My v8 conversion thread, With pics, progress, questions ect!! Options

[Andyrew]

So making it official I am making this my one v8 progress thread, I will possibly post questions about the conversion elswhere, but my progress will go here.
Anyways, the story..
Knowing that I needed a new engine, I searched for some conversions, finding a few, then falling through, I ask about a v8 conversion, two guys here generously said that they will help and sell me some of their stuff. Together I will be able to make a nice conversion on a very limited budget. Here I will take the time to thanks Scott K and Steve H for what they have done and what they will do.

Anyways with that, I then went to pick and pull and found a 305 engine from some later car. We look all around and cant find an engine number.. Hey, its a v8, we need to pull something, Lets just do it (im very glad I said that..)
We then get the engine home and I plop off the valve covers and find that it has 350 heads(via the number), hmm.. Interesting... So I go and find the block number look it up. Sure enough, its a 350 block. Well thats not enough for me, I take it apart check the bore, theck the stroke, Yuppers 4in bore, something or other stroke, Yup its definately a 350! Whats not known is why it was in a 305 car.. So checking the pistons dad says there high compression, I wouldnt know any better.
So then talking about radiators, Mike Mueller kindly offers me his (very large) aluminum radiator for cheep. I take him up on his offer and drive to his house to see his garage packed with neet toys! Thanks mike for the walk through! We enjoyed it!
So we go home, and later in the week(yesterday) I start taking off the pistons, I get one off and clean it, trying to find an overbore number.. Cant fine one Check the bearings, they have .0005 on them. No clue what that means...
Anyways, while taking out the rest of the pistons dad stares at something for a second, laughs, and shows me that it is a 4 bolt main. So, now where very curious to why it was in a regular family car.. 84 or such.

Anyways, enough with the gabber, heres my list of pics..

[Andyrew]

Adapter plate for the later model v8 (86 and up to the LS1) that will be for sale on ebay or whatnot soon. also the rails that hold the two radiator fans together.. Dont think im gona use it.

[Andyrew]

Cool trick stuff.

Harmonic balancer from renegade or whatnot.

and hehe, remote oil filter, which I will tap into the lines and add a oil cooler, Yup, I dont want any over heating problems, my big ars aluminum radiator, big old fans, and this oil cooler, should prevent any of that problem. Besides all the engine stuff is clean, hot tanked, and everything should flow very nicely.

[Andyrew]

Water lines.. gona paint tomorrow or so.. (yes, if you dont know, I like keeping things clean..)

[Andyrew]

Boring single exhaust... One cat, one truck muff.. first few miles im going to do will be taking it down to a nice muff shop, and having them take out the cat. Shouldnt be that hard, not that much money.

Later on I'll spend some cash and do a nice, cool sounding dual exhaust. We have some interesting idea's....

[shoguneagle]

Andyrew, you make the old parts look good. Hope they meet and exceed your needs along with being functional. It was good to meet you and your father. Enjoyed your car and what you are doing with it. Glad the parts are being used instead of rusting away.

I know you have a few holes to fill in parts needs. Let me know what they are. It appears I will be getting out of the 914 business until we move. Need to cut down on my P-Car reserves and get back involved when I get moved.

Steve Hurt

[Andyrew]

Alternator mount, and "custom" alternator... I'll just use my basically new alternator from pick and pull, spins better.

In the background is the smog pump... Can you guess what Im going to do with that?..

save it incase the Man says that all cars have to be smogged.

[Andyrew]

OH er.. ya..

Also my 9in Kevlar flywheel... Some interesting wear marks, but asside from those, it looks new.

I'll save it for later, when I get a beeefy trani.. I'll use the 7in clutch Scott gave me for the time being.. mainly so that I break my clutch, and not my trani.

[Andyrew]

Steve, so far, it looks like the only thing I need are the clutch extender (you have... Could use it in a week, or so, We'll drive down there... gota get outa the house), and a throwout bearing. I tried calling Rod simpson (cheapest) today but the guy didnt answer, so I'll call him tomorrow morn.

Next on my list

Box of parts.. Reverse fittings.. some bolts, whatnot.. thermostat stuff, and a water pump!!!!

[Andyrew]

And last, but appropriately not least, is the engine mount bar..

Which I like.. Much better than the clamp two U clamps on with some square tubing, and go...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Andrew

[Brad Roberts]

Dont install the harmonic balancer until you get the spacer that goes behind it. It should be cheap from Renegade. It appears to be the only thing missing in your pics. If the balancer was installed on another engine (I know it was).. he may have not pulled off the spacer that was sitting behind it.

B

[Andyrew]

Alright, Im sure Steve still has it on his engine.. If not, im going to get a throwout bearing from RSH, so I'll get one from him...(he seems to have the cheapest parts)

And ya, I actually was going to ask about that spacer... Thanks.

Andrew

[Brad Roberts]

Buy the throwout bearing from KEP. This is where everyone gets them from. Rod works from his house (no/low overhead) so yes his prices will be a tad cheaper than RHS.


B

[Andyrew]

I would... but I wana get this thing runnin soon. Theres a ford focus dyno day at a local dyno shop the 15th, (friend of ours has couple focus's, and dad occasionally posts on their bbs, making them jelous with high hp numbers and such. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) And I really want to get it on the dyno and get some tune time... Our Gtech just isnt working right.. (bout the only thing it does is 0-60 and 1/4 mile.. Hp numbers are inaccurate, and lateral/continuous g's just plain dont register)

Since RSH is down LA I could have it in my hands, maybe fri.. That is if he has the parts on shelf.

But if he doesnt have everything, I'll call KEP (Thats Kennedy, right?? Or?)

[Brad Roberts]

Kennedy is closer to us than RSH.. but feel free to buy from whomever.

KEP supplies these guy's with 90% of what you see being sold.

B

[Andyrew]

Aight fine. I'll give kennedy a call in the morn.. I thought they where located in like tennesee or somethin..

[skline]

Nope, they are in Lancaster and the parts are usually shipped out same day and being in California, you should have them next day and their prices are lower. Anytime I order from them, I have it next day. They are great.

[soloracer]

I agree, KEP has been awesome to deal with. Hobart Kennedy is a very patient man and has spent some time on the phone with me going over parts that I needed.

Andyrew, I like the hood idea and was considering something like that for my car although with more of a rounded/contoured look that you see on cars with a similar arrangement for added downforce. By this I mean they have a they appear to have a duct that goes all the way to the radiator instead of just a hole that looks straight at the firewall. I would think the sealed duct type set up would prevent water from collecting in the trunk when it rains. Does this make sense?

I like this thread idea of yours and think I will start one as well - although I think my progress is going to be much, much slower than yours (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

[Andyrew]

Aight, im gona give KEP a call.

I'll try to get a betta pic of the hood.. But my radiator "looks" straight at the hole, therefore the fans would be blowing the air straight twards the opening (I have a monster radiator that I have to put in at a huge angle... and there is a reversed scoop that raises the front one in.. I might put a small, small lip on the edge to give it a tad more turbulence.. but then again, I might now.

I'll see if I can get betta pics of it.

Andrew

[Andyrew]

today was...

A productively bad day... lol

Im quite positive I wont get it running for the dyno day... Mostly because I dont have everything...

So.. Incase someone is following price wise.. I made some larger purchases the past couple days (read ouch)

So, Kragen was 70 dollars for... erm carb rebuild kit, oil, wires, spark plugs.. and some other stuff.

Home depo was 40 bucks for some tools (little tools) and some metal for the radiator shrowd (more on that later)

Ebay got expensive today.. But I feel I made out fairly well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=7914176910
and
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=7914966961

Ahh look at that ebay motors item number.. Isnt it satisfying?

Pics later..

Andrew

[Andyrew]

Oh I guess I could post some pics..

Dad rebuild the carb (Thanks!) yesterday,

And I have been workin on the lousy radiator shrowd stuff... Ahh I just have to make up my mind about a few things.. do some final cuts, do some painting, put the radiator in, seal everything up good with some expando foam, and Im good for paint..

Then I'll be running the lines for the radiator, working on doing some fiberglassing.. ahh the joys are endless...

Anyways.. heres some pics.