Mutt The Race Truck

[Monk]

First of all - HUGE THANKS to Monk! A very nice box arrived today.

And here's the newest pics. Area 51 (the powdercoaters) called today and my stuff was done. So King and I went to pick it up. I asked for "as close to polished aluminum as you can get" and I think they hit it pretty well. I'm going to polish the oil filter top and see how they compare.

First is all the goodies. The manifold is the intake, which came out perfectly. Then the cam cover and the upper oil pan. The cam cover and pan had been soaked in oil for 200K+ miles and their experience is that the oil soaks in and you can't get quite every last trace out even though they media blasted, baked the parts, blasted again, and solvent cleaned everything. So there's a couple of spots that are sort of "hammered aluminum" looking but they assure me it won't peel or anything. My main goal was to have this stuff cleanable and he assures me that it will be. In any case I can bring it back at no charge if there's any issues.

Second shot is the back of the pan. In typical M-B fashion it's loaded with reinforcing ribs - evidently too much is just about right.

Third is the rear seal groove in the pan showing the locating pin. I wonder if M-B had "issues" with the seal turning or if they just assumed that it might. The upper groove in the block is just like this one only cast iron.

EDIT: Forgot to mention what a joy it is to be able to pick up parts and not get a handful of muck. Diesel gunk is amazingly hard to get rid of. I'll try again to wash off the block - I'm open to suggestions for solvent after trying naptha, Simple Green, ProForce from Sam's Club, carb cleaner, and the toxic type of Easy Off.

Dan

Finish is fantastic Dan.........all good stuff

[DanStokes]

Had some progress today besides polishing the oil filter top. The bearings came this morning via FedEx so I got busy. Working the rear main seal in the groove in the block is a real PITA - if I did another one I'd leave a bit more sticking out. Still, I'll be OK as I'll leave the top a tiny bit long and their ends will meet nicely. With the pin in the groove it would be tough to reposition the rope seal.

The only way I could see to seat the seal in the block was to get it as close as possible and tighten the crank down on it. The technique on the M-B forum recommended "rolling" the seal in using a 1/4" extension but I had pretty much zero luck with that. After a few other tries I oiled the seal and proceeded to change the mains so I could pull the crank down and seat the seal - seemed to work fine. The seal came in a single piece so I cut the end slightly long (as recommended) and had the piece for the upper, which installs in the pan (yeah, I know but it's a Benz.....).

The bearings are now in place but need a final torque as I just pulled them down with the 3/8 ratchet for now. I had planned to Plastigage the mains but it was such a SOB to get the bearings in place that I decided to lube them and trust my mic measurements. The end thrust bearings were a particular Hell - they're the old-fashioned loose units that I had to snake into steps in the block - of course, they wanted to fall out. I finally stuck them in place with Moly lube.

Here's the pics:

1) Adjacent cylinders with and without the piston oilers. In order to lift the crank the ones with their respective pistons at BDC have to be removed so the pistons can come a bit out of the bottom of the bores. Worked fine.

2) I was trying to get a shot of the thrust bearings but mostly got a shot of the two removed piston oilers. That's #3 main with the antique style thrusts. I haven't yet measured the end float but I'll wager it's OK as the crank cheeks looked fine and the bearings mic'd as if unused. I had new ones so I stuck them in but they were just slightly thicker.

3) Buttoned up for bedtime though not torqued.

Coming along
Dan

[DanStokes]

I've been chipping away but not very pic-worthy.

Mains are torqued. I had to order the oil pump chain tensioner (a little plastic slide deal with a spring on the back side to push it into the chain) - the old one was almost worn thru. It arrived at the dealer today and is now home. I'll pop that on and then the pan can go on.

I pick up the trans today. Jeff and I decided just to install a new filter and front and rear seals as the trans fluid looked perfect. I'll need to keep the vacuum modulator and kickdown on this trans as both are important for trans operation. Good thing I saved all the linkage bits. The vacuum is just a line so no big deal (I'm keeping the vacuum pump for now).

I'm doing shocks and struts on ME's HHR as well as a back-up camera (she's out of town 'till Sunday so I can get my hands on it) and also fixing a rear bumper cover on a friend's car so I won't get back on the S-10 for a couple of days but at least I'm rowing in the right direction.

Dan

[DanStokes]

Still chugging away.

The bottom end is together and the pans (upper and lower) are on. It's amazing how much better it looks with the big chunks clean. I need to verify the cam and injection timing and it sounds like the there's a few HP to be had by bumping the injection timing a couple of degrees. There are established processes for both of these.

I found all the pan screws (they're little 6mm socket heads) but I have one fairly large (maybe a 12mm) bolt left from the can with the pan screws and I have no clue where it came from. The head has the "outside the engine" grubby on it so I'll continue to look over the engine for an empty bolt hole. I hate it when this happens.

I also need to run the valve clearance (easier with the engine on the stand). Sounds like I may need to remake a couple of wrenches. You can buy a wrench set for this for a bunch of money but I think a few minutes with a bench grinder and the torch and I'll have something just as good. I keep old wrenches around for such functions.

Dan

[Beagle]

Still chugging away.

The bottom end is together and the pans (upper and lower) are on. It's amazing how much better it looks with the big chunks clean. I need to verify the cam and injection timing and it sounds like the there's a few HP to be had by bumping the injection timing a couple of degrees. There are established processes for both of these.

I found all the pan screws (they're little 6mm socket heads) but I have one fairly large (maybe a 12mm) bolt left from the can with the pan screws and I have no clue where it came from. The head has the "outside the engine" grubby on it so I'll continue to look over the engine for an empty bolt hole. I hate it when this happens.

I also need to run the valve clearance (easier with the engine on the stand). Sounds like I may need to remake a couple of wrenches. You can buy a wrench set for this for a bunch of money but I think a few minutes with a bench grinder and the torch and I'll have something just as good. I keep old wrenches around for such functions.

Dan

this is why you give us BEFORE pictures ... DAN... lol. It'll show up.

[DanStokes]

Little bitty teeny tiny progress. I've just finished a friend's rear bumper fascia that had an owie - patch and paint. With the weekend out for the Avanti paint job I haven't done much (darn it) but should be back at it tomorrow.

Anyhow - some of you may have seen the thread I posted on the Boyd's Welding fuel cell. I placed the order today. Turns out that they're in Ocala FL and actually make the stuff they sell there - no "Imported with fine Asian craftsmanship" stuff here - and the prices are fair, I think. Anyhow, it'll fit where I need it to. The downside is that they make them as they're ordered so I don't know when it'll arrive. If any of you need something custom they'll make it. My cell was $129 which I think is an OK deal.

Dan

[DanStokes]

Actual accomplishment, though not a difficult thing. There are a number of holes in the inner wheel wells and firewall that need filling and I wasn't sure if I'll need some of the holes again. Obviously I could weld them shut and redrill as needed but I wanted them filled before I paint and I won't know what holes I'll need until the engine is in place and I start mounting stuff.

So here's the solution:

These are called "elevator bolts". I guess they're used on elevators? The only bad part is that they're not threaded all the way to the head. If I had a lathe I'd spin the square off there and run a die over the area but the cheap solution is seen in the last pic.

Now for the first hole I plugged. Looks pretty good, no?

These are a couple where the tire could potentially get up to the holes so I put the plugs in from the wheelwell. It takes 2ea. 5/16 washers to accommodate the square.

Easily reversible but acceptable forever if needed.

Dan

[silver_bullet]

I've seen the elevator bolts...they are used to hold grain elevator buckets to the belt on a bucket type elevator. I usually use conduit hole plugs that are available at electrical supply houses under the Weigmann/Hubbell brands. they are generally available in 1/2" to 4" sizes and seal with a foam gasket,backing plate and wing nut for fastening.

[DanStokes]

FINALLY something worth reporting. Truck and Knucklehead and I will head up to Raleigh on Monday and scoop up a 240D Benz. "Why would he want that?" you're asking yourself. Sounds like the car is pretty well trashed but it has a MANUAL TRANS! The 240D setup works on the 300 although the 300 flywheel is heavier. Folks who have done this swap report that the result is OK with no noticeable shake. It seems that the heavier flywheel is designed to keep the driveline smoother.

Anyhow, I'll need to scrounge a S-10 clutch pedal setup but I'm pretty sure that's findable. I'll take the clutch master and slave, shifter, and miscellaneous bits from the donor car. Sounds like my buddy Rashid may want the engine and the carcass is worth a couple of hundred so I'm getting a manual for CHEAP! I'm really excited to have found this.

I'm glad I didn't have the driveshaft made yet but the adaptor from the rear of the trans to a conventional 4-bolt flange should fit just fine. I'll have to make a bump in the floor to mount the shifter and, depending on how it's configured, I may steal the hump out of the Benz. Hoping all else is fairly straightforward.

Pics when I get the car home.

Dan

[Beagle]

hopefully your S10 clutch pedal isn't like the one I took out of a 98 - kind of a hassle. Good luck!

[DanStokes]

I think the '98 is the "Gen II" version and is likely different in that area (I hope). And my S-10 has no dash, A/C, etc. I may cut the door bar out and when I put it back in make it a swing-out (legal in LSR). There's a lot of tubing between me and the clutch/brake pedal area. I need to get in there anyway to do the manual brake conversion.

Dan

[rack4u]

Hi Dan,

Congrats on getting the "Straight Drive" that is Hillbilly for manual trans...

I have a 3 rd gen trans-am parts car with pedals if you could graft that in ??

[DanStokes]

I dunno. Guys - any interchangeability here? Mine mount on a common shaft with the brake pedal using a longer pin - is the 'Bird similar? GM is pretty good at using common bits. Maybe Rock Auto shows the pedal part #s - I'll look.

EDIT: Back from Rock Auto. They don't show any pedal assemblies (darn it!).

Dan

[Beagle]

Try LMC trucks Dan? The 98 pedal is not on a common pin, yours sounds like my Vega pedals. IIRC, they were on a common pin.

Also looks like they used both a cable and a hydraulic setup, although I don't know which is which / years/ engine they came behind.

/edit 82-83 had a cable from what I can tell, and 84 up went hydraulic. The 82 uses a quadrant like a Fox does.

Do you want a hydraulic or a cable?

[DanStokes]

The Benz is hydraulic so I'm planning to take the master, slave, and the whole shootin' match but their slave is a weird deal that mounts inside the car (it hangs down off the pedal) and uses the brake reservior. Typical M-B - weird. So maybe a S-10 master and some fancy plumbing down to the M-B slave. The S-10 master in the Rock Auto catalog shows an angled mount base - not sure what's up with that. But either way, I'm no the road to Stickville! Leaving in a few minutes to get the car.

Dan