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

Just drive fast enough that the debris doesn't have time to get up there.

I will not make any incriminating statements. Also, the vehicle isn't important. All we need to know is that this is an engine build project and post.

Regulator bracket mostly complete. Fuel system is ready for a pressure test. Wiring fun begins. Might be a minute or two before I resurface.

Mark, Like everything else on your build, outstanding workmanship! Going to be a very high HP work of art when finished. Can't wait to hear it roar!

Dang.....Beautiful, a work of art, that's all I got.

RonR

Just a friendly reminder that this build thread is officially sanctioned by John as a High Performance Stovebolt engine project.

Coils wired up. Injectors next.

I realize this engine is not stock but how did you get the spark plugs and exhaust reversed? Did you manufacture your own head?

12 port heads (6 intakes on the driver's side, 6 exhausts on the passenger's side) were a Southern California hot rod thing in the very early 1950's. The first were cast by Wayne Horning for Chevy, followed shortly with heads for GMC engines.

If you'd like the early history, seek out "The 12 Port Story" written by Herbert Hall, a series of 9 articles in "The 12 Port News" in 1981-2.

Flywheel installed. Clutch plate installed. No pictures of the clutch plate and I don't feel like crawling under there unless I have to. Working on fitting a hydraulic throwout.

Back to wiring.

Hydraulic throw out installed. That created a few issues. McLeod requires a 0.100 - 0.250 gap between the bearing and the pressure plate fingers. The standard piston was too short. To remedy that, they sell a tall piston. After I installed the tall piston, I had less than a zero gap. To fix that, I needed the trans moved back 3/16". Which would now get me past the minimum and give me the 0.100 and some change. That would still leave me with enough pilot bearing interference and full spline contact on the disc. So that nice 9/16" thick adapter I bought now needed to be 3/4" thick. Off to the mill I went.


Next issue, the throw out bearing stack is too short to pilot into the bellhousing. So I made some bolt-on line-up blocks that are bolted on top of the throw out bearing base. Leaves me with an extra 1/8" protruding from the adapter to keep things lined up in the bellhousing. Makes me feel better about the driveshaft since it was built slightly shorter than I wanted.

What tranny is that?

Ford pattern GM T5. Out of a 1995 S10.

Trans is back in. Moving on.

Been meaning to ask….

Is the poor little T5 gonna hold up to all the torque? Assume you had to “build it up” a bit?

No build up. It is as GM made it.

Intake gasket being made, or was, 11 quarts in the pan, one in the filter. Being the military pan and pump, it takes 1/2 quart more or so. Still nowhere close to the crank. Found out I didn’t have the correct exhaust manifold gasket. Gotta make one of those. Still need to prime it and verify I have oil going to the top. Check for leaks. Put some gas in the tank. Check for leaks. Maybe rough in the pressure. Still haven’t figured out where to mount the battery, but that won’t stop me from trying to fire it up. Many five minute jobs still left to do.

MNSmith: This is way beyond excellent. I would submit an article to some magazines. They will love a build like this.....and they pay for them. Your quality is uber.
This is soooooo SoCal.
I don't see a like button.

Lol. Magazines, car show trophies or even car shows have never been much of a driver for me.

I do appreciate the kind words, though!

Fuel leaks, oh so many fuel leaks. Dang manufacturer defective hose!

Booooo

Took care of the split hose.


Got spark. Working on the fuel side.

It'll never fly, Orville ....

What kind of fuel pressure are you running? Are the push-loc connectors rated for that?

Fuel pressure is currently set at 45-50 psi. The push locks are not for fuel.

That makes more sense. You said you were working on fuel and that was a six-output manifold and I jumped to conclusions.

The setup looks like you are making great progress.

Latest issue to deal with. Didn't think there was a water jacket that close to this head bolt. Maybe a casting anomaly? Gotta figure out how to seal that. Seems it's between the head of the bolt and the top of the block. I might be able seal it under the bolt head shoulder? We'll see.

More hole.

Does the head of the bolt tighten against the cast surface above the hole, or is it a socket head bolt recessed into the opening? The cast surface is going to be hard to seal but if the counter bore is just bolt clearance you could use a bolt to ensure clearance and fill the cavity with an epoxy material to seal the opening.

Next up, main rope seal leak. Always a party at my place.

I'm starting to think the cam was spec'd for the OEM head/rocker and might be too aggressive for the Arias set up.

Too much cam, ladies and germs. The stick is headed to the grinder.

BTW, you try finding a roller blank!

Ok, little fella! See you in a few weeks!

Good time to do the main seal, front seal, etc. My best guess is the seals have been sitting for a minute.

As far as I know and correct me if I'm wrong, but they don't make a split neoprene seal for the GMC. This poor little guy didn't touch the crank. At least not by much. Found my leak, I guess!

Not yet, but I haven't started whittling yet. I've got an idea in the "dreams and schemes" stages right now to make the block and the crankshaft compatible with a big block Chevy V8 split seal. It will be a similar procedure to what I do on Chevy engines, but there will be an aluminum, or maybe steel seal holder pinned or bolted to the block and the rear main bearing cap. The seal surface on the crank will have to be ground to a slightly smaller diameter.
Jerry

I'm thinking about making my own!
Jerry

i sure hope it's a magic rope seal!!

That is some impressive pitting on the crank.

That is just plain ugly. What's the plan on fixing that?