Waiting for HM1103. Might as well build a motor!

[danc30]

Great job on the pics and narration.  Very fun to go through.  Looks like you are well on your way to building a great motor and car.

Keep the pictures coming.

Dan

[Rich Burroughs]

Evan, that's a great engine building thread. You make it look easy!

[Spuddyboy]

We'd be a lot further along if the UPS guy would quit interupting us.  Where are we gonna put all these damn parts anyway? The front tires showed up.  Kumho Ecsta MX 255/40-17 on the front, the rears are on backorder.

[Spuddyboy]

The heads were prepped and the ports were masked off for painting.  These are World Casting Windsor Jr Cast Iron Heads.  185 CFM with 58CC chambers.

[Spuddyboy]

Heads were painted like the block. Black POR and Aluminum topcoat. The heads came assembled, with valves and springs installed.

[Spuddyboy]

While the heads were drying, we degreed the camshaft. It is a ford racing X303.  Checked out fine.

[Spuddyboy]

Things were going SOOOOOOOOO well.  

THEN.....we tried to install the timing cover.  

There are about 300 different combinations of covers, timing sets, seals, fuel pump eccentrics and water pumps.  only one of them works. no one alive knows which one...or what bolts actually mount it.  

2 weeks later.....Timing set was changed to allow the cover to fit over the eccentric. This picture shows our first failed attempt at driving in the crank seal.  

[Spuddyboy]

Creative engine building 101......the seal was too big....put the damn seal in the freezer and warm the cover.

[Spuddyboy]

THEN.....

Evan gets frusterated!!!

[Spuddyboy]

THIS is the right seal. It installs from the outside, spring points towards the crankshaft.

[Spuddyboy]

This water pump would work great....if we could actually mount it on the front of the engine.  None of the bolt kits we tried actually were long enough to thread into the block.  

[Spuddyboy]

We ended up taking the timing cover, water pump and all the bolt kits down to Summit Racing to figure it out.  We spent and hour and a half with John at Summit, and came up with a combination that finally worked.  Here we are making sure the harmonic balancer clears.  (notice the new Flow Kooler water pump).  We ended up using bolts from 2 different ARP kits, plus 5 extra bolts.  

[Spuddyboy]

With the timing cover finally on....out came the big ass oil pan again.  making sure things are happy together before actually loctiting and silicoing everything in.

[Spuddyboy]

Sept 14

Rich Lacy delivers HM1103.

[Spuddyboy]

Every plan hits a snag.