426Roadrunner68
Well-Known Member
Got my dads valley tray fixed and sealed. Smoked the engine down and made sure there are no leaks. After we confirmed that, we primed it and fired it up. Tons of vacuum. At dead idle 10" ice cold and as it got warm it began to climb. Turned it down to 7" at fast idle. Was very happy to see that.
We installed a Jones transmission pump this winter and new trans cooler which was no big deal but a nice upgrade for hot lapping and maintaining trans temp.
After running the car, got everything ready to swap valve springs with the new buxton engineering on head valve spring tool. That tool is a work of art, but as we figured, the intakes will all come off in the car easily. The exhausts, NOPE. #1 exhaust which has the most room wont come off as the tool hits the inner fender, as we kind of expected but were hoping for the best. So the engine is coming out so we can do valve springs on the engine stand.
Then onto the next saga, got a call from turbo action about the converter I sent to them to have opened up and gone through. Front pump assembly was trashed, sprag was trashed, and unfortunately they lost their machinist and are unable to fix the converter. Paul Forte is 83 years old and is battling some health issues as he fell and hurt himself a few months back. So a decision had to be made about a converter.
Called ATI and ordered a new bolt together converter for the car which is hopefully going to be here next week or so. So since we are pulling the engine, the trans will come out and I will go through it and clean it "just because".
Ill take pics and post on here when I get it out and apart.
The Barton valve covers showed up this week, wow they are nice. Black wrinkle finish, will make the car look much more nostalgic in my opinion over the covers we were running. The new covers are not light, but hopefully they will come on and off easier than the ones we were running.
Race season is approaching, still lots to do, but we will be ready.
R.J.
We installed a Jones transmission pump this winter and new trans cooler which was no big deal but a nice upgrade for hot lapping and maintaining trans temp.
After running the car, got everything ready to swap valve springs with the new buxton engineering on head valve spring tool. That tool is a work of art, but as we figured, the intakes will all come off in the car easily. The exhausts, NOPE. #1 exhaust which has the most room wont come off as the tool hits the inner fender, as we kind of expected but were hoping for the best. So the engine is coming out so we can do valve springs on the engine stand.
Then onto the next saga, got a call from turbo action about the converter I sent to them to have opened up and gone through. Front pump assembly was trashed, sprag was trashed, and unfortunately they lost their machinist and are unable to fix the converter. Paul Forte is 83 years old and is battling some health issues as he fell and hurt himself a few months back. So a decision had to be made about a converter.
Called ATI and ordered a new bolt together converter for the car which is hopefully going to be here next week or so. So since we are pulling the engine, the trans will come out and I will go through it and clean it "just because".
Ill take pics and post on here when I get it out and apart.
The Barton valve covers showed up this week, wow they are nice. Black wrinkle finish, will make the car look much more nostalgic in my opinion over the covers we were running. The new covers are not light, but hopefully they will come on and off easier than the ones we were running.
Race season is approaching, still lots to do, but we will be ready.
R.J.
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