TireSmoke.org

Stroker kit not really an option. If worse came to worse, I have a spare crank in the basement, but then I'd have to have the whole rotating assembly re-balanced.

If I get to the point where I need serious machine work done, I'll probably think real hard about an LS-swap.

-Dave

I have a spare crank in the basement

Maverick wrote:

I have a spare crank in the basement

Well, truth be told, there's the spare crank in the basement, and spare short-block in the garage, courtesy MarkSS327.

-Dave

The teardown continues, and its only getting worse.

I was hoping to leave the top end assembled while I removed the crank and had it checked, and machined if needed. At one point, it became obvious I would have to remove at least a few pistons to get everything out. So, off came the intake and the heads. Fortunately, they all look fine.

After digging out a scrap 2x4 and a 1-inch boring bit, I made a nice little wooden holder for my lifters. After getting 9 lifters out, I found 4 that were badly damaged -- concave surface where it rides on the cam. The other 7 didn't want to come out of there bores very easily and it was getting late by this point, but 4 bad lifters is enough to tell me the cam is probably no good anymore.

So, I'm really left with $ome tough deci$ions. I have a short-block that is essentially useless. The block is presumably still ok, the crank likely needs to be machined an additional .010" on the mains. Even if I do that, I have a piston/head combo that yields too much compression.

The good news is that I do have some short term options. I recently dropped off a 350 at the machine shop that was intended for the Corvette. Fatica has also offered to let me use the engine he recently bought.

The big question is what do I do going forward. LSx swap? Big-block? Rebuild the 406 with more appropriate compression ratio? Just leave a 350 in there for a few years and get the body fixed? Sell the car? My gut feeling is to do something cheap so that I can afford to get some bodywork done.

I think I'm gonna take Fatica up on his offer. I could, in theory, be driving the car this weekend.

-Dave

It's possible the cheapest way out is to get bearings, oil pump, cam/lifters, a little emery for the crank and put it back together. It may not last but would require less engineering (which equals more down time) than an LSx swap. Changing compression ratio starts up with pistons or heads and the dollars start adding up.

Wish I had a bumpstick you could use.

Polish the crank and buy .001 or .002 undersize bearings?

Unshroud the valves and polish the chambers to increase their volume, increase flow and reduce detonation by smoothing?

Thicker head gaskets?

I feel the root problem is with today's 'emission friendly' motor oils. IE, Oil, that when introduced into the exhaust, won't mess with any emission related sensors or hardware. In order to archive that, newer oils have less additive(s) that work with flat tappet lifter arrangements. I know I've read something - somewhere, on this subject, but I can't recall exactly where I found it. Any motor oil with the "starburst" symbol, IMO, is for roller cam engines. This is the current 5w30 and 10w30 oils. Note that 10w40 doesn't have the starburst symbol.

I opt for the 350 transplant, and save up for body and paint work. Maybe some buckets and a center console too.
Keep the car drivable, and settle for 15.40s (*) - for a while.


(*)
I have no idea on the existing 350 build.

What is the budget for the repair? You can buy a complete motor for not crazy money
and bolt it in & drive it.... The other thing to do would be to fix it and dump it fast.
There are plenty of good drivers waiting to be purchased, that need minimal work
and that are looking to be enjoyed and not wrenched on all the time. ( Just an opinion,
not trying to ruffle feathers. ) If it sounded like you enjoy the wrenching ( like Maverick )
I think it would be a different story, but you don't seem too happy about it.

GM

I think it's the repeated wrenching, i.e. 400, that's starting to wear ol' Tiresmoker down. The Chevelle, is to much of an Icon, to be dismissed.

So, as stated above, IMO, get the 'shovel' running, heck put tunes in it while your at it. Throw some money at the truck - heater controls.
Pack up the camper, (Annie and friend too), and take a week off. Think things thru.

The way I see it, it comes down to emotions, and finances. Mr. T is stable on both.... as far as I know....

Here is my opinion for what it is worth. Do NOT sell the chevelle. It is paid for and doesn't really cost you anything. I think you would eventually be sorry you sold it. I would do either of these 2 things.

1. Put any working motor in it so it is drivable and then have the bodywork done, painted and spiff the interior. Later you can do the drive train.

2. Leave it alone, push it in corner, cover it and wait until you decide what route you want to go down on the drive train side. Then do it once.

I agree, all the wrenching on thing is what is wearing on tiresmoker.

I vote for option 2 though. I wouldn't want to be doing drive train work on a new body, just in case.

But whatever you do don't sell it.

I've flirted with the idea of selling it only because 1) I've had it such a long time, might be nice to start with something different/new 2) clear up a garage spot for a little while. I don't really have a corner to put it in, out of the way. But I do understand your point of it not costing anything to keep.

Yeah, I have gotten a little worn out on wrenching it because I just keep wrenching on the same parts and nothing else has been fixed/improved in the mean time, along with so little drive time to enjoy it since 2006, when the aluminum heads first went on. I used to enjoy it more, because I'd do some upgrade and reap the rewards. I just haven't had too many rewards the past few years, so frustration has been mounting. (although 12.30s @ 110 was pretty nice when it did run)

I finished removing the crank and pistons from the 406. Pistons look fine. Crank's main journals look questionable, but not horrible. Rod journals seem ok. I'm gonna take it to the machine shop tomorrow or Saturday and get their opinion. I also pulled the cam out and it's definitely bad. I'll try to get some pics of the destruction posted. I think you guys will be surprised.

As for the budget for repair -- I don't really have a number. Not being a T1000, I didn't anticipate this. But John, I know what you're saying about buying a complete motor (or even for me, just a complete short block wouldn't be terrible), and I've started looking around to see what it'd cost.

I'm gonna pop Fatica's motor in there this weekend and hopefully drive the car around a little in Sept/Oct. I know from the past, that once it's back together, a good burnout is quite satisfying and melts away lots of frustration!


-Dave

TireSmoker wrote: ...a good burnout is quite satisfying and melts away lots of frustration!
-Dave

Amen.

You've had that car since you were like 16 right? I think you would regret selling it later. Your dad kept the vette........ So you gotta keep the Chevelle and the vette....

ttamrettus wrote:You've had that car since you were like 16 right? I think you would regret selling it later. Your dad kept the vette........ So you gotta keep the Chevelle and the vette....

I was 17 when I got it. My dad was 26 when he got his (2-year-old) Vette. He had mentioned that to me recently, how he got that car when he was 26, it handled like nothing else on the road at the time, and that it was his "cool" car. I always knew that he had gotten it in 65-66 but never did the math on his age then. I'd sell the Chevelle way before I ever sold the Vette. But I really dig owning and having access to two of the most iconic cars of that general era. I don't know how I'd feel about selling it. It'd depend on why I sold it and how much I got for it. I'm not really there yet, though.

I miss racing it. I cant lay down a good burnout with my bike, and the SS is wrong-wheel-drive.

-Dave

I guess I'll join the fray, too. In the October Car Craft magazine, is an article about a BBC turn-key engine for less than $2700. It's a remanufactured 454 from Demon Engines in Santa Fe Springs, California that puts out more than 400 HP and is complete sans carb. Check it out. Just more food for thought in case you need it, Dave.