XXO/BVGC '38 Chevy Coupe Build

[BoredAndStroked]

Weekend Update:   Fast the Furious!   Sumptin for Everybody  . . .

Chris and I have been going like mad . . . trying to get everything done for Buddy to pick this beast up.   We completed two of the big remaining "custom" pieces of the project.   This damn hand design/fabrication work takes a lot of time and effort - always is slower than you think.

1) Dry Sump Pump Configuration:  The setup that Buddy bought from Barnes has two suction/evacuation stages and one pressure stage.   It also has a really funky darn water pump mounted to the front - that drives the whole mess.

2) Injector Pump:  This dry-sump setup can also be used to drive the injector pump - so it is configured for this as well.   While having the pump on the dry-sump may work for the Dyno, I believe we may have to rethink this when we see how all of this fits in the car - given the motor mount location.   Or - my guess is the motor mount of the passenger side may need to be reworked.  Anyway - we'll know more when Buddy gets this and the car in the same dang garage!

3) Creating a Mounting Bracket:   Created a bracket that picks up three bolts from the front snout support and has a 90 degree mounting bracket to bolt to the water pump mounts.   

Due to the funky water pump, it is a real PITA to make a mount and figure out how to get water OUT of the pump.  I ended up using an old Flathead Ford water neck -- rusty and all at the moment.

4) HTD 8MM Belt:  The bracket is designed to use a 800mm SBC dry sump pump belt - 3/4" wide.   I believe I have everything exactly where it needs to be . . . just need to mount the idler once I get the belt (should arrive tomorrow).

5) Fabrication Challenge:  Trying to keep things square during welding is a real necessity (due to belt alignment).   I clamped the heck out of it - as I knew it will want to 'move' when I welded it.   Also, I only welded about 1" at a time - moving around the part.  It is a pretty complex design - due to all the angles that needed to be accurate.   Even with the clamping, it moved a slight amount off of square -- took the BFH to it to "adjust it a bit".   I believe the 8mm drive belt with track correctly - if not, we'll adjust as needed.

Attached are pictures of Bracket a GoGo . . .

The next post will show the 'water manifold' stuff . . .  be up shortly.

B&S

[BoredAndStroked]

Weekend Update:  Lower Water Manifolds . . .  Stainless Baby!

We've been pondering for awhile as to how to plumb water into the block in a manner that provides good and consistent cooling to both cylinder banks and the rear cylinders (which tend to run hotter).   The stock FlatCad cooling flow is very strange:

a) Waterpump is on the front passenger's side.
b) Water enters the passenger bank - then travels through the middle of the block (in the valley area) over to the driver's side bank.
c) Water tends to be heated up on the passenger side before it gets to the driver's side.

So - we wanted to plumb both sides of the block - using the freeze plugs.  I've been thinking about how the heck to make some water manifolds that picked up the freeze plug outlets - just how to mount them?    Ended up deciding to make individual manifolds (one for each of the two rear freeze plugs).   I ordered some 3/8 stainless plate and some 1" tubing.

I then designed a very simple SolidWorks 3D model and sent it over to Chris.   His work was nice enough to let him use their brand new HAAS CNC mill to cut these parts.   Stainless is soft and sticky - took over an hour to machine each piece.

Chris came over Saturday afternoon and we made the pipe/nipple extensions and welded them up.   The nipples were then pressed into the thick plate pieces and welded from the back side.

On Sunday we drilled/tapped the block in four corners around each hole.
We temporarily mounted the manifolds - everything is cool as hell.   You gotta love stainless when it is done - just looks nice.

I ordered some square O-rings from McMaster today - that hopefully can be used in the bottom of the freeze-plug holes.  The idea is for the manifolds to press against the O-rings to create a very solid seal . . . hopefully with no other gasket material required.  There are limited O-ring sizes, we'll just see if what I ordered will work.

Great job by Chris  . . .  he cranked through it and delivered at the 11th hour!

B&S

[WOODY@DDLLC]

Dale and Chris were humpin' so hard I guess he forgot that I paid them a visit. 

Don't worry Buddy, it was the only real break they got yesterday! 

Can't wait to hear this ole gal cackle!! 

[38flattie]

Dale, it looks great, and looks like everything will work great on the dyno!

...but, it appears the whole setup may not work in the car! I wish I had a better pic, but I don't. Look at the frame in relationship to the engine mount.

[BoredAndStroked]

Dale, it looks great, and looks like everything will work great on the dyno!

...but, it appears the whole setup may not work in the car! I wish I had a better pic, but I don't. Look at the frame in relationship to the engine mount.

Yeah, that's the problem of mounting things like external pumps when you don't have a block in a car -- and can't anticipate everything they'll interfere with.  I'm hoping we have room for the pump itself - without moving the motor mount, but who knows on the injector pump (which isn't on the pump in the picture) - it appears to me that it may be dang close to the motor mount.   Our luck - we'll have some dang 'surgery' to perform.   

As I told Chris yesterday -- "sure hate to make this dang nice and complex dry-sump mount and idler . . . thinking the whole time that it may be 'throw away' in the end"! 

[38flattie]

Haha! I think we just have to own up to the fact, that we forgot to take measurements when we had it in there!

At work, we call these oversights 'job security'. The boss calls them our 'last warning'! Lol!

[BoredAndStroked]

Monday Night Update:   We Struck Oil My Friends!

Just got in from the shop - a bit knackered, but it was a good night.   

1) Distributor Plug: Chris came over and he turned an aluminum plug to mount where the stock distributor was.  I noticed that there was a pressurized oil feed hole DOWN inside the distributor bore in the block - would have been a big oil pressure leak if we didn't make a long very close fitting plug to go down the shaft bore and cover the pressure hole.   Sorry - didn't take a picture!

Chris also hand-made gaskets for the valley covers and mounted them.

2) Oil Pan Kickout Bar: I was working on the rest of the oil system.   When I designed the lower crankshaft girdle, I didn't want to counter sink the front main studs/nuts into the front girdle bar - seemed stupid to drastically weaken the whole girdle by two big counter-bores (down into the meat of it).  So - this left a problem . . . where the heck is the front of the pan going to mount and seal?   The dang studs/nuts are right in the way.

3) I like Dog Legs - Have a Set of My Own!   Solution - I kicked the front of the oil-pan out (dog-legged it) - and instead of making the girdle shape a lot more complex (with a corresponding kick-out), I decided to make a 3/4" thick aluminum KickOut bar that bolts to the front of the girdle and then has bolts for the oil-pan kickout.   Had to make that bar this evening out of 6061, drill tap a bunch of crap, etc..   There went about 2 hours . . .  yikes!

Mounted it to the girdle and then started working on the pan (which has never been on the engine).  Had to take the die grinder and relieve the center baffle to clear the center studs.   I thought we may have to modify the front of the pan to clear the front studs (as the pan builder angled the front - we thought it would hit the studs). 

4) Good Karma - Guess I'll Vote Tomorrow:   Anyway, after the center baffle mods, the darn thing fit in the front!   About frigging time we had some good luck!   I had Jeff Fowler ready to do some aluminum TIG welding on the pan tomorrow (my welder can't do aluminum).   Anyway, pan fits perfectly . . . all is good in the land of oil.

I've included a close-up of the front of the pan - notice how it kicks out and bolts to the kickout bar.

Drill Baby Drill - It is Good for FlatCad!    I guess that maybe because Buddy is in the 'Oil Business', the Gods smiled on us today and his good Karma came through. 

Time for sleep - these next 3 days are going to be a real slog!

B&S

Note:   More pictures on the following post . . . .

[BoredAndStroked]

The Rest of the Pictures . . .  Now Don't Fall Asleep . . . I Know, Kind of Boring Stuff . . .

Have a great night - time for sleep . . .

B&S

[BoredAndStroked]

Haha! I think we just have to own up to the fact, that we forgot to take measurements when we had it in there!

At work, we call these oversights 'job security'. The boss calls them our 'last warning'! Lol!

I hear yah - this is just how building race cars goes - always another hurdle to overcome!   We may have to think about mounting the dry sump and injector pumps off of the timing cover (it is designed for this).  Might be able to leave the goofy water pump running off the 8mm belt drive and bracket I made.  I'm not even sure it will pump enough volume - we'll find out.   Using the timing cover is very typical stuff - many guys run them this way.

We'll know when you get the beast back in your town . . .  try and adjust is the name of the game!

[maguromic]

There is nothing boring about this build or what you guys are posting!  Tony

[BoredAndStroked]

There is nothing boring about this build or what you guys are posting!  Tony

I thank you!  Sometimes I do wonder if I'm just babbling on about useless stuff . . . appreciate the encouragement.   We're learning as we're going, so we'll take ALL the input/help we can get.

B&S

[38flattie]

Haha! I think we just have to own up to the fact, that we forgot to take measurements when we had it in there!

At work, we call these oversights 'job security'. The boss calls them our 'last warning'! Lol!

I hear yah - this is just how building race cars goes - always another hurdle to overcome!   We may have to think about mounting the dry sump and injector pumps off of the timing cover (it is designed for this).  Might be able to leave the goofy water pump running off the 8mm belt drive and bracket I made.  I'm not even sure it will pump enough volume - we'll find out.   Using the timing cover is very typical stuff - many guys run them this way.

We'll know when you get the beast back in your town . . .  try and adjust is the name of the game!

Dale, I think you were probably working on the oil pan, when I emailed you the 'contingency plan'. Looks like it's time to go that route, with the fuel and oil pump!

[WOODY@DDLLC]

We'll know when you get the beast back in your town . . .  try and adjust is the name of the game!


[/quote]

Like I told you Sunday, Dale: You just modify the modified modification [after the last revision].

Adapt or perish! 

[BoredAndStroked]

Like I told you Sunday, Dale: You just modify the modified modification [after the last revision].

Adapt or perish! 

Every race car has a bit of 'Frankenstein' to it -- pieces, parts and sutures all over the place . . . all hopefully willing to work together for the purpose at hand.

Good seeing you on Sunday - much appreciate the work!

B&S

[38flattie]

Garry did some more flow work with our head. We had 166 CFM with a .050 head gasket. Garry then used a .10 head gasket, and got 172 CFM flow. After a little work on the transfer area, and the .10 head gasket, flow went to 188 CFM. Garry just surpassed 200 CFM on his engine.
 
So, it appears with a little more work to the transfer area, we can get the flow up, and use our .072 gaskets!