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Post by tachout on Feb 25, 2010 22:00:09 GMT -7
Well thanks to Highpockets, I now have the rods that came with the motor I bought for the Vette a while back. The guy I bought the motor from finally dropped them off at his shop, and today I went down and picked them up. There is nothing that makes you feel better than getting new parts (or used parts that are new to me). I am so happy that things are now moving along again. Now I just need some weather to cooperate and me not be so tired or lazy, and get out there and make some real progress. Here are a couple of pics of them:
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Post by 500hp406 on Feb 26, 2010 12:55:51 GMT -7
Alright, now we can start putting that engine together...
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Post by kyrosnick on Feb 26, 2010 14:37:14 GMT -7
Looking good. My car has been apart for 10 days and I'm dieing. I bet a longer project like this is even worse. Good luck and let me know if you need some help.
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Post by tachout on Feb 26, 2010 20:14:08 GMT -7
As for putting the motor together, not yet. The block still has to visit the machine shop. I still have to buy pistons, and wrist pins, bearings, rings gaskets, and the custom ground cam. Not sure of anything else right now other than to open it up, tear it down and find out. I am not going to do that until after I have the interior back together, get the firewall done, and also get all the parts ready. Once I have all the parts ready before it goes to the machine shop I want to get the trans done too.
Thanks for the offer of help and trust me when I need it, I will holler.
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Post by tachout on Feb 27, 2010 15:53:57 GMT -7
Well could we ask for better weather to work out on the Vette? I got a slow start as I had some errands I wanted to run this morning. Spent quite a bit of time getting ready for the undertaking of putting that heavy pig in there. Keep in mind how fat I am. I crawled under the car, squeezed in between the 4-Link suspension and diff, and picked it up, and bolted it in. I decided to just throw a gasket on to keep the moisture out, as it is going to be a bit before I button it up. I need to press off the old bearings, take the housing out of the car, and clean it, and get it ready and put new axle seals in it. First off there are no axle seals in it right now, and second those bearings look and feel terrible. Kind of like they have sand in them as you rotate them. I just decided today is not the day to take on the battle of finding axle bearings, and seals. I asked for the gasket for a 9" ford rear end and Autozone said they could not find one for me. I needed to tell them the car that it was in so I said 1990 Chevy Corvette and waited for the look. No look, just tried to find it on the computer. I had to say, "No it is a Ford rear end" and she said she could not find a listing for a Ford 9" Rear for the Corvette and wondered if I might have the wrong rear end.... Now I have been going to the same autozone for like 2 years, so they know what I am doing to my car. Then she asked me what did I get the rear end out of, and I said the guy I bought it from had it in his Chevelle... and she wanted to know the year so she could look it up. I again explained that Ford did not come in a Chevy in any year.... Well I went down the street and ran into an old friend of mine at another auto parts store, and he found what I was looking for in less than 2 minutes. Just walked to a book (No Computer go figure) and looked something up, walked to the shelf and pulled it right off. Told me when I am ready for bearings and seals, I should mic the housing, bring in the old axles, with bearings, or better yet just the old bearings and he can look up the parts... and at that time I just wanted to get the thing in there and out of the back of the suburban. I am planing on doing some clean up and repainting of the whole rear end when I go to do brakes anyway so I said I would just come back. Well here are a couple pics of the Pig, and then with it in the car. The rest of the afternoon I am going to do a little cleaning of the floor under the car, and get it ready for what comes tomorrow. I am going to throw some ribs, and bonless ribs on the smoker, and then am going to get back on the wheel tubs, and putting in some more of the rear roll cage.
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Post by Crossfire84 on Feb 27, 2010 17:34:16 GMT -7
Mark, I wish you the best of luck! If I pass out while reading this thread, it's cause I have a natural aversion to seeing the inside of an engine... nevermind I get quesy seeing a car dissasembled like that SOME PEOPLE CAN'T STAND THE sight of blood, with DON, IT'S OIL! RACE ON!!! JIM
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Post by tachout on Feb 27, 2010 20:09:23 GMT -7
Well I got out there, cleaned the floor a bit, and then decided I had to make just a bit more mess. I went in, cut out the frame rail parts on the passenger side, and did about half of the welding to get it preped and ready for the tubs. I will post a couple of pics on the end of this post. I shut everything down and got ready for dinner, and then a couple of you stopped by. Thanks for the visit. Had dinner, and now I am going to relax for the evening. Tomorrow it will be doing some cage work to strengthen the back end a bit more, and then start laying out the tubs, and doing some interior tin work. Also going to do some ribs on the grill! I think spring heard me ask for some nice weather and said why not. I bet I will be sore monday, but getting some stuff done and buttoned up sure has felt good. This is what I am going to match tomorrow, and will have it finished. Beyond that, I want to get some of the edges cleaned up, and then finish installing the tubs. Probably the first of the steel floor I will add will be the center of the frame rails, and then I can put the wheel tubs in and then will just need to do the finish work beyond that.
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Post by tachout on Feb 28, 2010 16:30:41 GMT -7
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Post by tachout on Mar 6, 2010 19:40:33 GMT -7
Well I do not know about the rest of you but today the weather was just outstanding! Had to run a bunch this Morning. Got my axles droped off and will pick them up monday. They are going to press off the old bearings, and put on some brand new ones, and while the bearings are off, they are going to press on a set of brand new wheel studs, and going to beadblast the axles and clean them up. Come monday evening I can put them back in the car, and fill the diff with oil, and it will be complete. Once they are all put back together I am going to verify the rear wheel spacing and order my rims. I have decided on what rims I will run in the back, and want to make sure on the tire size before ordering, but hopefully by next weekend I will be able to bolt the wheels on the rear of the car, bolt the stock wheels on the front, and roll the car out of the garage to work in some nice weather rather than in the dark garage. Today I put in the kickers, and looked over what else I need to do to the cage. Looks like I just need to clean it all up, then go in and finish weld, all of the welds. Then I can hopefully get it certified. I will then put in the rear wheel wells, and the rest of the tin in the back, and then decide how I am going to finish off the rear of the frame, and put back on the car. Once it is certified, I can also get the interior put back together, get the trans cross member made, and start working in earnest on the engine and trans! Today was just some simple burgers on the grill, but I am sure next weekend the menu will be better. I am thinking of maybe some chicken! Pics from today: Cut a small piece of the backing out, and will be enclosing this with sheet metal when I put the wheel tubs in the car. Cut the bar, notched it, trimmed the end, and welded it in place Did the other side And it was time to start the BBQ and have them burgers for dinner. Once I got the burgers started, I decided to take a shot of the garage. What a mess, I need to do some cleaning out there soon. Hopefully once I get the wheels on it and I can roll it in and out of the garage, I ca clean it up some. And once I can start putting the interior back in, I will have a ton more room. Once the burgers were done we had a little time to eat outside before it got dark.
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Post by 500hp406 on Mar 6, 2010 20:49:12 GMT -7
Ok Mark, I see the teardown begins is the name of this thread. Are you now about ready to exclaim the teardown is over, the rebuild has begun!! wooowooo
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Post by tachout on Mar 7, 2010 9:02:10 GMT -7
Honestly we are now at a point where 95% of what I am tearing out is done. Last are a few things under the hood on the firewall we will not need. The teardown is officially over, and the rebuild is started. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks there will be some exciting things to see on it going back together. Have a couple of things I want to do and then get the Chassis certified soon. Once I have the happy little sticker I will put the interior back together, put in the rear tubs, and start with the trans, fuel cell, battery (With Acess), and the Meth tank. Once that is done I will concentrate on underhood for some time. Beyond that all that will be left is brakes, exhaust, and safety equipment. (Safety Equipment will be the belts, window net, wheelie bars, parachutes, and then a new helmet, driving suit and all) By the time I get to the final parts of the saftey equipment I want to be below 185. Right now I am below 210 so I have a ways to go, but considering when I started working to loose my gut, I weighed in at over 300 I can say that it is a doable goal.
I want to thank everyone on here for your support and offers for help.
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Post by kyrosnick on Mar 8, 2010 7:30:22 GMT -7
Car is looking good. I can't wait to see the finished result.
I didn't get a chance to work on the subaru. No rush since my vette is running nicely. One day I'll make it over. I'm in Socal from Wed-Monday enjoying some nice weather so maybe the dyno day weekend.
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Post by tachout on Mar 12, 2010 17:25:14 GMT -7
Well I got a delivery from the parts truck today. This would be a good weekend to staytuned and check as I make updates. I know there are still a couple of items on the way but here is a start of what came, as well as the fact that the axles are ready to go back in. Just need 8 bolts and nuts to hold them in place. I will be replacing two of the nuts and bolts once I decide on rear brakes. And look there was a package of lug nuts to protect the treads on the studs. And Competition Engineering also sent me a small box of parts. Without Springs With Springs And look at this interesting box. Wonder what that is? Stay tuned as there are more surprises coming as the weekend progresses!
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Post by tachout on Mar 13, 2010 11:04:00 GMT -7
Well I got the axles in, and the old speaker boxes out. On the Vette a speaker box in the rear compartment is made of fiberglass and is epoxied into the body and in the way of the tubs. I also did some more clean up in the area. I am going to go pull the passengerside door panel, and then make the doors close again, making sure to mark the door panel for where I need to trim from the inside, the panel so that is will close around that side bar. Going to work to get the doors closed and then do some garage cleaning today. Come look back later today. I have something that is on the truck, out for delivery to add to the vette that will be VERY Picture worthy. Then it is off to get some chicken to throw on the grill, and get a big area clean in the garage!
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Post by tachout on Mar 13, 2010 12:28:03 GMT -7
Well the excitement of waiting on the truck is over. I have pics of everything except when the driver asked to sit in the car. And yes you know I let him. I think the smile on his face was bigger than mine! He asked what the rims looked like, and so I had to show him that too. Here is the truck And the driver in the truck And the tires and wheels Like I thought I am going to have to shorten the 4-Link bars, and am going to have to do some adjusting up underneath. Now atleast I can measure what I need to shorten and how much. Still no guesses as to what was in the other box?
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