I will do that.
66 Coronet 500 Driver, Light Resto
- Thread starter Nxcoupe
- Start date
Well, time for an update. After much discussion with qkcuda, I've decided to use the 3.75" stroker crank from 440 source and their cheap bushed rods to fit it. I have a price on custom 4032 pistons and rings in .030, so it should be pretty painless.
The engine is running rougher every time I drive it, so I just stopped driving it. Still haven't found all the leaks in the ac system either. Just a frustrating summer with this thing, but at least the suspension and brake conversion is done. I plan to get all the parts in, and then pull the engine so I'm not hogging a rack for more time than necessary. I really want to scuff and paint the engine compartment as the paint is original and getting pretty rough under the hood. Also plan to paint the engine up nice and purdy as well. New ac compressor, clean the condensor and rebuild the hvac box as well. Not a complete resto, but just completing the nice driver goal. Also going with a 46RH as well. So, updates will be coming slowly at first, then it will be a flurry of activity as usual when I really dig in
The engine is running rougher every time I drive it, so I just stopped driving it. Still haven't found all the leaks in the ac system either. Just a frustrating summer with this thing, but at least the suspension and brake conversion is done. I plan to get all the parts in, and then pull the engine so I'm not hogging a rack for more time than necessary. I really want to scuff and paint the engine compartment as the paint is original and getting pretty rough under the hood. Also plan to paint the engine up nice and purdy as well. New ac compressor, clean the condensor and rebuild the hvac box as well. Not a complete resto, but just completing the nice driver goal. Also going with a 46RH as well. So, updates will be coming slowly at first, then it will be a flurry of activity as usual when I really dig in
I look forward to your results. I had two different builds in mind, both of which ended up with about 406 cubes. One was my original 361 with a 440 crank, and the other was a stock stroke 400. A low mileage 73 400 practically fell in my lap, so that made the decision, but I always wondered if the longer stroke engine would make more torque. What compression ratio will you have with the custom pistons?
Flat top, custom compression height, so it will depend on the cc of the head chamber and the height of the deck which will get measured after disassembly. I would like around 10 to 10.5 to 1. Aluminum 440 aource heads and my 5 angle valve job, some light bowl work if the need it and port matching intake and heads. Machine work and piston lead time will be the big delays. Custom grind hydraulic roller as well.
Got it inside and found my fuel leak. It was not the seal like I assumed. It was the epoxy, looks like the fuel dissolved it, not sure what's going on with that, as I've used epoxy lots of times to seal fuel wires, so I guess for this one, I need to use some fuel tank specific epoxy.
Calling 440 source on Monday, as I have questions. They have the 3.75" stroker crank for a B engine, but say it uses a 440 length rod, so a little confusing to me. I want to ask them what it is supposed to use with that crank and I'll get it ordered. I want to have parts here before I start ripping it apart.
Ok, so the 3.75" B crank uses 440 rods. I am buying their blem rods and the bushings to fix them and make them full floating. Figure I'll get the reciprocating assembly bought, then get it balanced and measure the pistons so I can get the engine out and get it bored and honed.
Are you bushing them for 990 pins?
3.75" stroker crank, I beam replacement rods and pin bushings ordered and shipped out today. Thanks to Mike at 440 Source. Pistons ordered from Probe Racing, 4032 but we are going to discuss a few more things on them before the order is finalized. It is a start.
What do you have in mind for heads?
Their stealth 440 source heads. I'll do some bowl work and a 5 angle valve job. Port match the intake to the heads, maybe mill the heads to get the compression where I want it. Thanks for all the info, pushed me to do this, I think it'll be cool.
Yep!
I just picked up a set of E-Street heads. The 75 cc chambers will gain me a full point of compression on the 400. I'm looking forward to the results of this build.
I read that thread, it was disheartening to see all the negative feedback on the stealth heads in there. I will be disassembling them and going through them anyway, so good or bad, I will post what I find. I do everything old school, stone seats, grind valves on my Sioux machine, hand port the heads. Worked well on my race car, 1120 rwhp and counting.
I did a bunch of research and found a marine based epoxy that a guy on a buick message board did a bunch of testing to see which epoxys could withstand exposure to fuel and which could not. This one did it's called Marine-Tex. I used my dremel and roughed up the top and bottom sides with a stone wheel followed by a cartridge roll. I then cleaned it all up with alcohol on cotton balls, including the wires. Let it dry and then mixed up the epoxy 5 to 1(approx). It appears to have dried nicely, like glass. Real test begins after I install it back into the tank and put gas in. I also need to install the guage calibrator and start programming that.
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Finally felt good enough to get out in the garage and do some work. I wanted to get the fuel sending unit into the tank and make sure the float would go from bottom to the top and it showed the proper resistance. I had played around with it Christmas day some, bending the arms just a touch more which netted a spread from 70 down to 1 ohm. I moved a clamp around too allow the float to go all the way down to the bottom of the tank.
Today, I installed it and used my borescope to check how it all fit and it looked good. Neil and I tried snaking a coat hanger in to lift the float, but we couldn't get it. We did the next best thing and slowly rotated the tank until the float went to the top, or full, position. I measured and it was only 9 ohms. I wanted 1 or 2 ohms. Neil looked in while I held the tank and damned if the float wasn't hitting the giant vent tube. It's too far forward inside the tank, so I removed the sending unit/FP unit and using a bar and brass hammer, I tried to get it to move forward to clear the float. We moved onto replacing the rubber fill and vent hoses I bought from Summit. 120 bucks. What a ripoff. Anyway, they looked pretty good and fit, well, sort of. Better than the ones I bought for the belvedere. If there was a reason I would never own another one of these 66/7, it would be this absurd filler and vent setup. It sucks! We got old ones off, trimmed the new ones, got them installed and set the tank into place.
Today, I installed it and used my borescope to check how it all fit and it looked good. Neil and I tried snaking a coat hanger in to lift the float, but we couldn't get it. We did the next best thing and slowly rotated the tank until the float went to the top, or full, position. I measured and it was only 9 ohms. I wanted 1 or 2 ohms. Neil looked in while I held the tank and damned if the float wasn't hitting the giant vent tube. It's too far forward inside the tank, so I removed the sending unit/FP unit and using a bar and brass hammer, I tried to get it to move forward to clear the float. We moved onto replacing the rubber fill and vent hoses I bought from Summit. 120 bucks. What a ripoff. Anyway, they looked pretty good and fit, well, sort of. Better than the ones I bought for the belvedere. If there was a reason I would never own another one of these 66/7, it would be this absurd filler and vent setup. It sucks! We got old ones off, trimmed the new ones, got them installed and set the tank into place.
While I had it apart, I decided to tidy up the wiring and make it more solid and look like someone put some thought into it. I bought some deutch connectors, 10-12g and some 14-16-18g 2 terminal connectors. I used the smaller for the sending unit and the larger for the pump wiring. I think it turned out really nice. Tightened up the strap and let the car down.
Of course we connected the high pressure lines up and tightened those clamps as well. Put approx. 3 gallons in and it showed empty. We decided to test our work, so we drove up to the station and filled it up. Go big or go home. No leaks! Although as it crested 13 gallons, I did peek under the car, lol. Got in, started it up and was rewarded with this!
First time for that! I'm stoked. I am going to see how it works before I install the calibrator. This may be good enough for me. May drive it some tomorrow, supposed to be nice out.
First time for that! I'm stoked. I am going to see how it works before I install the calibrator. This may be good enough for me. May drive it some tomorrow, supposed to be nice out.
I fought with those hoses on my Charger. Thankfully they didn't leak. I don't want to do that again.
Yeah, I said that after the belvedere, now look at me. I looked briefly at these when I got the car and they seemed ok, but they were like cast iron in actuality, a leak waiting to happen. Glad it's over! Lol.
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