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Turbo Odyssey Part 20 -- Further Progress on Engine Details
September 4, 2005
It's been over a month since my last update. Things have been progressing, but pretty slowly due to time demands at work. I can't complain, since I have a roof over my head and I am not standing in four feet of water. Katrina has helped a lot of us put things in perspective.
Mostly I have been working on getting the engine ready to go back in the car. That task is all but complete. I decided to install the turbo and carb setup before I put the powertrain back in the car. There were three reasons I thought this would be better. First, it would be easier to hook up everything without having to reach into the engine compartment. Second, the exhaust would stay in place better if the turbocharger was in place. Third, the extra weight would help the powertrain balance on my Clark's dolly. The big con is that I will have to get the car pretty high in the air to clear the turbo when I slide the works under the car. We'll see how that works....
Tasks accomplished in the last month include installing rebuilt carb, alternator and starter; connection of the turbo including oil feed and drain lines; reinstallation of lower shrouds; and installation of rebuilt idler pulley. I am waiting on a new fuel pump and the powertrain will be ready.
One of the most challenging tasks was lowering the powertrain from the engine hoist it was hanging from to the dolly. Fortunately, with help from my oldest son Jake and my next door neighbor, this went pretty much without incident.
Here are some pictures taken over the past few weeks of these finishing details:
My daughter Caitlin filled the transaxle with one gallon of Amsoil gear lube and limited slip diff additive:
I purchase Amsoil products from Vair mechanic Ken Hand, who is based in the Pontiac, Michigan area. The weight of a gallon of gear lube was just enough to unbalance the power train cart.
Here is a picture of the powertrain, complete except for the fuel pump:
One of the things that has slowed me down
lately is a new addition to my toolbox. Well, it doesn't exactly fit in my
toolbox:
It's a Champion two stage air compressor built in the mid-fifties. I got it from the owner of the building next to mine in downtown Lansing. I changed the oil in the crankcase, replaced the check valve, got it plumbed and wired, and it runs great. This should make the Hillbilly Blaster a much more useful tool.
I have also been getting work done on the car itself. The radio antenna is installed, as is the voltage regulator. The radio is in the dash, and I had a couple evenings of fun pulling all the tacks out of the tack strips that bolt to the body in the top well. I'm glad that is done.
I haven't been commenting on VV too much lately. I read what posts I can, but I have precious little time for it right now. So real quick, I don't care about the dues increase, I feel bad for the hurricane victims, congrats to Smitty on surviving the convention, and I wish you folks could come up with an original lawyer joke. I think that pretty much covers the last month, except for the rare technical posts, which I am thoroughly unqualified to answer.
I'll try not to be a stranger.