276 stroker from 35 years of parts

[Bored&Stroked]

Yeah - I wish I had a big lathe to do this type of work in. Any time you weld, the weld will "pull" the material as it cools - just a fact of life. Hopefully you can straighten it as you get it tacked in place.

Make sure you tack weld it 180 degrees apart - one side to the other. Straighten it between tacks. I'd tack it in at least 4 places before any longer welds and I'd alternate back and forth on the longer welds. It will still move . . .

I think you'll get it sorted out - will just take some screwing around with it!

[glennpm]

An expansion on B&S's input.


https://axisfab.com/weld-shrinkage/

[GB SISSON]

Thanks for the faith Skip, Dale and Glenn and of course Pete for the pics. I really appreciate the tips on the tack welding stage. It would be very disheartening to see it move around that much, but now I know what to expect. My thought would be to do the plug welds first, then the joint. At the joint I think I will form the 'ring' or shim in a couple of sections so I don't have to take it all apart again. If I tap it in a little deep, perhaps 1/16 or so, I'm hoping I can weld all three members together at once after the initial tacks. The shaft is about 1 1/2" too long for my wood lathe, but I have some big F clamps with fine thread and so my plan is to use a clamp down to the H beam for post weld straightening. There are times when I wish I could play like the other kids and just dial up the driveshaft shop in Bellingham......

[cadillac512]

But if you just called up the driveshaft shop all of us critics would be out of work!

[GB SISSON]

Many will be happy to hear I recieved a call this morning from the contractor I'm currently building cabinets for. He of course wanted to know what their status was and If they will be ready to install this week as there's a guy coming from the mainland to template them for countertops. Uh, yeah, of course. I didn't mention I was just getting started on my driveshaft. Instead I washed my greasy hands went on up to the the cabinetshop. By 3 o'clock I had already made enough money to call the driveline shop in Bellingham. They said they should be able to ship it out on Thursday and I'd have it by friday. Complete with 'store bought' U joints and a new S-10 yoke with no grooves in it. It don't take but country smarts to know when enough is enough. Can I go out after dinner and continue assembling my engine now?

[Bored&Stroked]

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I think you made a very smart choice! Also, they will balance it . . . which is not a bad idea either.

[cadillac512]

Well, see how you are? Felt good too after having to make everything else I'll bet. Could be Island Country Smarts.

[cas3]

Good choice I believe too. Shafts are tricky, need to be true and balanced, hard for us home builders. I've made a few, had some good ones, and some shakers. Carry on

[GB SISSON]

Once I got past the 'I'm a quitter' stage I felt pretty good, ok, really good. Thanks my friends! . I just went down and installed my water pumps. All stainless fastenings, Drakes pumps with the ball bearings and curvaceous impellers. Light smear of permatex both side of gaskets, and of course some on the threads. That felt good too. I will indeed carry on. Even if it's in between installing drawer slides.

[GB SISSON]

Marsden lock nuts are on the rods and torqued to 50 and oil pump in so it's time for the pan. After that, the intake and the heads. For heads I have copper coat spray. What you guys recomend on pan gasket, and also intake gasket as far as sealer, and both sides?

[tubman]

I make sure my heads are flat and surfaced properly and only use grease when I install them. I've never had a problem, and you can re-use the gaskets if necessary.

I'm a cheapskate, and a set of decent gaskets is damn near $100 these days (including freight). Actually, the only sealer I use on gaskets is a dab on the end of the rope seals.

[38 coupe]

I used to use copper coat on both sides of all head gaskets. Over the years I kept talking to friends that use grease instead with no problems. I would try what tubman suggests.


Use a thin film of grease on both sides of the intake gasket, allows you to pull the intake with no worries later on (I was glad I did this once when I dropped a carb retaining nut down the open intake and had to pull the intake to retrieve the nut). Oil pan gasket I usually put a thin layer of sealer on one side to hold the gasket in place and a thin film of grease on the other side in case I need to pull the pan later for any reason.

[GB SISSON]

Thanks, consider them on! My heads were not surfaced, but I never have before and with eight V8s over the years, never had a leaker (at the heads). At this point I don't want to re-dome my heads. When I was removing material for the quench area I read that the copper big bore Best gaskets were thicker than the comp, so I ordered them. Something like 185.000 before shipping! But I later read that they squish way down to the same .052ish thickness as the comp. Here's my thought on the matter. For insurance, would it be beneficial to spray the gaskets with copper coat, let them dry fully and then install them with grease? Belt and suspenders?

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Once I got past the 'I'm a quitter' stage I felt pretty good, ok, really good. Thanks my friends! . I just went down and installed my water pumps. All stainless fastenings, Drakes pumps with the ball bearings and curvaceous impellers. Light smear of permatex both side of gaskets, and of course some on the threads. That felt good too. I will indeed carry on. Even if it's in between installing drawer slides.

Sure you know but a reminder just in case - use anti seize on all the stainless fasteners.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by 51504bat

Sure you know but a reminder just in case - use anti seize on all the stainless fasteners.

Well I guess I didn't know that one. I have heard of galling so I will remedy that right away. Remove the permatex and replace with anti-seize? Or keep tne permatex on the treads for leakage? Thanks. And on the head gasket question I have been thinking it's not really fair or proper for me to ask about sealing with an un-milled head. It's a tough question to answer as amount of warp or surface flaws are certainly not a given.. As they say on the tv ads 'results will vary'. I have a neighbor with a 6" x 36" square Starrett surface plate. I may run over there after he gets home from work and give them a test.

[51504bat]

When I did my 8ba, only anti seize on the bolts and #2 Permatex on the water pump gaskets, pump side only. Others may have different thoughts.

[GB SISSON]

If I were to pull the stnls pump bolts, leave the permatex on them but apply some anti sieze over that would I then be using perma sieze? No, but seriously folks, instead of taking the heads to the neighbor's place and laying them on his ultra flat surface, here's a thought....How about I set a couple of postage stamp size pieces of shim stock or mylar on the deck at the end of each head, midway top to bottom, put a headbolt in each corner with a light spring under the bolt head, hand tighten and go around with a feeler gauge? We know the block was just decked. I think this should tell me what I need to know. Oh and I wolfed down a sandwich and installed the intake and pan during my lunch hour.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

If I were to pull the stnls pump bolts, leave the permatex on them but apply some anti sieze over that would I then be using perma sieze? No, but seriously folks, instead of taking the heads to the neighbor's place and laying them on his ultra flat surface, here's a thought....How about I set a couple of postage stamp size pieces of shim stock or mylar on the deck at the end of each head, midway top to bottom, put a headbolt in each corner with a light spring under the bolt head, hand tighten and go around with a feeler gauge? We know the block was just decked. I think this should tell me what I need to know. Oh and I wolfed down a sandwich and installed the intake and pan during my lunch hour.

[cas3]

Hey GB, did you mark an accurate TDC mark before you put the heads on?

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by cas3

Hey GB, did you mark an accurate TDC mark before you put the heads on?

No Skip I did not... Good idea though and actually the heads aren't on, they are just setting on there with no gaskets, held by a couple of long studs with a few head bolts. Was just getting a look at my color scheme to see if it was too gawdy. It's close.