The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop MNSmith's GMC 302 build

Fitting the trans, pilot bushing, etc. Still looking good. The head got buried behind the Christmas work table. Maybe I can dig it out tomorrow.

Jerry, I've already mounted the assembly with 3 points of contact. Are you suggesting a fourth? If anything, it would be a slider pad like our current International trucks have. Seems like, though, when we look at them, they are extremely worn or broken.

First picture is where I'm currently mounted with the assembly. Second picture is some support rods I'm thinking of fabricating that add triangulation to the bellhousing and trans assembly. It will triangulate more side to side than up or down, but will still give it plenty of rigidity for the up and down.

I always draw on my dirt track experience, where things got exciting in a hurry and stayed that way. A crossmember under that tailshaft housing with a beefy rubber mount would handle driveshaft torque better, but that might not be a concern unless you're planning to hammer the throttle repeatedly in 2nd. gear going into a 4.56 locker rear end. We would cycle from 3k RPM to 7K at least twice a lap, on a track surface that resembled a washboard. That stresses things in a way that a street machine never sees. Running that Muncie 4 speed in 3rd. gear instead of 2nd. would split the case wide open at times. We changed the final drive ratio to adapt the RPM to slightly different track lengths- - - -4.56 on a "short quarter mile" measured around the outside wall, and a "long quarter" measured around the infield got a 4.11. Both running against 2nd. gear.
Jerry

Back to where I started. Supposedly, mid-week begins a "100 year storm" around here. They keep crying wolf like that and ain't no one gonna be prepared when stuff finally does hit the fan! Anyway, gives me a chance to work on some fuel plumbing, oil filter mount/plumbing and start figuring out how I want that exhaust to go. Maybe I'll start with making a quickie press and turn some round 1 3/4" tube into a rectangular shape. I'm also thinking of making the header out of stainless for the shine factor. Decisions, decisions. Thinking of putting this breather in the side cover. I bought it for another project but didn't use it.

Still got a long way to go. One step at a time.

Out of curiousity, why are you putting the fuel pump all the way up there at the engine vs in/near the tank?

Beautiful work Mark!

The red horizontal thing (System 1) with brackets is the filter. The pump is in the tank. The filter won't fit in the frame anywhere that makes any sense, so I might be making a bracket to have it close by the injectors and serviceable. A story I won't go into about narrow C channels, and having to add a ton of plumbing. The black thing is a System 1 oil filter. That might move forward or aft, dependent on steering column, hose flexibility, serviceability, etc.

Thought is, right now, to build a bracket that would go where my dolly upright is. That would put me close to my pressure and return terminals at the back of the block. Plus, that part of the bellhousing isn't being used for anything and is dead space.

I love how you did the camshaft position sensor. Your work is amazing!

I can’t take credit for that. That’s all Bill Schultz!

Bill machined down a modern Jeep 6 cylinder distributor for that CPS. It took me a while to figure out what sensor he mounted on top. It ended up being a Ford Aerostar 3.0L V6 version.

Camshaft Position Sensor... You guys may as well be speaking Swahili. If it's not in the Shop Manual, I'm lost.

Got tired of the dirty T5, so I dunked it in the parts washer. Nice and shiny now. Been plotting out my exhaust header. Made a thing. It turns round tube in to rectangular tube ends. 1.75" was too small, 2" is too big. Waiting for some 1.875 " to show up.

Thanks for sharing that information! The sensor looks like the one used in the 1995 to 1997 3.0L model.

2 inch plus an angle grinder would make some 1.75 pretty quickly, wouldn't it? A flycutter and a lathe would also be an option.
Jerry

Except, I don't have any 2" stainless and 1.75 would choke down the exhaust port. Yes, stainless. Non-hood engine, gonna make it shine.

Made a bracket, installed the oil filter. Started on the exhaust stuff. Made some round stuff rectangular in shape because, well, who doesn't like rectangular shaped stuff.

Really cool intake. You make that yourself?

The previous owner made the manifold, bolted the injectors to it and made the linkage. I've done everything since.

"Interrrressssting!" Now, I wonder if anyone might be in the market for a GMC engine (270 or 302) with a 4 3/8 inch stroke? I believe that can be done with the right piston/connecting rod/stroke combination. That would make a "270" with a standard bore size come out to 294 cubic inches. A "302" with the same stroke and a standard bore would become a 330. Can somebody say "TORQUE MONSTER"??????
Jerry

"Torque Monster!!"

Doing more stuff.

Will that starter eventually have a heat shield? I think it's going to need one.
Jerry

Needing to drop the exhaust to pull the starter seems like it would not be ideal. Could the rear exhaust be shifted forward enough to allow the started to be removed as well as providing some much needed clearance for heat?

I see the point of the heat shield but you have to admit it is PURDY...

Maybe. If warranted. At the moment, I'm more concerned with all that cam position sensor plastic.

Doesn't look like it, but there is tons of room to get that starter out. I always look to serviceability when I fabricate things. I would suggest letting things cool before starting work though. But plenty of room to go towards the front of the engine, back, up, down, and any other direction that strikes your fancy.

I'm not sure if I want to put in the labor for polishing nor ask what the bill would be to farm it out. But, I suppose it'll have to happen one way or another!

My bus had issues with the starter hot soaking, as I used the original Chevy starter in the bellhousing along with redrilled flywheel behind the Cadillac V8, and its exhaust manifold configuration put that pipe pretty close to the starter. I ended up alleviating most of my problems when I made it electric fan cooled. Since those fans always came on for a minute after engine shutdown, they'd blow cool air across the whole exhaust/starter area and that seemed to make my solenoids last years instead of months.

I could see this fancy computer controlled unit being electric fan cooled, so maybe that will be the answer.

Also, I'm quite sure I've never seen the like of that head before on any stovebolt six!

You made a comment in another thread about hoping to not need a MAF or MAP because you don't have provisioms for them.

Haltech has an example that they talk about here where they do that.

Basically they are making a cheat VE table behind the scenes based on the TPS.

Thanks for this. I need to make time to get back to it.

Yes, you do.

There's a lot of us wannabes living vicariously through this project of yours ...

Where was I??

On 1 race car we built we sent the stainless headers out to be electropolished, after they were used they went to a golden color instead of blackish. It is a common procedure for medical eqpt…
Chuck

Finished up the header for the most part. Needed to remove the rust pits from the sealing surface of the thermostat housing and drill/tap for a gauge sender. Started finalizing the fuel system. Fuel filter installed. Hung the regulator on the other end of the fuel rail. It's a little weighty and I didn't think a -6 fitting would be up to securing the valve. So I made a bracket to hold it in place. I still need to drill and tap some holes in the intake manifold to mount the bracket. Then more sanding and maybe polishing on that bracket. A steel line is next as I don't want a braided hose flopping around near the alternator. Also made a small dash or gauge mount so I have something to read when I do the fire up.

Wow! Beautiful work Mark!

That is a GORGEOUS engine!! Are you setting this thing up foe Bonneville?

Nope. Just to drive around.

Yep, at a high rate of speed!

Mark, what is that masterpiece going in?

Phil, I recognize the cowl on Mark's vehicle. That's a 1928 or 1929 Model A FORD!!

I've always wondered what keeps debris from getting sucked into those horns?