Fitzy

Is there any greater drudgery than scaping off old gaskets? Especially when they have only been on a short while and I did a damn fine job of ensuring there'd be no oil leaks. Anyway, I got all the old gasket and sealer off and ran a rag dipped in thinners over the surface in preparation for the new gaskets. Painted the sheet metal bits & the water pump I pulled off the engine, so they will sit in the tropical sun for a few days to allow the engine enamel to cure. Engine might not go, but it's at least gonna look nice. Will soak new lifters in oil for most of tomorrow, I'll chuck a little assembly lube on each cam lobe (will change oil shortly after test drive anyway) and will fit the new roller tip rockers. I'll attach new gaskets to various components (incl. intake) and will check that ports match up. Might have to shorten the water pump crossover bolt (Edelbrock's instructions) before final fit so will have a look at that too.

Thanks Wrongway - that's reassuring. Looks like we stumbled onto a little known piece of engine building tech. You have no idea how relieved I am to see yours & Andy's pics. You always imagine the cam lobes directly under the lifters, but as I said before, no lifter rotation will occur unless there is some offset. My post yesterday inexplicably disappeared, but in short it was how I got all the old gaskets off and am now repainting various removed engine bits that I didn't do properly before. Will post something later.

"It's Warp Drive Jim, but not as we know it."

So Frosty, being November is it too early for snow where you are? I must say that it is unusually cool here for this time of year - we still have a blanket on the bed which is unheard of so late in the year. I think I heard that the current El Nino means that seasonal changes occur later. I also agree with Kiwi - Light My Fire is just such a good song. Remember when they performed on the Ed Sullivan show and he told them to not sing 'higher' due to the perceived drug reference? Of course, not only did Jim sing it but accentuated it! Good times.

The cam is a Melling 068. Thankfully, Andy's & mine look to have similar variance. As I said, all the pics on the net were also similar. TwoLane sounds astonished! It just doesn't look right, but I recall fitting the cam and checking that the bearings were indeed aligned. With the cam bearings aligned and the required clearance at the rear block plug, there's no real adjustment. Once the thrust plate was in, the cam's endplay was just a few thou as it should be. I installed the timing chain and everything looked correct - including exact vertical alignment between the gears. That alone told me the cam was indeed installed correctly. You need to remember that the distributor gear has to mesh with the cam too, and it looks fine and works as it should. I suppose when you think about it, if the lifters were centred on the lobes, no amount of convex surfacing is going to make the lifters rotate. You need to have them offset to ensure rotation. What do you think? I also think that the second pic amplifies the offset. From that angle, they look waaaay off centre - I feel more comfortable looking at the top pic!

FINALLY, they sent me home! I am home for almost all of November, so no excuse to not get the GP back on the road. Brand new 19 year old Edelbrock inlet manifold (NOS) was delivered whilst I was at work. Today I unpacked it - still in it's original box! I read through all the included literature from Edelbrock and it was a glimpse into the past - no website addresses in sight. They also included a leaflet spruiking their (then) new AVS carby. We all know the AVS2 superseded that one ages ago. So today I drained the coolant, removed the water pump and prised the ancient cast iron Pontiac manifold off the engine. The Edelbrock is aluminium and feels like it weighs half of the old monster. I have removed all the bits & pieces and will clean them up and repaint as necessary. I removed the valley pan and there were my lifters. But...upon inspection I see the lifters are not aligned with the cam lobes. I had an inkling that they are supposed to be slightly offset to promote lifter turning, but mine look to be excessive. I got on the Net and looked around, and all of a sudden mine are typical of other posted pics. Have a look at mine and see what you think. I sort of recall buttoning up the camshaft and peering into the valley and noticing misalignment but I can't remember anything after that! Perhaps the old brain blocked it out and told me everything was Archie. I remember checking & double checking the thrust plate installation and I'm sure I got it right. I'll look again with fresh eyes tomorrow and will determine if I can live with it. If so, it SHOULD be a simple reinstallation of all the crap I just took apart. Can't wait to hear the exhaust rumble again - it really does sound the goods...when it runs. One extra note - goddam lifters are all over the place. Some are firm but most are squishy. I reckon I got a particularly bad batch from Melling.

That horse should take up fencing as a sport. Anyway- here's my response to your humorous pic: That's not me by the way.

All the crap from Ames turned up today (that was QUICK. Are you listening, Australia Post???) Just waiting for the new blingy intake and then I'm good to delve in and pull stuff apart. I'm gonna take my time and repaint the rocker covers, paint the water pump and tidy things up in there. I might even clear coat the new intake so I can just wipe it clean when it needs it. Will also attend to that eensy weensy coolant leak at the crossover. I used a new seal when I rebuilt everything but it still leaked. I shall break out the RTV and ensure no leaks. I recall that my heads were skimmed when they were rebuilt. I'll have to ensure the new intake sits right and that the ports align - might have to get it skimmed too. It's only money.

Nice new Johnson Hylift lifters were here when I got home AND I managed to score a secondhand unused Edelbrock Performer Pontiac intake manifold for less than half the price of a retail one, which is on it's way. Just need to remove everything, inspect the cam lobes & pushrods and then whack everything back in. Then it's off to get the dual master cylinder fitted. It's only money, right? Oh, and some goodies are coming from Ames. My money sent to the US will help pay for those 2 aircraft carriers in the Middle East! Man - that's gonna get ugly.

This is the pushrod setting clip: https://youtu.be/z7aasJTJroQ?feature=shared

A mixed bag of stuff here: First off, I YT'd setting pushrod length and sat through a very informative video talking about valvetrain geometry, the way rocker tips contact the valve stems. Really interesting - I had no idea. You need to adjust rocker height on the stud in order to optimise contact with the stem as the rocker moves through it's arc. You're all probably nodding your heads smug in the knowledge you already knew that. Want to google some fun? Look up RC V8. Yep - miniature perfectly made DOHC tiny V8s - even with a functioning blower. A bit bulky for a RC car, but fascinating all the same. Last one. I saw an ad for crate motors in a mag. Ever heard of an electric crate motor? They now exist. I know how passionate you all are about EVs - now you can ditch that smelly old V8 and bolt in an electric motor. Handy for those tree hugging outings. AND no rocker arm geometry to worry about!

I decided to man up today and started prep for intake removal, albeit gingerly. I can't afford to tear my new wound (internal stitches - if they get infected it's gonna be dramatic.) I took some pics. The good news is that all rocker studs look straight and are dead level. Tell me what you think: have a look at the valve stem tops. I don't know if those scratches & wear marks are normal. I would have thought that if rocker clearance was correct, zero lash means no tapping or hammering on the stem tops. The damaged spring retainer is from the rocker that was pushed sideways. Also, I have a lot of spongey lifters - although engine hasn't run for some time, I can push down on several pushrods and feel lots of movement. I inspected all rockers and they look pretty good if they're the original 60 year old ones. Doesn't matter because new ones are going in. Once lifters turn up I can do the install - 7 days at work first. I need to remember to carefully check all pushrods too. The minimal outlay for new better quality ones might be the go, regardless. Any suggestions?

Things that hurt my back! Getting up, sitting down, leaning into the engine bay, crawling under the car, getting out from under the car, sex...need I go on? Come on, you guys remember sex. It's what we used to do before the 'project' car made it's way into the workshop.

Thanks again TwoLane. I ended up googling it and saw that racers often change intakes depending on what their next race is. If I ever got to that point in my life, I'd be looking for a proper hobby! Like knitting scarves or basket weaving. Really? Changing intakes? Weirdoes. I already have a phenolic spacer and am in total agreeance with you. Engineers don't just add things to engines to keep themselves busy - there's always a reason. Still waiting for lifters to arrive - by camel, apparently...via Saturn. Re Bathurst racecars. Historically, Bathurst was one of many venues where cars you could buy were raced. In fact, many racers would pick up the car from the dealer, drive it to Bathurst from Sydney or Melbourne, race it and then drive it home! The old adage was "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday." Pop some decals on it, fasten your (factory) seatbelt, chuck on a helmet and drive the wheels off it. The rules have changed over the decades. The race used to comprise several classes of cars but the bogan (redneck) gorillas at the track were either Ford or Holden, and so the rules were changed so that only those 2 brands competed. With the demise of Australian car manufacture, it's now Camaros & Mustangs. Now, I haven't researched this info so if it's wrong, please feel free to correct me, but the last time I checked they used a 'control' 5 litre engine, control tyres and I think they run on E85? They are also proper racecars these days with all the mods you'd expect. Obviously, you CAN buy either car from a dealer but with their respective different engines. The race is now effectively a tool to keep the bogans happy in the faint hope that they might rush off to the dealer and buy themselves a new car.

Thank you JustA: surgery went fine and those are great ideas re anti theft. I shall certainly do one and will look into the other once I can contort myself again. Last Indian (I think) offered a helpful suggestion a long time ago: route the negative coil wire through the firewall to a hidden switch and then back to the distributor. Even if they hotwire the coil, the car won't start whilst the switch has interrupted the circuit. I THINK I read something years ago about how rife carjacking was in Johannesburg. Now this is only anecdotal but I think I recall someone managed to electrify the exterior of their BMW with lotsa volts. Anyone who attempted to enter the car whilst you were stopped at a red light or something either got a jolt or got fried. I like the sound of that - great entertainment whilst you're tooling about late at night. While I'm here, I have another technical question: I keep reading about people 'removing' the Pontiac intake coolant crossover. What's that all about?

Oh, I might tune in at some point. I have been to Bathurst to see the race twice and it was a lot of fun. To be honest, I enjoy the technical side of racing where they show what failed mechanically or when they have cameras in weird locations, like somewhere under the car and you can watch the brake discs glow red in a jiffy. As for the actual racing, not really my thing. Only about 10 years ago I would set myself up on the couch, snacks & drinks at hand and settle in for the day, but that was then. In fact, now that you have broached the subject, I will have a look tomorrow. I can't do much at the moment.

I did NOT expect such similar comments: it seems theft is on the rise. JustA, you say he was out the next day??? How does that happen? And as you know I've been to Kiwi's place and I would never have thought any sort of crime would happen out there. A sad indictment of our modern times. Up to about 6 months ago, we never locked our doors - a decision I reversed because I knew we were relying on good luck. It'd be refreshing to see a government official stand up and announce a tough stance on crime, but everyone's too terrified of losing votes and/or popularity by being branded a Nazi, a racist, a homophobe, blah blah blah. Our local 'correctional facility' is like a resort, where the crims can relax and eat properly and sleep in a nice bed until they are ready to be released to cause more havoc. Chain gangs, cleaning up graffiti, picking up litter or just breaking rocks. THAT'S how you scare 'em off. I'd love to say something Pontiac related but I got nothing. Once my wound heals a bit more I will throw myself into the engine dismantle. I found a secondhand Edelbrock dual plane intake to suit my car. I might talk to the seller today. Rocky Rotella says that any performance gains are minimal (I've fitted one to a previous ride and the difference was immense) since I keep the rpm pretty low but it's a nice piece of bling. That reminds me of a question: someone posted some time ago of a small coolant leak where the intake meets the water pump. Mine has the same issue. I'm damned if I can remember what the fix is. Any ideas? I do recall that my original intake had suffered some internal corrosion over the years but I deemed it serviceable after cleaning it up as best I could. The evidence of a leak is a tiny puddle sitting on the valley pan, just below the top radiator hose.

Thanks Wrong (Right) Way! Just got word that a car was stolen a coupla nights ago just down the road and someone at the local tavern was threatened with a knife. Great. This is the sort of area where this shit simply doesn't happen. I have taken all the precautions I can at short notice and let me say if they enter this property uninvited, they'd better be bulletproof. Another sleepless night comin' up, armed to the teeth, eyes red with coffee OD...All the cars are either modern enough to have factory immobilisers or I have disconnected the battery with a removeable isolator. These idiots are only opportunistic dickheads, not professionals. The pros wouldn't touch my motley collection of crap anyway. Here we go, into the breech..

You were very lucky, JustA. In Australia, the cops are so hungry for glory they would have impounded the car on the spot. You would have been fined thousands and been made to feel like a criminal. Speaking of criminals, they're the ones with the rights and are breaking into houses whilst you are pulled over for some misdemeanour. This is the unfortunate truth. Still a great country, but the standards are eroding at a rate of knots.

As I said before, a melanoma can grow anywhere - even internally. I used to work with someone and I found out that he died from one - he had no idea he even had one. Yeah - it's a bugger of a spot on the side of my foot. Oh well, it's gotta be done. I keep looking at the car and am trying to summon the enthusiasm to start dismantling the top of the engine. Still waiting for inspiration...

This is an announcement for the benefit of all FP members: Get a skin check either every 6 or 12 months. Men (myself included) are notorious for avoiding medical procedures. A spot detected early is a simple procedure. If it's the nasty kind of cancer that has tentacles, you're in for complex involved surgery along with the requisite amount of post op pain. Just go and get checked. I just got home from my surgery. He only had to take ONE out - turns out the rest can be treated with a topical medicine that I might be able to pick up tomorrow, with the exception of one on the side of my foot. He warned me it's a difficult location (skin is too tight down there to pull back together to close the wound and apparently a skin graft in that location will die due to the endless activity your feet endure.) I have been warned of a slow, painful recovery of at least 4 weeks for that one. That's a job for next year - his decision, not mine. Anyway, it was painless and not unpleasant. Believe me when I say this: get checked!!! Another obvious benefit is that beer o'clock can be as early as you like. Why have a Tequila Sunrise when you can have tequila AT sunrise. Cheers!

I'll answer this in my GP thread. This is the funny section and what I'm going to tell you ain't funny!

You're not a redneck? This isn't the site for you then.

I reckon that looks superb BUT the bed is too short. I understand that they kept the original proportions in order not to cut the chassis and lengthen the prop shaft and so on, but it just doesn't look factory with that very short bed. Apart from that - it's a beauty. I once got close & personal to a 59 El Camino - the ones with the fins and the teardrop taillights. Now THAT had the right proportions. This one is so close, but not the real deal. Come on, Kiwi. What else are you gonna do with your free time?

No - I'm due back next Tuesday. I seem to heal quite quickly, so fingers crossed. I've just come home from 3 weeks on and I feel doughy. I can only hope I remain doughy whilst on the slab!