's a problem. It is the sole reason I've never taken this car on a track, and that ends this year one way or another.

 

[thunderchicken]

Looks like 2 cracks to me. One that is around the bolt hole and goes over to the water jacket and also goes away from the bolt and stops. Then there is one the looks to go right to the edge of the cylinder wall, which if it goes into the cylinder wall could lead to a compression leak and or head gasket failure.
You don't want to hear it but that block really needs to be magnafluxed to see how deep it goes.

Since you threw out the roadkill saying just get it running...
Get a couple bottles of Moroso Ceramic Seal. The down side is it's not compatible with antifreeze. So you would have to get all of the antifreeze out of the block, soak it real well with brake clean to get it as clean inside as possible. Follow the directions on the bottle.. If you use this stuff make 100% sure you flush it within 24hrs per the directions. If the crack is into the water jacket that is about as good as it gets for a quick fix.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Looks like 2 cracks to me. One that is around the bolt hole and goes over to the water jacket and also goes away from the bolt and stops. Then there is one the looks to go right to the edge of the cylinder wall, which if it goes into the cylinder wall could lead to a compression leak and or head gasket failure.
You don't want to hear it but that block really needs to be magnafluxed to see how deep it goes.

Since you threw out the roadkill saying just get it running...
Get a couple bottles of Moroso Ceramic Seal. The down side is it's not compatible with antifreeze. So you would have to get all of the antifreeze out of the block, soak it real well with brake clean to get it as clean inside as possible. Follow the directions on the bottle.. If you use this stuff make 100% sure you flush it within 24hrs per the directions. If the crack is into the water jacket that is about as good as it gets for a quick fix.

Yeah the crack by the cylinder wall = no boost

 

[thunderchicken]

Yeah the crack by the cylinder wall = no boost

Yep that one would worry me more than the water jacket.

 

[churchmouse]

Thanks guys. I did not want to be the only negative nellie about the crack.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Amen to that

I dig some of what they do but much of what I've seen probably doesn't have much longevity

Another appropriate Freiburger quote for this conversation, “I’m not a hack, but I play one on tv.”

Roadkill is for entertainment, it’s not real life. The cars that David and Mike actually own and build for themselves are 100% legit builds. Proper fabrication, wiring, suspension, built engines, etc. Blasphemi is not a hacked together weekend build. The F-Rod. The Disgustang. Finnegan’s boat Game Over.

It’s fun and entertaining to throw a big block in a Samurai in three days, but that’s not at all how they operate in real life.