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1951 Pontiac Chieftain


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Posted

20200113_212041.thumb.jpg.7c16521e2c90315aad1a51cbeebd432c.jpg

That's all the springs back on now. Next up is the rigamarole of setting the clearances.

That involves laying under the car, turning the flywheel by hand, getting up, looking at the position of the piston, making sure it's actually TDC and then setting the clearances.

Repeat x8

Phil

  • Like 3
Posted

Meh, I think I'll set them approximately and then do them with the engine running. I need a proper set of go no go gauges but I can at least use the 11 and 13 thou' blades side by side.

Phil

Posted

I always look forward to the updates on this. Keep on keeping on plz.

  • Like 3
Posted

Just had a good old catch up on this thread, and like many have said - wow, such impressive skillz!

I wish i had the patience to give such in depth consideration and attention to the details you have done with this car. Also, much want for one of these, such a cool vehicle.

  • Like 2
Posted

Rusty Fairlane distraction out of the way, I plan on getting back to this and reassembling the engine. 

However, in the interim I am having naughty thoughts about fuel injection and electronic ignition.

Somebody stop me.

 

Phil

Posted

Electronic ignition ............acceptable

Fuel injection...........madness, will you ever use it enough to warrant that. And then there is the cost of whatever good it will do.

why not a turbo while you are at it ?

Do I sound at all like your wife ?

Posted
11 minutes ago, STUNO said:

why not a turbo while you are at it ?

 

surely if you were going for forced induction it would have to be a supercharger for something of this age :) 

Posted

Fairlane.  Here is a project that will cost you less.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/auction-2478340847.htm?rsqid=1488e2ee74d641e19dca7ca6d40f4470-002

At your first show "where'd  ya git that crazy car, look where them put tha  steerin wheel, Was it a Friday afternoon Ford fella ?

And all the rest on sale in these parts, Some would be completely unknown to people there.

 https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/CategoryAttributeSearchResults.aspx?search=1&cid=268&sidebar=1&rsqid=fe6775c1097d4ea68de9332c3b4c4d91-001&sidebarSearch_keypresses=0&sidebarSearch_suggested=0&14=Ford&15=Fairlane&21=&1=&minPrice=&maxPrice=&13=0&13=0&24=0&24=0&309=0&309=0&54=&searchRegion=100

Posted

Carburetor and points for now. (FFS points).

20200116_165809.thumb.jpg.85a992b6459f4f98801b03ada787210a.jpg

Wanged the head back on. Set the tappets by eye. Ended up having to scrub the hell out of the points.

Bueno.

 

Phil

Posted
2 hours ago, hairnet said:

has anyone put megasquirt or similar onto anything like yours phil

 

No, because the Megasquirt folks haven't figured out siamesed intakes, stating impossibru with port fuel injection

Phil

Posted

What's that metal, crescent shaped thing on top of the dash binnacle?

Posted
14 minutes ago, paulplom said:

What's that metal, crescent shaped thing on top of the dash binnacle?

That's a traffic light lens. 

From the driver's seat, with the sun visor fitted to the outside of the car it becomes very difficult to see overhead traffic lights (the norm here) without leaning forward a long way. The lens gives a very wide upward view, allowing traffic lights to be seen from a regular seated driving position.

DELUXE%20TRAFFIC%20VIEWER%205_zpsqgiprgd

As above (library picture)

 

Phil

Posted
11 hours ago, PhilA said:

No, because the Megasquirt folks haven't figured out siamesed intakes, stating impossibru with port fuel injection

Phil

Surely it would be possible with a throttle body setup?  That's literally just throwing a fine mist of fuel into the intake.  Skoda used a TBi system on the 135 Rapid, and I'm pretty sure that has siamesed ports. 

A lot of folks disparage TBi systems but they can work really well.  Bonus on an older car is it's pretty easy to disguise most stuff in the engine bay too.  Generally won't require any irreversible mods either, possibly exception being maybe needing to drill a hole to secure the crankshaft position sensor.

Probably the biggest headache you'd have there is simply the length of the inlet tract...though having said that the displacement is enough that the gas velocity is probably pretty high so fuel condensation in the inlet manifold probably wouldn't be a huge problem.

It's definitely not something I would dismiss if you want to use the car regularly rather than just take it to the odd show.  I can't imagine that carb letting it breathe particularly well anyway (not that a flathead is ever going to be exactly efficient in that department), so you probably would see an improvement in performance too.

Posted
2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Surely it would be possible with a throttle body setup?  That's literally just throwing a fine mist of fuel into the intake.  Skoda used a TBi system on the 135 Rapid, and I'm pretty sure that has siamesed ports. 

A lot of folks disparage TBi systems but they can work really well.  Bonus on an older car is it's pretty easy to disguise most stuff in the engine bay too.  Generally won't require any irreversible mods either, possibly exception being maybe needing to drill a hole to secure the crankshaft position sensor.

Probably the biggest headache you'd have there is simply the length of the inlet tract...though having said that the displacement is enough that the gas velocity is probably pretty high so fuel condensation in the inlet manifold probably wouldn't be a huge problem.

It's definitely not something I would dismiss if you want to use the car regularly rather than just take it to the odd show.  I can't imagine that carb letting it breathe particularly well anyway (not that a flathead is ever going to be exactly efficient in that department), so you probably would see an improvement in performance too.

That's part of the reason I am thinking about it- the intakes are very unequal length and the far end cylinders have a habit of leaning out at higher RPM. Having either an injector per port or a carburetor per port/2 ports would also work. That represents 550cc per cylinder.

 

The volume drawn is not huge in terms of CFM because the top speed of the engine is fairly low (3750 RPM) so a moderately small injector with a finer spray pattern would probably help. I was considering TBI because that would allow me to retain the hotspot but it doesn't address the runner lengths. From the port itself the Y split is visible so having an injector underneath pointing upwards towards it should work well enough (likely better than the carburetor).

Phil

Posted
22 hours ago, STUNO said:

 

Do I sound at all like your wife ?

remember - she started all this adventure..........

everyone needs one of those - phil - got any spare :D

 

Posted
3 minutes ago, hairnet said:

remember - she started all this adventure..........

everyone needs one of those - phil - got any spare :D

 

Nope, this ain't Utah

Posted

Runs much better now. 

 

Still needs a tune-up but that's so much better now.

 

Phil

Posted

i thought you were goin d and d :D

i give you chicken and waffles next time i see you :D

 

Posted
5 minutes ago, hairnet said:

i thought you were goin d and d :D

i give you chicken and waffles next time i see you :D

 

Haha no. But it will be going there at some point for a chocolate malt

 

Phil

Posted

I'm adding nothing to the party here but I have to say this thread is the bee's knees. Immense work Phil and thanks for the entertainment so far. You're living the dream.

  • Like 2
Posted

20200118_181041.thumb.jpg.f9c222446ad42e3c6e993e00c2e37082.jpg

Bought some tube and fittings. Hooked up the oil pressure line to the gauge. Needs a couple P clips to hold it in place.

20200118_180900.thumb.jpg.ff8b7bd0dd98755275c22ef294d2450a.jpg

Now all my gauges work. 

 

Phil

Posted

Interesting to see that (while the actual illumination source is different) that your heater/ventilation controls use the same sort of "floating" illuminated text as Jag did for the HVAC and ancillary controls in the XJS (and early XJ6/12 I think).

1501361629_IMG_20200108_2108582.thumb.jpg.e3ecb25ae65b79d1de891a3f51def499.jpg

IMG_20200116_093742.thumb.jpg.0d19fe10fd07d312745af4a095416cf8.jpg

Yours are lit rather more usefully though!

  • Like 1
Posted
18 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Interesting to see that (while the actual illumination source is different) that your heater/ventilation controls use the same sort of "floating" illuminated text

Yes. A single 3 watt bulb that illuminates a sheet of acrylic mostly edge-on, with the words cast in to the sheet, and the backs painted black and the text painted white.

The principle is sound and still used today, though nice thick plastic makes it look "jeweled", which is really pleasing to look at both illuminated internally and from an external light source.

 

Phil

  • Like 1
Posted
On 1/17/2020 at 3:23 PM, PhilA said:

That's part of the reason I am thinking about it- the intakes are very unequal length and the far end cylinders have a habit of leaning out at higher RPM. Having either an injector per port or a carburetor per port/2 ports would also work. That represents 550cc per cylinder.

 

A straight 8 on ITB’s would be rather wonderful...

Posted
28 minutes ago, scdan4 said:

 

A straight 8 on ITB’s would be rather wonderful...

With equal length exhaust headers, correctly tuned- it would sound just like two 4-cylinder engines running beside each other...

 

Phil

Posted

20200119_161313.thumb.jpg.9d181a47fb78ba81da52bf1e44666e87.jpg

I plumbed in the wipers and washer bottle. The seals have shrunk and it all doesn't work very well again.  

We'll see how long it lasts before I sack it off and install electrical wipers and washer pump...

 

Phil

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