276 stroker from 35 years of parts

[cas3]

You have a lathe, forget hacking an old socket, make the bushing/spacer you need on the lathe. Darn kids...you gotta teach em everything.

[GB SISSON]

Geekers Skip, do I have to do EVERYTHING the hard way? The socket was just grab and go. Besides it's hardened. And while I was gyping out with an offshore socket for a spacer I decided to just make a couple of intersecting cuts in the alternator on the bandsaw instead of altering the bracket. There is still tons to do if we are gonna drive this old sled this summer. There's a little heat left in the shop's stove so even though it's ten pm I'm gonna go shoot some parts with primer so they are ready for tomorrow. My youngest son said if their jobsite gets rained out tomorrow (likely) he'll come work with me and we can start taking parts off the woodie. Thinking we just take the front clip off in one piece. Then that becomes our run stand. Will also make better access for fabbing a T-5 crossmember and all that transmission stuff. The missus is doing a couple 24 hr shifts this week so like tonight it's a bit of midnight oil. Sleep is over-rated and I'm at the fun part besides!

[cas3]

Running the lathe is similar to when you make that exactly perfect within a 64th square cut for some wood cabinet project that fits perfect and gives you a smile. You will have the same smile when your spacer is dead on true and exactly the size you want without grinder snot flying around your engine shop.

I know on the island materials may be hard to come by, but back in my working days doing finish grading for an asphalt company, we sometimes worked on the parking lot at industrial parks and the first thing I would do is check the dumpster if there were any machine shops there. CNC screw machines always leave about an 8" chunk of round stock that goes in the scrap, and I never had anyone tell me no when I asked for a handful. Keep that in mind when you get on the mainland

[GB SISSON]

As often happens after the late night manic episode I went down this morning to find I really need to move the alternator back maybe 3/16". I have my pumps on with a couple bolts and same with intake for a mockup, but I don't have a belt that fits so it;s hard to stand back and see the alignment. This morning I set a too long belt over the alt, around the pumps and hung a heavy pipe wrench onto the bottom of the belt, making sure it too was in position. Then I could see my error. Easy fix on long side, but a shorter socket is too small in dia, so it's lathe bushing time. And Skip "you told me so". Now I said it so you don't have to.
I switched out the 17" fan blade for the straighter 18"one. That whole assembly is a true work of art and engineering. The 8 fine thread bolts with the four special 'nuts', the oil bath shaft bearing, it's all just so well made. My marsden rod nuts are scheduled for delivery today as is my cam gear lock plate so I should be able to install pan and timing cover next. I don't see any vaseline around and I wonder about my old standby, the JD cornhead grease for packing the oil pump. Thoughts? Heads are primed with rustoleum high heat grey primer, will prime intake next. Third cup of coffee kicking in, time to turn some wrenches.

[Mart]

I'd say no on the cornhead grease. You could just put some thicker oil in it like gearbox oil or even chainsaw bar and chain oil. Or just plain oil.

Mart.

[cadillac512]

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Originally Posted by Mart

I'd say no on the cornhead grease. You could just put some thicker oil in it like gearbox oil or even chainsaw bar and chain oil. Or just plain oil.

Mart.

Agreed. Or like you suggested before, STP. Any thick petro based oil that'll hang on the gears will do just fine.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by cadillac512

Agreed. Or like you suggested before, STP. Any thick petro based oil that'll hang on the gears will do just fine.

Thanks Mart and Terry. I have some bar and chain oil and some lucas oil stabilizer that's thick and stringy like stp. I'll mix up a cocktail with those two and introduce it into the pump. I did end up making Skip his bushing/spacer and it is indeed both. First time I ever used the lathe to drill a hole. I found a piece of 7/8" round stock and bored a 5/16" hole through it. After probably 60 years of drilling holes in steel it was like the world changed in an instant. The slingshot is drilled on both ears with a 3/8" hole even though these alternators have one side threaded for a 5/16 bolt. Never liked that slop so my spacer incorporates a pilot bushing to fix that at the same time. The reason my fan has yellow paint on the ends of the blades is because I'm gonna mask off for an inch or two of yellow and then paint the fan black. I think I saw that on a P-51.....

[Mart]

Nice work. The lathe is an essential tool. You don't realise how essential until you have one. I've been doing a twin carb conversion and have been using my lathe and milling machine a lot lately.

[GB SISSON]

I bought the lathe around first of January, but was in the middle of a complete shop remodel, turning a ramshackle storage space into what now looks like a ramshackle machine shop. But at least it has lots of tools, lots of space and best of all a wood stove and some insulation. All it lacks is a machinest, but after this woodie is back on the road I intend to get serious about learning more. I recently bought a heavy boring bar holder on ebay and had to trim 3 parts of it to work with my lathe's dimensions. I recently made some driveshaft parts for the upcoming T-5 swap.

[glennpm]

Originally Posted by Mart

I'd say no on the cornhead grease. You could just put some thicker oil in it like gearbox oil or even chainsaw bar and chain oil. Or just plain oil.

Mart.

I too would just use bar and chain or heavy oil. You could put a dollop of regular grease in the pickup tube to stop drain out of the oil you add. I wouldn't use STP.

For my present motor, I pre-primed it. I had a SBC pump from which I connected clear hose and piped it into the back of the block, oil return port. I restrained the pump to a 5 gallon bucket from Lowe's and then used an air drill to pump in 5 quarts, watching the oil pressure.
The air drill had good torque, better than a 3/8" drill.


Glenn

[cas3]

Nice machine job there GB! When you even do extra steps like chamfer the edge, that means you are having fun!

[flatford8]

Originally Posted by cas3

Nice machine job there GB! When you even do extra steps like chamfer the edge, that means you are having fun!

I think he’s showing off now !!....LOL.....Nice job !.....Mark

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Thanks Mart and Terry. I have some bar and chain oil and some lucas oil stabilizer that's thick and stringy like stp. I'll mix up a cocktail with those two and introduce it into the pump. I did end up making Skip his bushing/spacer and it is indeed both. First time I ever used the lathe to drill a hole. I found a piece of 7/8" round stock and bored a 5/16" hole through it. After probably 60 years of drilling holes in steel it was like the world changed in an instant. The slingshot is drilled on both ears with a 3/8" hole even though these alternators have one side threaded for a 5/16 bolt. Never liked that slop so my spacer incorporates a pilot bushing to fix that at the same time. The reason my fan has yellow paint on the ends of the blades is because I'm gonna mask off for an inch or two of yellow and then paint the fan black. I think I saw that on a P-51.....

[cadillac512]

Look great-nice spacer/adapter. My Nippondenso alt mounts on the backside since I'm running the short pumps.

[GB SISSON]

You guys are really making this Fun. Too bad the gawdam mailman won't bring any of the stuff I'm waiting for. At least two of the items are floating around some depot in Seattle. Since I can't install the pan or timing cover maybe I'll pull that carb outa the berrymans and put the kit in it. Gotta keep the momentum going.When the rod nuts arrive and I install the pan should I use sealant on one side of the pan gasket? If so, which side? Oh and the dog turd rope seals in the front are the old time white ones, I should get them soaking in oil. To be continued

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by cadillac512

Look great-nice spacer/adapter. My Nippondenso alt mounts on the backside since I'm running the short pumps.

[GB SISSON]

Terry, somehow you break all the rules. What's this about you're running the short pumps? We've all been told we need the long ones for an 8ba into an older car. It looks like you have an idler pulling the belt down outa the way so the distributer can poke through? I'm seeing some 'country smarts' under that hood of yours!.