project 1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[PhilA]

This morning I went to Napa and bought a roll of 1/32" gasket.

 

$25, not cheap but it's good stuff.

 

Traced the old water pump gasket with a pencil.

 

Gasket scraper also doubles as a knife.

 

Tube of Renault RTV from when I did the GTA's engine.

 

Thin layer applied to get the gasket to stick...

 

And attached and tightened down.

 

Cleaned the junk out of the threads- I do need to get another stud.

 

Pulled the gasket off. This is where it was leaking from.

 

Gently put my file to it- there's a couple raised pieces. This was leaking.

 

Now there's only a low section, which isn't too low. The sections I took off were at least 1/64" raised.

 

Cleaned up the head bolts. Wire brush, then run the die up the threads, then wire brush again on the threads.

 

Then a gentle wipe down with an oily cloth to protect.

 

Thirty of the blasted things later...

 

Cleaned the deck down and applied the gasket.

 

Head cleaned down and applied to the block.

 

Head bolts in finger tight.

 

And finally stuck the plugs in to stop anything from getting into the bores.

 

Ran out of time, gonna do a two-stage torque on the head bolts tomorrow (25, 60 lb/ft) and then turn it over to check compression.

 

Phil

[320touring]

Looking superb chief - grand work!

[Junkman]

Will it run?

[PhilA]

Will it run?

If I have time tomorrow, we will find out.

 

 

Phil

[Junkman]

Am I the only one who only cherishes this thread besides Squire Dawson's Humber one on this forum currently?

 

Compared with what you guys are doing, everything else is just rhubarb.

[tooSavvy]

That block is deffo 'Cinema-Scope' wideangle lens.

 

FTW

[bigstraight6]

Excellent work Phil, that engine looks superb. I still can’t get over it’s huge proportions...

[JeeExEll]

Am I the only one who only cherishes this thread besides Squire Dawson's Humber one on this forum currently?

 

Compared with what you guys are doing, everything else is just rhubarb.

You're not the only one. It is a fantastic thread.

[Zelandeth]

I am seriously envious of you for being able to go out and just buy gasket paper... you'd have more chance of tripping over a brick of pure gold than finding anything that useful anywhere near here. Need anything like that here and your choices are to order it online or do without.

[hauserplenty]

Pontiac Chieftain threads are for WINNARZ.

 

First a Renault, now a 50's car with a straight 8. PHWOAR!

Add to that some badass test equipment...and winding your own coils with a drill motor...

 

This thread is pure AUTOSHITE GOLD. 

Like a brick in the street I just tripped over. 

RESPECT.

 

MOAR!

 

...Other nixe tube voltmeters may also be available...

...as for the Renault, I would, but it's so far away...

[purplebargeken]

This thread is like an automotive real coal fire, copious amounts of thick bread, lots of real butter, a toasting fork and a plate. Utter loveliness.

[PhilA]

I'll give America this- there's still a fairly large number of people who like to work on engineering. As such there's a decent market for all the stuff you used to find in the dingy little shops full of dusty cardboard boxes run by an old boy who remembered his apprenticeship back in the day.

 

It's not seen as a bad thing to know and enjoy taking cars apart here. Somewhere along the line in the UK it seems to have become something to laugh at, ok haha look at that person there working on their car, they must be so poor not to take it to a garage oh haha

 

Psh. That skill is envied here. It's understood that garage work is expensive and it's a good skill to be able to do it yourself. The home garage hobbyist is quite the thing- there's TV shows about it, which makes Brewer over here look rather weak in comparison...

 

 

Phil

[tooSavvy]

I was out in my back lane doing the pads and an 'auld fogey' ambled past, stopped and asked what I was doing and sighd.. 'Ay, never see anyone out doing that these days'.

 

Gets me out of the house.....

[Junkman]

I'll give America this- there's still a fairly large number of people who like to work on engineering. As such there's a decent market for all the stuff you used to find in the dingy little shops full of dusty cardboard boxes run by an old boy who remembered his apprenticeship back in the day.

 

It's not seen as a bad thing to know and enjoy taking cars apart here. Somewhere along the line in the UK it seems to have become something to laugh at, ok haha look at that person there working on their car, they must be so poor not to take it to a garage oh haha

 

Psh. That skill is envied here. It's understood that garage work is expensive and it's a good skill to be able to do it yourself. The home garage hobbyist is quite the thing- there's TV shows about it, which makes Brewer over here look rather weak in comparison...

 

 

Phil

 

I have two septic cousins about my age. They learned how to rebuild an engine at school. I wonder whether this is still being taught.

[beko1987]

I agree, I've been out doing what I'd consider light pottering on the zx on the road all weekend and the number of stares I've had stopped being funny yesterday! Luckily they were all visitors, our actual neighbors all like it and think it's good (and know where to come to ask for help themselves)

[egg]

Same here, most of my in the street jobs are of the 'light' variety - but people look at me odd. Death of public spaces in this country. Anyway, I'm on a screen now, so I'll shut-up.

 

Fantastic ongoing work. 

 

What will this do MPG wise?

[PhilA]

I have two septic cousins about my age. They learned how to rebuild an engine at school. I wonder whether this is still being taught.

Sadly no. It has been migrated to the equivalent of the local polytechnic.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

What will this do MPG wise?

Book values are (UK gallon) 13 around town and 25 on the highway- steady 50-55 mph.

[PhilA]

 

Ready and armed with head bolt tightening sequence...

 

Phil

[tooSavvy]

Peter Venkman: "When we get to 20, tell me, because I'm gonna throw up."

 

..... You can do it! Grow some!!

 

[PhilA]

After removing some wasps from the roof (hurrah) I started on the engine.

 

Torqued everything up in order, first to 25lb/ft, then to 60lb/ft.

 

They're wrong but I made up some gaskets for the manifolds. I need to order some replacements.

 

Which allowed me to clean up the gasket faces and put the manifolds on.

 

Carb on, pipes on, fuel pump on, plug wires on...

 

Phil

[PhilA]

[mrbenn]

Sounds very sweet! Good work!

 

Must say this is absolutely one of my favourite threads on here.

[LightBulbFun]

 

Amazing stuff

 

sounds bloody lovely 

 

keep up the good work! 

[Jimbo]

My favourite thread on here. Fantastic work. When we visit the states Velocity channel now Motor Trend is my channel of choice, to my wife’s disgust especially All Girl Garage. Lol. Car maintenance seems to be much more a hobbyist pastime over there than the uk.

[tooSavvy]

I don't do 'foreign language'/european tv...

 

But, hey, we got a guy in the US messinn with a Trabbie

 

 

.... does it for me!

[PhilA]

Cleaned up the remains of the gasket for the thermostat housing.

 

Had to take care not to pull all the new paint off on the machined surface.

 

Housing cleaned and painted.

 

Bolts and washers given a bit of black paint.

 

Little by little.

 

 

Phil

[320touring]

That sounds lubberly! Top stuff - it just seems bloody straightforward, whether due to your competency or initial good design:)

 

This will be such a nice thing to pilot down the street, knowing you are being propelled by your own graft!

[PhilA]

To be honest it's not overly complicated in design. Tolerances are fifties. Metallurgy is fifties. Design is thirties.

 

Plus it helps that I have a manual to work with.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

 

Tell me that doesn't sound like a Morris Minor on steroids.

 

Phil