Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Got new rod bearings installed at the clearance I want. Checked rod bolts for correct stretch. Now onto the mains

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Put longer main studs in and it increased thread count in the block by two. It took away that mushy feeling when going to the final number on torque.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Did that change the housing bore?

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I will let you know in a few minutes, re lubing the studs now.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

It changed #1 and #5 approximately .0003 smaller, the rest no change. #2, 3, and 4 are four bolt mains, 1 and 5 are two bolt mains. All mains are cross bolted. I will scotch bright back side of bearings to try to regain lost clearance. Whatever it takes, the solid feeling is worth it when torquing.

The scotch bright fixed it

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Will you be using "full groove" main bearings?

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Not full grooved mains

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I had to seek out a very experienced engine builders advice on of all things how to measure something. He got me going down the right path in a matter of minutes. The problem was, I had not applied the K.I.S.S. method of problem solving, you know Keep It Simple Stu....

It is so great that most if not all of us are willing to help each other. I did not ask him what the latest speed secret is because I'm still trying to accomplish the first one he shared with me. The straight and round tip!

Back to work.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

From your first post from this thread. It has been the truth.

I admire everything about what your are doing except for how much it makes me feel like a slacker!

Thanks for sharing,
Bill

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Im retired so my hobby fills most of my day. Racing is venue that us old people can still be somewhat competitive and I like that. I enjoy trying to catch up with all the great engine builders that have customers competing in the same class that I choose to run.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Thanks to Jeff Taylor I got to use a Total Seal ring filer, what a great piece of equipment. It wont change your life but it sure will make it easier and more accurate faster.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Larry,
I see that you're not entered at Gainesville, why not and what is your schedule for Dumbo?

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I have one as well and I like it a lot. It is a step up from some of the others I have used.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Im a grade 7 2/3 average, NHRA rounds down. Gators closed with grade 8

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Sometimes I find out stuff quite by accident, like ring butting during test instillation of piston and oil rings in ring compressor. After measuring, the math is easy. 4.127 bore, 4.122 ID of 4.125 ring compressor and a ring with .015 end gap. The ring ends crashed into each other. Just another day at the office.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Final cleaning of the block today and then putting all the stuff back in it. If it runs well my documentation should help me follow the bread crumbs to build another, if its a dog I will know what not to do. My goal is build the next one better.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

After speaking with the manufacture of the ring compressor and the problem I was having. A new one of the correct size is on the way with a call tag for the smaller one. Not trying to be political, but there is something to be said of dealing with American company's.

When I first started doing this, racing stuff, who would have thought the thickness of a hair (.003") would have caused a problem unless it was a bearing clearance.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

New ring compressor arrived today just like they said it would and it was as advertised 4.125". Thanks ARP

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

New ring compressor worked perfect, the oil rails had the correct gap during installation.
I'm trying something different, assembling engine on the bench without using an engine stand. I'm thinking the heads are a strengthening factor to the aluminum block, that seems to move around a lot. Trying to assemble the engine without induced stress from hanging on engine stand. I'm not sure how to measure the results. Joel would ask me if I was trying pick fly stuff out of pepper. Many a truths are spoken in jest.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Larry, the late Bob Glidden assembled his Cleveland-based Pro Stock engines on a wooden pallet on the floor for that very reason. ;) -Al

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

You FFFF Ford guys could have shared! LOL

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Larry: Your post reminded me of stories of engine builders that would hone their blocks with 160 degree water flowing through the water jackets. Makes you wonder.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I was wanting to try 175* oil and 100* water in the honing plates, it would be almost like a heads up run.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

It's all in the details. Richard Carlson author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff is clueless.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Had a good day today. Made an A2 steel crank key, degreed the cam in. I got my work-out in by moving the block , crank, and cam around from horizontal to vertical a couple of times. Installed all of the pistons but still have to tighten bolts to stretch. locktighted and torqued cam bolt. Its about supper time.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Heads are on and valves adjusted. If any of y'all haven't tried installing push rods and rockers on a GEN III Hemi, don't, it almost can't be done.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I will get pickup and pan on and mount engine on carrier. Will be heading south to dyno. I will try to get a video of a pull, it sounds pretty cool when it starts to really sing.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Looking forward to it. I gotta say, thanks for the effort to keep this thread current - I check for it daily.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Larry, Chrysler makes a special tool that holds the intake push rods in place that makes life a lot easier.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

That tool is about $90 delivered, I bought one and two out of the four supports broke. It's made of plastic. In short I had to take the rockers off to find the broken plastic. The Ex. side gives me the most trouble.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Don't know what to say,we have the same tool at the dealer and it's still in one piece. I've always found the exhaust side to be the easiest to install. Just kind of catch all the pushrods with the cups of the rockers and then lay the shaft over the stands. The intake side you have to make sure that the pushrods are seated down into the tappets.It's a pain when the engine is in the vehicle because you can't see holes in the head when installing the pushrods. Just my experience with them being a flat rate tech,good luck with your new car.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I think the problem of rocker instillation is from the very shallow pushrod cups in the lifters. The pushrods fall out of the cups and make instillation difficult for me.

Going south today

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Today's the day. I hope the little things I've done helped rather than hurt. I'm fortunate to have Jeff, Cooter, Sid, Shawn and Jimmy ( The County Dog) helping. Collectively all this experience is genius.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Had a good day yesterday with just a few snags. End of the day we had a few smiles. I did have one recurring question, "did I tighten the oil pressure sending unit". Last year's session it fell out and made a heck of a mess.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

I saw the video on face book sounds awesome.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Go to link below to see Dumbo on the Dyno.

Dad almost has it round enough now.

https://ihmusedparts.com/576337-2/

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Ah the song of our people....

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

If the car will leave the line it should run quicker than the class index of 10.30 or 10.60.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

It's always good to set an achievable goal.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

The Cuda took over a year to run the index. The truck was a killer from the start. The Charger we had to change year model and engine combination to get to the index. Dumbo looks good on paper but proof is in the time slip.

Goals are always the same, win class all the time and win all heads-up races.