DJ3100
Well-known member
Yeah, if you take it out and break it you can post even more stuff! Personally I drive my finished stuff like my grandmother - I don't want to risk breaking anything, or crunching a corner.
1934 Cadillac
- Thread starter zzrodder
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
Yeah, if you take it out and break it you can post even more stuff! Personally I drive my finished stuff like my grandmother - I don't want to risk breaking anything, or crunching a corner.
Todd
He's just one of them Rusty-Chainers!
Agreed, but he would've been putting it up for the winter trip south.
42chevy
Rustier Rat Rodder
We are not worthy! Very nice work. You took a lemon and made lemonade for sure.
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Yes, I took it over to show him and he loved it - made his day, he's on dialysis for kidney failure and it really gave him a lift. He took pics right away and was just floored with how it was brought back to life and by its new look.
I took a couple pics in almost the same spot where I found it and I'll put them on as soon as I can figger out how to download them from my new smart phone ( stupid phone ?!).
Haven't even tried to light 'em up yet but I'll get to it - too busy cruising - almost have 1000 miles on it already !!
deerchooper
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2010
- Messages
- 744
looks great zz, you do wonderful work.
so whats the next build?
so whats the next build?
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Next build, hmmmm - I've been 'told' I need a time out from building 'till after we come back from down south in the spring. That's OK with me, I'm a little burnt out from this one.
No firm plans yet, going to spend the next few months scribbling at the drawing board and keeping an eye out for parts or worthy tin that needs to come home with me.
For sure it will be something more 'ratty' = shiny is too much work !!
Thumpszilla
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2011
- Messages
- 41
Man I have not been around this site but a few months but I have read every post of this build. I have shown my wife pics as I have read this build. I have shown my sons pics and anyone else who was around when I was reading on this thread. This is an amazing build!!
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Trouble in paradise....
Don't you just love taking things apart after it's all painted and finished ??
The 500 Caddy engine had an annoying tick on #1 exhaust valve - being the eternal optimist, I thought it may be some crud in the lifter that would clear out after some driving, but 900 plus miles later it's still there like a bad dream.
If I had half a brain, I would have fixed this before the rest of the front end went on....
So, I dove in and pulled the cam and lifters - typical 70's GM bad cam & lifters. Hard to see in the pics, but almost every lifter has a dish worn in it, cam lobes also worn. Had some real fun getting the lifters out with vise grips and a pry bar, the ends on nearly every one were burred plus the varnish on the lower ends made it a real pain in the drain....
I don't know how I didn't spot this when I had it torn down to the short block. I thought the performance was a little off, a new Comp Cams High Energy 252 cam lifters and springs are going in. It's the mildest cam they have, smooth idle yet better torque and mileage over stock, should give it a pick-me-up. Thing about these engines is if you go more on the lift, it will wipe out the stock rockers and eat the ends of the valves, so you have to go to aftermarket (pricey) shaft mount roller rockers - not what I'm looking for here.
Don't you just love taking things apart after it's all painted and finished ??
The 500 Caddy engine had an annoying tick on #1 exhaust valve - being the eternal optimist, I thought it may be some crud in the lifter that would clear out after some driving, but 900 plus miles later it's still there like a bad dream.
If I had half a brain, I would have fixed this before the rest of the front end went on....
So, I dove in and pulled the cam and lifters - typical 70's GM bad cam & lifters. Hard to see in the pics, but almost every lifter has a dish worn in it, cam lobes also worn. Had some real fun getting the lifters out with vise grips and a pry bar, the ends on nearly every one were burred plus the varnish on the lower ends made it a real pain in the drain....
I don't know how I didn't spot this when I had it torn down to the short block. I thought the performance was a little off, a new Comp Cams High Energy 252 cam lifters and springs are going in. It's the mildest cam they have, smooth idle yet better torque and mileage over stock, should give it a pick-me-up. Thing about these engines is if you go more on the lift, it will wipe out the stock rockers and eat the ends of the valves, so you have to go to aftermarket (pricey) shaft mount roller rockers - not what I'm looking for here.
Attachments
sawzall
Well-known member
WOW, That's to bad, but better you got to it now instead of it doing some really bad damage to the motor.
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Neverdone
He's not done yet...
Yeah I would have been afraid to scratch the paint too........... [cl Nicely done though!!!
Dirtyrat
Got Fins?
Always a bummer to have to work on it after all the nice shiny bits are done and installed.
Hope everything goes smoothly for you on the fix!
Hope everything goes smoothly for you on the fix!
sgtpontiac
Older, Wiser and Still Buildin'
Plenty of ZDDP for the new cam...
Even Lucus is getting on the band wagon for older flat tappet motors......bummer you had to tear it down, but better now than down the road.......
Even Lucus is getting on the band wagon for older flat tappet motors......bummer you had to tear it down, but better now than down the road.......
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Yeah, that seems to be a necessary thing for old engines, putting the zinc back in. Apparently it's also bad to start a fresh engine on synthetic oil, switch to it after break in. I swear by using GM molybdenum disulfide grease on the cam and lifters for assembly. I've still got some that I've had for over 30 years, it looks like liquid graphite - never had a cam go bad when I've used it.
Got the new cam in tonight and will button up everything else tomorrow. Amazingly, I was able to get the rad out and pull the cam without taking out the whole grille and shell assembly - that would have sucked because the hood would have had to come off too !
The 1974 454 engine in my Hennway came out of a pickup and has never had the pan or heads off, I run it on regular gas and synthetic oil and it's still going strong after 38 years (knock on wood...) , so there is something to be said for leaving well enough alone - too bad it wasn't the case for the Caddy engine...
Attachments
Dirtyrat
Got Fins?
A Chicken Runway?
