Topic: Project crazy horse *warning: domestic content*

[darthekai]

That's kinda what happened with mine, original plan...install a 2.3L with EFI to keep the car light and cheap on fuel....EFI is a pain in the assay.....buy 5.0L out of a truck to throw in with a carb.....engine had a bad cam bearing...rebuilds are expensive......find 331 stroker for sale.....sure why not. And I think the same thing happened with the rear diff and a few other things on the car.

lol Actually the guy that sold me the tbird has a 331 stroker short block he wanted to sell me for 2k. sooo tempting because thats roughly what my "new" shortblock is going to run me.
In the end, I think id rather have the peace of mind that im the first person to stress the bottom end. Id feel pretty dumb if i ditched the old block, got the stroker, and found out when i throw a rod bearing that it has the same problem.

[Rathburn]

and the guy wants to get rid of it real bad. 2 solid axles, manual locking hubs. apparently seized ish brakes. missing key. some kind of pretty powerful engine (also a 302 maybe?)

Yeah, 302 for sure. I think there was a desiccated hobo baby nest under the passenger seat.

[darthekai]

WOOOOO YEAH THE HEART OF THE BEAST IS FINALLY COMPLETE



mods: pretty sure this project will have little to no subaru parts in it, as such this should probably get mooooooved

[seat safety switch]

Nah, you're in the forum, you gotta put Subaru parts in the thing.

[darthekai]

I'll use whatever hood scoop RedBimmer93 doesn't use on the LW.

PRETTY good chance I'll use some subaru parts, as that's most of the spares I have kicking around my shop.

[RedBimmer93]

I'll use whatever hood scoop RedBimmer93 doesn't use on the

First dibs!!

[darthekai]

starting to think about actual engine install. maybe someone with experience can chime in?

chassis is EFI. new engine is Carb. Engine has a mechanical fuel pump.
current fueling plan is to remove electric pump, retain fitting, hose, and hard piping up to the engine bay, replumb to inlet of fuel pump, outlet through filter to bowl.
After install, fill filter with fuel, pour down line until I hear draining in tank, fill pump, fill other line, fill bowl, crank engine.

Do I need a new filter? maybe one with less flow restriction or some such due to the new lower pressures?

todo:
clean heads, check valves for leaks
grind out exhaust port air injection tumors
get carb spacer
get MM solid engine mounts
get new plugs
do rear end
get a carb intake filter thingy.

[Rathburn]

do rear end

Lol, you would work the rear end....

[darthekai]

Lol, you would work the rear end....

I gotta jam a big thick axle all up in there. Then make sure it bounces properly.
My biggest worry is it being too tight and limiting my range of motion.

[darthekai]

Took rotating assy to a guy just north of town. Called Custom Balancing and Blueprinting. Old dude. Messy shop. Talks your ear off if you give him half a chance. Awesome work, quick, and he gave me all sorts of tips I didn't ask for, and then showed me how he does the whole balance, then showed me his engine building room, and then talked smack about Obama for some reason, then started ranting about shipping car parts from the states, so I left. Good guy 10/10 would recommend.

So now I have all engine bits in my possession except heads. Going with flotek heads because they're cheap and apparently they work quite well. Might upgrade in the future.
Now I need to sacrifice some sheets to try and make a bit of a clean room in my dirty assay garage.
Honestly considered doing it in the kitchen, but you have to take stairs to get back outside so I don't think ittl work.

[seat safety switch]

Well, you were giving him Fox body parts, he probably figured you were a kindred spirit politically. If you were bringing in a Volvo crank he'd just not have said anything.

I vote for clear plastic sheeting like a movie serial killer's hideout.

[Roadwarrior]

Took rotating assy to a guy just north of town. Called Custom Balancing and Blueprinting. Old dude. Messy shop. Talks your ear off if you give him half a chance. Awesome work, quick, and he gave me all sorts of tips I didn't ask for, and then showed me how he does the whole balance, then showed me his engine building room, and then talked smack about Obama for some reason, then started ranting about shipping car parts from the states, so I left. Good guy 10/10 would recommend.

So now I have all engine bits in my possession except heads. Going with flotek heads because they're cheap and apparently they work quite well. Might upgrade in the future.
Now I need to sacrifice some sheets to try and make a bit of a clean room in my dirty assay garage.
Honestly considered doing it in the kitchen, but you have to take stairs to get back outside so I don't think ittl work.

A clean room? For assembling a small block? Seems a bit overkill. Ive always thrown them together in the garage, and never had a problem with them. But maybe my garage wasn't as dirty. But sounds like things are going well. Looking forward to seeing this thing together.

[darthekai]

A clean room? For assembling a small block? Seems a bit overkill. Ive always thrown them together in the garage, and never had a problem with them. But maybe my garage wasn't as dirty. But sounds like things are going well. Looking forward to seeing this thing together.

just a clean-er room. and something to block my heater from kicking up a cloud of dust every time it kicks on.


Rear end is finally hanging underneath the car. Just need to sort out brake lines and because im super not smart, wait until tomorrow so I can go buy new poly spring isolators. Finally figured out camber plates and got the rear seats out. Now I need to get it rolling so i can freeze the sound deadening for easier removal.

Found a PDF copy of "how to rebuild small-block fords" or whatever that bible is called. work starts today.

[Rathburn]

Things heard in racecar garage today:

Charlie: Dude, don't move back, I'm right behind you.
Erik: Yeah, OK. Oh, hahaha, sorry dude. Nohomo.
Charlie: ...
Erik: Man, this is so happy.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

[darthekai]

im experiencing significant amounts of confusion about E-brake cables. I remember reading I only need 93 cobra brake lines, but still unsure if they come as a pair? on my chassis, the cable splits at an equalizer about halfway down the car and runs to each brake down the subframe.

I also am regretting not cutting the hydraulic line off the t-bird, as it had a fitting I need. Hopefully its a standard banjo fitting.

Also, does anyone know if I bring it to a Road Worthyness inspection with welded in front seats and no rear seats, if ittl pass?
Or I wonder if i could adjust my rego to state its a 2 person vehicle instead of 4.

[wrx-zrx]

As far as I am aware you will be required to maintain the rear belts in their factory mountings. The seats are not necessary but the belts must remain.

Most likely concerns like that are going to be at the discretion of the mechanic inspecting your car.
There are legal requirements that car must meet during inspection but ultimately what it will come down to is if the certified mechanic is willing to sign on the dotted line and possibly assume part of the liability for what is supposed to be a car that is certified safe for street use.

[darthekai]

As far as I am aware you will be required to maintain the rear belts in their factory mountings. The seats are not necessary but the belts must remain.

Most likely concerns like that are going to be at the discretion of the mechanic inspecting your car.
There are legal requirements that car must meet during inspection but ultimately what it will come down to is if the certified mechanic is willing to sign on the dotted line and possibly assume part of the liability for what is supposed to be a car that is certified safe for street use.

good because I cant get the torx bolts out on the bottom of either rear belt.
Taking the seats out was such a PITA that I really really want to just chuck em in the garbage out of a hateful spite. That interior must have been assembled OUTSIDE the car and then slid into place.

[wrx-zrx]

Taking the seats out was such a PITA that I really really want to just chuck em in the garbage out of a hateful spite. That interior must have been assembled OUTSIDE the car and then slid into place.

Sorry, I can't say that I sympathize with you there, my rear lower seems falls out for me quite easily. The upper is not much harder, just a few more parts.

[darthekai]

Sorry, I can't say that I sympathize with you there, my rear lower seems falls out for me quite easily. The upper is not much harder, just a few more parts.

the uppers were the hard part.

the two backs are held together by a flexible but apparently inseparable alien linkage. all that can be seen is a brass colored bar. The outside edges are held by plates with 4 bolts, but the plates are behind the plastic moulding.
not only that, but the bar that attaches the seat back to the plates goes through a hole in the plastic that is too small for the plate to come out of. There are 4 more bolts in the middle of the seats that are only accessible with a box end wrench, as they are under the cushioning.

After stripping the torx bolt holding the seatbelt in place, it came down to cutting the seats out of the molding or cutting the seatbelt. I viciously hacked up the plastic, most of which is still somehow structurally bonded to the roof liner, and literally kicked the alien linkage in half, sending the cushioning flying out my hatch and into the garage door..

[Roadwarrior]

I didn't find it too hard to strip the interior out of mine. I also have the back seat permanently removed in mine. I thought about making a filler for it to make one big flat spot for the hatch, but have decided not to for now because racecar. But thinking about it I don't think my insurance company needed a inspection when I insured it. But mine only makes a couple hundred KM a year, and I have been looking into collectors insurance since the car is old enough, and I already have a vintage plate on it.

[darthekai]

all pistons are in, found out i wasnt as careful as i thought when i took the damn thing apart...



Now I cannot find the cam bolt..
oh well, I also have to go get a new dowel pin anyways..

rear end is almost squared away, just need to figure out the E-brake cables. Row52 said there was an 88 tbird T/C so I went down to the PNP to try and grab the brackets i should have gotten originally, but it the internet lied to me and it wasnt a T/C.

the drum cables I chopped to get the old rear out look like theyre in the right place... so maybe I just need a the rear Ebrake Cables from a 93 GT?

[kijho]

Your nude calendar is from the 90's
/usefulcomment

I first noted this. Then, I saw the calender next to it ... of my old GC. I miss it.

[Roadwarrior]

I swapped my brakes to a set of rear disks out of a 95. I took the cables with it but had to make an adaptor since they normally mount on the chassis, so we had to make a piece that would clip in both cables, and hold them in place. BTW I don't know if you need, but I think I have a brand new double roller timing chain, ARP oil pump driveshaft, and some lightly used ARP head bolts kicking around for a 302.

[darthekai]

Thanks i have all that already :p

Can you take a picture or draw how your cables are routed and where the equalizer is?

[Roadwarrior]

The car it buried outside in the snow right now so I don't think ill be getting any pics. But if I remember correctly I think I ran them similar to what I drew in the pic below.