Pully that 454

[choctawmel]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Mel,

Well it's been a while, how's it running?

Gary

Glad you ask: Wife and I got back from Israel last Thursday, then I got another epidular Friday (which wasn't any better then the last 4 epidulars I've received) Had a hail storm while we were gone and had to get the insurance adjusters out for my Dodge truck ($3200 damage) and the house(6 year old, 30 year roof is totaled). So, progress is slow, but!

It's on the ground, together!!!!!

I dressed the air dam as best I could.
It the thunder storms stay away I plan to road test in this morning.

[GCinSC2]

Mel,

Oh boy, I think you're due for a break from your "lucky" streak.

Gary

[choctawmel]

No road test. Chassis battery is dead, dead dead. Three years old, it maybe dead. So I put the the charger on over night. Today it reads 12 volt. I open the door and the step doesn't quite deploy. Check the battery..... 4 volts. Think I'll wait to road test till I get a new battery. I know I can push the switch in the clove box and go, but would rather have a good battery to start with. Now it looks like Tuesday before I can get a new one installed and maybe Tuesday will be the magic day.

[92landyacht]

Strange that the battery just went dead. I though that you were able to start the engine not that long ago. You may have a battery drain issue that needs to be run down.

[choctawmel]

The battery had an 'open' cell. May still have something draining it, but it's new now.

So, new battery: Time to road test. All it can do to pull itself.... Get up over 2000 rpms and it just goes to spitting and back firing. It's 90 degrees out as I find a place to pull over and remove the dog house cover. Now its 200 degrees as I check the plug wires/firing order again. Then start moving the distributor. First back... Much worse. Then advance.. better, more advance... more better, more, more and more. Got to understand I'm by myself so I keep finding a place to pull a 34 foot motor home over each time I play with the timing... and I think I got it timed. Nowhere near what the book calls for. And the 'check' light went away too. Good thing I got those wheel-e bar (tag axle) 'cause I may be almost ready for the drag strip. RUNS GOOD!!! Got an exhaust leak and a little miss, so pull the header loss and take the gasket out I know better than using and a new set of plugs which I should of replaced and my 'silver Bullet' is ready to go!
Load me up!!!!! I'm a happy boy!!!!

[Keyair]

Good stuff Mel!
We could do with some happy news after Cesalie2's post about the loss of his 310!

[choctawmel]

Good news! No wrecker calls to get to the lake! The motor runs good, quiet, cool. Didn't run the A/C but never got over 200 degrees. Think the old was getting a little loose in more ways then one. The idiot light for the EFI kept coming on and off, so it's running in 'safe mode' Not the best for fuel economy. May have to buy myself a new reader so I can catch the code. Sure it's a connector not making contact. The dang cheat crimped connector... what's it been 10 years that EFI has been on??? May be forced to buy and new 'soldered' wiring harness, they sell them, for a price.
I still have a front brake leak too. The hard tube fitting is bad at the master cylinder.

[choctawmel]

Guess it's about time I did another update on this project. The trip home was not so good. Broke/Throw the alternation belt about half way home. Had a spare so, after it cooled some I put it on and was off again only to have it come off about 20 miles from home. I looked it all over and of course you can't get a straight view of the pulleys from any angle. I'm thinking I didn't get the belt in all the grooves. Twice?? Anyway I need to tighten the A/C, PS pump belt which is a job all it's own. When I did the seal started leaking on the pump. DRAT!!! Got NAPA to order (rebuilt) PS pump. I know I should of replaced this with the frontend off, but without too much blood I have a not leaking pump on before heading out on another 'test trip'. Go 50 miles down the road and the alternator belt comes off. I pull into a truck stop and wait the cool down period (this is like buying a gun). Put a belt on, start it up and THE PS PUMP'S NOT PUMPING!!!! Not only can you not steer these things w/o that pump, stopping is a real chore too. Back to the shop, back to NAPA. With new(rebuilt) pump installed (I'm getting good at this and I don't want to be good at this). Now the next 'test trip'. Got 65 miles and throw the damn alternation belt. Rest area just ahead so I hold out for it. But this time the A/C belt got taken out by the alternator belt, so no drive to water pump and she got HOT quick! I replace the A/C and the alternator belt (this is getting expensive! No more spares) and press on. This time the alternator belt comes off in 10 miles! I check to be sure the A/C belt is still on the water pump, take the battery cables off the battery isolator and put under one post, fire the generator up and off we go.
I have a problem with alinement.
Back in the shop: Pulled the guts out of the front and can see that the alternator pulley is 3/8" out if plum. The dang thing is soooo cocked. I can't figure anyway to uncock it. I go to the junk yard and am going to go to the per-smog pump setup. He's got them, wants $50 for them.... BITE ME! I can buy nice chrome plated one for $25, which I do. After grinding and cutting and welding and making a 3 1/2 spacer for the new 6 1/2" pivot bolt and 2 washers under the water pump pulley I can lay a straight edge across all the pulleys. Went from a 52 7/8" to a 46 3/8" long belt too.

Now the engine overhaul: The computer can't handle the new engine, so, it's in Tennessee right now getting a prom job. Hope to be running again soon.

Old alternator brackets, they go in the tub with all smog junk.

New shiny alternator brackets installed.
I am going to get this thing done!!!!!

[Keyair]

You are a Trouper!

[92landyacht]

Keep us posted.

[vswingfield]

Does anybody else find it ironic that you titled this thread "Pully that 454" and ended up having problems with the pulley?

You're closing in on it.

I'm pulling for you.

[GCinSC2]

Vaughn,

Ouch, that almost hurt all the way to SC.

Mel,

Ya just gotta do it, get it, finish it, nail it, beat it, run it forever or it will haunt you as the project that beat you. A lesser man might have had a mysterious electrical short finish it, forever.

Mel, it's time to "Pully that 454"

Gary

[choctawmel]

I'm hoping the pulley/belt event is history! Should/would have seen this problem if I had put all the accessories on in the build stand.


don't understand the computer not wanting to work right.... I only changed it a little bit:<) I mean it's only 35 more cid and the compression did change from around 7.1(or lower) to 8.3 and surely that little old roller wouldn't make any deference... not to mention that 1 1/2" higher rise with the intake manifold.

It's almost stock:<)

Do have the radiator back in, not far from having her all together again.

[choctawmel]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Vaughn,

mysterious electrical short finish it, forever.

Gary

Did get the lawn chair out, with kitchen matches in hand, setting in front of the door and played, 'let's lite and throw matches in the door'.... But the wind would have none of that. Heck, I couldn't even get the grass to lite off to say, "It was the grass fire that did it!" So back the the tool box I went. If all else fails, I have a spot I can park it and make 'yard art' of it till the time I need to convert it into a school bus stop for the grand kid.
NOT!!!!!
No my goal is to win the motor home burn-out contest in Alva, OK at next year street rod show. It's time to force the retirement of that old mystery 440 Winnebago Brave that's dominated the competition for too many years. Talk about reorganizing the kitchen.... I'll have to sneak that run in when the wife's shopping

[GCinSC2]

Mel,

Smoking the tires with an Airstream,

WE NEED VIDEO PROOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you enter the combine demo derby's too?

Keep grinnin Mel.

Gary

[choctawmel]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Mel,

Smoking the tires with an Airstream,

WE NEED VIDEO PROOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you enter the combine demo derby's too?

Keep grinnin Mel.

Gary

I better not enter too many races till I can get it out of my shop. I just want her to race down the highway with ease.

[choctawmel]

Was hoping my CPM would come back to me. Tried to call the guy, had to leave a voice mail:<( Then as I was hooking the A/C lines back on, here comes my UPS guy w/box from Tennessee! Pour some water in the radiator, plug the computer in and SHE RUNS!!!!!! Got the front put together and have a vacuum pulled on the A/C.
The transmission yoke bolt is leaking, so I drop the drive shaft, and the yoke/e-brake slides forward. I don't think the yoke should do that?????? Pull the bolt and measure the play... 9/16". I call the transmission shop, they are to call me back. I'm thinking I need some kind of spacer? Rubber ring??? Shouldered washer???

[choctawmel]

Well Damn it! I pulled the tail shaft housing and no 'O' ring. The end play is the yoke moving between the back washer and the rear seal. NOT GOOD! I guess I'll name names, I bought the tail shaft and housing from my 'buddy's' at Blumenthal in OKC. Then I had Blumenthal rebuild the transmission after it melted w/only 500 miles on it. Now I got 2383 miles on the rebuild and, with the help of fine folks a Blumenthal, I discover they sold me the WRONG tail shaft for my yoke! The managers salutation? I pay $1600 more to get it rebuilt to fix what they caused! I"M TICKED!!! Looks like I'm going to be revisiting 4L80e what have I done!

The output shaft is a 'full' spline shaft 5 3/8" long. No place for an 'O'ring about 4 1/2" back to seal/stop the yoke.

The yoke has 4 5/8" of spline. I need a yoke that's 3/4" longer or the right shaft. I think I'm mad now! What did I do with those matches?

[GCinSC2]

Mel,

Time to update, is it fixed or do you owe the VFD a steak dinner for making sure nothing else mysteriously uh, spontaneously combusted?

[choctawmel]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Mel,

Time to update, is it fixed or do you owe the VFD a steak dinner for making sure nothing else mysteriously uh, spontaneously combusted?

Not sure I what to jump up and down just yet, BUT, the transmission yoke don't leak and the alternator belt is staying on.
Got the new PROM for the computer. Then I had a VSS low code. The wiring harness didn't have a pin in the plug for that (A10) So I found a pin (not the right one) that worked.
Replaced the 'new' A/C compressor that lockup with another (they did warranty it) along with one of the hoses and the dash air is working now.
The engine? I'm still chasing a bug or two. First one is a vacuum leak I haven't found. Will be taking the TB off to check and see if I put the wrong bolt in it. One bolt, if in the wrong place, will hold the adapter plate up to the intake. Least that's something I did wrong before.
Did buy a new box of kitchen matches.... Just in case of an emergency