Well, it wasn't pretty or smooth, but eventually got the 57 GHawk's 289 to cough to life for first time ever, and run just long enough to confirm the Flightomatic actually TURNS THE WHEELS! (no small relief, as I rebuilt the transmission, my one and only automatic rebuild, 11 years ago this month!).
Yeah, foolish probably, but most fun I've ever had; first thing I did with the car was rebuild that tranny! I'm sure none of you recall, but almost my first post on this forum was a plea for "where do I find the correct tranny for this?", upon my dismay of finding a Ford-o-matic in it. Within a day, a guy across town from me connected, had the correct tranny and bell housing from a GHawk engine he needed; I could have for $75.
Every piece of the engine rebuilt, my first V8, lot different than a Model-A Ford! My first-ever flaring of gas (or brake...) lines, added the later sediment bulb and made return line using a 56J sending unit in the tank (had to get a replacment tank anyway, so had them convert the 5/16 to 3/8" needed for supercharger). Added an R2(?) fuel pump (my original wasn't for a supercharged car anyway). Rebuilt the NOS fuel pump, NOS distributor, etc etc.. Engine has been assembled for.... 8 years, on a stand? 3 on the chassis? Over 11 years, EVERYTHING rebuilt, and no way to test a single sub-assembly until it can RUN.
My son was home from NY for the holidays, and we decided the time had come to jerry-rig the wiring , cross all our fingers and toes, and "see what happens". Would fuel and/or oil be squirting everywhere? Squeals of protest from incorrectly assembled SOMETHING? (would it even COUGH, let alone start?).
Set initial timing w/ light and simply turning over with the starter. Virgin gas tank got 2 gallons of non-oxy, turned the key and watched the sediment bulb fill.... and.. GAS EVERYWHERE! :-( (
fortunately only a fitting on return line never got tightened; no other leaks!). Spun it over some more, cough, cough. Had to prod butterfly open a bit, finally fired and stayed running with a bit higher idle RPM and decreasing idle mix from spec, got 10-15 seconds, enough to get timing closer. Started again (lots of cranking :-( ) and ran maybe 20 seconds, and shifted it and held my breath. Drive shaft spun enough to throw grease from the U-joints, happy day! :-) And, except for obviously running really rich (?per BLACK exhaust and need to hold choke open in 20F Minnesota!, heated shop or not...), it really DID run quiet and smooth. I could have cried with relief. Yes, I have drilled that 'vent hole" in butterfly per the Service Bulletins (thanks Doofus).
BUT, carb was leaking a lot, at seam, at upper vent... I'm sure I filed for high-spots or checked for warp, but..??? As well as not wanting to start or stay running. Monkeyed around with it just enough to decide not it wasn't going to run well enough to do the 20 minute break in, and without the radiator on, wasn't going to play with it anymore to see if it would run better.
SO, counting my blessings, name them one by one; it RAN (without shuddering or vibrating); no gas leaks except the carb, no oil leaks. No noises! Could I be so lucky? And whether it is ADJUSTED right or not, that 11yr old Flightomatic rebuild goes forwards and backwards and rebuilt differential was smooth. Though the tranny PAN was weeping, hopefully just needs some tightening up on the pan bolts there. So, after 30-45 seconds of total stumbling-run time? 11 years of work at least partially ratified. :-)
AND, the Stromberg WW121A carb is sitting on the table headed for Daytona Parts (I called them and they ARE rebuilding carbs yet, just not 'refinishing' them). I've gone through it twice and give up. I LOVE rebuilding carbs, but something wasn't right, I'm sure it will benefit from a professional. (and hopefully they can fix a couple almost stripped threads too)
Thanks for all the help the past DECADE! And thanks to Brent Hagan for enough NOS parts to pay his mortgage...! Now, in a few weeks, get that sway bar finangled back in (the correct orientation!), get the radiator and shroud on, and be ready for that 20 minute run-in at 2000 rpm. I have that "instruction list" from 2013 from Doofus yet, printed out and taped to the distributor all these years.
Now, anyone here in St.Paul/Mpls care to help figure out how in the world I'm going to do the body,
COMPLETELY apart, on a cart, fenders in basement, most smaller parts in the attic , no way to haul anything around (and no body shop guy to work with....). Have tried to not think about Phase 2 but I'm about there. Decade #2 begins,,,,HOPEFULLY soon. (not counting my chickens before they hatch; ASSUMING I can run smoothly for 20 minute break-in, put carb box on and run Supercharger without THAT flying apart. It has also been rebuilt (by Phil Harris fortunately, not me) for 10 years! Per his instructions, I DID frequently turn that pulley over to keep things lubricated as it sat down in my basement. Will be fun to hear THAT howl the first time!!)
Too bad no way to really test that Flightomatic for years to come. Or my Saginaw-rebuild or brake system (all last two years of weeping issues!) I'll take "it spins!" when its supposed to, for now!
Yeah, foolish probably, but most fun I've ever had; first thing I did with the car was rebuild that tranny! I'm sure none of you recall, but almost my first post on this forum was a plea for "where do I find the correct tranny for this?", upon my dismay of finding a Ford-o-matic in it. Within a day, a guy across town from me connected, had the correct tranny and bell housing from a GHawk engine he needed; I could have for $75.
Every piece of the engine rebuilt, my first V8, lot different than a Model-A Ford! My first-ever flaring of gas (or brake...) lines, added the later sediment bulb and made return line using a 56J sending unit in the tank (had to get a replacment tank anyway, so had them convert the 5/16 to 3/8" needed for supercharger). Added an R2(?) fuel pump (my original wasn't for a supercharged car anyway). Rebuilt the NOS fuel pump, NOS distributor, etc etc.. Engine has been assembled for.... 8 years, on a stand? 3 on the chassis? Over 11 years, EVERYTHING rebuilt, and no way to test a single sub-assembly until it can RUN.
My son was home from NY for the holidays, and we decided the time had come to jerry-rig the wiring , cross all our fingers and toes, and "see what happens". Would fuel and/or oil be squirting everywhere? Squeals of protest from incorrectly assembled SOMETHING? (would it even COUGH, let alone start?).
Set initial timing w/ light and simply turning over with the starter. Virgin gas tank got 2 gallons of non-oxy, turned the key and watched the sediment bulb fill.... and.. GAS EVERYWHERE! :-( (
fortunately only a fitting on return line never got tightened; no other leaks!). Spun it over some more, cough, cough. Had to prod butterfly open a bit, finally fired and stayed running with a bit higher idle RPM and decreasing idle mix from spec, got 10-15 seconds, enough to get timing closer. Started again (lots of cranking :-( ) and ran maybe 20 seconds, and shifted it and held my breath. Drive shaft spun enough to throw grease from the U-joints, happy day! :-) And, except for obviously running really rich (?per BLACK exhaust and need to hold choke open in 20F Minnesota!, heated shop or not...), it really DID run quiet and smooth. I could have cried with relief. Yes, I have drilled that 'vent hole" in butterfly per the Service Bulletins (thanks Doofus). BUT, carb was leaking a lot, at seam, at upper vent... I'm sure I filed for high-spots or checked for warp, but..??? As well as not wanting to start or stay running. Monkeyed around with it just enough to decide not it wasn't going to run well enough to do the 20 minute break in, and without the radiator on, wasn't going to play with it anymore to see if it would run better.
SO, counting my blessings, name them one by one; it RAN (without shuddering or vibrating); no gas leaks except the carb, no oil leaks. No noises! Could I be so lucky? And whether it is ADJUSTED right or not, that 11yr old Flightomatic rebuild goes forwards and backwards and rebuilt differential was smooth. Though the tranny PAN was weeping, hopefully just needs some tightening up on the pan bolts there. So, after 30-45 seconds of total stumbling-run time? 11 years of work at least partially ratified. :-)
AND, the Stromberg WW121A carb is sitting on the table headed for Daytona Parts (I called them and they ARE rebuilding carbs yet, just not 'refinishing' them). I've gone through it twice and give up. I LOVE rebuilding carbs, but something wasn't right, I'm sure it will benefit from a professional. (and hopefully they can fix a couple almost stripped threads too)
Thanks for all the help the past DECADE! And thanks to Brent Hagan for enough NOS parts to pay his mortgage...! Now, in a few weeks, get that sway bar finangled back in (the correct orientation!), get the radiator and shroud on, and be ready for that 20 minute run-in at 2000 rpm. I have that "instruction list" from 2013 from Doofus yet, printed out and taped to the distributor all these years.
Now, anyone here in St.Paul/Mpls care to help figure out how in the world I'm going to do the body,
COMPLETELY apart, on a cart, fenders in basement, most smaller parts in the attic , no way to haul anything around (and no body shop guy to work with....). Have tried to not think about Phase 2 but I'm about there. Decade #2 begins,,,,HOPEFULLY soon. (not counting my chickens before they hatch; ASSUMING I can run smoothly for 20 minute break-in, put carb box on and run Supercharger without THAT flying apart. It has also been rebuilt (by Phil Harris fortunately, not me) for 10 years! Per his instructions, I DID frequently turn that pulley over to keep things lubricated as it sat down in my basement. Will be fun to hear THAT howl the first time!!)Too bad no way to really test that Flightomatic for years to come. Or my Saginaw-rebuild or brake system (all last two years of weeping issues!) I'll take "it spins!" when its supposed to, for now!
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