Australian Belly Tank

[Dr Goggles]

In reference to your problems with figuring out which gear ratio to buy, pick the one that will give you the speed you need and build your engine to pull the gearing.  That is a difficult rear end to swap out.

Our engine build is as far as we can see on the right track. The Colonel is taming the wild habits of the valve train which saw it fall over to what we are pretty sure was float at 6500rpm at that point the curve was angled steeply up at 312hp.

We are starting the new rear end at 2.56:1, that will give us 211mph at 6500rpm, we last ran 192( 195 top speed) with 2.77:1@6500rpm( with around 240hp). If we do the 211 we will swap to the 2.41,If we can pull 6500 again through a mile that will then give us a better idea of whether we are in the ballpark power wise to make the leap to 240mph which the 2.41 will do at 7000rpm.

We have the parts necessary to make the swap at the lake.............

Yeah, I'm dreamin'.

[ben james]

you're not dreamin Stew,
you're doin.
let's organise lunch soon, sorry i've been as busy as 10 men lately.

[Milwaukee Midget]

I picked up the finished rear end, it is in the back of my wagon which is at the radiator place....because of the holed radiator....why no fix meself?...........hmmmmmmm, that car is transport and my spare time is better spent on other things...

So many people don't get that.  "Dude, you work on cars, why don't you just fix it yourself?"

I've been busy working on the race car for years, but I'll gladly pay somebody else to change the oil on the Dodge. 

Why?

Because I've been busy working on the race car for years!

[manta22]

"...you work on cars, why don't you just fix it yourself?"

A familiar refrain. I hate working on production stuff; race cars and airplanes are designed to be taken apart frequently. Factory stuff is a PITA.

I heard similar questions when I was working as an electronic engineer "Hey Neil, you know something about electronics-- how about taking a look at my TV?" For that very reason I avoided learning anything about TV.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Dr Goggles]

"...you work on cars, why don't you just fix it yourself?"

A familiar refrain. I hate working on production stuff; race cars and airplanes are designed to be taken apart frequently. Factory stuff is a PITA.

I heard similar questions when I was working as an electronic engineer "Hey Neil, you know something about electronics-- how about taking a look at my TV?" For that very reason I avoided learning anything about TV.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

I reckon everybody here has a few skills they deliberately don't learn....then there are the skills you never admit to.....

yeah Benny lunch, maybe tomorrow.

[Dr Goggles]

Made a start Sunday. I'd got the refurbished rear end back from Hugo at "Hugo's Race Glides" , it has the 2.56:1 ten bolt Torsen centre in it and the necessary bits to swap in the 2.41 when we need it. With a mixture of dragging, slogging and other non-conventional heavy object moving techniques I got it out of the back of the wagon, down the drive-way, past the ute.... and into the shed. First job was to get the frame off the rotisserie at the back so the rear superstructure could be re-attached.

I got the frame supported and then got the rear up onto the axle stands....then the frame, with a little encouragement fell off ......I was well out of the way, nothing got hurt.

So, I sorted that out and started to get the two pieces aligned, as I turned the whole thing one of the tags that hold the brake line on the back of the axle tube caught the top of the axle stand.......and the whole thing fell. This was a different deal, it happened really fast and I was right there , it missed both my feet by inches........

Monday night I got into it again, I'd managed to capture the hoist chain around the frame before I bolted it up,genius, so that came almost all the way off again. I had a bit of a beergineer of how I am going to set the steering up, never really been happy with the arrangement we had. After seeing Andy Welker's neat arrangement I thought that it might be the way I proceed, a couple of heims and a shaft splined at the right length.

Last night I welded in two new members to the cage, just tube gussets really in the side windows.Then I did a bit of housework....I dunno where all that crap comes from but I think my shed has some mysterious force that draws it in.....there I was with a dust pan full of dust and grit, swarf and other detritus when I bumped my elbow and emptied a cup or so into the cockpit, bewdy, it seems that part of the car caught the disease that the shed has.......its impossible to keep clean......

I'll get some photos up soon, can't upload em at work....... have fun at WOS peeps.  

[bucketlist]

"...you work on cars, why don't you just fix it yourself?"

Work is that which one is obliged to do. Recreation is that which one is not obliged to do.

Otherwise few of us would be busting knuckles on these infernal race cars.

[grumm441]

So I'm sitting at my girlfriends holiday house at place called Venus Bay
Really nice place if it wasn't for the weather and the school holidays
Catching up on some reading.
I'm reading 'how to build big inch chevy small blocks'
He makes some interesting points about stock roller lifters
being heavy causing valve problems similar to what we have
going on.
Then I get to the oil lubrication system chapter.....
I've started to notice that my friends roll their eyes and fidget
nervously when I get started on pumps and cavitation.
Any way, back to the lubrication system chapter
Paragraph 2 " oil is stored in the pan and squeezed between
two gears to create both pressure and volume."
Anybody???

G

[Jon]

You thinking of running a rev kit Grumm?
Springs acting directly on the roller lifters keeps the lifter under control without giving the valve, rocket and pushrod more grief.

I've been running my oil pumps backwards, I always thought the oil went around the outside of the gears.
jon

[kiwi belly tank]

You've heard "the water goes down the drain the other way" thing, well, it's an American book.
  Sid.

[Dr Goggles]

You thinking of running a rev kit Grumm?
Springs acting directly on the roller lifters keeps the lifter under control without giving the valve, rocket and pushrod more grief.

I've been running my oil pumps backwards, I always thought the oil went around the outside of the gears.
jon

yeah I know the "T" is next to the "R" and you've got fat thumbs and a fart-fone....but you said rocket

yes, he is thinking of running a rev kit. The other night on a work away I was talking to a colleague over a couple of beers and he mistakenly asked me how the bellytank was going( he's not a car guy), ya know there's a whole lot to explain to "civvies" about this stuff...... his eyes glazed when I got to valve bounce.......been occupying the old perch in the shed and getting in some valuable staring time and thinking about what to do with the bus. Just got some good news about my salary packaging .....the racing budget just got a wee boost.

[rgn]

Paragraph 2 " oil is stored in the pan and squeezed between
two gears to create both pressure and volume."
Anybody???

Girl friend... holiday house in Venus bay... Thanks for the metaphor G.  

[Jon]

yeah I know the "T" is next to the "R" and you've got fat thumbs and a fart-fone....but you said rocket

Just got some good news about my salary packaging .....the racing budget just got a wee boost.

Freudian slip caused by discussing your bellytank sorry. 

Congratulations in the increase in sponsorship.
jon

[Frankie7799]

Holy sheet, after on and off reading the last week and half or so, I finally got through this build. I must say it has been quite the entertaining read. A ton of blood, burns, sweat and tears and a whole lot of determination, perseverance and fortitude you boys have shown all these years. I hope that if the Salt Gods are good you guys can make Speedweek Aus. 2013 and maybe Grumm and Dr Goggles can make another trip to Bendover. Im hoping to maybe tag along with Sparky up there next year as itll be my trip to the Salt. Looking foward to reading more from guys. Now it looks like I have to finish MM's build diary.

[wobblywalrus]

Cars are not anything I know a lot about but it seems you'all are on the right track.