Builds dougbert's future 350 swap: How much torque is too much?

[norsk]

Elbert, thanks for the link


Good progress on the engine today

PS head installed, rockers/pushrods installed
Fuel pump installed
PS headers installed

The Valve cover is just sitting on the head.

2nd head should be here wednesday, need to paint it and then repeat the above process for the DS

feeling good now getting it this far

dougbert

 

[JohninFla]

Doug
Engine looks like it's coming along!!


Don't forget to measure the input bearing diameter on your 4 speed and the bell housing diameter when you order your torque splitter! I ended up with both wrong, had to buy a different bell housing and change the rear plate on the torque splitter at the last minute. AA was great about it, but it cost me a week and some FEDEX shipping.


I attached some pics of my engine, at the front with the fan and radiator. I do not run a clutch, it's a steel fan from Summit, an it whines! I don't have an A/C compressor yet, it will mount on the driver's side, where there is an idler pulley now.


Let me know if you see what you need to see, I can get out and take more. Sorry it took so long, this whole "earning a living" thing is really taking away from my landcruiser time!


How are ya gonna get that engine out of the basement?

 

[ntsqd]

JohninFla,
Details on your PS filler extension?

 

[JohninFla]

The donor engine was a 1985 Camaro, that had that extension to let you check the PS level without sticking your arm down into the engine compartment. Chevy put all the filler caps and dipsticks at the top of the engine that year. That is the story!

 

[Elbert]

remember with the vbelt setup you potentially will have issues with the headers and the tall valve covers....

 

[Elbert]

The donor engine was a 1985 Camaro, that had that extension to let you check the PS level without sticking your arm down into the engine compartment. Chevy put all the filler caps and dipsticks at the top of the engine that year. That is the story!

Do you run a fan shroud?

 

[norsk]

Doug
Engine looks like it's coming along!!


Don't forget to measure the input bearing diameter on your 4 speed and the bell housing diameter when you order your torque splitter! I ended up with both wrong, had to buy a different bell housing and change the rear plate on the torque splitter at the last minute. AA was great about it, but it cost me a week and some FEDEX shipping.


I attached some pics of my engine, at the front with the fan and radiator. I do not run a clutch, it's a steel fan from Summit, an it whines! I don't have an A/C compressor yet, it will mount on the driver's side, where there is an idler pulley now.


Let me know if you see what you need to see, I can get out and take more. Sorry it took so long, this whole "earning a living" thing is really taking away from my landcruiser time!


How are ya gonna get that engine out of the basement?

thanks john for the advice on measurements , will do

Wow, that is so very close for the fan to the rad. Is that radiator deeper than OEM? That small gap is exactly my concern for mechanical fan. Those pics are exactly what I wanted.

It would be great for other Ranger users to post a pic of their fan and radiator space, for some comparisons.


Well I patterned my hobby after Gibbs and his boat in his basement on NCIS. Doesn't that work? Worked for him didn't it?








It is being assembled in my "man cave" which used to be a one car garage built in 1947 with cinder blocks and I rebuilt in 2001 with 2x6 framing. So the engine is on ground level, but I am pondering how to get it to the street when I have it together. I have a run of stepping stones to the front of the house and some concrete driveway. I have an engine stand that mounts to the engine mounts and the rear of the engine, NOT like the stand it is currently on. It is lower, and I can put the flywheel on.

It shall be interesting. Will have to move it to the Cruiser Barn to put the Ranger, tranny and TC together where it will be inserted into the rig, and that means transport. Would love to face that issue now, instead of the problem of getting the Ranger, which is the NEXT item to buy.

 

[JohninFla]

Doug
Radiator is aftermarket replacement of OEM. Exact same size.

have fun!!

John

 

[norsk]

Doug
Radiator is aftermarket replacement of OEM. Exact same size.

have fun!!

John

okay, good to know

talking with Tom (alaska60) this morning, about his old fj60 with a ranger. He was running a GM clutch and GM fan without issue with space behind the OEM radiator. That gives me some hope in that.

I have posted previously, the following GM parts are my choice for a mechanical fan:

$113: fan clutch http://nostalgicac.com/gm-fan-clutch.html
$90: Seven bladed fan #790-2030 http://nostalgicac.com/gm-fan-blade-18-inch-steel.html

I hear the 7 bladed fan is the best as it really pulls the airflow

dougbert

 

[norsk]

Last week I finished cleaning up the rear axle and I took a BEFORE pic, but not until this morning was a I able to get an AFTER pic.

BEFORE

AFTER

I brushed with the hi speed brush, and screw driver scratched those areas too small to get the brush in. Then applied Metal blaster to
convert the rush, then a coat of Zero Rust spray can as a primer. After that dried, I applied a coat of Rust Bullet shell black. Much better looking than
the red rust that was there. Will also do the front axle.

dougbert

AND IT IS GETTING WARMING - Its MARCH

here they are:

 

[Elbert]

okay, good to know

talking with Tom (alaska60) this morning, about his old fj60 with a ranger. He was running a GM clutch and GM fan without issue with space behind the OEM radiator. That gives me some hope in that.

I have posted previously, the following GM parts are my choice for a mechanical fan:

$113: fan clutch http://nostalgicac.com/gm-fan-clutch.html
$90: Seven bladed fan #790-2030 http://nostalgicac.com/gm-fan-blade-18-inch-steel.html

I hear the 7 bladed fan is the best as it really pulls the airflow

dougbert

Remember to mock up your radiator etc. Depending on how the radiator sits in the truck vs. the upper and lower ports for the radiator tanks...the radiator fan may be to close to the lower radiator hose. I moved the lower port on radiator tank to the far right position to clear my GM radiator fan....otherwise I had interference issues with the fan/shroud/lower hose.

 

[norsk]

Remember to mock up your radiator etc. Depending on how the radiator sits in the truck vs. the upper and lower ports for the radiator tanks...the radiator fan may be to close to the lower radiator hose. I moved the lower port on radiator tank to the far right position to clear my GM radiator fan....otherwise I had interference issues with the fan/shroud/lower hose.

great Ideas, thanks. With the 2" body lift I just might run into that lower hose issue.


another topic (there is ALWAYS more problems to solve isn't there)

I have an air locker in the rear and its air supply line that ran along the PS rail clipped to the fuel lines. Did not really like that solution. I want to run the rear diff breather hose along with it. Also want to ensure that it is secure AND protected from what ever might scratch along the bottom rail, get caught in them and rip them out.

What have others done to protect such lines?

I thought about using grey PVC electric pipe, secure that to the rail, and put these lines inside of that. With the 2" lift, I could run the pipe on TOP of the rail. Thoughts please?

dougbert

 

[ntsqd]

To me the dangerous spot is where the various hoses jump from the frame to the axle housing. Can't recall ever seeing or hearing of the lines on the frame rail getting caught by something and torn off. I'm sure that it has happened, I've just never heard of or seen it happen.

I would be more inclined to put effort into securing those hoses in the jump from frame to axle housing. Perhaps all within one flexible, well anchored hose? Maybe just bundled together by the spiral type wire loom so that junk and grit doesn't build up inside of the enclosing hose and prematurely wear out any of the hoses.

The donor engine was a 1985 Camaro, that had that extension to let you check the PS level without sticking your arm down into the engine compartment. Chevy put all the filler caps and dipsticks at the top of the engine that year. That is the story!

Thank you!

 

[norsk]

Got the 2nd head painted and torqued into place tonight.
Tomorrow I will be mentoring my young friend, Ted, in pre-loading the lifters on that installed head.
Then the manifold will go on.

dougbert

 

[SNLC]

looking sweet!

Cheers

 

[norsk]

DS rockers installed, and finally the intake manifold installed.

FYI: Gen I manifolds use a 30 ft-lbs torque value, while the Vortec manifold uses a 11-15 ft-lib spec. Go figure.
Used black RTV Gasket Maker on the fore and aft block joints instead of the rubber gaskets.

Laid the carb and the Spectre Performance air intake on the manifold and one valve cover to take pictures.
This air intake will lead over to the Spectre Air Filter and then to the snorkel on the PS wheel well.

Measured the header reducer: 2" down pipe. Those two pipes, one from each side will go to a Y joiner
on the DS and then into a 3" pipe, into the CAT and then into the muffler and out, 3" all the way.

Also installed an Autometer temp sending unit into each head. Will run those 2 into a switch, and then lead to
electric temp gauge. I already have a mechanical on the hose to the radiator. These are in addition to the
toyota sending unit located near the thermostat on the manifold. Yes, 4 temp sensors and 3 gauges -
I feel temp is important info to know.

The manifold has 4 water ports, one on each corner of the manifold. The 2 ones in the rear simply connect
to the head water port. There is NO cross over water channel like the one on the front with the termistat.
From my reading, these 2 in the back are for an external water bypass. I will connect them with
1/2" NPT 5/8" hose nipple and Tee them together and then run the 3rd leg to the heater input port.
Then from the heater to the water input connection on top of the water pump. The right front
water hole has the toyota temp sending unit in it and I will plug the right front water hole. On the front
of the manifold is also a hole, which also will be plug. This could be used for another water bypass hose
to the water pump.

These bypasses allow for more water to flow through the motor while the thermistat is closed, and helps reduce
hot spots

dougbert

 

[norsk]

ENGINE: Was mocking up the Power Steering bracket and in the process of rotating the pump I found that the return nipple on the reservoir, which is in the high center of the reservoir, hit the head and would not let the pump rotate into position.
Darn, worked on the I-6 just fine.

Ordered a new reservoir can with the nipple more down on the can and has a nice bend in it. Seems to be about a dozen different HAM cans for the Saginaw. This one will look better than my old one anyway.

The pump is a GM Metric (1987-1996) Saginaw pickup truck pump. 16 mm with O-ring connector and fits the Toyota PS hose just fine. Mounting Bolts are 10mm

FRAME: finished cleaning the DS C channel and got the innner one OUT (so ugly with that rust scale), and put 2 coats of Rust Bullet on it this morning. Will put the Shell Black on tonight. No pic needed - nows looks like the Passenger Side, which was posted earlier.

BODY: Between coats of paint I washed the firewall and cowl and et al with ZEP 505 cleaner and rinsed with hot water I brought from home. Really cleaned up that firewall. Getting it ready to paint Shell Black on it.

AXLE: Also used ZEP 505 on the DS part of the front axle and used some brake cleaner to clean the dirt off it. Once the dirt is off, will fast brush the rust off and paint with Zero Rust as the primer and Shell Black like the rear axle.


dougbert

pic 1 new reservoir
pic 2 old reservoir - don't remember where I got it. That has modified Air Pump bracket I made to hold the Saginaw on the 2F. Got the idea from Kurt at CruiserOutfitters.

Anyone want that bracket for their Saginaw conversion on their 2F?

Notice the nipple right in the center of the reservoir

 

[norsk]

FRAME: got the Drivers Side C channel area all painted and the shackle all bolted back in. Took some straps to pull the spring inward, a Hi-Lift to get the frame up enough and a jack to lift the left rear tire up to relax everything, but the all the bolts are now tight holding the shackle nice and body mounts.

AXLE: More cleaning. I think SEVERAL passes will be necessary to get all the hidden spots of dirt/grease out. ZEP it, rinse it, Brake cleaner it, repeat.
Spent some time wire brushing the rust off, looking shiney.

CARB: Got the lower carb gasket and the plenum gasket for the already built carb. This carb will be my initial fireup one. I have yet to put my main carb back together. A 3rd carb is waiting for its trip to Cliff Ruggles place for a dip and basic fix up (not a rebuild as I will do that). I like having several carbs in stock. I will play with the jets/rods in each to see how things operating on the rig.

ENGINE: Got the new Fel Pro Blue valve cover gaskets and tied those valve covers down snug. Also the new Power Steering reservoir came and put it on the pump and began mock mounting it to check for fitment. Coolant return connector on. Carb bolted down, carb air cleaner rod cut to proper length and installed. Spectre plenum placed.

FUEL TANK: Put final coat of paint on the tank straps and took the fuel tank back out to the truck. Need to clean and glue the rubber pads to the straps and then with the C channels clear, I will re-install and hook up the tank - YEAH!

DIZZY: I tried the HEI distributor, but it doesn't seem to fit well. It just doesn't feel good in there. I am switching back to buying the MSD 8360 dizzy for a solid, well built distributor. I believe in a very good ignition possible.

DRIVE LINES: Brushed and de-rusted them, cleaned out a LOT of grease/dirt. Prepped it and painted with Zero Rust as primer and Shell black for coverage. We shall see how it performs. Still looks much better than the rust encrusted shafts of before

SOOOO many details to fix and put back together - At least it is MUCH, MUCH warmer now, and the assembly phase has begun.

dougbert

 

[JohninFla]

Doug

I just got back from my vacation, part of it was in your beautiful state. I can understand why you need a cruiser there, and we didn't want to leave. You have been busy!

My Gen 1 SBC didn't give me any issues with the PS fitting clearance. I used the stock PS pump and the GM high pressure hose from the Camaro. Its the same Saginaw pump I have seen for the past ~40 years on GM cars and trucks.

keep it up, holler if you need any pics. That Quadrajet stuff is fun once you get into it, I used them on a drag car Nova I had. Keep lots of notes on the metering rod combos you use. Folks would make fun of it when I was in the lanes waiting to run, then come ask me 100 questions after I blew past their "Holley 750 double pumper, best carb ever" car.

John

 

[norsk]

glad you liked the state. Many hundreds of miles of 4x4 roads around Utah, some of the remotest locales in the lower 48 are possible to find, look at and camp at.

Thanks for the idea of a note book of combinations of jets/rods and their results. I need a GPS speedometer which can provide a 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile record tracking to measure performance with each combo.

I read that in the early days of the Q-jet there were dozens of combos possible, but today the number of jets and rods is much smaller, presumably the ones which make the best performance are left. Very "manually tunable" carb.

Now planning/researching the fuel line from the pump up to the carb, with a fuel pressure gauge there - for grins.

thx

dougbert