1FSTRYD Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 I've put together several dozen big block Mopars and have had to have all cam journals line honed. If not the cams are hard to turn. My last one I had the bearings in and out 5 times till it turned free. Also have seen people polish the bearing to make it fit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kented Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 Inspiration to get the flathead out of mine eventually keep up the great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted September 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Good suggestions; I'm going to see what I can do with it this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 If you don't have the gear on, try turning the cam around and stuffing it in backwards the first couple of brgs. That should tell you if the cam is oversized on the front journal or if the last cam brg is tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 If you don't have the gear on, try turning the cam around and stuffing it in backwards the first couple of brgs. That should tell you if the cam is oversized on the front journal or if the last cam brg is tight. that will allow you to check number one bearing journal only...the cam is stepped gound, each journal is smaller than the other...number one is at the gear and largest of the journals.., number two is next one it and so forth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FSTRYD Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Back in the day people used to take the old cams and cut a groove front to back on the journals then put the cams in and rotate them to clearance fit them. I have a cam that's cut that way. I've only done it once and it worked fine. Motor had 75k on it when I sold truck and had great oil pressure. I've personally never had one go in and turn the first time. My machinist I use now always asks for the cam I'm going to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 that will allow you to check number one bearing journal only...the cam is stepped gound, each journal is smaller than the other...number one is at the gear and largest of the journals.., number two is next one it and so forth... Didn't know they were step ground. If the cam turns that hard, there should be some aggressive wear marks on the tight brgs. An inside and outside micrometer would also tell you what's tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted September 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 I saw on another site where a guy had remedied this with a brake cylinder hone and a long extension so I gave that a shot yesterday. It didnt help much and I'm afraid of getting metal particles in the motor so I just loaded the engine in my van and am going to drop it at the machine shop this week so they can figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 I got the motor back from the shop yesterday; they just polished the cam journals a bit and its fits fine now. The more I looked at my oil pump pickup the more I didn't like it so I got this one from Milodon for a deep sump pan and did a little surgery on it. This fits much better and has a bracket to hold it in place. I also got the heads checked and resurfaced and started some mild porting. Nothing wild, just cleaning up the bowls and combustion chambers and port matching the intake. As soon as I get it all back together, I need to hunt down a 727 trans and start doing some trial fitting in the chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 (edited) Got the short block finished up today along with one head ported and back together. Hopefully I can get the other head finished and have them bolted on in a week or so. Lots of hours at work for the next 6 weeks so I don't have much fun time to spare. Edited September 19, 2015 by falconvan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted September 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Sad day today; my #1 garage partner Monica went home to Jesus. 15 years old; she was a good friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niel Hoback Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 I'm very sorry to hear that. Good friends are hard to lose. But you'll always have the memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodFru2u Posted September 24, 2015 Report Share Posted September 24, 2015 Sorry to hear of your loss, Good shop pals are the best at distracting us when the project goes sideways and we need a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted September 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 Yeah, she was a good one. Always listened to my complaints and never asked for anything besides a meal and the occasional belly scratch. I've got another cat and I can tell he really misses her; he's been crying and looking for her for several days. I'll have to get him another companion soon. Finished up the heads today; should have them bolted on this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted September 28, 2015 Report Share Posted September 28, 2015 Shop pet loss, my granddaughters kitten liked to sleep on the truck seat, bf 2014, one gets used to the quiet company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 Yes, we do. I've always had a couple of cats running around since I was a kid. They make pretty good companions and don't require as much attention as dogs although I do like dogs. My daughter has a couple of inside dogs that we babysit when they go on vacation and they can be a handful. I got the motor buttoned up today; time to bolt it to the trans and start building mounts and figuring out headers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 I did some trial fitting today and got the motor mounts built. Luckily I was able to reuse the mounting pads I built for the SHO motor and just moved them back. Als, the cutout I had made in the firewall for the SHO was the perfect width for the new engine. The big snafu looks like the factory steering box has to go; the motor is too wide. Looks like she getting a rack-n-pinion conversion. Also had to do some trans tunnel surgery but that was pretty minor. I ordered some block hugger headers and the next step is to modify the cross member for the trans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 I spent the morning at the boneyard and picked up a Cavalier rack and pinion and a shifter from a Jag XJ-12. I have the same rack on my 48 so it should be a relatively easy swap. The shifter is cable actuated and has a spring loaded side to side action rather than a release button so I'm going to modify the shifter lever that I had on the five speed to fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I got my cross member re-built today: I was able to reuse the one I had built for the SHO motor by moving the mounting plate and adapting a GM trans rear mount. I also notched it on both sides for exhaust clearance. I got headers trial fitted but had to do some frame notching for clearance. I'll box those sections when I pull the motor back out to finalize the mounts and rebuild the trans. Time to start test mounting the rack and see how the steering is going to work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 I pulled the drive train back out so I could make the rack and pinion mounts and box the frame where I notched it. When I did this swap on my 48 I bought some tie rod adapters that adapted Ford Explorer tie rods ends to the Cavalier rods; this time I figured I'd just make some. There was already an adapter that screwed into the Cavalier tie rod so I cut the end off of the Plymouth tie rod, ground the adapter down so it would fit inside, welded it, and put a tie rod clamp on it. With the Explorer tie rods you had to re-size the steering arm taper; this way I can just use stock 49 Plymouth tie rod ends. Now I need to patch the trans tunnel where I cut it, and take it all back apart to clean it up and paint it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Today was cleanup day; I had grinding dust and tools everywhere. I rolled the car out and gave it a quick blow off and wash and touched up the paint on the frame along with starting the tear down on the 727. It sat in a shed for many years so I figured I rebuild it. Now the shop is clean; I can trash it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptwothree Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Is that 727 getting a shift kit? I put a Trans Go rv kit in mine a few years back and it wa nice. The harder you pushed on the go pedal, the firmer the shift. Would easily catch rubber going into 2ed. But would shift nice and easy like stock when just tooling around. I put everything new it. Was a fun build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Yeah, I was looking at the same shift kit for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Haymond Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 With my 46 Plymouth and Cavalier rack, my stock steering shaft would clear the headers, run straight down to the square input of the rack and connect with a single universal connector. (But my engine is a 318. Yours may be too wide.) A local tractor and Ag service place made up a Cavalier high pressure tube to Mopar power steering pump line and it did not cost much at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 It's going to be close, Mark. I may have to do a column drop and a smaller diameter steering wheel to bring it in below the last header tube and not have several u-joints in the steering shaft. The 400 was definitely wider than a 318; I put a 318 in my 51 and it was much easier. You don't recall what u-joint you used to fit the cavalier rack, do you? I did one on my 48 but it came as part of a kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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