Nice! The extra little bit of storage space I'm sure will come in handy.
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Nice! The extra little bit of storage space I'm sure will come in handy.
.
After I got the roll hoops done, I had to stop and build a tool for the next part of this job. Actually, it was an attachment for my bead roller. I’ve heard this thing called both a third axis and a third axle, take your pick. To me, being an old machinist, I would call it a third axis.
https://i.imgur.com/BHgQEyK.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/qobshVJ.jpg
It has many uses, but is commonly used to roll circular beads. I didn’t want it for that (at this time that is). I wanted it support folded sections for some more complex edge beading I had planned. I hope the pictures I post in the next few sections will explain it.
I also had to develop a technique to make a hemmed edge on sheet metal. The hem performs the same function on metal that it does in sewing. It creates a double thickness area for added strength with a smooth edge that won’t cut you. Well, maybe fabric won’t cut, but it will unravel.:LOL:
In principle, a hem is simple. You just fold a strip of the parent metal back on itself. In practice, it’s a little more difficult. The fold has to be crisp or it will look bad and you don’t want a lot of hammer marks, so just hammering the edge over doesn’t work well. It will work, but needs lot of planishing to smooth out.
My brake will only bend to slightly over 45*, but that was a good start. I paired up some mismatched bead roller tools to finish the job. I just hammered a short section mostly flat and then used the bead roller to finish the hem. I used the 3rd axis roller to help keep the metal against the guide.
https://i.imgur.com/B5iqf9e.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qOf4b1u.jpg
This technique actually worked too good. I found out that I could flatten the hem so tight, that it would stretch the rolled edge. This would throw an edgewise bow into the part. One of the first parts I made had this happen. It wasn’t bad enough to kill the part, but I backed off the amount of flattening after that.
https://i.imgur.com/Ak3R8LD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5tbYbE8.jpg
Next on the list was the dashboard. The original Healeys had the traditional wood dash and the Sebring more or less duplicated that look. I kind of liked that look and pursued that line of thought for quite some time. Unfortunately, wood comes with problems. My plan is to drive this car a lot and was concerned about keeping wood looking nice. Having a mahogany front door on my house that needs constant maintenance was my main indicator. I have never found a protective coating that will hold up in the sun. Even marine polyurethane.
I also looked very seriously at faux wood done through the hydro-dipping process. This was very promising, since there are wood patterns available that are virtually indistinguishable from real high end burl wood. They also offered the durability of automotive paints, since they are generally protected with automotive clears. However, in the end I decided to go with something very different.
I consider metal to be my main medium and wanted to do something a little different for a typical Healey in that direction. I have a lot of aircraft type rivet work on this car and wanted to tie that in somehow to the trim work. I chose to do an aluminum sheet metal dash and console with a padded marine vinyl covering. Yes, that makes it very similar to a Cobra, but that dash treatment was common to other British cars, too. Most people are just used to seeing it on Cobras. I know, from experience with my T-bucket, that the marine vinyl will hold up well in the sun and rain (that’s what it was made for after all), so durability is not an issue. I also felt that I could pull off that little bit of upholstery myself without having to search out a trimmer. They are few and far between in my area. The console will carry the same general theme as the dashboard. I also want to do some decorative metal trimmed door cards, but that can wait for a little while longer. That is a good project for after the car is actually drivable. After I made the decision on the vinyl, I went ahead and ordered several yards of black vinyl and some 1/8” closed cell foam sheet.
Figuring out the basic gauge layout and overall shape of the dash took a little thinking and playing around with plywood and cardboard patterns. There is a lot going on on this dash and I wanted to make sure that all the gauges were visible.
https://i.imgur.com/ceVrsri.jpg
I finally settled on the pattern on the top. The rounded corners make it a little easier to get in and out of the car. I need all the help I can get on that front.
https://i.imgur.com/YwrVm2H.jpg
Once I had the basic shape, it was time to start cutting metal. I made the whole dash out of .050 aluminum. I would have preferred .060, but the thinner material was all I had on hand. The instruments I’m using are 2 5/8” and 4” diameter. I decided to do the opening on the mill. The CNC controller makes it simple to mill any size hole you want. Just tell it where and how large you want the hole and it does all the hard work. No hole saw required. I clamped the dash down on a sacrificial block of wood and just milled into it. Oh, lest ya’ll think I don’t make mistakes, I had to redo almost all the holes. Dummy me, I forgot to allow enough for the vinyl to wrap through the opening. Doh!!!
https://i.imgur.com/cp9Sp4g.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ALWe5hF.jpg
This is the finished base. The tubing across the top is 1”. I cut the top part off to form a deep channel. This sets the dash 1” deeper that it was in the stock Sebring. Because the original dash was a thick plank of wood, my setup doesn’t really take up much more space. The deeper dash gets the everything farther away from the steering wheel and gives me a little more sunshade for the instruments.
https://i.imgur.com/19ixAgV.jpg
Here it is in the car. The “Oh Sh##!!” handle is a stainless steel marine part. It fastens to a heavy duty bracket behind the dash.
https://i.imgur.com/rWOIsqy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fqgcqvx.jpg
I also made a couple of end caps.
https://i.imgur.com/IhaGJUt.jpg?1
I almost forgot one detail. In this picture, you can see the part that stiffens the lower edge of the dash. This part also got a hemmed edge. You can also see brace I added to firm up the dash.
https://i.imgur.com/nFe5yyg.jpg
Wow Mike looks awesome. I like the way you laid out the gauges too!
Thanks Steve!
I wanted to include a glove box in the dash, too. Shoot, I might want to get a pair of those fancy leather driving gloves and I’ll need someplace to stash them when I’m not driving! Imagine that, actually putting gloves in a glove box!
I whittled the box door from ¼” 6061 aluminum. The latch is a VW Beetle part and the hinge is a section of aluminum strap hinge. I had to machine a pocket in the edge of the door to get clearance for the hinge and fold the hinge on itself to get the door to lay flat. I still have a little finishing work to do on it. I think it would look much better with rounded edges. I'll get around to that eventually.
https://i.imgur.com/N0CpRwG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QjyTjVQ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lmQXR1t.jpg
The box was made from .030 aluminum and pop riveted together. It’s pretty fragile with no support and I have had to put it up high out of the way to keep it safe. Once it’s installed, it should be good.
https://i.imgur.com/JkhItpx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nu39GtH.jpg
Here is the door installed on the dash.
https://i.imgur.com/3mXvWDC.jpg
I have a few teaser shots of the dash in the process of being finished. I still have a ways to go, but they will definitely show the look I’m going after.
This is the dashboard after covering and riveting. Sorry, but I don’t have any construction shots of the covering process. The end caps will eventually tie into the lower trim strip and carry the theme up around the ends. Since the vinyl is covered on the edges by riveted parts top and bottom, I shouldn’t have to worry about the covering separating.
https://i.imgur.com/gNiHNTa.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NLsMhIc.jpg
The instruments are Speed Hut brand. All the gauges are stepper motor units and they all (except for the voltmeter) have programmable warning lights. The backlighting on these gauges is great. Some kind of plasma discharge. It gives the impression that the numbers are floating on a black background. They are very shallow too and, while the dials are 2 5/8”, the bodies are 2 1/16”, so they are easier to fit.
https://i.imgur.com/vmeWzju.jpg
The speedometer is a GPS unit so no connection to the trans is required. It will be nice not to have to drive around with a hand help GPS unit trying to calibrate the speedo. This speedo also has some kind or performance computer built in. I think it will do 0-60 and ¼ mile times. Not sure what else it will do. It only goes to 140, but that will be more than enough. The math says this car should be able to “bury” that, as they used to say, but I’ll never see it. Might see most of that, though!
The fuel gauge is built into the speedo. That has a programable low warning light. Getting it in the speedo was an option and I felt I would be better served with a nice large oil temp gauge in the main part of the dash.
https://i.imgur.com/eOH7QwJ.jpg
The tach has a lot of race type functions. Including programable shift and memory functions. Both the speedo and tach are 4” faces.
https://i.imgur.com/ij08HQB.jpg
The switches took a lot of thought and searching to get something I liked. I originally wanted something like a traditional Lucas style British switch. They have a very unique, classy look that blends perfectly into a British sports car cockpit. Lucas electrical parts scare me due to the known reliability issues and now most of them are made in China. So you have a crappy design made in a country known for “I don’t give a crap about quality” attitude. Also, Lucas switch circuitry is just plain weird. The contact arrangements are crazy IMO, so I wanted to use a more common US sourced toggle switch.
The trouble with that was common toggle switches look very plain and the ones that look good aren’t available in many contact arrangements. My solution was to source some decorative nuts and nut covers from the 18 wheeler world. I knew from experience that big trucks use a lot of toggle switches and some of the trucks are quite fancy inside. The handle covers were made by me, since everything I found from big trucks were either too long or pretty gaudy (like glitter or pistol ammo cases). I made mine from some semi hard plastic chosen because it can withstand UV from the sun.
The switch tags are from a company called Carolina Laser. They are 1 ¼” in diameter. I found CL to be very easy to deal with and fast to ship. Their standard tag has a ½” hole, but they will supply custom hole sizes on request.
The switch protective hoops are an aircraft thing that I sourced from EBAY. They are stainless steel, but I found them in polished aluminum and black anodized.
https://i.imgur.com/MxpmPVm.jpg
The last detail to show is the filler piece that goes under the steering column. This was a tricky little part to get right.
https://i.imgur.com/wYGotAL.jpg
Wow! Lets hit the road! Be fun to watch those gauges rev!
Great work on the dash!
Thanks Roger!
Steve, I can't wait either. I've always been a sucker for gauges with a 270* sweep.
The console was up next. I started by adding some steel risers to the trans tunnel and under the shifter boot.
This one is at the front of the tunnel and I cut some clearance under it for wiring. There is one at the rear also that I don’t have a clear picture of.
https://i.imgur.com/vKDVQ0s.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uBO22w8.jpg
The top of the console is made from 1/8” thick aluminum plate. I knew that things may inadvertently be dropped on it and wanted something thicker to resist damage. You can see the hole I cut for the drink holder. I also had to cut in around the arm rest base. Filler plates for that will come later.
https://i.imgur.com/DTb71Cl.jpg
I needed to add some plates to the edges to stiffen the top plate. Even though it’s 1/8” material, it still isn’t stiff enough to resist bending. These parts are the real reason I wanted the 3rd axis for the bead roller. I wanted to attempt to do a deep bead right on the bend of the edge plates.
I started on these by doing a hem on a couple of strips and brending them into a ninety. It took several passes with different combinations of tooling to make and refine the beads, but I eventually got it completed. I think the beads give an otherwise simple part a little character. The pictures should explain the use of the 3rd axis better than I could with a long post. Without the extra roller to control and guide the part, it would have been very hard to get a nice consistent bead so close to the bent edge.
https://i.imgur.com/KwKCNRF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2ThkknL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BRuYPOV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eNY9irp.jpg
Then I stretched the inner lip until the parts fit the shape of the top plate.
https://i.imgur.com/StwZ3ze.jpg
I had to make the filler plates for the arm rest. This included a base plate for the top of the trans tunnel. This got a welded on stand off to hold the top plate. The other parts fitted around the base as close as I could get them. I will most likely have to use a small amount of silicone to fill what gaps are left. The split in the edge parts will be mostly unseen between the seats. My intent is to cover the trans tunnel with marine carpet. The edges of the console will fit over the carpet.
https://i.imgur.com/BcnAUkQ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4sHWOsJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6v0eqpA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/K6yykpd.jpg
I also made this simple box to fill the gap between the dashboard and the console. This will give a place to route and hide wiring. It is also where I will put any extra switches, some USB charge ports and regular lighter type power sockets.
https://i.imgur.com/A8LEBV8.jpg
Here is the more or less completed console. I slipped a swatch of vinyl under the edge parts to show what the finished console will look like. The edges will be left with a plain brushed finish and protected with Shark Hide metal protectant. I still want to make an aluminum trim plate for the shifter boot.
https://i.imgur.com/RNxCe04.jpg
You've been getting some stuff done! Looking good
Great metal work !
I hope everyone is having a great holiday and thanks for the compliments.
V8, I'm actually sifting through old and new pictures while I'm recuperating from some more heart work. I'm trying to get everybody caught up on where the car is now. Some of these pictures I'm posting are older and some are recent. BTW - I'll be able to get back on the car next week. The heeling seems to be going well.
After the console, I moved on to the rear package tray and storage area. I started by building a simple tubing support for the center and bending some small brackets to support the ends. My first thought was to make these as one long part, but it was much easier to fit them to the curves by making each end in three pieces. The center support is heavy duty enough to allow some loading of the package tray, if needed.
https://i.imgur.com/H39JuYN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/y85DsOb.jpg
A pattern for the deck itself was next. I make a lot of patterns out of Luan plywood, especially if I’m trying to bridge a gap, since it doesn’t sag.
https://i.imgur.com/osbyo1O.jpg
I made the deck in two parts. I didn’t have to, but it was easier. All of the panels in this area will eventually be covered with marine carpet, so none of the seams will be visible anyhow. The front section is angled to lay on the roll hoop supports. The front edge has a small hemmed lip added for stiffening.
https://i.imgur.com/IjipTs5.jpg
With the top pieces on, I was left with a nice size, hidden storage compartment. My radio and amps will eventually be mounted vertically on the rear wall. That way they won’t take up a lot of space. I will also cut out a plywood floor for this area to rest on the lower tubing frame. The area under that floor (between the top of the tubes and original fiberglass floor) can be used for small spares that I might want to carry when traveling. Things like fuses, relays and a tire plugging kit. I’m leaning toward mounting the small air compressor for the air suspension on the back wall of this area, too. That will make it easier to service than if it was under the car and protect it from road grime.
https://i.imgur.com/vgdws0a.jpg
I needed a door for this area and that was mounted with a long aluminum piano hinge. The latches are some push button parts that a vender was selling at a car show. The only downside to the front mounted door is that both seats have to be leaned forward to access the storage area. The door was also a convenient place to mount a pair of marine speakers. I ripped this idea off of the Viper. It had a subwoofer mounted between the seats. Should be easy to hear them mounted there. I may mount a smallish marine sub in the center of the package tray. I haven’t made my mind up on that one yet. It depends on how the basic system sounds.
https://i.imgur.com/DVVJEMn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GTYQPCT.jpg
Mostly, what I see going in this storage compartment are jackets, shaving kits and maybe my C-Pap machine (can’t leave home without that). You can also see the chromed roll hoops in these pictures. Locating and cutting the holes for the center roll hoop braces was a pain. I wanted the fit to be close so that filling the gap would be easier.
https://i.imgur.com/p0bkupU.jpg
Nice work. Looks solid and strong!
Nice work as usual and I hope your heart is healing well.
Some really nice work! Here's hoping you never have to try out the hoops!
I’m still trying to get everybody caught up on this project (seems the work goes much faster than the posting). We’re almost there, but I’m still finding stuff that I haven’t posted. Some of these things will be short and may be random, with old and new pictures, but I’m checking things off my ever shortening to do list.
First a quick health update. I am just about fully recovered from the last procedure on my heart and have really started to feel the benefits of the work. I guess I really didn’t realize how bad I was until things got fixed, since these health issues happened slowly and I got used to them over time. I am feeling like 10 years have been rolled off my clock and I actually seem to getting things done now. I’m spending 10-12 hour days in the shop now, sometimes stopping only to eat. Before, if I got 4 or 5 done, it was a good day. I’m seeing now that my heart issue was some of the reason that this project has dragged out for so long. Oh well, enough of that. Let’s talk about the car!
I’ll kick this round of updates off with something quick.
I got the driveshaft and driveshaft hoop installed. I also had to replace the new transmission seal. Somehow the one that was installed by the rebuilder managed to get torn.
https://i.imgur.com/lel3NAL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/w76hqLQ.jpg
FWIW – I ordered a new aluminum third member for the 9”. Even though I built the one that is in the car now and have built others, they only charged $150 to assemble it. No brainer for me. I can keep working on the car. Delivery is expected in about 6 weeks. It will be set up with a 31 spline TruTrac Diff and 3.70 gears. Took me a while to decide what ratio I wanted, but I knew the gears in the current diff were not in the best condition and would have to replaced soon after I started driving the car. I figured I might as well take care of that now and break everything in at the same time. The current chunk will eventually find a home in my 46 coupe, so no money wasted, just a little time to swap it out.
I wanted to do something a little different, for me at least, in the engine dress-up department. Normally, I would go with some shiny aluminum or chrome parts, but I decided to go with a black wrinkle finish instead. Besides, the Speedway Motors air cleaner was such a poor casting that even though it was polished, it didn’t really look that good. Of course, if you go with black wrinkle, you just gotta show the tops of the fins in raw aluminum.
The actual valve covers I’m using function as adapters that allow you to use regular First Gen SBC valve covers to hide the LS coils. Mine are from Holley, but I have since found some other parts on EBAY and Summit racing that look just like the Holley parts, without the name and much cheaper. I thought about relocating the coils, but decided that keeping them on the valve covers would make them much easier to service if needed. Stuff is very tight in this car and I didn’t relish the idea of trying to reach a hidden coil in a parts store parking lot 500 miles from home.
The SBC covers I’m using are an old set of Cal Custom finned covers. These are the early ones with the tall heavy fins. The fins on these covers more closely matched the fins on the air cleaner. I’ve had these things for at least 25 years. I originally got them to use on my 46 coupe and could never stop them from leaking, no matter what gasket or sealer that I used. The castings are porous and not very high quality, but then again, none of the Cal Custom stuff I remember from “back in the day (when it was new)” was very high quality. There’s no denying though, that most of their stuff has become an iconic look for hot rods and muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s.
I decided that I was never going to use this set on a SBC again and hung them on the wall for garage art, where they have been ever since I took them off the car. The large windows I cut in the sides are for air circulation and will eventually get some stainless screens. The hold downs are Billet Specialties parts. I needed something long since the bottom fasteners are hard to get to. I know someone out there is shaking their head and wishing bad things on me for “ruining” a valuable old set of CC covers, but believe me, these were no prize. They were only good for wall hangers. At least this way, they get to hit the road again. This time with no leaks, hopefully!
Before I took them to powder coat, I draw filed the tops of the fins to level them up. The powder coater had already told me that he could brush off the fins before he baked the finish on. To make this easier for him and to make the parts look better, I evened out the all the tops. After that, I had to go in and narrow a few of them up, just to keep things consistent.
The draw filing was a simple, but slow process. Just turn a long file sideways across the fins and use the file like a draw knife. The file will only cut on the high fins. Eventually, they will all show file marks and you’re done.
https://i.imgur.com/z6PmeZG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/e6ql731.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nqInnHd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HHdsb0j.jpg
This is the how everything looks after powder coat and on the engine. There’s a lot more going on in this picture than just valve covers. I’ll get to more of it shortly.
https://i.imgur.com/2AwePHR.jpg
you're right, there is a lot going on in that pic! But I'm more than glad to say, we're very happy you're feeling so much better!!
Thanks 34. It feels good to apparently be back up to speed. I seem to be plowing through my to do list, although it does have "new" things that I had forgotten added to it occasionally. The last BIG job is wiring the whole car and starting the engine for the first time. Hope to have the body back on soon after and then off to paint! End of April, first part of May? No promises, but fingers are crossed!
The engine detailing looks great, all business with lots of eye candy, very well done!
The engine looks really nice. Looking forward to the start up.
“……none of the Cal Custom stuff I remember from “back in the day (when it was new)” was very high quality. There’s no denying though, that most of their stuff has become an iconic look for hot rods and muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s. ……I know someone out there is shaking their head and wishing bad things on me for “ruining” a valuable old set of CC covers, but believe me, these were no prize. They were only good for wall hangers…….”
I think it looks great Mike and I can’t help but admire your ingenuity and attention to detail. Kids in my grandsons’ generation are likely good with seeing the coil packs, EFI and cold air air cleaners with the cone shaped filters etc. It’s what their used to seeing and seeing make power. That’s OK that’s their generation, ours has its own view of what a hot rod should look like.
Believe it or not I’ve taken crap for my electronic conversions on the old cast iron MOPAR distributors. You know the distributor that sits at the back of the engine that you don’t see. For some reason they think I should have 5 old distributors sitting on the shelf in the back shed rather than drill a screw hole and cut a slot in them and actually use them.
If I really want to see their nose tweaked out of joint I tell them about the first conversion I did (at the customers’ request) on a dual point tach drive distributor in a 1960 300F convertible. I tell them the owner actually wanted to drive the car.
Anyway great work.
.
Thanks Dave. I was hoping for that result. Should look even better when the body is back on and the engine compartment frames everything more. It will definitely be an engine bay full!
Ain't it the truth! Nostalgia is great, to a point. I dealt with enough points ignitions when I was younger. You know, where you stop at the store and come out to find the points managed to weld themselves together (GM Uni-Points seemed be the worst). I carried spare sets in my daily drivers for just such an occasion. I had no issues with swapping to electronic and would cut an old distributor up in a heart beat to convert it, if that was what it took to convert one.
Hey, if you're a true hot rodder, that's what you do, cut stuff up and make it better! That's what hot rodders have always done!
Thanks for the compliment, too. Glad folks are liking this.
Next is the PCV system.
I had originally intended to use an LS6 valley cover that had the PCV built in. GM moved the PCV suction line from the valve cover to the valley cover. This was their solution to the original LS1’s tendency to pull oil over from the valve cover into the intake. However, the Holley intake wouldn’t fit over the LS6 valley cover. The cover had raised bosses on it where the plastic PCV passage was riveted on and they were too tall to fit under the intake.
I mulled over what to do about this until I decided that instead of reinventing the wheel, I would just do something similar to what GM did, except make it fit where I needed it.
I fabbed a baffled air intake out of square tubing that I bolted more to the center of the valley cover where there are no windows in the block to the cam galley. I piped that to another square tubing manifold located at the front on the cover where I had room for the connection.
I machined the original LS1 valley cover for a steel -10 bulkhead fitting that I welded to the front breather manifold. This connects through a -10 hose to a Mighty Mouse brand catch can/breather.
https://i.imgur.com/edDGpFv.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/Jkbs17F.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wg5gtCe.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OT231xu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/S6vD6Wl.jpg
The breather has a one-way valve under it that seals under vacuum. When the crankcase pressure rises, the valve lifts and lets crankcase pressure out through the filter on top. In normal cruising, a regular screw in PCV valve is fitted into the side of the can and is plumbed back to the base of the rear throttle body for a fairly central location on the intake. The can functions as an air/oil separator and has a remote drain hose on the bottom along with a sight glass on the side to check oil level.
Normally, I would never have bought such an expensive catch can, but this one came up for sale on another forum for about half of what it normally sells for. I have to say that it is well made out of machined aluminum and MM has replacement parts available for it, should I ever need any.
I solved another problem while modifying the valley cover. The black -10 bulkhead that is capped is the oil fill. The valve covers I’m using do not have a way to add oil without pulling the coil covers, so I came up with this. I plan to make an adapter with a funnel to screw on when I need to add oil.
While we are on the subject of adding oil, I also needed a dipstick to check the oil. Sounds like it should be a dead nuts simple thing, but Burt Munro’s “Gods of Speed” said “Not so fast, we’re going to make you work for it”.
I tried a Lokar flexible dipstick and it was no good. The flex housing is just PTFE (Teflon) lined braided hose and was way too close to the exhaust manifold for my liking (actually touching).
I made one up out of a stock GM part, but after the coil cover went on, it was too short to reach once the body was on.
I finally found a part at the Emerald Coast Cruizin that looked like it would (or could be made to) work. It had the flexible cable type dipstick like the Lokar, but it was in a chrome steel housing. The cable looked like it could be shortened easily, if needed, since it was held into the handle with a simple set screw. I had to reform the tube by carefully straightening a few curves and adding a couple more, but eventually I did wind up with a usable part. I didn’t get a picture of it before I started, but, trust me, it doesn’t look much like it did when I bought it.
https://i.imgur.com/zeB0rLL.jpg
I also had to fab up a spacer to get the dipstick tube out far enough to clear the coil cover.
https://i.imgur.com/FiqrPkj.jpg
All in all, the whole thing turned out better than I thought it would.
https://i.imgur.com/iX0KYLB.jpg
I got the intake manifold installed for the final time. Man, LS intakes go on easy! Nothing like a Gen 1 small block, but what I really wanted to discuss was the 2X4 EFI.
I have another thread that I started way back in 2018 (can’t believe it’s been that long) talking about this setup and discussing how to implement it. As a refresher, this setup has a flow potential of 2000 cfm, which is a crazy amount for a naturally aspirated 350 cubic inch engine. MikeP and Driver50X made suggestions on the old thread about limiting the airflow through various means. Mike suggested restrictor plates and Driver50X talked about a linkage based solution.
I did build some restrictor plates that, in theory, limited airflow to less than 1000 CFM. After installing them, I realized that they were going to be very, very difficult to remove when the engine was in the car and I figured they might have to come out several times to get the setup right.
I had already built a linkage setup that allowed me to control how fast the linkage responded to the pedal.
Taking Driver50X’s suggestion further, I built an adjustable throttle stop that I added to the rear throttle body (the throttle bodies open simultaneously). My thinking here is that I can keep all 8 throttle bores in play to keep air distribution in the manifold as even as possible, but limit total opening to wherever I need. This lowered the throttle bodies by a little over 3/8”, which was the thickness of the restrictor plates and gaskets. Under the hood of this car, every little bit helps.
I can log engine vacuum (manifold pressure actually if you want to split hairs) with the ECU using the MAP sensor as well as being able to log throttle position through the TPI sensor. My theory is that once you reach the maximum airflow the engine can use, there will be no further pressure increase in the manifold. In other words, say vacuum drops to 2 inches at ¾ (arbitrary number) throttle opening and going further open doesn’t drop it any more. I would conclude that ¾ open is all that this engine can use. I don’t think an NA engine would ever achieve 0 inches without ram air or a very well tuned, straight line intake system (individual throttle bodies). The turns and twists that the air has to make in a typical intake will create enough restriction to see that the vacuum can never drop to 0 inches.
I can restrict the throttle position to ¾ (in that scenario) and reset the TPI to read max at that wide open setting. I’m definitely open to discussion on this, so fire away if you agree or disagree about my thinking. I can’t think of any other measurable way to determine max flow without a dyno or drag strip time slips.
I can also retune the throttle linkage to make the maximum available travel approximately ¾ also. This would maximize the leverage at the pedal and make the whole thing easier to operate and less tiring on your foot. With 4 springs on the throttle blades (which Holley says should not be counted on as return springs) and a regular return spring on the linkage, you will never be able to claim that you “accidently” got into the secondaries. Unless you have legs like the Hulk!
My guess is that it won’t make it to ¾ open before maxing out. Maybe ½ or a little more? It’ll be fun to see.
This is the throttle stop. I made it from a large well used rod end that was low friction and easy to pivot. A heavy machined aluminum bracket bridges the gap between the two throttle bodies to support the rod end. The shaft has a ¼” rod end that bolts to the throttle body arm and slides through a steel bushing in the rod end. It is stopped by a small hitch pin. The rod is threaded enough for the small rod end that I can make very fine adjustments to the total travel.
https://i.imgur.com/OAuFm7g.jpg
Here are a few shots of the throttle linkage. I think I’ve posted these before, but since we’re discussing this, I thought I would put them up again.
https://i.imgur.com/DSsTrkR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/t3zNKbV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JzPjC1e.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bLnFoMD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EazPLM7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/U6P0yBn.jpg
There is another benefit to the throttle stop. I am going to have to teach my wife how to drive this car in case I have a medical emergency or if we’re just on a long road trip and I want a break. She has driven a standard, but it was just an old farm truck in her daddy’s fields. With the throttle stop, I can limit power output dramatically if needed. She would never even think about using this engine to it’s max potential, nor would she even want it available. She is very intimidated by all of my toys and, so far, will not drive any of them, although she does love riding in them. With this one, I have went to a lot of trouble to make it more user friendly for her and I think she realizes that she needs to learn, but I would never let her operate it at full power. I don’t think that would end well. For the same reason that I would not recommend a new motorcycle rider should start out on crotch rocket.
FWIW – The linkage that connects the TB’s gave me fits. I just couldn’t seem to get them to open at the same time. The front secondaries would always be leading the rear and the rear secondaries wouldn’t open all the way. This problem cost me a lot of time. There was much cussing and fussing. That didn’t help the linkage at all but made me feel a whole lot better! Then, I noticed that there was a very slight bend in the rear TB lever. It was barely noticeable, but definitely there. I straightened that, readjusted the connecting link and, like magic, the two TB’s were in perfect sinc. Hard to believe that tiny misalignment caused all that drama!
I also changed out the speed sensor on the transmission tailhousing. The stock one is a two wire sensor that produces a frequency output. I want to have speed input to the Holley computer and it will only read a pulsed output, like you get from a Hall Effect sensor.
I’m using a GPS speedometer, but I wanted to have some speed based controls in the ECU for things like reverse lockout (it’s electric on the T56). The only way to get that was to enable speed measuring in the Holley ECU. I will also be using this pulsed signal to drive the Rostra cruise control.
I found a couple of DIY hall effect conversions that I could have machined, but this one was readily available already made up. It bolted right in. It’s nice sometimes not to have to engineer a solution to every single little problem and it’s also nice when things fit like they are supposed to.
Having speed available in the ECU also means I have a backup speed indication if the GPS unit fails. I can call up a pseudo speedometer on my laptop and use that.
This is a shot of the original speed sensor with the new one.
https://i.imgur.com/wYpdp7M.jpg
And this the new one in the transmission.
https://i.imgur.com/G8TwC6F.jpg
I will have to add a shielded 3-wire cable to the wiring harness. Apparently, hall effect sensors are subject to electro-magnetic interference. I know that Holley shielded the cam and crank sensor cables.
Should be a pretty cool setup when done
And now, something completely different.
As I have gotten older I have started having issues with my back and it gives me extra trouble from time to time. I’ve had to make some changes to make it easier to deal with those times and this low slung car.
The post that the door hinges attach to is positioned on a rearward facing slope that matches the slope on the door shut line. This means that gravity is working very hard to close the doors when they are unlatched. This is because the sloping hinges force the doors to swing up when they are open and gravity wants to pull them back down. I struggle sometimes to exit the car, if I’m having trouble with my back, since the door is constantly trying to close and I need both hands to haul my fat carcass out.
There are probably numerous ways to fix this, but this is my solution. I added a gas cylinder to the door hinges. This wasn’t difficult since the new firewall is substantial enough to take the load. I fabbed a simple lever that bolts to the hinge and added a bracket to the firewall. I used industrial cylinders that provide 30 lbs. of force. They are available in range of outputs and I may have to go up or down to get the action I want. I want something to just assist with opening and to hold the door open, not fling it open like a catapult. You can see that the cylinder lays fairly flat against the kick panel and out of the way when the door is closed. The outward angle of the cylinder actually helps keep the door closed. You have to cam it over slightly to start the opening process. I did have to weld a stop on the hinges, since I didn’t want the fender to be the stop for the door.
https://i.imgur.com/tjv4a0E.jpg?3
https://i.imgur.com/Kny6SuN.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/z77bzSM.jpg?1
".....not fling it open like a catapult......."
Come on Mike catapults are neat :D
Sorry, just got an image in my head that won't go away :LOL:
Anyway nice work as always.
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Yeah, I guess that could be the basis for a great comedy sketch or maybe a Road Runner and Coyote cartoon!
Mail Box removal tool??? 8-) JK JK looks like it'll fit the bill just as you need it to.
I feel your pain. My 48 Pontiac silver streak was lowered into the weeds, and the doors are heavy. I have a rolled up towel to use as a lumbar support on the bench seat. It's a minor challenge to push back against the door, then step out of the way and let gravity shut it.
Nice solution. Me, I'll keep up the good fight. For now.
I'm with Mike, the catapult effect would be a real attention getter when opening the doors at some of those summer get togethers!
Ya'll might be on to something. If I make the cylinders big enough, I may just be able to hold on to the door, pop the latch and have it pull my fat butt right out!:eek::D
Ok, let’s move on to some plumbing. There is a good bit of that.
Since the radiator is lower than the engine, I needed an expansion/fill tank for the cooling system. None of the commercially available ones fit really well in this engine bay, so I made my own.
I started with two old test gas bottles. They are aluminum and originally held 500 PSI of calibration gas for an air quality monitor. I have a source for these from time to time, but this is the first time I actually had a use for them. What can I say, I'm a pack rat! :D
https://i.imgur.com/JtvcUmh.jpg
I cut them in two and welded the bases together. You can see that one of them was thinner than the other. That actually worked to my advantage since I was able to turn the thicker one down and slip it inside of the thinner one. That made welding the seam much easier, since it became a lap joint instead of a butt weld.
https://i.imgur.com/bxKT8mI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VRw249k.jpg
I had this old Mr. Gasket radiator filler neck that I picked up at a swap meet. The price said $5, but I doubt I paid that for it. I also picked up some weld in threaded bungs from Summit for the piping connections.
https://i.imgur.com/w6BbQuY.jpg
I plugged the overflow port in the filler neck and pressurized one of the side ports to check for leaks. The tank made it to about 50 PSI before the outer radiator cap gasket couldn’t hold the pressure. I figured that was good enough.
The tank sits on a simple bracket bolted to the radiator support. I Loctited in studs with a short “no thread” starter shank on the bottom of the tank since trying to start a bolt would be a real pain. The nuts are hard enough to start.
https://i.imgur.com/l57FPQc.jpg
The steam lines are -4 and run into the sides of the tank. I used the original 4-corner steam manifold that was on the LS engine when I got it. I cut the crimped on hose fitting off and use a -4 compression fitting to connect the braided line. I did have to slightly flatten the steam manifold to get it to clear the Holley intake, but it still flows just fine. There is a steam line that connects to the other side of the tank that runs to the steam port on the radiator. Don’t have a picture of that one.
https://i.imgur.com/zmBkUSY.jpg
A -10 line runs from the bottom of the tank to the inlet heater port on the water pump. Holley put 4 heater ports on this pump, two on the side and two on the bottom. I wasn’t using the bottom ports, so I plumbed this line in there. This shot is looking up from the bottom of the car.
https://i.imgur.com/WzJDP4R.jpg
I would like to add that I finally broke down and bought a set of these vice jaw inserts for AN fittings. I have never used many AN’s and in the past I just assembled them using the regular vice jaws. They always got scratched some, even with padded jaws. This car has a bunch of AN hose and I’m glad I got these. They really make the job a lot easier. These are magnetic to keep them in place when the vice is open. They may all be, but I don’t know because I’ve never even known anyone that had a set. Bought a set of aluminum AN wrenches, too.
https://i.imgur.com/n6a9hx0.jpg
You always do nice work. It's going to be a reliable driver for sure.
Thanks V8. I sure hope it's reliable. I plan on driving the wheels off it when I finally get it done!
As usual some very nice work. Looks as good or better than anything you could buy and fits like a glove.
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