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Patrick
Patrick MegaDork
11/8/18 9:35 a.m.

Can you measure the radiator width and height please?  It looks suspiciously like it would work for the Wartburg and that price would save me about $55 in challenge budget 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/8/18 9:37 a.m.
Patrick said:

Can you measure the radiator width and height please?  It looks suspiciously like it would work for the Wartburg and that price would save me about $55 in challenge budget 

Stand by brother. I'll go get them for you.

 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/8/18 9:45 a.m.

Overall width outside to outside, including mounting brackets.

Width of just the core itself.

Overall height, bottom of lower tank to top of upper tank, excluding radiator cap neck.

Height of just the core, excluding the tanks.

Patrick
Patrick MegaDork
11/8/18 9:54 a.m.

Thanks!  Now i can make a cardboard version to see if we clear.  Width is perfect, height is close 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/9/18 12:13 p.m.

I've always had a philosophy that when I remove an engine, I automatically replace the engine mounts, all hoses, water pump, thermostat, and most likely the clutch. That's not always completely cut and dry, and a lot of customers wouldn't part with the money to do it this way, but I try. On my own stuff, those parts are automatically condemned until proven innocent.

Case in point, the engine mounts on this truck. They looked good. They weren't ripped. But I got new ones anyway. The pictures tell the story of how much the mounts had deteoriated over time. They looked pretty good until compared to new ones.

And people wonder why the fan rubs the bottom of the fan shroud and it didn't used to. It's because the engine is sagging about an inch.

This is the fun part of the build, when I've turned the corner and things are getting better rather than worse. The new parts are trickling in and I'm able to throw away old ones and replace them with the new.

And start assembling things into sub-assemblies.

 

 

759NRNG
759NRNG SuperDork
11/10/18 10:39 a.m.

What pray tell will be your choice of rims for this 'blast from the past'?

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/10/18 11:56 a.m.
759NRNG said:

What pray tell will be your choice of rims for this 'blast from the past'?

If I walked into Super Shops in 1989, this is what I would have bought. 15x8.5 American Racing Outlaw wheels with 205/50-15 tires. In this case, I'm having to compromise on tire brand because BF Goodrich Euro TA tires are no longer made. But I got the wheels right and the tire size correct in a different brand.

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/12/18 12:59 p.m.

The machine shop called and said that my stuff was ready to be picked up.

To recap, I had them vat the block, bore the block .020 over, surface the deck, and press my new pistons onto the rods.

When I got home, I immediately turned the shop heater up to painting temp and got to work.

I'm using the full three stage VHT shake-n-shoot system.

 

Gunchsta
Gunchsta HalfDork
11/12/18 1:24 p.m.

Clearcoat!! 

This thing is going to be super when it's done. 

Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee UberDork
11/14/18 10:01 a.m.

It's been two days... Waiting with baited breath for the after pictures. laugh

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/14/18 12:03 p.m.
Mr. Lee said:

It's been two days... Waiting with baited breath for the after pictures. laugh

I'm doing a lot of stuff not worthy of pictures like polishing the crank and preparing for assembly.

In other news, I got a new prop rod clip. This is real edge of your seat stuff.

Good stuff coming soon I promise. Probably this weekend for a real photo-dump worthy post.

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 MegaDork
11/14/18 2:12 p.m.

Youre going to make me regret not painting the block in my challenge car red, aren't you???

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/14/18 4:39 p.m.
Dusterbd13 said:

Youre going to make me regret not painting the block in my challenge car red, aren't you???

Now I can't vouch for that. I chose red for the added horsepower personally.

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 MegaDork
11/14/18 5:00 p.m.

Yup. Already regretting it.  

Only gonna get worse from here...

 

The NEXT engine will be painted red. This one probably won't live long enough to come back out. 

Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee UberDork
11/14/18 9:03 p.m.

DAMN... That's looks good...

 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/15/18 1:52 p.m.

Bottom end all assembled and oil pan buttoned up.

Bolts, washers, crush washer for drain plug, and new FIPG.

Done, now to roll it over and do the top end.

Even though the head is brand new out of the box, I think I'm going to disassemble it and check/change the valve stems seals. I've read on the internets about these brand new heads having missing VS seals.

NOT A TA
NOT A TA Dork
11/15/18 9:59 p.m.

Sometimes you can use one of those little camera wand things on a phone to see the seals. I found a seal spring on a bench at work a week or so ago and used the phone camera wand to find the seal missing the spring saving a lot of time (machine shop so several sets of heads would have had to be checked).

mr2s2000elise
mr2s2000elise Reader
11/16/18 1:15 p.m.

you guys see this?

 

 

2003-gmc-sonoma-2

Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee PowerDork
11/16/18 6:46 p.m.
mr2s2000elise said:

you guys see this?

 

 

2003-gmc-sonoma-2

My 75 year old neighbor has a 2000 S10 standard cab, short bed with less than 70k on it. 4.3, auto, ZQ8, re-programed ecu but otherwise stock. He's had it since new. It's a time machine inside that thing. He routinely get's stopped at gas stations and such by people asking if he wants to sell it. 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/17/18 4:26 p.m.

 

Waiting on a box of bolts from McMaster Carr.

vwcorvette
vwcorvette SuperDork
11/17/18 4:29 p.m.

What I like is how you masked the deck to match the head gasket. Details! 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/17/18 5:00 p.m.
vwcorvette said:

What I like is how you masked the deck to match the head gasket. Details! 

Yes sir. A lesson well learned. I can be particular about things and building an engine and having messy masking around gasket surfaces wears on me. A little extra time with masking tape and a felt tip marker makes it all sanitary.

 

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/18/18 7:40 a.m.

It's time consuming and expensive to put one back to 100 percent. I often ponder why I repeatedly do these projects.

Every blade is riddled with cracks.

Remebering my nice fan shroud and new radiator, that fan will never do. Too risky.

So, there's 40 dollars I will never get back.

Do it once, do it right. Ponder what it will be like to be broke, homeless, and living under a bridge (with a mint Mazda minitruck to drive around in).

BoostedBrandon
BoostedBrandon SuperDork
11/18/18 11:11 a.m.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie :

You're my new signature.

Love the truck!

Cousin_Eddie
Cousin_Eddie HalfDork
11/18/18 12:06 p.m.

In reply to BoostedBrandon :

I am flattered ! 

 

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