Author Topic: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain  (Read 5764 times)

67L48

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2022, 02:46:03 PM »
Thanks, adjudimo.  I appreciate the response.  I have a buddy with a shop and hoist who recently restored his 1966 Mustang.  While he's only ever pulled Ford engines and transmissions, he's convinced that we can do this ourselves.

I'll be taping, labeling, and photographing everything.  Like you said, it's a great time to swap out any other components that need refreshing.  All of my rubber/polymer items are original.  So, engine mounts, body mounts, most of the hoses, and so on are all 55 years old.  To the extent that the power steering pump has any seals, those will also need to be replaced. I also have had a squeaky blower fan since 1991 that might be finally ready to be replaced.  :D

I'm excited to do the work, but pretty apprehensive about doing something like this that I've never done before.

67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

67L48

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2022, 07:20:02 PM »
As of this Saturday (8/20), the engine came out.  I was shocked by how easily everything unbolted, including the exhaust manifold bolts.

Engine goes up north to Rochester, MN to be rebuilt.  Thanks to those who have given sound advice here ... I'm looking forward to moving this forward.


67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

69Z28-RS

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2022, 08:02:30 PM »
I suggest one extra step to that already stated by adjudimo:

clean the stamped pad at the front of the engine with a solvent and then put a piece of duct tape over the pad and write on it:   DO NOT MACHINE THIS SURFACE!!

(DO NOT TOUCH THIS SURFACE MIGHT BE EVEN MORE SURE!)..  It's very important to future value of your car... :)
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

maroman

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2022, 09:56:01 PM »
And plan on everything costing more and taking longer then anticipated.
Doug  '67 RS/SS 396 auto I know the car since new

67L48

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2022, 04:24:46 PM »
Engine was done and came in smidge under the quoted cost by Baier and his shop.  Was supposed to take between 3-4 weeks and that's exactly how long it took:  3 weeks.  All the numbers are still present!

Here are a few of the highlights:
  • Bored 0.030" with new pistons
  • Polished crankshaft
  • New cam
  • Rebuilt/replaced heads, valves, bearings, etc.
  • Rebuilt carb
  • Replaced fuel pump, oil pump
  • Break-in & dyno

Still waiting on my power steering pump to be rebuilt, but we should begin installing the engine in October.  Pretty excited to get this in and see how it drives.




67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

adjudimo

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #20 on: September 26, 2022, 11:22:40 PM »
Good to hear. Glad you are headed back in the right direction. Keep us posted. Always good to see another "ole gal" come back to life!

67L48

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Re: Iowa Restoration Shop Recommendation/Help -- Engine, Drivetrain
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2023, 06:50:55 PM »
I just wanted to close the loop on this thread.  As of August 2023, my car is running like a top, but ...

I got it all put back together in October 2022 as the season was changing.  We got it all put back in and everything connected.  Short story: it ran like garbage and I limped it home (about 5 miles from my buddy's place).  I had massive brake problems, timing problems, I realized I needed a stainless gasket on the carb, I ended up needed a shop to do some engine work, and I'm home free!

Long story:

We couldn't get enough angle on the engine to remove it without removing the distributor.  Same for installing it.  The engine was received having been broken in, so we tried to carefully mark the distributor's orientation.  However, when we got everything back in place, it ran like absolute garbage.  Neither of us had a timing gun and my buddy and I aren't that schooled in tuning an engine.  Taking one out of a car ... sure.  Tuning one up with timing, carb settings, etc. ... no.

I also had almost no brakes.  It was very difficult to start the car.

So, I got it home.  It would drive ... it was just surging and hated to idle and just obviously not in the correct timing.

First step was to fix the brakes.  No sense tuning up the engine if I can't stop.  Similarly, I can't even drive it safely to a shop, due to brakes.

I tore apart the drums and refurbed them.  I have done lots of disc brake jobs, which are pathetically easy.  I'd never done a drum brake job.  Fortunately, these designs were used on about a zillion cars for a million years, so tons of good videos on YouTube.  I got pretty good at stretching springs and holding the brake assembiles in place while tensioned everything.

I replaced the shoes, springs, and the wheel cylinders.  Drained the old brake fluid, put new fluid in, bled it all out, and had excellent pressure at all 4 corners.  And ... no brakes.  No improvement at all.  Stand on the pedal and barely can stop.

That brought me into late Oct and cold weather was here.  I put it all away.

In May, I yank off the master cylinder and replace that.  Bled everything out again, and again had excellent pressure at all 4 corners.  And ... no brakes.  Moderate improvement.

So, based on feedback here, I pulled the drums and sanded/roughed up all of the surfaces really well.  And ... no brakes. Moderate improvement, but still not a car I'd drive around.

Frustrated, I leave it alone until July when a different buddy came up with a timing light, vacuum gage, etc.  Got the tuning better, but it still just wouldn't run right.  And, the carb seemed to not respond at all to the air/fuel setting screws.  The vaccum was way off, too -- only pulling 12 - 14 in lbs.

Then I learned that the carb needed the stainless steel gasket.  When the engine shop returned the engine, the carb was in a box with a standard felt-ish gasket.  I know that I had removed a gasket stack of felt-metal-felt.  But, I figured that some idiot installed that back in the 1980s and just installed the carb with the gasket the shop gave me.  Huge mistake.  I contacted the garage inquiring about the carb no seeming to respond.  Shop immediately informed me that I needed the metal gasket in there.  Great.  So, I restored the gasket sandwich. That made a huge, huge difference, but my timing was still all screwed up.

This got it more driveable, the vacuum was up in the high teens, and my brakes were working suddenly.  But, it was still way off and it would clank pretty loud when I turned if over cold.  Because of this, I was scared I would cause internal damage.

At this point, I had it towed to a nearby shop.  They did a complete overhaul of the distributor, timing, and adjusted the carb.  Done and done. 

As of mid-August, my car is driving like a champ.  End of saga ... I hope.

Now, on to the next issue I'm facing, which is a constant stream of hot air, regardless of turning all HVAC controls off.  Driving my car is basically like having the heater on the entire time with no way of stopping the air flow.

Thanks for all the help here on getting my car running again.

67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

 

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