81 Malibu "Uncaged" Performance Therapy project thread

[NOT A TA]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/pt_winnerswhats_hot9image-1.jpg

Several months ago I won a contest called, "The Performance Therapy Online Photo Contest" http://www.performancetherapycontest.com/ organized by John Hotchkis. The winning photograph of me in my Firebird was taken by my bud John Hendrick at the famous Sebring Road Race track. As the Grand prize winner of the contest I am recieving products from Hotchkis Sport Suspension, Baer Brakes, Flowmaster, MSD, Rushforth Wheels, Yokohama tires, Lifeline Fire Systems, Redline synthetic oils, and Hot Wheels.

Since my Firebird already has a Hotchkis suspension, MSD ignition, and sidepipes (which I like) I'm going to use some of the prizes to give my Malibu some much needed Performance Therapy. During the 15 years or so since I paid a whopping $300.00 for the bu I've used it on and off as a DD and slowly fixed it up a little at a time until about 5 years ago when I decided to repaint it again. It hasn't been driven much since then mostly due to an idiot keeping it for a couple years which some of you may have read about already here. https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63796 And after that I moved far away which was a huge nightmare and at one point I was so fed up I didn't even look at the bu for a whole year.

With 70,000 miles on the car currently, it still has the original unmolested 229 V6 auto combo and all stock suspension except for a rear swaybar I got off of a parts car. So this is going to be an awesome upgrade I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. I've just about finished reassembling the exterior of the car and just need to put a new Landau vinyl top (I like them) back on.

The Plan:
I've got a '70 350 4 bolt engine from a C-20 that was rebuilt by my brother almost 30 years ago but never fired. According to the note on the engine it was magnafluxed and decked, bored .030, has a 3 angle valve job, double roller timing chain, ported head, and a ported intake refered to as an "inverted high rise" which I never heard of. That is all I know (or will know) about it.

I'll be installing that engine with the stock trans and rear by using the MSD prize to set up the ignition, the Flowmaster prize for the exhaust (the new stainless system coming out in a couple weeks), and the Hotchkis prize will cover the suspension and steering. Should turn out pretty cool!

Ideally I'd pull the engine apart and give it the once over with new assembly lube etc. before installing but thats not going to happen. This has to be done on an extremely limited budget and pretty quickly. I've got a few carbs hanging around and I'm hoping I can make one of them work. As it is I think I'll need to upgrade the radiator? and find a V8 fan shroud plus probably a few other odds and ends along the way. This is a grassroots type effort, no media blasting, powder coating or any other costly unnecessary expenses can be done at this time. If a hose or belt can be reused it will be. Anything that comes off that can be sold to help offset expenses will be. The engine compartment will get the infamous "Krylon Touch" to give it a neat clean appearance.

I started recieving the Hotchkis products today so I figured I'd start this thread and let everyone follow along and I'll update while I progress. Here's the list of Hotchkis stuff I'll be using. And I know I need to switch spindles to use the kit.

TVS kit with Extreme swaybars
Steering rebuild kit
Ball joint kit
Tubular upper A arms
Bilstein shocks
Air bag kit

Here's a few pics of the car. The dormant mouse that will be installed can be seen on an engine stand in the corner in the 1st pic.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/11/81Malibu022-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu107-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

During the weekly chat a member here (Yoda4561) dubbed the Malibu "Uncaged" since the rollbar had to be removed. So thats where the name came from.

After coming up with a plan to awaken the dormant mouse thats been sitting on an engine stand for almost 30 years I discussed it with my buds Stewart and Dan at "The Machine Shop" in Delray Beach near my house. They thought I was crazy and that I should just bring the engine over to the shop and tear it apart, clean out all the gummed up prelube, check over everything in the engine, then lube everything up again. I know it's the right thing to do but I can't spend anything on it. They assured me that they had extra gaskets etc. kicking around I could use to put it back together if I needed any. That was a very nice offer on their part knowing I have no money to spend. (I'll help them out with stuff at the shop so I don't feel like a user.) So I guess thats the route I'll take. It'll be a little more work that takes time and effort but it will reduce the chances of me harming the engine on start up or having to yank the engine back out. I'll get the engine over to the shop this week and maybe have time to take it apart.

One of the prizes from the Performance Therapy contest was a selection of Redline fluids. So I'd asked for assembly lube along with the rest of the fluids I'll need for this car. Hopefully the Redline products will show up this week.

[srh3trinity]

Awesome, now we will get double the build threads. Sounds like two cool cars are going to get even better.

[Smock67]

I saw you other thread on the "cage", if you can call it that. Anyhow with everything you and this car have been through I'm glad you won the grand prize. Its nice to see people who deserve to win these types of contests actually win. I will be following this thread for sure.

[NOT A TA]

Thanks guys! It'll be a fun project. Probably a little fustrating at some points due to the budget for this car but it'll be kinda like it was back when I was building cars in high school (although the Malibu wasn't even built when I was in high school! LOL).

Here's a familiar sight in many garages. An old school engine put together for a project that was abandoned sits in a corner. This one had been assembled at roughly the same time the Malibu was sold as new!!! Luckily for this engine it may get a chance to breathe again (pending inspection). Today I got things out of the way to make room in the garage to do the swap, took a few pics, and dug out the engine hoist.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu121-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu119-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu120-1.jpg

[jackfrost]

cool build... looking forward to see it come together. I'm glad you decided to check the motor out. it shouldn't cost too much time or money to take it apart and put it back together...

[John Wright]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu120-1.jpg


OH yeah, SBC powerer cart...that is going to be cool.....LOL

j/k, I know the old skool mill is for the Malibu

[cheapthrillz]

Awesome news John! I didn't know if you were going to use your winnings on The 14 car or not....

Uncaged should be ahead of the game as a budget build. Decided on what systems you are going to run from your winnings or do you have a choice?

[NOT A TA]

Awesome news John! I didn't know if you were going to use your winnings on The 14 car or not....

Uncaged should be ahead of the game as a budget build. Decided on what systems you are going to run from your winnings or do you have a choice?

The 14 Car already has a MSD ignition system and Hotchkis suspension. I have a couple other cars that always seem to take a backseat to the Firebird and so this was a perfect opportunity to do something with one those cars. I've been working on the Malibu the past couple months buffing out the new paint, cutting out the rollbar, and reassembling it. After talking to John Hotchkis for a while one day about what car(s) to use the prizes on I decided to use the Hotchkis, MSD, and Flowmaster products on the Malibu as one project. The other project is to use the Rushforths, Baers, and Yokohamas on The 14 Car.

As for choices, I ask for what I would like and have a use for and recieve whatever the companies feel like sending. LOL I've spoken with reps from each company and asked for their product recommendations based on my use of each car. As an example when I spoke with the guys at Baer about brakes for The 14 Car I told them I'm not a show guy. Cross drilled, slotted, zinc washed etc. is stuff I don't really care about. What I need is brakes that I can use for track days that will provide the best performance and last the longest. Performance and maintenance becomes more important if you frequent the track regularly. We'll see what they send.

As I mentioned earlier one of the prizes from the Performance Therapy contest was a gift pack from REDLINE Synthetic Oil. I recieved a shipment from REDLINE yesterday with engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, engine break in additive, water wetter, lead substitute, and rear end gear oil as well as a T-shirt, hat and stickers! So I'm set for fluids for the new engine and also got some things I use in other cars like lead substitute. The product packaging looked really nice so I decided to set a up little display in front of the car and take some pics. Thanks REDLINE!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu123-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/81Malibu126-1.jpg

[srh3trinity]

That is a substantial gift pack from Redline. This contest is paying great dividends for you.

[first64]

John,

I don't know if you've thought about it but you can get a dual electric fan out of a concord(and like vehicles) from the JY, they fit well and should fit your budget. I can try and find the years to look for if you like.

[twosaturns]

I'm sure you are aware, don't use the redline oil for break in of the old/new engine.
real cool win for you! I'll be paying attention to how this goes together, I had a 4th gen 'bu back in the day that I never got to build the way I liked, so this is cool.

[NOT A TA]

John,

I don't know if you've thought about it but you can get a dual electric fan out of a concord(and like vehicles) from the JY, they fit well and should fit your budget. I can try and find the years to look for if you like.

That may be an option. I need to do some research on what I need to change so that the cooling system will support the bigger engine and fit in the engine compartment with the extra couple cylinders.

[NOT A TA]

I'm sure you are aware, don't use the redline oil for break in of the old/new engine.
real cool win for you! I'll be paying attention to how this goes together, I had a 4th gen 'bu back in the day that I never got to build the way I liked, so this is cool.

Yes I'm aware, but thanks for reminding me to elaborate on the issue a bit for the young folks or those new to the hobby watching this thread. Even though this isn't some big power engine combination it is still important to "break in" the engine correctly.

It's recommended that most rebuilt engines are broken in using traditional petroleum based oils with an additive containing ZDPP (Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate). Chemical engineers who know much more about these things than we do say it's important and thats good enough for me! There are lots of opinions about the specifics involved in "break in" concerning engine speeds, length of time, oil weights etc. but the basics are similar. Redlines recommended "break in" procedure from the frequently asked questions page of their website is pasted below.


Q: Can I break-in my engine on Red Line motor oil?

For peformance engines, we recommend using conventional 10w30 motor oil to ensure proper piston ring seating. We recommend using this oil in combonation with our Engine Oil Break In Additive, which features the antiwear chemicals necessary to protect valve train components like camshafts, rollers, and tappets. Though most conventional oils are missing the important antiwear components that you find in Red Line's synthetic motor oils, the conventional oil is not as slick as Red Line and will allow the piston rings to seat more quickly. If you allow 1500 to 2000 miles in a street engine or 20 to 30 minutes on the dyno at low rpm, the rings will have had sufficient time to seat and the high initial break-in wear will have occurred. For new road cars, always follow the manufacturer recommendations and initial oil change recommendations for break-in.

[twosaturns]

it's cool redline puts that out there on the website.

[first64]

That may be an option. I need to do some research on what I need to change so that the cooling system will support the bigger engine and fit in the engine compartment with the extra couple cylinders.

Not much is needed, you'll need V8 mounts and brackets(clamshells), radiator hoses for a V8 car. I really can't think of anything else, maybe check the fuel line diameter and maybe the front springs if the front sags too much.

You will need to change out the radiator to support the 350, they still carry them at the parts store. For almost the same cost you can get a aluminum universal one from Griffen (4 row IIRC)

[Tig]

Very nice, looks great.
What kind of kart is that?

[NOT A TA]

Not much is needed, you'll need V8 mounts and brackets(clamshells), radiator hoses for a V8 car. I really can't think of anything else, maybe check the fuel line diameter and maybe the front springs if the front sags too much.

You will need to change out the radiator to support the 350, they still carry them at the parts store. For almost the same cost you can get a aluminum universal one from Griffen (4 row IIRC)

first64: Thanks for the info. I'll have to scrounge around to see what I can find. Front springs along with all of the suspension will be new Hotchkis stuff as part of the prizes from the Performance Therapy contest.
Tig: It's a flat Kart but the fiberglass body isn't on it. It's for sale. Could be yours!
__________________________________________________ _________

The morning after the last post my home was burglarized and among the missing items was my computer so needless to say my Malibu project "Uncaged" had to take a backseat temporarily. They got about about $3,000.00 worth of stuff and I don't have regular insurance because of the last burglarly (long story) so it's been difficult getting online and getting camera issues straightened out.

Anyway, I got the engine out to bring over to the machine shop and after taking a closer look at it found it's not a fresh (older) rebuild. So we went straight to plan B! I've had a 350 4 bolt block, crank, rods, and some .040 over forged pistons I've been saying I'd get to sometime (also dragging around the country! LOL) Well now's the time! I donated the complete engine and a couple sets of heads to the machine shop. Can't believe I dragged that engine around the country for years and never looked in the exhaust ports or spark plug holes till now!

So I'm going to work part time at the shop along with the donated parts in exchange for machining and instruction on bulding the engine. I'm pretty psyched actually, because although I've been a car guy my whole life I've never assembled a whole automobile engine!

The top pic below is when I was getting ready to transport the engine and realized it wasn't "fresh". I should have pulled the rags, got my glasses, and looked inside the engine 4-5 years ago! And no, Although it looks like we might, we didn't put it in the trunk! Although, I do admit I did it in the 70's and 80's sometimes! Meanwhile another one of the prizes showed up to brighten the day! So the bottom pic is a huge selection of Hot Wheels products that arrived.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN0007-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN0006-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN0012-1.jpg

[twosaturns]

ARE YOU FRIGGIN' SERIOUS???? they gave you ALL that stuff???
I am SO friggin jealous right now! I can't beleive they reintroduced the Sizzlers race track! me and my brothers had one of those, hadn't seen one in 30 years!
Dude, you have to let us know if you are going to unload any of that stuff!

[stealth71]

Looks like it's time for Chevellabration. They opened it up for late models this year.

[ZuperZport]

Congrats on all the loot you won!

You could have a second career as a product-set-up-guy. Your pictures are awesome........nice job!

[NOT A TA]

Congrats on all the loot you won!

You could have a second career as a product-set-up-guy. Your pictures are awesome........nice job!

Thanks! Set-up-guy for hire!!!! I need a 1st career right now! LOL I gave up my old life as a retail store owner of 30 years to move south and fullfill a car guy dream of being close to a lot of tracks while being able to use the cars year round. I started the process before the economy tanked. You can imagine the rest. Thats why this project is being done on a shoestring budget. So without any further depressing info, here's my latest product-set-up!

The Hotchkis products have been arriving. Just a few more parts and I'll be ready to start the suspension transformation. Worked on the interior today getting it back together. It's a shame the rollbar deal didn't work out and I had to cut it all out. Now I have solid back seats without a bar, not the safest combo. I'll also have to put something in for seatbelts since there isn't a harness bar anymore. I removed the last couple stubs of the rollbar tubing today and started putting the carpet etc. back in. It's been apart so long I had forgotten about the clips that had broken taking it apart. I'll have to chase down some interior trim clips screws and other fasteners this week. Here's the Hotchkis goodies I've recieved so far.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN00031-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN00051-1.jpg

[CruizinKev]

very nice parts! I'm also looking for these for my MC :)

[NOT A TA]

Talk to Frank at Prodigy Kev, he sells Hotchkis and deals with overseas guys all the time.

[NOT A TA]

I worked at the machine shop for a few hours tonight cleaning customers heads after they came out of the washing machine. After I was done with the regular work I gave my '73 993 castings a quick once over with a wire wheel so we could magnaflux them when we did the customers heads.

A couple of the customer heads I was cleaning up were lightweight castings which tend to crack between the middle chambers. Two of the heads had already been repaired in the past by another shop and will be repaired again. The customers heads had easily visable cracks so it made it nice for me to take pics showing how magnafluxing works.

First pic: My workspace. OK new guy, here's a bunch of heads, a drill, and a bunch of wire wheels, scrapers and other various implements to clean heads. Make um pretty! In the pic are my heads, no they haven't been cleaned yet. Just wire wheeled enough for magnafluxing in the chamber areas.

Second pic: Bad news for me. One of my heads has a small crack by an exhaust valve. The pic's out of focus but you can see the line. We'll have to make a decision to pin the crack and install a new valve seat or seek another head or pair of heads. Good thing we checked them before washing and thoroughly cleaning them.

Third pic: For those who never witnessed Magnafluxing this is how its done. Electromagnet is located so the area you want to test is located between the posts. Then some "magic dust" (in my best Cheech impersonation) is puffed ofer the area to be checked and the dust jumps right to the crack. Even if the crack is very small (like the one on my head) it will show right up. The crack in this pic was easily seen by the naked eye but it made for a nice easy pic to display the process. The lightweight head in the pic had been sleeved for the bolt hole previously so thats why theres a circle of magic dust around it. The dust knows it as a crack. This head will be pinned to repair the crack. If the opportunity arizes to get pics of "pinning" sometime I'll get some.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN00022-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN00032-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN00042-1.jpg

[Gitter Dun]

John, congradulations on winning the Grand Prize, I will be looking forward to following this thread.

[John Wright]

Re: magnetic partical testing(magnafluxing)

Be sure to orient the legs of your probe 90° to the direction that you have already inspected to make sure that there are not any other cracks hiding from you.

[NOT A TA]

Ummmm...... Ya, crackheads......there're everywhere. Anyway....

Been a while, so I'm going to bring this thread up to date. I've been working several nights a week and one or two days on the weekends at the machine shop. Learning a lot, and it helps them out to have me doing a lot of the "grunt" work.

I've been on hold with the Malibu suspension upgrade due to waiting on parts for another project that has to be done first. However I've been getting things ready to build the new engine for uncaged. I found another 993 head in the shop to use as a replacement for my cracked one and cut them both for screw in studs.

I figured I'd post up a little exercise on how to replace pressed in rocker arm studs with screw in ones that guide plates and hotter cams can be used with. I know there's lots of guys here who know much more than I ever will about this stuff but for the young guys learning and those new to the car hobby this may answer some questions.

The first step is to solidly mount the head to the drill press table so you can work on it without smashing your foot.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0011-1.jpg

The next step is to remove the pressed in studs. There's an old fashioned tool (pictured) I'll be using, and a newer style (real expensive) power tool I wish I was using. After soaking the studs with penetratring fluid and tapping (banging) the studs with a hammer and brass drift, 2 big wrenches are used on the tool to draw the stud out of the head. Lots of muscles needed!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0131-1.jpg

Next the holes for oil drainback are drilled out to increase flow. No need for the holes to be perfect so just line them up pretty straight and drill. You can see the holes on the left of the pic below have been drilled and the oval holes on the right are next.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0031-1.jpg

The next step is to get the stud holes aligned with the drill press. The stud holes need to be aligned with the drill press so the holes will remain straight and the rocker arm studs will all be perpendicular to the original stud bosses. This is done by inserting a straight rod which a level can be attached to into the stud hole then adjusting the work table till the level is correct so the hole in the head for the stud will line up perfectly straight with the drill bits and other cutting tools used in the drill press.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0051-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

The highest cast stud boss is located by using a straight edge across the top of all of the stud bosses. Then a tool which is set to account for the thickness of the base of the "screw in" stud (the nut part) and the spring seats is used to cut down the casting. The tool automaticly stops cutting at the preset depth. Once the first one is cut the drill press is set so that it will not allow the other bosses to be cut lower even though their original "top" is not as high as the first one is. Follow? This way the guide plates will all be level and the studs will be level. This is much more acurate than the factory setup. Below is the cutting tool used to cut the stud posses down.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0081-1.jpg

After the bosses have been cut the remaining part used to "guide" the cutting tool must also be removed so a different cutting tool is used to remove the remaining metal till it's flush. There is no preset stops involved in this procedure. It's up to the machine operator to make it perfect. Which of course I did as shown in the photo below. LOL

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0091-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Once the stud bosses are cut down the hole for the stud is chamfered with a tool in the drill press. This makes it easier to line up the tap which will cut the threads.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0101-1.jpg

Then a tap with the correct threads to match the screw in studs is used in the drill press to cut most of the threads. After checking the depth of the stud hole we decided to cut the last few threads by hand with a bottoming tap so as not to risk injury to the heads. Both tools are shown in the pic below.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0111-1.jpg

A screw in stud like the ones that will be installed during final assembly is used to check all the holes and make sure everything is good. Then take this head off the table, get the other one, and start all over!! LOL

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/81Malibu0121-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Next up is some mild port work to blend in the bowls. A carbide tipped grinder is used to remove enough metal to get rid of extra material that disturbs flow to the valves under the seat area. In the first pic the intake on the right has been ground while the left is untouched. The second pic shows a closer look before a grinding stone is used to smooth out the rough surface left by the carbide bit and the original factory casting.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/0064-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/0074-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Since I'm on a "no budget" sort of build up here, I made a deal to clean up a set of BBC headers for someone in exchange for a set of SBC headers that should fit the malibu. Both sets of headers were rusty from neglect but with some elbow grease I think they look pretty good and will work out fine for my application.
Here's "my" headers with one wire wheeled to get the major stuff off. After this pic I took them to the shop and sand blasted them to clean them up some more and get into the nooks and crannies the wire wheel couldn't get. I did one at a time so I could get pics of the full effect some cleaning and paint can have with a before and after pic at the end.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/0053-1.jpg

Next up was some Eastwood stainless steel high heat paint. Choice of paint was due to it being the only high heat paint I had hanging around and the lack of a budget. Oh ya, I cleaned the insides as well with wire brushes.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/0141-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/015-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/049-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Since I'm finally bringing this thread up to date I also got started on the crank for the 357 going in the Malibu.

In this pic the crank is set up in a machine that will slowly rotate the crank. I took the pic after I started cleaning one of the bearing surfaces so you could see the difference after a little cleaning. The crank had been left standing with no protective oil on it and started to rust. Totaly my fault, I just forgot about it the past couple years because I was busy with other things and it's humid where I live.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/machineshop001-1.jpg

In this pic the machine with the belt on it is used for cleaning, sanding, and polishing the bearing surfaces. In the pic there's a velcro belt on and I'm using it to clean the rust off the surfaces.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/machineshop002-1.jpg

This pic shows an oiling hole I've chamfered with a grinding stone to provide better oiling to the bearings. Since the oiling holes are on an angle, the hole is opened up a little on the side the oil is coming from to provide that side of the bearing better lubrication. The chamfered edges will be rounded a little more with a very small round file by hand to smooth the sharp edges before more work is done to the crank.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/machineshop003-1.jpg

[Gitter Dun]

Must be nice having that equipment at your disposal. Bout time you got started on that car.

[NOT A TA]

Yes it is nice to have all the equipment. But the best thing is having an experienced machinist to teach me. Things should start coming together pretty soon. Like any project all the work is in the prep.

[Gitter Dun]

Awesome thread by the way, appreciate you taking the time to post your steps in detail.

[TonyHuntimer]

Meanwhile another one of the prizes showed up to brighten the day! So the bottom pic is a huge selection of Hot Wheels products that arrived.



https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/DSCN0006-1.jpg



That's fricken cool! I knew I should have entered! DOH!

Congratulations! Nice product shots too!

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[NOT A TA]

That's fricken cool! I knew I should have entered! DOH!

Congratulations! Nice product shots too!

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

I gave away almost all of the Hot Wheels stuff. My bud that took the pic I used for the contest, workers at my local tire, paint, parts, and machine shops as well as friend that helped me get the Firebird project going almost 20 years ago, a family member, and a couple Hot Wheels fanatics on a forum I frequent all got goodie boxes. I only kept a couple for myself. It was fun giving them out! And they all loved getting them.

[chaz75]

very cool of you to do that. thats neat to do for your friends. Chaz

[youngdeezy]

now thats what i like to hear and see. you sharing the love giving out gifts will only bring you good karma. this build should be really nice....i would have went crazy if i had a complete hotchkis deal like that.

[NOT A TA]

Had to take a couple months off the project to get other stuff done, but I'm back on it! Scrounged around the machine shop and put together a set of Manley valves from miscellaneous leftovers. They are 2.02 intakes and 1.60 exhaust and are the correct length. Some new and some used so I cleaned up the used ones and polished the stems. Then "cut" the valves. Since the 1.6's are bigger than stock the heads will be cut for new valve seats.

Cutting valves themselves involves grinding the correct angle on the face that contacts the seat and then chamfering the top the stem and cutting the tip flat. For this engine 44.5 degrees is the angle of the face where it contacts the seat. Here's a pic of the machine we use. It's an older machine and we rotate the valve by hand to do the seat angle and the bevel on the tip. In the pic the valve is set for making the bevel on the tip which is done dry. The 44.5 angle on the head is made with the grinding stone on the other side of the machine and is done with lube that flows onto it while grinding. Forgot to get a pic of grinding the angle on the valve heads.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357001-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

With a set of valves ready now, it's time to check the valve guides. Shop technique for this is to put a valve through a guide and wiggle it to feel how much play there is. Then put a finger over one end of the guide, insert a valve stem till it hits the finger, then pull the valve out quickly to listen for a pop caused by the suction. After checking all of the ones in my heads we decided the valve guides wouldn't need to be replaced but needed a bit of work to tighten them up a bit. This is done with a "sipraler".

A spiraler cuts a groove into the inside of the guide without removing any metal. By deforming the metal it causes the inside diameter of the guide to be reduced and also allows path for lubrication. After the spiraler is run through the guide a ream which is the correct diameter for the valve being used is then run through the guide. Both tools are run down from the top and drop out the bottom so the head needs to be up on stands.

Pic below is a spiraler bit and a drill with a gear deduction so the work can be done at slow bit speeds. No pressure is used just the weight of the tool is enough. A couple drops of cutting lube are used during spiraling.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357003-1.jpg

In the pic below you can see the grooves cut into the inside the valve guides by the spiraler and the ream being used to make the inside of the guide straight and the correct diameter. No more lube needs to be put in before reaming, whatever's left from spiraling can stay and is fine.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357004-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

The head I found to replace the cracked one already had stock size exhaust seats installed in it at some point so they needed to be removed before cutting both heads for the bigger exhaust seats that will be installed. Seat removal is done with a cutting bit on the drill press. The head is mounted and leveled then the old seat is cut till just a very small amount of it is left which then spins freely and can be removed.

Here's a couple pics showing the cutting bit that gets lined up on the bit guide which is inserted into the valve guide and then the old seat after cutting and removal.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357007-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357010-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Since we were out of the correct size for the new exhaust seats (and it was a holiday weekend) I jumped over to working on the block a little. I had scored a set of breather tubes for the lifter galley out of an engine I was stripping for scrap at the shop a few weeks ago. Someone had blown up something and swapped all their good parts over to a new shortblock and left the old one with the tubes in it. They're not the fancy looking aluminum ones but will do the same job so they're perfect for my no budget build.

The block needs to be threaded in order to insert the tubes and plugs so while I was at it I threaded the end holes for plugs also. To thread the holes first a tapered reamer is used on a drill to chamfer the top of the hole so its easier to get the tap started. Then cut threads with the tap. Because these are tapered pipe thread the depth is checked on the first hole and then the tap is marked and the rest are tapped to the same depth.

Here's a pic of the reamer and tap . And then a pic of the vent tube and a plug. Bottom pic is the end of the block where plugs get installed.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357012-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357013-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Uncaged357011-1.jpg

[COPO-RAT]

Probably a stupid question, and excuse my ignorance, but what is the purpose of the vent tubes?

[NOT A TA]

My fault for not explaining previously and the same question came up on other forums. The whole reason I'm posting this stuff is to help those of us who'd like to know more about the machining and building process. The guys that know more than I ever will who read this will surely call me out if I present something incorrectly or where there are differences of opinion of what is considered "the correct way". Which would also be fine. Always open to suggestions! And please anyone, if you have a question ASK, others probably have the same question as was the case with "vent tubes". Below I copied and pasted part of vent tube discussion from when it came up on a Malibu forum.


What do the vents add to the setup? Seems like its a weak point for the block. Just thinking aloud.

The vent holes are factory drilled. Installing vent tubes prevents oil from dropping through increasing windage on the crank so it's cheap horsepower by reducing parasitic losses.


Is this a street motor? My understanding is vents are generally better left for race engines, and the extra oil on the camshaft helps keep it lubricated better for everyday street use.

I worked at the shop tonight and just happened to be decking SBC marine blocks so we had a discussion thanks to your question Darren. The concensus (of the engine builders) was that GM drilled the holes to vent the crankcase, not to provide oiling, and that the oil supplied to the cam and lifters was more than enough. Plus there's oil spraying around from the crank, rods and pistons. Having the holes blocked off gets the oil to flow down the holes in the corners and back to the pump quicker and with less aeration than if it goes through the vent holes and drops onto the rotating assembly, with the added benefit of cheap power. The factory probably didn't install vent tubes because it would require a threading operation, installation procedure, and additional parts. The additional power probably wasn't worth it to the number crunchers when comparing cost and potential liabilities to the power gain.

The street/race question concensus was that there is no down side to using the vent tubes so why not run them on the street if you're building a high performance engine. All the race engines built at the shop and most performance builds for the street or marine applications get vent tubes. Stock rebuilds for repair garages and "restoration" engines don't get them unless requested. Also it's generally accepted that not all of the vent holes are necessary for most SBC engines so many shops will buy a set of 8 and use them for 2 engines by installing a tube in every other hole and installing plugs in the other 4 holes. I took 8 of the cheap pipe style ones out of the engine I was stripping so I'll just use them all.

New post
Since I was pressing wrist pins out of connecting rods at the shop I figured I'd get mine apart so they'd be ready for some work I want to do to them. The block had been bored to work with a slightly used set of .040 over forged pistons my buddy Mike at Mikes Automotive Machine in CT hooked me up with long before I moved south. It's been so long and with all the miscellaneous parts I've had and moves I made etc we figured we should double check the cylinder bores and pistons to be sure everything was going to work out cool. No sense taking the piston/rod assemblies apart if they wouldn't work. So here's a couple pics measuring things.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/0011-1.jpg

The cylinders came in at 4.041 and the pistons were around 4.0398+ so we'll be right in the ballpark of the recommended .0015+ recommended by TRW after the cylinders are honed. For the experienced/knowledgable guys I'm aware that these pistons were prone to cracking in the skirt curves when run too loose loose back in the day before they switched to the shorter skirts and checked these. They were a gift so although they are an older design they're better than what I would have otherwise! Thanks Mike!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/0031-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

For those that have never seen it done, this is how we remove stock style wrist pins from piston/connecting rod assemblies. (Later on in the thread I'll show how they're installed)

The pin is fitted with an interference fit in the top of the connecting rod and it takes a lot of force to push them out so a press is used. A support is placed under the side of the piston (different supports for different pistons) with a hollow base support below that to provide enough height to push the pin down. Then a tool that fits inside of the wrist pin with a shoulder that will push the pin is inserted. The tool is smaller in diameter than the pin so it will fit through the hole in the side of the piston. In the bottom pic the wrist pin is still stuck in one side of the piston but can be pulled out by hand. The "tight" fit is in the top of the connecting rod.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/005-2.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/0041-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/006-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Shops mark things that are supposed to go in a particular place,order, or match up with machined surfaces.The rods had markings from other shops on them (in this case stamped letters/numbers and indentation dots) so I lined them up in order and did them the way we do them in this shop because I may loose some of the other markings as I work on them. I zipped the lock side of each rod with a disc and etched a number in each with a dremel. You may be able to see the 7 etched in the rod on its side and dots on the bottom of some of them. After that I removed the caps and bolts so I can start grinding them.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/008-2.jpg

[NOT A TA]

With the rods marked and disassembled it's time to start working on them. In this first step I'm using a carbide bit to grind away the ridge in the center of the side and blending into both ends. Care needs to be taken to keep rods even when viewing the sides not being ground and also not to remove too much material. The square "chunk" of metal at the top of the rod is left alone and will be ground a couple steps from now when I "balance" the rods. The bit in the tool is used for steel, the one on the bench for aluminum. The last person who used the air tool before me had been doing some welding repair work on aluminum heads.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/018-2.jpg

[NOT A TA]

After grinding the sides of the rods with the carbide bit, a sandpaper roll on a tapered bit in an air tool is used to smooth the grinding marks and then the rods are glass beaded. After that they're oiled down so they won't rust. It's not really oil, but a concoction based on tranny fluid. Pic below taken after glass beading and they don't look as polished as they do before blasting. Picture quality is lower now because my good camera decided to commit suicide and jumped off a chair onto concrete damaging itself beyond use. Hopefully it's repairable but until then the old camera is back in service.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC027F-1.jpg

[COPO-RAT]

What is the purpose of grinding the ridge off the rods?

[Twentyover]

What is the purpose of grinding the ridge off the rods?

Polishing the beams helps prevent crack formation. Generally followed by shot peening the rods to restore compressive surface stresses, which extends fatigue life

[COPO-RAT]

So do all GM rods have that ridge? Check mine out. They have a recess instead of a ridge, does that mean they aren't GM?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/DSC_0352-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/DSC_0353-1.jpg

Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread, it is not my intention, I'm following this and getting some good info.

[NOT A TA]

No hijack worries! Glad the threads usefull! I have a really tough time with pics on my current computer setup but it looks like your rods have the ridge. It's wider and not as pronounced, looks like it's 1/4-3/8 wide by the wrist pin and almost as wide as the side of the rod on the beam.. Looks like a GM rod to me, just a newer casting. Mine are early 70's.

Greg was correct about the shot peening however we don't have a machine at the shop so glass beading was the next best thing available. Most modern performance builds get fancy rods but there's no budget for that on this build.

I started "reconditioning" the rods. First step is to make sure there's no burrs on the sides of the big end or where the caps meet the rod by running a flat file over them. Then the rod gets clamped into a machine that grinds a few thousandths off of the flat surface where the caps meet the rod. Then the caps are also ground flat on the surface that meets the rod. Here's a pic of one of the rods being ground. The rotating stone wheel is stationary and the rod is moved past the wheel while clamped square to the wheel in an arm thats moved by hand. I couldn't hold the camera far enough away while operating the machine to get the whole machine in the pic.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC018F1-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

I cleaned up the rod bolts on a wire wheel. Next step is to reinstall the bolts for the caps. They are an interference fit so they need to be pounded into place. We have an aluminum block that gets mounted into a vice which has holes for the bolts to slide into. Then the bolts are installed with a 2 lb hammer and a large drift.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC018F2-1.jpg

Once all the bolts are installed the caps that correspond with each rod are installed. The nuts for the caps need to be torqued to 45 lb. ft. so a special rod vice is used to hold them. The rod vice has wide machined flat clamping surfaces so no damage will be done to the rods working on them.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC019F1-1.jpg

[COPO-RAT]

The thread has been very helpful to me. I have a friend with a killer little street driven 66 nova that has a nice 355 in it with GM rods and pistons. The car runs hard and I've always wanted to duplicate that motor and I've learned a few little tricks from this thread that I could use in doing so.
I guess it would still be worth polishing my rods even though the ridge isn't as pronounced as yours were? I guess it doesn't matter, I'd be doing it for fun as well as the added durabilty that removing the stress risers would give me.
Thanks again for the info! I'm sure I'll have more questions later!

[NOT A TA]

Yup! Do the rods! It doesn't make them stronger, but less likely to fail.

[NOT A TA]

Once all the caps are torqued the sides of the rods where the bearings fit in are block sanded with a coarse and then fine paper to remove any small burrs that have formed where the mating surfaces were ground and make sure the sides are nice and flatwhere the caps meet the rods. Then the rods are blown off and cleaned to remove any particles.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC040F-1.jpg

Once the rods are clean it's on to the honing operation! Since the mating surfaces of the rod and cap have been ground the hole for the bearing is now smaller than stock. This allows us to hone the bearing contact surface while opening up the hole to the correct diameter while being sure the enlarged hole is perfectly round.

Usually specs are checked (in a book) to determine the correct diameter of the hole needed for the rod bearings and then the gauge on the right side below is set with a micrometer. Because this is a commonly used size we have a SBC connecting rod we know is at "0" to calibrate the gauge instead of using a micrometer, just saves setup time. The hole will be made to stock size and the bearings will be ordered to make up the difference needed if the crank is turned down.

The size of the hole is checked on the gauge in the pic below where the rod is hanging. The hole is honed by stones spinning on a shaft while oil drips on them. The bar on the left holding up the horizontal rod keeps the rod stable while it is slid in and out (by hand) on the spinning shaft with the stones. Technique is required to get an even finish and desired crosshatch. In this case I'm opening the holes up until they are still a thousandth undersize and will take out the last thousandth after balancing and when the rods are cool so the measurements will be precise.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC041F-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Time to "balance" the rods! This is done after honing because the weight of the big end of the rods may have changed depending on how much material was removed grinding the mating surfaces and then honing the end.

Each end of the rod is weighed using a digital scale and the balancing apparatus shown below. An adapter that closely matches the diameter of the big end is used on either the stationary pivot or the floating pivot on the scale depending on which end you're weighing. The weight of each end is marked on every rod.

Starting with the heaviest "big end" rod the square chunk of metal on the end of the rod is ground down on the rods that are heavier than the lightest one. After they were all down to the weight of lightest one I examined to see if they could all be lightened a bit more without sacrificing durability and took a couple more grams off of each one. The same procedure was then performed on the small end of the rods.

They're now all at 414 and 169 grams. Not super light "race weight" but now they're lighter and equal weights. Less weight allows the engine to "rev" more quickly. Do I really need polished balanced rods for this engine? Probably not, really. LOL But it's cooool!~ AHAHAHA And I have a full shop at my disposal, so why not? As with anything, different customer requests, applications, and products may use different procedures so YMMV.

It was about 3 AM when I was doing this and I forgot to take lots of pics, so the first 2 showing the equipment used are pics I had from other peoples projects lready completed and the second 2 are my rods.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/0061-2.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/0021-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC042F-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC044F-1.jpg

[COPO-RAT]

I've been waiting to see this step.........unfortunately for me I was incorrect in thinking that the 'balancing' was something I was going to be able to do myself......guess that's what I get for thinking!
In your second balancing pic, it appears that the square chunk at the small end of the rod has been completely ground off, why couldn't you have taken yours completely off?

[NOT A TA]

You could certainly rig up a makeshift balancing apparatus. If you can borrow a postal scale from your local drug dealer I don't see any reason it wouldn't be just as accurate. The advantage to the equipment is just that it's quick to set up, heavy so it remains stable, and self centers the rod large rod end. Since you just want to balance your one set you could pretty much duplicate the mechanism with a couple pieces of wood and a couple nails. Maybe a coat hanger to give it a MacGyver touch. It would take a little more time to use your makeshift setup each time you measured the weight of the rod as you're grinding but it would probably be really really close to the same as using the machine shop apparatus. I will try making one and report back here whether it can be done and how accurate it is compared with the fancy setup.

The stock rods are often off as much as 10 grams on the big ends and 7-8 on the small end of stock GM rods from the various divisions so if you can bring those within a gram yourself at home I say go for it!

As for the rod in the second pic; Sometimes due to casting inconsistancies the lighest rod end that you're trying to bring the others down to still has a part of the square chunk left even though the entire chunk has to be removed from one of the other rods to get down to the weight of the lightest one. Thats part of the reason for bringing them all down to the weight of the lightest one first before deciding whether you can lighten them all a little more. Once they're all down to the weight of the lightest one there may not be enough "meat" left on one of the ends to easily remove more metal. One of my rods has very little of the square left on the small end and one doesn't have any of the square on the big end (different rods).There are also other techniques to remove a bit more weight such as using a grinding cookie on an air tool (more time involved) but for my engine it certainly isn't necessary. The rod in that 2nd pic was the one in the set that had the most metal removed. The fancy rods in the first pic went into a nice 406 SBC I put in a mud truck last weekend.

pic below: Mud truck with stock wheels on so it would be low enough to get the engine in(It's on the ground!). It's getting 52" mudders!!! Whoever took the engine and tranny out didn't mark the wires so I've got some sorting to do! Getting rid of all the computer stuff for the throttle body engine and just running an MSD setup with a carb. Owner in pic the day on a 6' ladder the day we put the trans in.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC015F2-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/MVC018F-1.jpg

[John Wright]

Maybe you could swap rods from the first balancing pic....think they would notice that the bushing is missing and the h-beam design has changed?

[COPO-RAT]

I was unaware that each end of the rod was balanced individually, which that in itself confuses me. How can you be measuring the weight of one end if the other end is being supported by something? Does the rod have to be completely level (the beam part) while measuring each end? Or does it not matter as long as the angle the rod is at is consistent with every rod you measure? I have some friends that could easily turn a piece of delrin (or aluminum or whatever) to use as a bushing in the big end of the rod and I think it would be easy enough to build some sort of fixture to support the rods during the weighing, but as stated before, I don't know/understand how the rod needs to be positioned while doing the weighing.

[NOT A TA]

Should be roughly horizontal which is one of the adjustments on the stationary part of the manufactured equipment. I think it'd still be pretty accurate if the rod was tilted, just all of the measured weights would be skewed one way or the other equally a little bit)

[NOT A TA]

Had a few minutes last night after decking blocks so I got my pistons out and weighed them for balancing. They ranged from just under 752 to 754 grams (with corresponding wrist pins). Tonight I ground away some material by the wrist pins on the heavier ones to bring them down to 752. I could have milled the inside of the top of the piston to remove the weight but for this engine the extra time and effort required isn't worth it.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC032F-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC034F-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Along with the engine building I'm working on a few other things for the car. So this post is interior work.

After 30 years the package shelf like many other original ones in G bodies looked really bad. It had warped, been repainted with vinyl dye, faded, had speaker holes for 6 X 9's hacked, couple different sets of speakers with different mounting bolt patterns and looked bad. The dark window tint kept it out of plain sight for the most part. Then Ralph the "expert" roll cage installer put another hole in it finishing it off. So I decided to make a new one.

A while back I picked up a sheet of white hardboard at Home Cheapo for 6-7 bucks or something like that. traced out the old rear shelf and cut the hardboard with a skillsaw.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC018F-1.jpg

Since I don't have any extra loot to spend on the car right now I've been keeping my eyes open for some black rug raterial to work with for the shelf. A couple nights ago There was a black sub box out for junk at the repair garage next to the machine shop so I gave it a quick look in the dark and took it home to examine in daylight.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC026F1-1.jpg

In daylight it looked like there would be enough usable material if I could peel it off. It must have been part of a "Custom" 80's-90's install complete with sheetrock screws and fiberglassed to the floorpan!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC031F-1.jpg

So I chiseled the material off with a painters scraping tool and razor blade. Turned out to be enough material as long as I put a slice (not by me) over a speaker hole.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC035F-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC024F-1.jpg

Cut the material out and made small version of the speaker holes for referance. Then figured out where I want the speaker covers. I'm using an old set of covers for a retro backdated appearance that will be mounted to the package shelf with the speakers mounted by themselves. I've spent enough time screwing around with shelf 6 X 9's to learn my lesson and am eliminating the sandwich mounting where the bolts that hold the speakers also hold the covers. Next I need to find my glue, some fasteners for the speaker covers and make a vinyl rollover for where the shelf meets the backseat.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC025F1-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC027F1-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

The last prize shipment for the Malibu from the Performance Therapy contest arrived!! Each company asked me to "make a list" of what I wanted from their company for the project and so I'd given MSD a list of things I wanted for the new engine, nitrous control, and a shift light. Here's what I recieved! Sweet deal eh? THANKS MSD!!!!!

Pro Billet Distributor
Programable 6AL-2 box The new model that gets programmed with a laptop and has dual rev limiters.
Blaster 2 coil
8.5 Superconductor "make your own" wire set in black.
6' Pro boot guard Headers and wires always seem to be a sore spot for me with a lightning show on occasion.
Shrinksleeves
Wire number set I'm getting old, don't want to make a mistake in the dark in the pits checking plugs or something. LOL
Timing tapes for the balancer
RPM activated window switch Module to control nitrous eventally
LED stand alone shift light
2 sets RPM module sets one for nitrous activation switch, and one set for the shift light
Plug wire holders

My car didn't have a factory tach. I've got a couple old aftermarket tachs (without shift lights) and I'll see if I can get one hooked up, so combined with the MSD shift light I should be set there. I had the nice MSD terminal crimp tool already so I'm set to make a custom wire set.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC031F1-1.jpg

[montessaj]

Thats awesome! Which pro-billet part number is that?

[srh3trinity]

Wow, it's good to win a contest now and again, but this one takes the cake. I am still wondering which Rushforth's the 14 Car is getting.

[NOT A TA]

Andy: It's the MSD 85551. The new programable box is what I'm really psyched to play with because of the 2 step rev limiter and the ability of adjusting the advance curve quickly and easily with a laptop.

The MSD system with Pro Billet distributor I've had in my Firebird the past 6-7 years has performed flawlessly but only has a 6 A box with no limiter at all and advance adjustments need to be done underhood (so I never did any. LOL). This new Programable 6AL- 2 box allows easy adjustments to be programed from a laptop to the box without reaching to the back of the engine compartment to swap springs/weights while holding a light only to bang your head and have your reading glasses fall off! AHAHAHA Gettin old.

Stephen: I'll be installing the Baers on the Firebird soon and then have to make the final decision on the model of Rushforth wheels after I measure new backspacing requirements. They'll be 18 X 10's all around.

Todays good news is, I scored a 12 bolt posi rear out of a pickup for $25.00. If I can figure out a cost effective way to use it for the bu I will and if not, then hopefully I can flip it for a few bucks toward the project.

[montessaj]

Thanks for the P/N John! As a G-body guy, I can't wait to see this project finished!

[NOT A TA]

Thanks for the P/N John! As a G-body guy, I can't wait to see this project finished!

It'll be a couple more months I'm sure Andy. I've got a lot of projects going at the same time. The bu's in storage while I'm building the engine etc. so there's no urgency to keep me moving but I'm trying to get something done every day so that I keep making progess. Todays little project was removing the stock timing tab from a used timing cover in great shape a bud gave me. It had a tab for an 8" balancer and I'm going to run a 6" balancer with a bolt on timing tab.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC016F-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

I didn't have a long enough piece of vinyl for the rollover so I had to have a seam. Hand stitching the center seam came out fine so I test fitted the pieces and clamped them in place with paint sticks so I could see the material would lay when finished. The original vinyl piece and padding were sewn to the cardboard shelf. Thats not going to be possible with the hardboard so I've got to try and figure out a good way to bind them. Will test on scraps.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC021F-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

I tried a few ways of making the vinyl rollover using various materials and tools available to me already and here's what I came up with.

1. Tack vinyl with trim adhesive to the edge of the shelf to keep it from moving.
2. Tack 3/8" batting with adhesive along the edge of the piece with about 5/8" on the shelf.
3. Separate batting in the middle along the 5/8" wide section. (I cut out the upper part of the split batting in the pics below so you can see what I'm doing.)
4. Tack paint sticks cut down to 5/8" width on top of the batting with adhesive.
5. Use A type spring clamps to hold everything tight.
6. Drill 13/64 holes through everything for pop rivets.
7. Install 3/16" medium length aluminum pop rivets.

When I do the shelf the sub box material will already be on it and there will be a thin layer of the batting on top of the paint sticks. When the seatback is slid down to lock it in position in the car, it will pull the vinyl rollover down.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC014F-2.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC015F-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Rear shelf project is on temporary hold waiting on a saw to cut the speaker holes nicely. Meanwhile I finished up the rods and I've been working on the heads for the engine. I cut the heads for installation of hardened exhaust valve seats. Installed the seats (they get pounded in), made a bowl blend cut, then 3 angle cut for both intakes and exhaust while checking heights. Next was a cut around the edge of the chamber to unshroud the valves. You can't get the full effect of running bigger valves without unshrouding the edge close to the side of the chamber so they can breathe. Good camera's still dead so I can't get really good pics of the bits used because the picture definition isn't good enough.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC030F4-1.jpg

Cutting the edge of the chamber to unshroud the intake valve in this pic. Chamber on left is done, right is still stock. Unshrouding exhausts gets done next.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC010F2-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

I keep spending a little time on my own heads at the machine shop. Funny, but hundreds of heads have passed through my hands at the shop while mine sit on a shelf next to me! I've been there a while now and learned a lot, also realize how much calculating, measuring, machining, parts matching, etc. goes into the building of performance engines. I work on mine an hour or two here and there after I work on other peoples stuff. Kinda like a roofer with a leaky roof. Everybody else comes first. LOL Soooo.... almost all the work on my heads gets done between 11PM and 2 AM! AHAHAHA Last night was no exception and I stopped working on my heads about 1:30 AM. Here's the latest update.

To measure the valve stem height while cutting the valve seats a special gauge is used. The base of the gauge is held against the spring seat and then the valve to be used for that chamber is inserted and pressed tightly against the seat. The valve stem pushes against a plunger in the gauge which measures how far the stem protrudes. As each valve seat is cut the stem height is checked occasionally so the stem heights will be very, very close when done and the seats are cut to a almost equal depth. A procedure later insures all the stem heights are exactly the same.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC025F2-1.jpg

As a young man I always thought a multi angle valve cut required separate steps for each angle, however they're done in one step. The tool for cutting the valve seats cuts all the angles at the same time. The cutting blade is adjustable and is set for the diameter of the valve, then a pilot is inserted into the valve guide of the seat to be cut. The head has been leveled to the drill press and the pilot keeps the cutting tool straight with the valve guide. There's a spring that gets slid onto the pilot that pushes the cutting tool up away from the valve seat until the drill press pushes it down. The seat is then cut and intermittantly the stem height is checked, once the stem height is correct you're done and move on to the next valve.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC026F2-1.jpg

Because the cutting tool needs to be moved out of the way to constantly check the stem height etc. the tool is not mounted in the drill chuck but rather an attachment with a notch in it is mounted in the drill press and the tool slides into it as the press is lowered. A small bar on the tool fits in the groove which spins the cutting tool.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/MVC027F2-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Had an opportunity to show a main cap with oil passages opened up next to my untouched cap before opening up mine, so one more thing's done and here's pics.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/MVC010F1-1.jpg

My cap isn't finished in the pic below but I was waiting for the compressor to catch up because a couple of us were using a lot of air so it was a good time to take a pic.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/MVC011F-1.jpg

Kinda out of the normal order of procedures but I had some time, so I did the grinding to blend in the bowl cut with a stone on a grinder. Now the bowls are opened up with a nice radius to the exhaust seats.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/MVC013F2-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

When I left off on the package shelf I was waiting for a saw from a buddy. I could have chewed the speaker holes like a beaver by the time I got the saw! Anyway, I got it this week and got right on the shelf.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/dustshield002-1.jpg

With the holes cut I moved onto getting the pieces ready to create the rollover to the rear seatback. I cut down paint sticks with a utility knife against a straight edge, then pinched them all together and sanded them all to the same width. Not really the optimal way to do this but the paint sticks were free and already here so....

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/MVC020F-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/MVC021F1-1.jpg

Next I drilled the holes for the speaker grill screws then used 3 M spray adhesive and stuck the speaker box material to the hardboard shelf.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/rearshelf003-1.jpg

Then the time consuming process of attaching the rollover. I decided to rivet the strips to pinch the vinyl rollover and carpet material. Holes through the paint sticks were drilled. The pieces were clamped in place and the holes for the rivets were melted with a mini soldering iron through the vinyl and carpet. This prevents the material from wrapping up on the drill bit. Then the holes were drilled through the hardboard. Once the holes were set I inserted rivets in each to keep the pieces aligned while I pulled each rivet and used washers on the backside so the rivets wouldn't pull through the hardboard.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/MVC001F-1.jpg

A section of padding was glued to the rollover similar to the original and gives the rollover a factory look. The rear seatback holds the rollover down when it's installed in the car. I left extra material on the ends and will trim to fit when I put the shelf in the car.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/MVC002F-1.jpg

I looked around for some black machine screws for the speaker grills but didn't have any so I splurged and bought some new ones for a whopping $1.88 LOL the only cash spent to build the shelf. With the speaker grills installed the shelf is ready! I may use some dum dum or other deadener to be sure the rivets or speaker grill bolts don't rattle when it's installed in the car.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/MVC004F-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/MVC006F-1.jpg

[srh3trinity]

Glad to see you back on this project.

[NOT A TA]

Three words for this thread update.... GRAND NATIONAL REAR. For a mild build G-body this is the affordable "bolt in" holy grail of rears. For years I've been outbid on Ebay, missed ones on CL and in local traders, looked for cars with them I could part out etc. etc. etc. I spotted a listing on a forum for a rear when I was taking a break while working online last Sat. and picked it up today.

So now I've got a 8.5" housing, axles (and spares), posi unit, yoke, and most of the brake components to work with including.... (insert drumroll here) ALUMINUM DRUMS! (+ a spare) The aluminum drums have a lower MOI so they speed up quicker as well as lowering unsprung weight. Hey, I need all the help I can get to make this car go! ahahaha So now I need to find a set of gears, and a rebuild kit etc. and then I'll have a rear that should hold up behind the 357 I'm building that I can put in while I'm doing the Hotchkis suspension install. Here's a pic of the parts I got. In the boxes are a brake hardware kit and new wheel cylinders Dan included above and beyond the deal.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/05/MVC016F1-1.jpg

[HectorM52]

Ever consider getting Blazer rear brakes or LS1 rears? Those things are going for cheap nowadays.

[The Stickman]

Three words for this thread update.... GRAND NATIONAL REAR. For a mild build G-body this is the affordable "bolt in" holy grail of rears. For years I've been outbid on Ebay, missed ones on CL and in local traders, looked for cars with them I could part out etc. etc. etc. I spotted a listing on a forum for a rear when I was taking a break while working online last Sat. and picked it up today.

So now I've got a 8.5" housing, axles (and spares), posi unit, yoke, and most of the brake components to work with including.... (insert drumroll here) ALUMINUM DRUMS! (+ a spare) The aluminum drums have a lower MOI so they speed up quicker as well as lowering unsprung weight. Hey, I need all the help I can get to make this car go! ahahaha So now I need to find a set of gears, and a rebuild kit etc. and then I'll have a rear that should hold up behind the 357 I'm building that I can put in while I'm doing the Hotchkis suspension install. Here's a pic of the parts I got. In the boxes are a brake hardware kit and new wheel cylinders Dan included above and beyond the deal.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/05/MVC016F1-1.jpg

Great build, sorry I haven't commented earlier. I am not sure I would run those aluminum drums if you are gonna track this car. Just don't think they will work well.

[NOT A TA]

Ever consider getting Blazer rear brakes or LS1 rears? Those things are going for cheap nowadays.

I've been looking at options for years and I'm waaaaay too patient waiting for the "deal" to come along. I looked at swapping rears from other vehicles, bracket kits for other 10 bolts 12 bolts and 9"s etc. The GN rear is a direct bolt in and should make it a fairly straightforward (read cheap) install when I put the Hotchkis TVS in. Hopefully I'll avoid any expense with U joints, driveshafts, etc. I have a 70 Firebird "The 14 Car" for road tracks and I can't afford to run it on them as often as I'd like, so there's no need to build another track car. If I didn't win the contest this thread wouldn't even be on this forum. I would have reassembled the car after the paint job and put it back into DD status. The Malibu will still go back into service as my daily driver. I'll probably try some Auto-X with it and take it to the local dragstrip for cheap test and tune nights for fun. So it's gotta be a rock solid reliable combination I have no fear of breaking because I won't be trailering it.

I should have mentioned the "deal" on this rear in my last post. Right now I have no disposable income for cars. The rear was listed on Maliburacing.com for $350.00 and seller offered to deliver within 100 miles for additional money. I contacted the seller and he offered to meet me half way (we're a couple hundred miles apart) for $50.00. I told a bud about the rear who knows I've been scouring the earth to figure out an inexpensive way to get a rear that will hold up. He offered to pay for the rear and the extra $50.00 in exchange for me doing a brake upgrade/repair and aftermarket AC install on a car. So no out of pocket expense for me. I did the brakes already and I started working on the AC install (paint drying on brackets as I type) which I should get finished up in the next couple days if I can get all the misc ,pulleys, etc. for the other accessories sorted out. The car had a SBC to BBC swap and someone tried to rig all the accessory brackets out of junk they had, nothing was correct.

As for the brakes. After I install the new Baer brakes on the Firebird (which come with new spindles), I have to swap the front spindles from my Firebird over to the Malibu because the Hotchkis TVS requires early 2nd gen spindles. Since I've been tracking the bird on road courses, I have a set of dedicated road track pads/rotors for them I'd use for Auto X with the bu even though they may be a little higher temp pad than ideal. For the rears I had custom made race compound brake shoes for the bird with dedicated drums I will also have leftover after the Baer install so I'll use those shoes for Auto X and figure out which drums I'd use based on diameters. Haven't checked to see if they're the same yet but I suspect they may be.

[craigs73]

wow john you got a good deal there congrats car looks clean!!

[NOT A TA]

Thanks Craig!

Picked up a set of NOS chrome steel aftermarket valve covers from our own member/mod Jeff Tate he'd posted in the for sale section so there's one less thing I need now! They have just the right plain, old school look. So for 25 bucks including shipping they're the "big expense" out of pocket so far, and arrived today.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/06/MVC011F1-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

As often happens with projects Uncaged got shelved for a while (over a year) while I concentrated on working on others cars to build up a good customer base. So now my "regular" job is working on other peoples cars like ours as a traveling mechanic.

Although I wasn't working on the Malibu I slowly continued to collect parts I need/want for it. I got back to porting the heads a couple weeks ago but caught a piece that flung out of the grinder right in the eye even though I had glasses on. Luckily, a gentleman I'm building a car for is an eye surgeon and fixed me up immediately even though it was late Sunday night on Labor day weekend.

As for an update, I've also gotten started on building the rear. A few weeks ago I took all 4 axles to the machine shop I still work out of part of the time and checked them out after putting them in the washer to clean them up. The outer bearing surface was scored on one and a dial indicator showed one as slightly bent so the choice of which 2 to use was a no brainer. I bought a set of new Richmond 3.73 gears from a member here (thanks Ron!) and ordered a complete rebuild kit from Ratech for bearings, shims etc. The previous owner of the rear had cleaned up the rust on the outside of the housing and hit it with some POR !5 or something but because I want to weld the axle tubes to the center section the paint needed to come off that area. I figured I'd just clean and smooth the whole housing so I got started stripping it today.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/09/0012-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Finished stripping the paint and prepped it for welding the tubes to the center section, additional spring perch welds, and also ground out some questionable factory welds on the lower link brackets to be rewelded. Had my bud Rick I work with (who's a better welder than I) weld it up for me. Yes, I checked to be sure the axle tubes were straight before welding. I will be taking the car to the strip and running it on sticky drag tires and plan on some auto X action with A-6's so hopefully the extra welding will help things stay together and straight.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/09/0013-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/09/0022-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/09/007-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

As you could see in the pics above the axle tubes were pitted. Since I'm a PT kinda guy I used Ospho, sanded, shot with DP 74 epoxy primer, smoothed pitted metal with filler, and then shot a coat of K 38 high build sandable primer on it. Some more smoothing and it'll be ready for final paint! Will it make it go faster corner better or stop quicker? No, but sometimes mission creep takes over.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/0014-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/0024-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/0033-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

I hate doing things twice but sometimes you have no choice. Something caused the paint to lift in the corners, nooks/crannies of the Malibu rear I had in primer. I suspect it was caused by laying a coat too thick/wet.

In any case I stripped it down of all paint in affected areas and prepped/primed/smoothed/primed/sanded till I had it looking the way I wanted to spray it gloss black. I don't usually do my own cars gloss underneath but all the new Hotchkis suspension components are powder coated gloss black so I figured I'd make the rear match.

I used PPG K38 high build primer and PPG single stage acrylic enamel.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/004_zps9ac6aafb-1.jpg (http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/81%20Malibu/004_zps9ac6aafb.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/003_zps6a2d82be-1.jpg (http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/81%20Malibu/003_zps6a2d82be.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/008_zps4ad695cb-1.jpg (http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/81%20Malibu/008_zps4ad695cb.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/011_zps28079d78-1.jpg (http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/81%20Malibu/011_zps28079d78.jpg.html)