Lavron's '64 Build Thread

[lavron]

So I have been trying to get just a little done every couple of days on the Comet, even if it is just 15 minutes, I decided to go ahead and get my front spindles, brake brackets and calipers painted, before I did I thought it would be a good idea to make sure everything fit together, because I am working without a net (no company support because I bought everything piece-meal) it bit me today. I have to take the bulk of the blame for this because I have had the front spindles for a long time it is just I never looked at both of them, I opened one box, played around with it and put them back on the shelf until a later date, that would be this morning

I pulled one spindle out, got my brake bracket out and the caliper and figured out how the bracket attached, everything was good, until I pulled out the right spindle, first thing that caught my eye was it was painted, and then that it looked different.



Appears that was a waste of money because I have one 2" drop spindle (what I ordered) and one stock spindle, so those got thrown back in the box after I took the picture and now I guess I will buy another set.

Speedway has a pair 2" drop ones with the brake brackets for $170 so I guess I will get those

Oh well, I don't think I paid much for those but that takes away from something else I would like to have, was hoping to get my wheels, Summit has the TT2s for under $400 for the set and free shipping, if I could get those I would be ready to maybe get the Comet in the shed and get started on the suspension, but really want my wheels before I start.

Ok I am done whining

See Ya,
Mike

[Rocket989]

That sucks, I feel for ya man! $170 bucks ain't bad for a pair of newb's but...yah, pushes something else out!

[poboyjo65]

How long have you had them? Not sure about speedway but summit & jeg gives you a year to send stuff back for what ever reason. Maybe if you call them & whined a little, since it was obviously their fault, they might swap out the wrong for the correct one. it'd be worth a call.

[lavron]

How long have you had them? Not sure about speedway but summit & jeg gives you a year to send stuff back for what ever reason. Maybe if you call them & whined a little, since it was obviously their fault, they might swap out the wrong for the correct one. it'd be worth a call.

That would be fine but I got them off eBay probably over a year ago

Next set I check when I get them.

See Ya,
Mike

[Loner]

Maybe you could order one with the drop and one without. Then you will have a set to sell.
Just a thought.

Matt

[lavron]

I did locate 2-250 6 cylinders about 90 miles away, one is even a stick, I need to talk myself into going and looking at them, certainly my preference would be the stick because it would have the flywheel already, they are wanting $350 each for them but are complete motors.

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

I need to get busy and get some work done on the Comet, I have certain things I won't start until I am ready (done collecting parts) and sometimes I feel like I am holding off for those things when I have a bunch of other things I already have the stuff for and the list is long

Ok enough said I guess I better get out and finish mowing the grass

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

Yes I am sucker for a hard luck case



See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

So I posted that picture of the hard luck Maverick motor, I will probably going tomorrow to pull it, I would have got it a couple of days ago but nearly gave myself heat stroke pulling the head to check the lower end. It actually kinda scared me a little but it was my fault because it was a heat index of 100 and I had left my water in the truck that was probably a 1/2 mile away (I don't know it was a long ways to the back of the yard) and I didn't want to leave my toolbox sitting there to go get the water (dumb) well the toolbox weighs probably 50lbs. because I can't seem to take stuff out I am afraid I might need.

Anyway, besides my ignorance, the bottom end looked good but not the top the head had a crack right across the carb mount on the intake, I don't know if it extended across the head but at that point I really didn't care because I knew I didn't want it. The bores looked good no water in them and I could turn the motor ok, I have a head already so I figured I could use it.

The only other issue, I see right now, besides having to create a rear sump pan is the car is an automatic so there is no flywheel and finding a new one has proved to be difficult, even though a SBF flywheel fits it needs to be zero balance and they are expensive, I will keep looking for a used flywheel and I need to see what it would cost to have one rebalanced to zero if I fail in that.

I still think this is the best solution so I can use SBF bell housing, clutch, starter, etc, because down the road those parts will be available more likely than small six stuff that I can't find parts for now.

What do you guys think, was there probably an ignition failure?



Hopefully tomorrow I can get down there before the sun cooks me, I am taking one of my other blocks and parts down to exchange and some other scrap metal, the lady said they would lift the car up for me so I could get the stuff disconnected at the bottom because it is sitting on the ground (no suspension) I think I can reach most of the bell housing bolts from above (there should be 6, right?) and maybe the motor mount bolts but it is getting tight down there, like I say I have everything else disconnected already, I actually started out with A/C bracket the other day but didn't make it all the way with it, hopefully it will still be where I left it because I might need to someday, even though I have no idea if a new compressor would attach the same way and be out of the way of my header.

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

This happened today.



I was able to accomplish it without having the car lifted at all, I had a much better outlook today it took me just shy of an hour I guess and that was waiting on the guy to come back with the forklift, he asked if I wanted the car tipped up and told him no I had it all unbolted already.

The worse bolts, of course, were the bell housing bolts because there is not enough room for a ratchet to fit so I had to use a wrench but they broke free easy and the started was gone along with the bottom right bolt. All in all not a terrible experience and I took my 2 wheeler to tote my toolbox and a cooler, I made sure I drank a lot of water and it was before 10am.

I got it home and stripped a few parts out and drained the water and oil out of the pan, I hoping the crank and stuff are not rusty but so far so good. Here are some pictures of the dirty pig.









I will do a little cleaning maybe tomorrow morning and see if it is even blue, pull the oil pan and do some measuring on the bores (if I feel energetic)

I am counting on you Small Block Ford guys to help me out here with clutch bell housing, starter, etc suggestions because unless something comes up this is going to happen (the 250 thing)

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

I dreamed I already made this post, but maybe I just did a preview, it should be better the second time around

I did get out and do a little cleaning yesterday, and glory be it is a blue motor after all.



I pulled the oil pan and it was a bit sludgy maybe they never changed it



However I was happy with the insides it was not rusty, I guess maybe the tar protected everything, this shot is after I gave the insides a quick squirt with the hose, the oil just slid right off in sheets, I did not try to clean it any better than this right now, my goal was just to get the worse stuff off and look for damage, everything spins good and the motor actually feels pretty tight.



I did pull the #4 main to look at it, it had a little galling but I think everything will be alright with the crank, it looked ok to me.



The OD on the car showed 62,500 so you can guess how many that is, I can't imagine it was on it's first go around but who knows, I think most likely 162K.



So I am back where I was on the day before but a little cleaner and feeling better about the old motor.



I need to see if I can rent a ridge reamer this next week so I can pull the pistons and measure the bores if I get time, I have a pretty full week ahead

I have to decide on how to go about the rebuild from here, like selecting pistons and cam. I did find a flywheel I might order off eBay because If I buy a 5.0 flywheel and then take it and have it rebalanced I will be at or close to the cost of this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-SB-289-302 ... 1438.l2649

It is a lightened flywheel so hopefully it will work ok, it has removable weights so I can make it a zero balance flywheel. Now to find a bell housing, I saw one on craigslist in KC area but it was a little pricey for the cheap me and the guy had them all media blasted so they looked really nice, not sure how that would look with the rest of my rusty dirty stuff I really thought Mustang bell housings would be a dime a dozen but they are proving to be pricey and not all that numerous out in the regular places, I might check the pick and pull and see if they have any showing.

I guess I won't bore you guys any longer with this today

See Ya,
Mike

[poboyjo65]

So you need a SBF to T5 bell? I'll try & keep an eye out. Dont let those AC mounts get lost!!!!!

[lavron]

So you need a SBF to T5 bell?

Yes, it needs to be the fox body bell I think, my transmission is like a '86 V8 T5 now, so whatever years those were, I guess I should look it up. I need the fork as well but I know I can get new ones of those fairly cheap.

I think maybe I should clean up this 4 cylinder stuff and sell it they looked pretty pricey on eBay and I have the whole setup (maybe no fork) including a flywheel, it just has the trans with the hole in the bottom.

Dont let those AC mounts get lost!!!!!

Funny thing, when I went back the S10 I sat it in (as I was sitting in it) was gone, it was just a cab and chassis, that disappointed me a little but then I spotted the truck, I think it had moved closer to the crusher I looked inside and there was the AC bracket so I retrieved it, I tell you all the brackets on that motor are heavy, at least 1/4" steel welded together. I have both brackets with enough spots for 4 accessories, I am guessing AC, Alternator, Power Steering and maybe a Smog Pump? (1977) the only thing still on the car was the AC Compressor.

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

I think E6ZR-6394-AA is the part number of the correct bell housing.

See Ya,
Mike

[lavron]

I did get the new front spindles from Speedway, BTW, at least they are a matched set The brackets and calipers bolt right on, I might finally drag all that out to the shed and try to get a coat of paint on them.

I think I have everything for the front and rear suspension conversion now except the bags, front upper bag brackets, rear upper and lower bag brackets and all the air bags, if I could just get my wheels I might be ready to start cutting (I am ready now but waiting till I have wheels and time)

Going to try to get out in the morning before it gets hot (hotter) and check the bore sizes on the 250-6 and see what size of over bore it might need, would love to get it stripped the rest of the way down and off to the machine shop to get bored, order pistons and start putting it together.

I was thinking about this cam kit, the price hurts a little but it is the cam, lifters, timing set and springs, etc. anyone have experience with Comp Cams?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-k66-248-4

I have a 264 cam in my 170 (I believe a 110° as well) so not sure how different a 268 cam would be, I don't want anything too wild or lumpy

See Ya,
Mike