Here is the new engine ready to go in my '71 MGB.
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This new engine is a 300 based stroker of 346 cubic inch displacement at a .030" overbore. It uses a 350 Buick crank, Carillo 6.2" rods, 10.5 Wiseco pistons, TAPerformance Rover heads, 1.9/1.6" Ti valves, beehive springs, LS style stud mount roller rockers, modded Chevy solid roller lifters and a TA roller cam with the LT "Hot" grind. The intake is fully custom with vertical runners and centered vertical dump injectors from a top plenum fed from an inverted M112 blower and will use the same Enderlie style bug catcher as the last two engines, at least until I see fit to make a new one. The block is deburred and coated inside and out with Cerrakote silver ceramic as are the outside surfaces of the other engine parts.
Here is the prepared engine bay which previously housed a variety of 215's, a Buick 340 and a 300, N/A, turboed and blown.
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The 346 stroker is the best of the lot and with luck may be the last but I kept and upgraded the 340 as a spare just in case. That may provide the insurance to prevent the need, ultimately letting me sell the 340 but time will tell. Many things change.
I will document the install but basically it is old hat by now, mainly the reverse of the last removal with a few new custom parts like a set of fuel rails and a riser for the scoop, and ordering some bits like a set of stainless ferry bolts for the headers.
The new engine will provide performance just a bit better than the 340 did but in a package that fits the MGB better. Not that it particularly matters for this car as it already has the mods required for the 340, but I did want to do a high performance 300 build and this is it. It has much better heads and stronger rods, better oil drainback and should have a higher redline.
Jim
That engine is a work of art. The custom plenum work on top of the blower is amazing. Full throttle blasts will be fun but brief.
The removal took just a day or two but going the other way is going to be at least a couple of weeks. Funny how that works. I had 3 choices on the bellhousing and after trying all three decided to use the old conventional standard push type if I can. You know the one, it had a fully mechanical linkage as used by GM. The advantage is that the clutch fork has a MUCH wider range of motion which makes the rest of it so much easier instead of having to fight to get every detail perfect so the clutch will work. One of these is the Sunfire (Starfire? Sunbird? Whatever) cable operated bell which is second best and the modded bell with the S10 clutch fork is the trickiest to set up and the least forgiving.
The mechanical bell is often used with a pull cylinder, frequently with the clutch fork shortened. I am going to attempt to use it with a push cylinder, we'll see how that works out.
I had a "You're so stupid" moment, never overlook the length of the lifting arm on your engine hoist. I had the arm all the way out and the legs pulled back and never even thought about it when I took the engine off the stand. It was fine until I had the transmission bolted up and began to lift it up again. Of course it waited to overbalance until it was a couple feet in the air and then it was like a slow motion train wreck as I watched the hoist tip up and deposit the engine back on the floor. DUH! If I'd been only a little less surprised I could have hopped up on the back of the hoist frame but no. I just stood there like a complete idiot and watched while it bashed in the bottom of my newly painted and sealed oil pan.
So that's gotta come back off. Engine's gotta go back on the stand. Lucky that's the only damage. This could be cause for major frustration and indeed for a time I was quite unsettled. The day had started poorly with a dream of a gang of 4wd trucks destroying the back yard with 2 ft deep ruts to the point where all grass was gone and it'd take days with a bulldozer (which I don't have) to even begin to fix it. How's that even happen in a day? I yelled at people, ran them all off, and was even considering the shotgun, and it'd all started as a party. Dreams, right? Fagidaboudit. The rest of the day was one step forward and two steps back until I realized later on, I'm really a very lucky guy! How many can spend their time the way I do? I've got WAY more to be thankful for than to complain about. With that thought in mind, I want to wish you all a fantastic day, I know mine will be. And as I've said before, anything worth doing is worth doing twice. Generally the second time I find ways to do it better.
Jim
The saga continues and I'm about where I was before dropping the engine except I have the mechanical bell bolted up and haven't attached the transmission yet.
So I've been looking at the slave cylinder and I'm a little concerned about clearance to the tunnel for the clutch arm. I could approach this several different ways. It's probably possible to mount and use a push cylinder. It may not be the best option though. Space will be tight and servicing won't be any easier, may in fact be more cramped. The arm could be cut and shortened by re-welding the end back on after a section is removed, a long enough rod could be used to get the mount forward of the flange, Then I'd have to order a larger master cylinder. At the existing length that would have to be 15/16", with a 1" shorter arm it would have to be 7/8", both available. The mount would be tricky, and with the headers and block drain in the same general area it would only be accessible from the bottom so no advantage there.
OTOH, I could go with a pull cylinder. To do that the arm gets cut off and a hole drilled through the top and bottom flange and maybe a bit more work for clearance for a rod end. At the other end the case has a lug that can be used. Pretty easy. I could add a strap from the lug to a case bolt if I want to reinforce it and I probably do. We used this setup (without the strap) on the MGB-Roadmaster and had zero issues with it. The only questions are how much to shorten the arm and what size master cylinder to use.
I think the RoadMaster used a 3/4" MC, the pull slave has a 7/8" bore and I think that's pretty standard. The 3/8" rod reduces the effective size of the bore to .791".
My existing slave cylinder has a 3/4" bore. I can reduce the arm length up to 2-1/4" from 7" or as short as 4-3/4" on the MC side for a ratio of 1.58:1 for a ratio increase of 1.4:1, meaning that with the .791" effective bore my MC size would need to be .739 or better which checks rather nicely with the MC size in the RM and I have a new 3/4" MC that I can easily use. So far it all looks good. I've made an assumption as to my existing MC size but think it's accurate as I decreased it recently. So I just need a couple of spherical joints which I'll have to look, might have one or two, and the pull cylinder which from Speedway costs less than a new Tilton MC. I can go ahead with the install once the arm is shortened and drilled as this can all be added from under the lift.
Good progress.
Jim
Looks like I made the right choice going to the pull cylinder and shortening the arm by 2-1/4". The spacing works out just about right.
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I put the hole as close to the vertical wall as I could get it, even cutting into the wall a bit and then sliced out clearance for the heim joint but I wasn't happy with the amount of metal left between the hole and the edge so I used the MIG welder to build that up and then the angle grinder with a flapper wheel to dress it back down flat and put a radius on it. Might not be clear in the shot but the end product looks right.
Now a word on some of the finer details of the block side mounts when used on the 300. The following photo shows the position of the driver's side mount when used with the TA heads:
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Notice the proximity to the dipstick tube and the adjacent boss on the block. Once you stack a couple washers and a 7/16" hex bolt with it's 11/16" head there is barely enough room to get a 3/8" drive socket on the head of the bolt and it may take a prybar levering the engine sideways to do it. You could make the mount a little wider but it's already getting pretty close to the wing on both sides so clearance is tight. A SHCS could be used instead of a hex bolt and that solves the problem. Also forming a screw tip on the end of the bolt makes it lead into the captive nut for easier install. The iron heads are a bit worse as that boss on the block is covered up by a boss on the heads:
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The Rover heads are the same as the TA heads and the aluminum 300 heads are sort of in between the two:
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I still think these are the best mounts, closer to perfection than anything else we have so far, but still not perfect but I think it's as close as we are going to get. If I was doing them again I'd probably space that one out a good sixteenth from the block, really more an issue of the hole location in the frame rail than the mount itself as it has some play. I didn't do it this time but if I have them out again in the future I think I will just plan on the SHCS mod. It'll make things easier.
As for forming a screw tip, the best way is on a lathe, running CCW so the tool runs off the end of the screw and running in the crossfeed by hand at the end to cut the threads into a point. It can be done in a vise with a triangular file also. A bit tedious and inaccurate but it doesn't have to be perfect. It's only purpose is to engage the threads and pull the bolt into full engagement.
Jim
Yesterday I put the new dust boot on the shifter of my Tremec 3550. This same boot is listed for all the Tremecs and T5s with the oem shift tower. The original boot has a plate that bolts down and a small rubber boot, this one is about a 3" diameter all rubber boot that stretches out to fit over the edge of the shift tower and the boot itself is considerably larger. It's probably the only replacement boot available and it seems to work well but is not easy to stretch over the tower. They provided 3 tabs to get ahold of it with but even so it has to stretch quite a lot. I also lubed the hole the shifter goes through, the step on the shaft is a small hurdle. Reasonably tight there as well. It can be done by dropping the transmission mount crossmember a couple inches but be prepared for a struggle.
While inspecting the bottom side I found a couple of issues that need attention, the brake line to the right side got crimped badly at the fitting, probably by the starter so that will need re-flared but should be salvageable without running a new line. Must be time to flush the front brake lines. Also I have the wrong filter base on my oil pump so that will need to be changed. This could have been a big problem. This particular base sits at a 45 degree angle and seems to be the most common one with the SBB engines. I have several of them. The one on my iron head 300 is at 30 degrees and works with my frame rail/big cross flow radiator mods but that one will require re-positioning of my serpentine drive belt tensioner. I really don't want to do that. Otherwise it's a good filter mount if the frame mods are done. One of those, probably the 30 degree mount is likely to be the "Metric" mount used later on in production by Buick.
Fortunately for me I also have the straight mount from one of my old 215 engines. On the original install I used the smallest diameter filter possible and positioned it between the steering rack, the frame rail, and the sway bar. Today, the frame rail angles outwards, the steering rack is lowered, and the sway bar is moved down about 3 inches so there should be plenty of room. I may need to do a small bit of trimming on the bottom edge of the accessory drive mounting plate but possibly not even that. All in all a good result. It means having to re-seal the oil pump which I dislike, but at least it's a relatively easy fix.
So I'll work on buttoning up the bottom of the car. Wiring and such of course. The pull slave has been shipped and I want to make a reinforcing bracket for the transmission end of that which should be fairly simple.
Jim
I felt the risk of case breakage outweighed the utility of being able to use the lug on the side of the transmission as an anchor point for the pull cylinder which should be here by Friday so I made a reinforcement bracket.
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As is often the case I decided to make it out of stainless, as it needs no paint, is easy to clean, and gives generally about the same or better strength to weight ratio as steel. It is heavier but also stronger. I used 1/8" or 12 ga material, if I was using mild steel I would have used 3/16". Ignore all the power cords, those are from my angle grinders which seem to be a little bit like rabbits. HF is a definite enabler.
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I used a card to lay out the pattern of the base but this next shot gives approximate dimensions and the outline. It was an easy piece to make and is strong enough to make sure the tab doesn't get broken off the side of the case.
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The hole in the tab had to be enlarged slightly to match the 3/8" heim joint which will go above the plate. I considered an extra rib to triangulate the base plate but decided it really wasn't needed once I saw what was required to straighten the base after welding. I believe it'll be fine.
Yesterday I also swapped bases on some oil pumps, taking the "Metric" base off the 300 mule and putting it on the 340 and vice-versa for the standard base. The metric is definitely the base wanted if the wide-radiator frame mod is done, provided the engine is far forward enough to make use of it. I will be using the straight 215 base on the stroker and probably swapping it on today along with addressing the smashed brake line. Maybe hook up the wires to the starter if I get that far. I also need to make a splash shield for the bellhousing. I used some 3/8" thick white polyethylene for that part on the bay car, I may do the same thing here.
Jim
The pull cylinder came in yesterday and wouldn't you know it the description was inadequate. Listed as having 3/8" rods and while that is technically correct the business ends of the rods have a 5/16-24 thread. So here I am with 3/8" holes for the heim joints at both ends, meaning a sloppy fit that will wear. Not acceptable. Plus I have the 3/8" ends but do not have any 5/16" ones. I ordered a helicoil kit and will try inserting those in the rod ends to match the pull cylinder threads. The overall length should be close enough with those ends. If not I can make up a new rod for the stationary end that will take the 3/8" rod end directly. I might consider that for the pull rod too, I just hate breaking down a perfectly new cylinder. Still, it's an opportunity to make sure it is assembled correctly. Might need some 3/8" stainless rod.
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The replacement pump cover has plenty of clearance all around, the ports are to the back so nothing even comes close to the belt idler and there's plenty of room for a filter. I could probably use a full sized one.
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Jim
Some detail work going on.. I got the slave done and bled and it seems like that's going to work fine.
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My new yoke used straps instead of u-bolts so I positioned the VSS to trigger on the ears of the yoke which will mean changing the setting for that.
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I made a dust cover for the bellhousing, still have to cut the starter hole. Used 3/8" low density polyethylene.
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And did some trimming on the fan shroud to mate it to the new Proform 1-2-3 radiator from Summit.
Jim
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I did not trust the U-joint straps on my Camaro. I replaced them with U-joint girdles.
Good idea but it'd require the threaded holes to be drilled out.
Jim
The starter is out for delivery today and I have one multi-tube clamp I want to rework before that goes in as it will be hard to get to afterwards. I re-routed the slave cylinder lines and I suspect the bleeder line was bent and internally crimped because it doesn't flow the way it should but as I was able to bleed the cylinder anyway I'll leave it for now. I straightened the bent part and it does work but is slow to bleed. Not optimal but it is acceptable. If it has to come out some time in the future I'll probably replace the hose with something better.
I'm not really happy with the VSS so I've been thinking about how I could mount my old 2 piece tooth wheel. Problem is that the new bolts that hold the U-joint straps are specialized. I'm not all that happy with that. I suppose I could use SHCS which are grade 9. Several details involved there, for one the bolts are smaller diameter so the alignment of the tooth wheel will be trickier and the heads may pull through the holes, meaning lock washers or spacers or both are needed. Also that stamped stock bracket on the sensor allows it to rattle around more than I'm comfortable with, which wouldn't have been an issue in the stock application as it's clear from the o-ring that the sensor was located in a bore. The mount I'm using was never intended as a long term remedy anyway so I guess it's time to improve it. Some scraps of aluminum should suffice.
My grease gun needles came in so with the u-joints greased and the starter installed I should be pretty much done underneath once that's all handled and it'll be on to the radiator, wiring, plumbing and headers plus controls. Then new cylinder mounts for the bonnet and some bodywork trimming, at which point the new resonators should be here. They are small 6" diameter chambered units and I think that will complement the glass pack main mufflers and give a nice rumble out the back without being overly loud but there's going to be quite a bit of work routing and installing that part so it may not get done right away and maybe not in time for BV8 this year.
As if all that weren't enough, I've still got to make up a pair of fuel rails, weld up the cracks in the bug catcher, and make a riser to get it above the rails, after which get into the tuning software and at the very least change the values for the fuel injectors and hope that'll make it at least run well enough to drive. I expect an appointment with Nick for dyno tuning will be something like 6 months out or possibly even more. So it'll be up to me to get the more general tuning work done. Time is beginning to grow a bit short.
Jim
My starter came in today, not quite identical to the one I bought before so I could have just as well gone with the $46 one maybe. I'll make it work. Have to 'adjust' the block brace. No biggie.
Here's a couple shots of my line brackets:
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I should shorten the screw on that one. Pretty good lower view of my motor mount though...
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This one did hold the hoses for the clutch slave but that caused a kink with the new pull cylinder. Here's how I ended up mounting my timing wheel for the VSS. SHCS are grade 9 and I made up shouldered tubes to space out and center the halves. Not ideal and I was a little sloppy when I laid out the holes originally but it should work.
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Lastly here is the new sensor mount.
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Quite a bit of fiddly work to get the clearance in range and it varies more than I'd like but it should be OK.
Jim
I got the starter in (left the brace off, if it breaks the nose cone I'll swap the solenoid to the old one and use it). Still need to install the block drain on this side. I was off a little bit on the dust shield, oh well.
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I eliminated the filler neck on the radiator but may need to add an air bleed fitting.
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Also cut the exit holes to turn my exhaust in instead of out, need to buy some bends and couplers for that.
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Then bead blasted the port spacers and gaskets for my headers and test fitted those. Did some grinding for the spark plug boots and got that all bolted up with new stainless Ferry bolts. Those things are danged expensive but nothing else works as well. Started on new mounts for the bonnet lift cylinders. One of the old ones broke and the other is showing cracks. These may also be the source of my bonnet misalignment. A bit of automotive Jewelry there. I wonder if they'd draw any interest at the auction?
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May have to buy a new fan for the radiator, space is tight between one of the fan motors and the belt tensioner. Onward we go.
Jim
Next thing, because of the new belt layout the tensioner and one of the radiator fan motors want to occupy the same space so I'm exploring options on that. Might be able to make a new shroud and reverse the up/down stagger and keep these fans, might have to go with pancake motors, might even have to use a single larger fan. Some measuring and experimentation is required. I was not happy at all with the fan that comes with this radiator, as it's a single and instead of a full shroud has what is essentially a sheet metal mounting bracket with large openings in it. There is still much to do and I'm no longer certain of getting it all done in time for the meet. That was an open question going in to this upgrade though so it's nothing new. I'll be there, just don't know if the car will at this point. Probably. A lot depends on the tune when I get to that point. Today's tasks are plenty to deal with today and hopefully by tomorrow I'll have the fan solution well in hand. With luck maybe even have exhaust couplers and bends ordered as well. One can hope...
Jim
I have a plan. First, a shot of the late Camaro fan package, which can be had for around $100 or so new. It uses 3 relays so that the two fans can be driven in series for low speed at 6v and parallel for high at 12v and that method seems to work well.
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However the motor on the right side above wanted to use the same space as my belt tensioner. The remedy is to reposition the fans so the right one is lower, which involves cutting away part of the package and making a new shroud to mount them on. Here is the layout.
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Done that way there is plenty of toom for the tensioner and it should also make the fans much easier to remove if needed.
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Also my resonators came in. I didn't have a banana for scale so I used a spray bomb. As you can see they are fat little suckers. I'm considering spraying them with Cerrakote, meaning I have to sand blast them first. They didn't have them in stainless and the aluminized steel has more of a dampening effect anyway, meaning they are less likely to ring than if they were stainless. I'm pretty well convinced that the ringing is what makes some of the more popular aftermarket systems so annoying. These are a baffled/chambered resonator which should pair well with my glasspack forward mufflers.
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Jim
Had a little back strain yesterday but still got the shroud mostly finished:
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It's made of stainless, probably about 20ga and my cheap HF bender/slicer isn't much in the way of a pan brake so I had to beat the crap out of the corners to square them up but pretty much got there at last.
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Today I'll attach the fans, do a little straightening and maybe weld the corners if I think it'll help. Add fasteners and test fit and trim where needed. Drill and tap for a vent line probably, check how the slam panel matches up and move on to hoses. Every little bit helps.
Jim
Made good progress yesterday, I'm going on 3 days at this point on the radiator mods which I wasn't really expecting to have to do, but I wasn't considering how much different the new serpentine drive is from the old one on the 340. There will probably also end up being a cutout in the bonnet for the alternator which I had hoped to avoid but don't think at this point I'll be able to.
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Still some detail work to be done but the shroud is finished and the fans mounted. Welding the corners stiffened up the shroud more than you would expect.
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Spacing is pretty similar to the old radiator but it's an easier install. If I move the condenser the package goes right in. I padded the upper and lower mounts with 1/8" rubber sheet contact cemented in place.
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Tensioner clearance is... there? swapping belts might get a little tricky but nothing hits so at least that much is a win.
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The slam panel fits in the usual spot as before. I'll need to add nutserts for the top attachment where the hydraulic lines run and at the sides to attach the condenser, then I'll be able to reassemble the front of the car. I did drill and tap the radiator for the vent line, which of course now is just a bit short because the radiator is narrower.
Still lots to do though. Cylinder mounts for the hood actuators, then cascading downwards,the bonnet should sit lower meaning a host of small body tweaks. Plus wiring, plumbing, exhaust, charging the AC and tuning the engine. But at least the end is in sight.
Jim
Spent most of the day yesterday on two jobs.Admittedly they weren't really easy jobs but it doesn't seem like much to claim for your efforts. Anyway the first was the battery cable running from the alternator back to my main power post which is under the fuse and relay panel on the fenderwell. I used a 2 gage battery cable for that, heavily crimped the new end then soldered and heat shrunk both ends. That was routed down to the top of the frame rail and fitted with several inches of 5/8 heater hose where it passes the motor mount just for extra padding. May seem like overkill but that alternator has a capacity to put out 350 amps. Gage 2 should be adequate.
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The second was to add an arm to the bracket that locates the alternator, that arm going over to the AC compressor to do the same. I had apparently overlooked that part when I made up the serpentine drive but it should be fine now. Adequate clearances to the headers and the fenderwell.
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I did also get the big suction line in place and that was difficult. I'll need to see if I have a 1-1/16" crow's foot to try and tighten it down, and make sure I have clearance so I can easily remove the valve covers for valve adjustments. I had to trim my sheet metal cover that protects a bunch of electrical connections as it would not quite clear the new breaker for the heater fan motor otherwise. Lots of cascading details this time around, it's almost as much as doing a complete conversion.
Jim
Put a ground wire on yesterday and fought with the lower radiator hose. The battle continues...
Parts came in for the exhaust. I've made one slice and will get started on that next.
Jim
Pulled the old exhaust tips off and the perforated stainless rocker panels, exposing the glass pack mufflers. I'm pretty sure those have to come out to be cut off and have the couplers welded on so that would be next.
I've been tied up the last few days with the washer/dryer hutch but the last parts are now in the spray booth so it'll be done in the next couple of days. I did take a couple of photos. I'll try to get more of the MG tomorrow.
Jim
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I went ahead and pulled the header mufflers out.
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Amazing how quickly dirt and crud builds up isn't it?
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Turns out they aren't in the best shape so I will be replacing them. I have a query in to Thrush technical and if they have a proper sized stainless glass pack cartridge at a reasonable price I'm inclined to go that route.
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However, I am prepared to roll my own, I'd just need to purchase a perforated liner, which isn't cheap but is available. If I do I will make them rebuildable, similar to dirt bike mufflers. I have the tubing for the casing on hand.
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I also have some welding blanket which I think will make suitable packing, probably better than fiberglass, not quite as good as ceramic but less hazardous to handle. And it's already paid for. Mataceinc.com
I applied the flame from a very large butane torch to a corner of the blanket until the edges glowed and after removing it you couldn't tell it'd been touched.
Jim
Work on the exhaust is coming along nicely, although it seems I need to go ahead and place the order for the perforated stainless inner liner from the UK since I can't find it anywhere else. They will cost me about $75 each for meter lengths of 2.25 or 2" liners. If I go with the usual glass pack manufacturer's practice I will order the smaller size despite the rest of the system being 2-1/4. It'd make assembly easier and seems to be the path most followed. Has to be a reason, maybe more than I'm aware of. Anyway typical deliveries from there could take a month or more so I'd better get that done today.
Here are a couple of shots and it's working out rather nicely so far.
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I may just tack the couplers to the old glass packs so that I can fit everything up and tack it in position. The trick is going to be after I pull off the rear wheels, to get the intermediate pipe up into position with the coupler connected to the headermuff and the pipe going over the suspension. The resonators will have matching couplers on each end for an easy install and I'll have the option of reversing them if I feel the need for additional tuning. Typically running them backwards would result in a bit more back pressure but also a bit more quiet. I will probably try them both ways. The glass pack liner tubes are not louvered so they will not have that option but they will be rebuildable. Most likely have to cut the rear weld to do that but being stainless it can then be re-welded once the new packing is in place. If this Matace carbon fiber blanket holds up as well as I think it might, it may never need to be replaced. If it does, the job shouldn't be onerous.
Jim
Jim, you can get these in 30" length:
https://stainlessworks.net/perforated-tubing-exhaust-inserts/
Thanks for that reference Jim. I decided to go with the 2" in the 1 meter length. The cores in my existing header muffs are a 1-3/4" louvered tube so these will be considerably less restrictive, in fact the entire new system including the resonators should be less restrictive than just the header muffs. And I was plenty happy with how that system worked so the main issue I can see cropping up might be sound level. No way I can predict that really, but I have made mufflers before and I'm hoping for a good result. The 2-1/2" inserts would leave room for less than 1/4" of packing. I don't see that being very effective.
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I'm going to have to re-route my fuel and hydraulic lines as they are currently tucked up in the frame rails and that would be right above the intermediate pipe as it goes over the axle half-shaft and I think they would pick up too much heat there.
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Also I ordered V-band couplers for the header collectors so that means unbolting the headers to weld those on the ends. I keep adding more details that need to be done but in the end at least it'll be the way I want it. I've tolerated an awful lot of feature creep so far, I guess I can tolerate a little more. Everything in the exhaust south of the headers will be stainless after this so that will be good, and the headers have lasted 41 years so far without serious degradation.
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Of course this also meant removing the upper stainless rails from the inner wings and will mean removing the AC compressor, which means making a special tool to slacken the belt adjuster which I wasn't planning on doing right away, so more feature creep. OTOH this will make it easier to fit the lower radiator hose so that's a plus.
Everything was going along fine up to the point where I set the car on fire. Drat! I hate it when that happens. I got in too big of a hurry with the welding, built up too much heat, and lit off the trim panel you can see above and of course that set fire to the bulkhead speaker so I had a nice little pocket sized bonfire that simply refused to expire until I resorted to the water hose on both sides of the bulkhead. I wasted time futzing about with expired extinguishers first and then tried to snuff it with a fire blanket, and by then it was too big for a blast of compressed air to do anything but enrage it and was about ready to begin threatening the paint when I went for the nuclear option. I'm an old hand with fires so I wasn't worried at any point, just a little vexed. You might be able to see a bit of the smoke damage in photo 3 but I've already begun painting over it. I'll have to replace the bulkhead speakers and make a new bulkhead trim panel, and my inertia switch looks a little melty but still seems to be in working order. So an annoyance more than anything else. And why not add to the timeline, eh? Anyway it's all good. More parts arriving soon and plenty of work to do.
Jim
Hmm. Think I will go check my fire extinguishers.
Always a good idea. I ordered some new nicopp fuel line, probably should have just bought some at the corner store but I'm sure it'll get used eventually. My rear section looks fairly abused but it's only about 4 ft long before it hits a union. That should make it easier to route up and over the suspension crossmember. Might need to do the same for the return which is 5/16" but probably won't need to order more. The vent line shouldn't care about added heat and the hydraulic lines may eventually go away. Current offerings for electric wing cylinders have a wart on the side and only produce 110 lbs of thrust, which I don't think is enough, but they also have a built in cut off switch which could help. I'm tempted to buy a pair of them. If I can't use them on the bonnet maybe they would work for the wing. (I'll need heavier gas struts for the trunk lid but that's coming due anyway.) Might be best to leave the hydraulic lines alone for now.
I did get the headers back in the car and the bends came for the radiator hose. Looks like a little trimming of the belt tensioner bracket and that will line up. Could maybe pull the radiator and weld in a smaller lower neck which would fit the hose better, and a bend could be an advantage, I used one on the old radiator. I could cut that off and reuse it but I hate to scrap out a part that is usable. Maybe I could get a hundred for the old one on ebay?
Now for the collectors I have this:
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Instead of this:
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You might think 2-1/4 is small for a collector diameter but it's the volume more than the diameter that counts and with a foot or so dumping directly into the 2" perforated tube it should be fine. Based on past performance it'll be quite a bit more than fine.
It's the details that get you on these things. With about 5 weeks left, time is growing short but I'll do what I can. I do have a backup plan at least.
Jim
I think I may have found the electric actuators i can use for the bonnet:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4LWDZBR/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?pd_rd_i=B0CPPDLWV8&pd_rd_w=DpylU&content-id=amzn1.sym.bbb3fb5e-28ad-4062-a3ba-1f7b9f2e4371&pf_rd_p=bbb3fb5e-28ad-4062-a3ba-1f7b9f2e4371&pf_rd_r=BSN7AW7FWTCX7XE4Y3JY&pd_rd_wg=JqtFS&pd_rd_r=3e23e957-3b4c-4894-9104-933fec1ed88c&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1
About $50 ea from Amazon which is quite reasonable I feel. I just have to check the dimensions and clearances. I will have to make new mounts to the big stainless inner wing braces but I'd have to do that anyway. I think the thrust on this one is about right. If it isn't, the good news is they are available at over twice that value. I never liked the wart on the side but I've seen worse. Possibly I can locate that on the bonnet side.
I also ordered stainless bungs for the sensors:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SH8RBR/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B0F2SH8RBR&pd_rd_w=yLPlS&content-id=amzn1.sym.386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_p=386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_r=BSZ08WT1FNDJ57CSQTNK&pd_rd_wg=X8s10&pd_rd_r=46de32a6-b57e-4bda-a11c-4bc82e67e75e&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1
These will go on the header pipe below the collectors. I have two O2 sensors, one AFR and one EGT. The EGT gage is for a diesel application that I installed decades ago when I was running the turbo Jetfire engine and it has a lower redline than you'd see for a gasoline engine, but installed downstream it reads lower too so that all works out. I typically see temps on that gage anywhere from 600 to a max of 1500 degrees, typically running around 900 or so. I'm waiting on the perforated tubes to arrive from the UK. DHL has them and their delivery and tracking is sorta messed up. Should be here by the middle of the week but fingers crossed on that one. They also may have delivered them to the wrong address.
I pulled the radiator back out to plumb the hoses. I'm going to add a bend to the top neck to point it at the thermostat housing which will let me get by with a simple hose with one mild bend. The lower hose is tricky of course. I clearanced the tensioner bracket to make a bit more room and plan to use a aluminum bend to come off the water pump and weld a same sized stub in the lower bung position, possibly also with a bend which hopefully will allow two short hose sections to connect up. I do like the ease with which the radiator/fan package is removed/reinstalled.
Jim
I almost forgot... The new fan shroud has to go on over the hose necks. With them both bending upwards that might work but they also both go towards the center which might not. Glad I thought of that before I started welding.
Jim
So that's finished now.
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I also cut and plated a small notch in the frame rail for hose clearance and a couple other details.
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And set the unit in place to sort out the radiator hoses and that's coming along.
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More exhaust plumbing came in including the perforated tubes and the sensor bungs so I'll be able to move ahead with that part.
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Also the linear actuators came in and they are cute little buggers. I'll be pulling the last of the hydraulics out and as soon as I've successfully tested the bonnet lift will order units for the wing cylinders also. I'll need a ground sensor and a control unit to make that work properly but I'm thinking that parking sensors might do the job.
Jim
Got the lower radiator hose/pipe combo installed yesterday finally, it was a game of many small adjustments to close clearances but now I'm happy with it. Close quarters and no photos. Also removed the bonnet actuators and associated lines as well as the Mercruiser tilt/trim hydropak from the trunk. Here are the replacements:
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Open or shut will take about 1/4 of a minute but it has switch stops at each end which cures a couple issues. I'll be able to hit the switch to open and walk away for instance, and when it shuts it will resist lifting from aero effects which will be a plus.
As you can see it does not have the spherical ends so I will have to build that into the mounts. I have the bearings ordered. Once these are installed and tested I plan to order a set for the wing as well.
Jim
Two jobs yesterday. First I wire brushed the sockets and plug-ins for the bumper assembly, checked the fit and painted them with black rustoleum. When we went to remove the bumper rust had built up and made that difficult so that's to be prevented in the future.
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If I can find Waxoyl at the box store I'll spray that down the sockets into the square tube, and I'm going to apply a generous coating of anti-sieze as well. Hopefully all that will do the trick for next time. Otherwise the fit is just fine.
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Job 2 was getting started on building the mufflers. Using holesaws I made up 4 spacer washers which I'll weld about an inch inboard of the ends of the perforated tubes. Then using a hammer I belled one end of the outside tube inwards so that it fits the 2-1/4" tubing and did the other one today. Better job the second time, blacksmithing takes practice and patience. Takes quite a bit of hammer work but makes a nice transition.If not quite up to factory standards, it's at least a thicker material and should be more durable.
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I expect they form cherry bomb case ends in a press with special dies. I will probably cut two more spacer washers for the outlet ends and weld those shut, though I do wish I could come up with an acceptable means of making it removable with common tools. On bike mufflers they just use a slip fit with retaining screws. I'll have to give it some thought, I don't think I have any suitable stainless for doing that but maybe I could buy a piece of 303 round bar and cut them out. That would probably be best, I could put a lip on it and notches for removal. Nope, too expensive, that stuff is almost $300 a foot. Maybe Ken has something useful lying around which probably means I'm back to holesaws again. Not a light proposition for 5/8" thick plate. He could waterjet cut them for me though... Still probably a C note for that. I'll check with him tomorrow, I don't have any usable scraps lying around and Alro doesn't have any drops.
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Jim
The bumper slid in just like butter. Then of course I had to go and overtighten one of the bolts and probably collapsed the spacer tube a little so it will need work next time it comes apart but I can let that go for now.
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My usual sources were not much help on material to make the donuts for the removable end of the mufflers so it seems there's more blacksmithing in my future. Here's a piece of surplus 3/8 x 3/4 stainless bar that I've begun bending into a circle. I will have to heat it to get it round but after the ends are welded together it can go in the lathe to cut the step that will go inside the 3" tube.
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The V coupler flange is 3" diameter so it makes a decent gage. I won't be able to cold bend the bar all the way around but with heat, hammer and anvil I expect to prevail eventually.
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After that I will add screws to hold it together and notches to punch it apart. Still thinking about what type of screws to use. Kinda leaning towards brass a little.
Jim
Made up my spacer donuts yesterday, which will allow me to remove the exit end of the mufflers to repack them. After forming the 3/8" strap into rough circles I welded the ends shut, allowing a semi-generous kerf for the filler:
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Next between the vise and the hydraulic press I made 'em mostly round, using a 2" chunk of round bar and a V block. The fit on the tube is loose but I can fill that with weld:
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Next it went in the lathe to cut the OD and I got a good result there, just what I was looking for. I cut the 60 degree front ends which need trimmed to length and mated to the collectors. Some careful measuring will be needed to make sure the rear clamp is in the right place, weld that all up and it'll be time to wrap and pack.
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I've seen people use masking tape on the packing, which works but will burn off. Glass tape might be better. I found some teflon coated glass fabric tape on amazon that should work quite well.
Jim
Or thin stainless wire?
Good suggestion. The work continues with decent progress though not much to show. The header muffler bodies are now in place and connected up, they need the sensor bungs and the end plug and to be packed.
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The length is going to be close and as they are longer than the old ones I hope the extra length and the packing will offset the tendency of the stainless to ring. I'll be cramming in as much of the packing as I can get to fit. Part of the work on the rear of the system is already done so that should go rather quickly but I have to re-route the fuel lines before they can go in.
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I'm about close enough for a checklist. After the exhaust is finished and the grille is installed:
-Complete the fuel filler neck.
-Install the bonnet and make mounts for the electric hood actuators. Align bonnet and trim tinwork to match.Install wiring, change switch to standard (not MO) toggle switch.
-Close up AC system and charge with oil.
-Make fuel rails, connect lines and install FPR.
-Make standoff to locate bug catcher above fuel rails.
-Kerf and weld cracks in bug catcher, grind, buff and polish. Install that and throttle body. Connect linkages and wiring. Extend and connect injector wiring.
-Complete detail work.
-Reprogram ECU.
I think that's most of it.
Jim
I hope to pack the mufflers today. some screws and taps need to come in before I can install them for the last time, close up the rockers and install the sensors but I can pretty much get everything done except the caps. Here are the sensor bungs and let me tell you, starting the tap correctly for chasing the threads after welding is not the easiest task.
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These caps were actually pretty easy once I had the parts assembled. I'll probably use a high temp silicone on them at final assembly. The screws won't actually clamp the tube to the plug, as much as hold it in position using the sides of the heads. That way there is less of the head projecting into the clearance areas.
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Jim
Quote from: BlownMGB-V8 on May 05, 2026, 09:12:31 AMHere are the sensor bungs and let me tell you, starting the tap correctly for chasing the threads after welding is not the easiest task.
Hmm, could you have welded them up with a big bolt or an old sensor threaded in?
Not sure that's a good idea. There is warpage and stainless is real bad to gall and seize. It might work but could also stick and that'd be bad, especially if you broke off a sensor. Part of the problem is that my M-18 tap, though of fine quality tool steel is also a plug tap. Which isn't problem usually but in this stainless it's way too easy to get it started crooked and then you're pretty well screwed. I was using standard brown cutting oil but I'm thinking that lubricating the tap with cutting wax like you use for band saws and carbide die grinder bits might have worked better. If I'd had more than 4 of them to do I'd have tried that.
I got the mufflers packed and it went smoothly. Photos of that tomorrow. Just reclaimed some trunk space and noted that my exhaust tubing is the same size as my gas tank filler neck so that helps. Also have to do seat belts. My thicker webbing came in and I've cut the pieces and stitched up one end but I'll need to increase the top side tension to get even stitches. That can come later.
Jim
So the first shot below shows one of the cores wrapped in the carbon fiber fire blanket and then spiral wrapped with the teflon tape, leaving gaps where the blanket poofed out (technical term) which may give it varying silencing characteristics. I'm going to claim that is a proprietary layering method.
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As you can see here, the poofed segment contacts the outer casing while the taped segment eases insertion into the casing. The ends slip into the stubs for a seamless (literally) transition at each end.
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Here you see the stub on the end cap.
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Fortunately my taps and screws came from McMasterCarr last night and I found a tube of red high temp silicone in the cabinet so I should be able to do the final install of the header muffs today. Hope so anyway.
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I got the fuel return line re-routed yesterday (also the VSS sensor wires) and should get the fuel supply line done today. Then the vent line. That will clear the way for the rear half of the exhaust system so another couple of days should do that. Then it's on to the bonnet and perhaps the filler neck.
Jim
Here's the end plug glued and screwed.
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The glue is red high temp gasket maker and I found that it cleans up pretty easily using paint thinner.
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The screws are a stainless round headed torks plus from McMasterCarr, said to provide extra driving force, anti-seize applied of course. I used the copper based one here.
Jim
Nearly finished with the driver's side now, and not a great photo but light was flaring in from the skylight in the shop so it was the best I could do on short notice.
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I'll probably move the resonator forward a couple inches to clean it up at the rear but other than that the side is done. Still have to install the tip and the cheese grater rocker panel, and after the bonnet is properly fitted I have plans to install splash panels between the headers and the front tires but that can come later. After all I've put that part of for over 4 decades now, I think it can wait a few more months.
Jim
I moved the resonator forward 3" which gives me room for an exhaust tip and gets the coupler under the bodywork. Fitted and tacked the parts for the other side and hope to finish that today.
Note of interest, if you build a stainless exhaust and do the work yourself, make sure you provide yourself with a safe air supply under your welding hood. Chromium and Nickel fumes are toxic and while you can tolerate light exposure you will start feeling bad before you realize what you've done. I know better, not my first time around but you tend to forget these things you know? Make sure you deal with it before you realize that you aren't feeling like your normal self. Happily symptoms tend to clear in a few days so it's almost like a mild cold but heavy metals do tend to take longer to get rid of so it's best avoided in the first place.
For the most basic of systems, provided your shop air is free of things like compressor oil a simple metered tube and diffuser inside the helmet is an acceptable fast remedy. As a rule I don't advise breathing shop air but it's cleaner than welding smoke.
Jim
Not the best shots, but except for the vented panels the exhaust is done.
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I plan to button it up today and put the wheels back on, then lower it back onto the tires and prep for the bonnet fitment.
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That could be challenging. A little back story here. When I created the current one piece bonnet it was with fresh sheet metal and an intent to do the job right. I got it all fitted up then disassembled it for paint but when I went to reassemble I was never able to get it to fit quite right. My mission now is to find out why and correct that problem. For the past couple of decades the beltline has never been right and the assembly sat high in the front. At one point I closed up the gap at the mating line so that's another issue I'll have to deal with, and there's also some warpage that was created by poor welding strategies at the time. I should be able to correct all of that but can't say what it'll do to the paint. That's another job that will eventually have to be re-done. Oh well, the car's never been straight the whole time I've owned it. I'll just have to do the best I can, same as always.
Jim
Wheels are back on and it's starting to look like a car again thankfully, if somewhat dirty. Oh well. Fitting the bonnet and trying to get it down in the front so the beltline is straight. So far I've trimmed out metal from the underside of the hood and enlarged the cutout to make room for the alternator. It pokes through a half inch or so. That will be more by the time I'm done but I was able to follow the curve of my black flames so it blends in pretty well I think.
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The next step involves some bending. It seems that at some point the passenger's side got pranged a bit. Dan was there at the time I'm sure he will remember. Anyway it's never gotten properly straightened back out and it's causing the beltline to be high in the front by about 3/4" at this point. I can't correct it any more by shifting things around. Below if you look carefully you can see some evidence of buckling. It's not much, but projected forwards it's enough to cause trouble.
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So, I've chained the car to the floor. I have a couple of cheap Black&Decker laser levels I've used for wheel alignment so today's task is to stick those to the doors and project them forwards along the beltline for references at the front corners, and then I can try jacking that corner down. Maybe I'll be able to pull it in.
Of course if I succeed that means the big stainless stringer on that side will no longer fit as the holes will be moved forward, perhaps about 1/8" or so. The remedy is more blacksmithery naturally. I'll have to heat and beat the stringer to stretch it out so the holes line up and then grind and polish it again. It's a bit of work, but that beltline has bugged me for decades now. It's time to fix it.
Jim
It's better than it was and I think some times that's all you can hope for. The sad truth is that this particular Hot Wheels car has just been sky'd off the ramp too many times to ever hope to be perfectly straight again. That'd take a redo with a different car that was straight to begin with and I really can't see me doing that. However, no MGB was ever perfectly straight even right out of the factory and you can bet I'm gonna use that. So here are a few shots of the process. I set up my lasers to line up with the doors and if you look close enough you can see the lines and the center dot. I've got to work with what I have and this is as close as I can get it. Once the lift struts are on they may be able to pull the bonnet down slightly more. If cost were no object of course I could have the bonnet made up in carbon fiber with a perfect fit but that will have to wait for the brand new Heritage body tub that I'm never going to buy. For now this will do. Time for some reassembly.
Jim
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Made up a 3" riser yesterday for the Enderlie bug catcher/throttle body.
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I still need to do come cleanup and maybe some buffing then that will be ready to bolt on. Some seams on the scoop need reworked. The riser is needed to clear the fuel rails and as room for the IAC under the scoop. I set it in place and sat in the driver's seat and think I'll be able to see past it OK. When I was out though I bought a narrower air filter to use making up a new unit that can fit in between the rails and sit lower if I feel like making one of those up later, In the meantime this one will work fine. I've also been playing around with the idea of a FBW throttle on the next one, provided I can come up with a suitable actuator. It may be a couple of years before I get around to that though.
Jim
Of course, I welded the ports onto the wrong side of the riser. Duh. It'll be fine... maybe... sort it out later sorta thing. At least now I can make up the fuel rails. 1 ft long rails should do fine this time around. I need to reconfigure the throttle linkage and mount the TPS on the throttle body, probably should have done that to start with. At least I should be able to keep the same sensor. I have to drill and tap the end of the throttle shaft then screw in a blade to engage the Ford type sensor and loctite it in place once I have the orientation correct. I could possibly do a light press fit instead. I'll have to think about it, that can be tricky.
I don't expect to get much done on it today but a little something would be nice.
Jim
Occurring enough to be remarked upon, sometimes mistake is just another word for opportunity. Such is the case here. I was not thinking about the MAF sensor that I acquired some time back with the idea of using it on this engine, but the riser is a near perfect spot for it and the back of the riser is where it should be. If I'd put the ports on the back rather than this:
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I wouldn't have been able to mount the MAF like this:
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Here is the top shot showing the innards.
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And here it is with the scoop housing mounted.
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I think it worked out rather well myself. Now integrating that into the software is likely to be a bit of a challenge, especially since I don't have a calibrated flow bench to establish values, but like most things I expect I can wing it and get acceptable results. This is not final assembly btw, just a test fit. The housing has to come back off for TIG to repair cracks that have embarrassed my welding skills, though to be fair about it I did that before I took the Vo-Tech course. They call it something else these days but whatever. I'll probably drill the injector ports in the fuel rails next, already did the ends and then think about anodizing them. Probably should. My tanks are probably big enough to annodise the scoop housing too if I want to but I wouldn't be able to do the throttle body so I may decide not to. The riser would need a good bit of clean up before it would make sense to do that one.
Jim
So, a bit of progress, the work on the riser, fuel rails and scoop is done except for any anodizing I decide to do and honestly for right now I may just skip it.
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The hood does close properly over it, with stuff sticking through.
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Here's about what the car looks like,
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And here's a shot through the windshield.
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It still is a bit high, at about the limits of what is practical in terms of being able to see past the scoop but it's better than it was with the 340. I can put off deciding what to do about the height until later. Potentially I can lower it almost 3 inches but would have to completely redo everything above the plenum except the fuel rails. I have other work that needs done first so that might get done in a couple years.
Jim
Doing a bit of trimming on the hood opening today to improve aesthetics and make a little more room for injector wiring and throttle linkages. I need to look at the cruise cable to see where that can go and I'll need a return spring of some sort as well as a longer throttle cable and a mounting point for the cable jackets. Still sorting out the fuel lines and FPR and will need a fitting or three, finding just the right ones might be fun.
I'm still holding off on deciding about the anodizing, and thinking about a new scoop design. It looks like there will be no trouble incorporating an IAC but I was playing with an electric throttle actuator and want to look at that again. The actuator doesn't have to be right on the throttle body so that opens some options. I will have to extend the fuel delivery line so it will get a second union up around the engine compartment somewhere making it a 3 piece line. And I'm still puzzling out the hood actuator mounts. That answer hasn't quite come to me yet.
Along in there somewhere I still need to make up new seat belts, which requires me to find a way to increase the top thread tension on the sewing machine. The heavy waxed thread I'm using doesn't pull back through the two webbing layers to where it needs to be. I get that adjusted though and it's a 2 hour job. So in reality more like a day or two. Then there's fluids, programming the ECU, start-up, break in, leak check and adjustments. It'll be a minute yet.
And of course reinstalling the AC compressor and the accessories belt and then charging and testing the AC system.
2 weeks to get all that done and tested to a level of reliability to insure a problem free thousand mile round trip? Yeah, piece of cake right? But the real goal is to button it up so it's driveable, pull out the Bay Car and get back on the bus conversion. Maybe next spring I can look at things like carpet, new electric wing actuators, the next inlet scoop, and maybe some body prep for a new paint job. Eventually I do plan to finish up on this car, even considering the feature creep.
Jim
Oh yeah, I also have to do something with the coils. Yep, not gonna make the meet deadline. Oh well, I guess I'll be forced to drive the Alfa. Such heartbreak, I even just got the seatbelt chime turned off. (I always use 'em, except in the driveway when the chime gets kinda annoying. It's way too loud.)
So I've been working on the mounts for the new electric bonnet lift cylinders and they are taking a rather innovative path you might say, since a spherical bearing needs to be incorporated into the mount at each end to avoid binding and the actuators come with a straight pin mount. I'll get some photos later on, today's job is to cut threads on the lathe, most likely a 1"x 24 thread and make up a pair of knurled pin spanner nuts. It's gotten a bit nutso on the design. Well that's not really anything new then is it? More later.
Jim
Got pictures this morning, first below are the cups I made to hold the spherical bearings. These are the ones to be attached to the inner fender and there are two more, not yet bored to depth that will attach to the struts later in the process.
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Anyway here is one bolted to the lift actuator, it will compensate for the angular misalignment.
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The fine thread is a 1" x 24 TPI which became necessary due to the thin wall of the cup. Below you see one screwed into the matching threaded piece which will be turned into a knurled pin spanner nut once the knurling tool I ordered off Amazon gets here. Supposedly today so probably next week sometime.
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I welded the cups into stainless plates which bolt to the inner fenders using the knurled nut and a BHCS through one of the holes formerly used for the hydraulic fittings. A bit of fettling to make the plate flush and that end's done. There's room for a second bolt if I decide it's needed or even a 3rd.
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Jim
So that's one end attachment done:
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The inside looks like this. Sort of automtive jewelry if you will, I suppose you could think of them as earrings if you wanted to. Totally extra but they do look nice:
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The other end is liable to be a little tricky.
Jim
The forward mounts are now completed.
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The geometry worked out well with full hood opening and closure, still a little work to do for fully smooth closing but it's nearly there.
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Clearances are tight but adequate.
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It's a little slower but the upside is that it now has built in limit switches so it can be switched to open or close and then ignored while it does it's thing. I may consider faster actuators later on, the next one is twice as fast but with half the power. That may be a good compromise.
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The end pin is a hex bolt that has had one flat cut back to the shaft in order to fit in the socket and that works just fine with the spherical joint. It does however fix the pin so it does not rotate, so rotation must be done at the strut, meaning that the nut must leave a little play. This can be done with a double nut so I'm considering an acorn nut and locknut combo. That should work fine and there is plenty of room for it.
Jim
Had to flatten one tube on each header a bit to allow the wings of the bonnet to slide past smoothly when closing, this allows the rear of the bonnet to drop, which lets the fingers go down and under the drip rail so that when the assembly is fully closed there is an extra safety keeping the rear edge from lifting. It's probably not needed now with the electric actuators, but it's been proven that very significant dents or dimples in the header tubes do not impede flow so I'll easily get by with this. It helps the bodywork match up better, bringing that one step closer. I'll need to add two new tabs to the stainless grille trim and buff out the weld discoloration.
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At any rate I've been testing the motion and it's been flawless with one exception. If I could limit the travel by about a quarter inch on opening it would keep the hood trim from contacting the bumper. I went ahead and ordered a pair of the 2x-speed actuators, after all they are pretty affordable at $50 each. I'll fit those up and if they work I'll tear down one of the ones I have on it now and see what it'll take to shorten the travel a little bit. To me that'll be worth the premium. The analysis will be a fun task as well. The unused ones will not go to waste, I'm opposed to wastefulness so I'll use them in the RV on the bed platform storage lid.
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Flattening the tubes was kinda fun actually. I have an old brass hammer that I first used a flapper wheel to smooth out the heads so it wouldn't dimple the metal. Then after marking the tubes I began working the metal slowly with light taps while smoothing it into the shape that was needed. There were two main areas of concern, first to not push in the center of the area being deformed so far that a bit of curvature can't be maintained, which would result in a dish, which would look bad. It could only go completely flat at the final point in the process. Second area was the boundary or corners of the affected area. A radius had to be maintained there all the way up to the end of the process when it could then be reduced. But that point had to be accurately determined. There was a fine line between too much and too little and I hit it with just a little tolerance for finger clearance at the drip rail. Pretty happy with that. Granted we don't like to see dings in the header tubes but they don't look bad, they serve a useful purpose and they don't impede exhaust flow so that's a win pretty much all around.
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That brings me to the wiring and controls. Because the hydraulic pump was in the trunk the control wires went back there and will have to be re-routed to the front and go through the bulkhead seals which is in a crowded and poorly accessible area (typical though). Happily no relays will be needed as the current is low and a standard toggle switch will easily handle it. The current switch is momentary contact but fortunately toggle switches are easily found in almost any imaginable configuration. Two options seem suitable: ON-ON with no center position and this would be the simple solution, and probably the one most used. It gives you either open or closed positions. Or I could use ON-OFF-ON which would allow me to stop the motion at any intermediate point. I think I will start with that one and then consider the other later.
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One advantage of the ON-ON switch is that should dynamic forces backdrive the actuators they will immediately power up and return to the park position. But with at least 660 lbs of force at the actuator required to do that it seems unlikely. I did have that problem with the hydraulic system, which had zero resistance to backdriving and would let the hood float. This became an issue at speeds above 110 and there were times when I had to consider lifting. I expect that will be a thing of the past.
Jim
Been absent for a few days, V8 meet and all that plus a few other distractions but I haven't totally been sitting on my hands. Today I expect to finish up the re-webbing of my Kangol magnetic latch seat belts using the proper thickness of webbing and I'll take a few photos and add some tips later. I've also found enough of the 10mm marine plywood to replace the burned trim panel for the trunk bulkhead but haven't started the layout, and I need to order a new inertia switch and connector.
The new set of struts came in, they will operate twice as fast which should be about right. They are also one inch shorter overall and although that means I'll have to drill and tap a new set of mounting holes in the hinge mechanism, it also means the bonnet will be stopping short of the front bumper, which is what I really wanted in the first place. So that's a fortuitous development and I'll see how it all works out once I've calculated the geometry changes to locate the holes. I got really lucky that the closed position was exactly right but I'm not going to trust the width of a sharpie tip to get it exactly right twice in a row.
Jim
The most difficult part of rebuilding a set of Kangol Magnetic Latch seat belts is obtaining the webbing. I finally found a source:
For and on behalf of FDTS Limited
Susan Taylor
MBA, BA (hons) Law, DMS
Managing Director
sue@fdts-seatbelts.co.uk
Tel: 01932342043
I ordered 7 yards of their black ZY webbing and all costs included paid 90 Pounds Sterling. With the belts completed I can now confirm that it appears to be the correct material but I haven't test driven it yet. I had better than a yard left over, so 6 yards is a suitable order size. You might get by with 5, I seem to have misplaced a 1/2 yard piece somehow though so I couldn't guarantee that.
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The second hardest bit is finding all the plastic bits in good repair. They tend to suffer some abuse, especially the small webbing end pieces with the ones that slide along the lap belt getting the worst of it. Due to damage and lack of rivets I made up these bits and used 1/4" long x 10-32 stainless button heads.
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For the sliders I folded some strip over the plates and clamped them in the vise. They ended up being a bit too tight going over the screw heads so I had to insert a putty knife and flex them upwards to get the proper drag.
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The next hardest part is restoring the hard metal parts which are chrome plated and tend to rust and flake. I mostly replaced those bits with stainless, except for the adjuster frames and I just used the best ones I had. It's all completely disassemblable btw. The adjuster bar has an angle cut on one side that allows it to come out. I had to use a 400 series stainless for the hook, being a chromium stainless it is magnetic, unlike the 300 series nickel stainless but it is also considerably more expensive.
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I'm satisfied with the results. I spent more in time and money doing it myself than it would have cost me to send them off to be restored but I would never have gotten the stainless hardware that way, and I refuse to send my precious parts out for fear they would not come back. Hey, most do not guarantee you get your original parts back in the return and even if they did, "mistakes" can happen. I have known raccoons who might latch onto a particularly tasty shiny bit after all. I couldn't chance it. Besides, it gave me a chance to get creative and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I suppose I could have buffed the plates, but I can always do that later when I have nothing better to do.
Jim