just me,
No, I think it's their fancy new machine. It's set up to get super fine finishes for MLS gaskets and just isn't geared up for sizable cuts. I believe they are cutting less than half a thou a pass. It's taking forever!!!!! I suggested they fly cut it in a mill and then do the finish cuts, but they didn't want to do multiple set ups. Live and learn. I pick it up tomorrow even if it's not the full .050" I was after. I want to get this thing buttoned up!
On the bright side, I will have a very nice surface on the head! Hopefully not too nice... Next time I do this I'll have the thing rough cut first. The machinist suggested we drag the next head behind a car for a few miles before we bring it in .
Those pictures are right on time Andy, as I'm going to start on my front main seal, water distro tube, and add a new water pump in the next week or two, so thanks for the photos!
Gary
it sounds like some of us are rebuilding our motors along the same path and pace. Reading the posts, and reviewing the pictures has me going out to my garage and checking some part of this or that to see if my own motor or accessory has the same "issue" or part as other forum members has given me valuable knowledgable for my own rebuild. I decided to order the different and more modern front timing cover oil seal, the 66636s one, and have my OEM one pulled and replaced. As always, my military experience had me order two, as one must always have a "back-up".
Today's plan is to gap the rings, and put them on their pistons, and as soon as my precision adjustable ring compressor arrives, drop them into their bores. I am pacing myself, and only try to accomplish one significant project a day.
It would be helpful if we talk about how we plan to accomplish this or that, what trick or technique we have up our sleeve, what choices we plan for things like gaskets, sealants, lubricants, and more. Helpful advice on our progress. For instance, i'll post on my experience with my soon to be used adjustable ring compressor, and ring filer gadget. I have already learned a lot, and reading about things that go wrong will surely help me avoid the mishaps of others.
We have a lot of experience here, so let's share it.
Progress! A bit on the late side, but progress none the less!
Jesse "NASCAR", Sebastian "Sea Bass", Russell, and Brian working away! Jesse and Brian worked ~ 8 hours today and did a great job, but I suspect they never want to see a flaring tool or tubing cutter again!
T245 & Kids.JPG (131.08 KiB) Viewed 1455 times
Notice we have actually added a CYLINDER HEAD! Yes, it's a CYLINDER HEAD!!! It's been elusive, but through perseverance, persistence, and generally being a pest we were able to grab it yesterday and put it on today. The CR is 7.9:1 so we're all pretty happy.
Fired the engine last night with no drama, other than one little messy problem. It turns out if you leave the transfer case/E brake levers off the transmission and don't put a bolt in the lower most hole it will pump a sizable amount of oil out ! I was aware the two forward holes were not blind, but didn't expect the action of the gears to actually pump out oil. Duh!
We just ran the motor enough to get the cam happy, check for leaks, and get a temp cycle under it's belt. I'm going to try and get the truck back on the road today. It was nice to see a pile of old used parts come together as a system again. I'm very curious how it well it pushes the truck down the road.
handsome motor! I hope to have mine in my truck a few days after we get back from Nebraska in about three weeks. I am sure my heart rate will be sky high when we turn on the ignition and hit the starter button.
Kaegi,
Mark "The Texas Tornado" found a vendor on eBay that deals with NOS headgaskets for old US makes. After a few emails and a photo or two we were able to find a gasket that fit the different chamber of the Plymouth 218
head I used. The stock chamber of the M37 is MUCH larger in volume. If you would like I'll dig up
the info.
Thanks but I dont need it now I just wanted to know. almost every engine I have rebuilt is the earlier heads with lower compression and I shave usually about .075 off the head, bore block, and put in larger cam. the shaving and the boring really raise up the compression and make a huge difference. on my next one I was thinking of finding the late 50s head with factory higher compression and then shaving that to get even more compression than I have shaving older heads. the stock cam and compression ratios were designed for 70 octane fuel. 87 is like race fuel so there is lots of room to raise the CR.
Kaegi,
If you're running the M37 style heads you're starting with around 100cc's for a chamber volume. The Plymouth head we started with had around 86cc's and I believe was considered a 7:1 head. Mark measured some of the '59 heads and they were around 86cc's too. We milled off .050" and ended up with 80cc's. Once the gasket, overbore and other bits were figured in our final CR was 7.9. We could have milled more as we had plenty of valve clearance with the stock cam, 3/64" minimum not including the gasket thickness. I want to see how this engine works before I mill more. I'd like to work up to this slowly and not trash a head or rattle the motor. I will have the truck on the dyno soon so it will be fun to see if this does much. It seems to run well, but it may all be in my head .
What cam have you tried, the Isky? I looked into using it, but I need low RPM. From what I saw running one of the desk top dyno programs it worked, but outside of the range I drive the truck at. The stock cam actually was darn good for my use according to the program.
I have never run the isky. I have my cams reground at Delta camshafts in Tacoma WA since the 80s. I have used 2 grinds from them. the last one they called the torque grind. I tell them what I am putting it in and how I will use it and they figure out the specs. for me. it worked really well in the WC52 that I hauled with and offroaded in the mountains for years. fuel consumption was very low too. In my command car they did a grind that had more hp at mid and higher rpms. you never haul in a command car and with 5.83s don't need more torque so that worked well for that truck. they both pulled long hills well but I would guess the command car grind was a little bit faster to the top. both trucks weighed the same
Home 
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! I was aware the two forward holes were not blind, but didn't expect the action of the gears to actually pump out oil. Duh!
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