66 Sport Fury-From The Beginning

Since I was planning to paint the engine today the temps dropped to high 40's and the danged wind is blowing 45 mph gusts. So we spent a couple hours getting things ready and it will have to set until next weekend. The forecast is sunny and 70 for Sat so we'll wheel her out into the sunshine and slather some turquoise paint on her....

The stock valve covers are temporary. The MT valve covers, stock intake, water pump housing and timing chain cover are at Phoenix Specialty Coatings ~ Exceptional Custom Powder Coating for some special work.

Anyone have any opinions on whether a primer is needed?

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Since I was planning to paint the engine today the temps dropped to high 40's and the danged wind is blowing 45 mph gusts. So we spent a couple hours getting things ready and it will have to set until next weekend. The forecast is sunny and 70 for Sat so we'll wheel her out into the sunshine and slather some turquoise paint on her....

The stock valve covers are temporary. The MT valve covers, stock intake, water pump housing and timing chain cover are at Phoenix Specialty Coatings ~ Exceptional Custom Powder Coating for some special work.

Anyone have any opinions on whether a primer is needed?

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I recommend taping off the water pump facing before painting...
 
That's the plan. Just didn't think it would stay stuck for a week?
unless it gets really warm and glues itself you may be right but if it does, it's nothing a nice sharp single side razor blade scraper couldn't handle...

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Finally got some sun and warmer temps today so I headed to my brother's place and finished taping up the motor. Stopped and picked up some high temp etching primer.
here are some pics of the primed motor, and the first, second and third coats of
Hirsch's engine paint. Couldn't be happier!!!
Now we just wait for Leanna to do her magic on the intake/valve covers/water pump housing/timing chain cover and the motor will be finished!
Note, the valve covers and chrome timing chain cover are temporary....

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So we took a little break to get the property cleaned up for spring, ready the gardens, build another raised bed and have some family up for Easter.

Last week I took a couple days off and realized some folks were working on an empty house just up the street from our place. Now normally this wouldn't concern me but the place has been setting empty for several months and there is also a nice 2 car garage that I've been eyeballing since I'm working on the drop top in a carport with gravel, so I figured I'd go get the 411 on the place.

Turns out the new owner is rehabbing the place to be a rental and I'm now sad to report that whomever rents it DOES NOT get the garage cause I got the key!!!! I's a two bay with a steel beam running side to side for chain falling my motor swap and it's on it's own meter. SCORE!!!!!! The rent was so cheap I paid 4 months in advance and electricity is included.

So my nephew came up today and we moved the car and some of my tools in.
Before we got started on the move, we decided to finish off the tune up on the 78 440. I've been trying to get it running better so we can move the car around until we finish the rebuild on the 66 motor. I've already found the right cap and rotor for the after market distributor, swapped them out and swapped in the new plug wires. We changed out the plugs with the new NGK's and fired her up. Big Difference!!!! Running much smoother and the backfire is gone!

While we were moving the car I decided to put my foot into it and see if we could answer the one question that's been nagging me since I got the car-Sure Grip or not? Looks like my question is answered unless someone knows something I don't. And before anyone asks, the oil stains are not mine.

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So I haven't accomplished much the last few weeks with all the holidays, garden, landscaping and tree removal happening here.

I assume my brother is starting to get a bit tired of all my motor stuff strewn about his garage so I decided to get the motor finished and out of there while I wait on the powder coat parts to get finished up.

We ran into a little problem with the cheapo Mickey Thompson valve covers-the PO opened up all four holes and I didn't want to get stuck with four cheezy looking twist on oil filler caps so I talked to my buddy Josh Liggins out in Ohio and he sold me these awesome Weiands for 85 shipped!!!

He sent them directly to Leanna (who, by the way has the patience of an angel dealing with all my last minute deliveries and changes in approach) and I think we're back on track! This motor is gonna be unbelievable when we add the parts she is working on!!!

I spent the day yesterday un-mothballing our GP 1300 R jet ski (hasn't seen water in 5 years) trying to ready it for a family lakeside vacation planned for July.

So back to the car. I rolled in at my brother's place this morning with a bunch of cheapo chrome temp parts in the hopes of getting it ready for the oil prime, switching it off of the engine stand and onto the Walmart engine cradle we bought, and bring it home to store in my small garage until we're ready to swap motors.

This was not in the cards for today!!!

First, the danged crank seals (both of them) wouldn't fit the cheapo chrome timing chain cover. The one that came in the rebuild kit just dropped in like it was way too small and the one I inadvertently ordered from Rock Auto wouldn't go in no matter how hard we beat on it with the baby sledge.

I've decided I'm not buying another one until Leanna returns my stock cover.

We also installed the new dipstick I purchased from Brewers. Took a fair amount of work to drive it into the block but we got it in. Then I tried to make a slight adjustment and it snapped off...…..


So we spent some time installing the new oil pickup and decided to go with the chrome oil pan that came in the cheapo set. It seams to be in better shape than the stock one I painted a few weeks ago. We did have to remove the interior baffle to get it to fit with the new oil pickup but what the heck, that's why we keep plenty of grinder blades in the shop and the stock pan didn't have a baffle!

So here's a shot of the Weiands before they went to Leanna and a couple shots of the motor so you folks will believe I'm at least doing something with this project.

BTW the Proform electronic dizzy is just setting there for effect-I wanted to see how it looked...….

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Here's all the stuff being powder coated;
Valve covers
VC caps and filter
Intake (the one on the motor is temporary so we can lift it)
Water pump housing
Thermostat cover
Timing chain cover
Kick down linkage
Valley pan
 
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... and just to add a few Before Pics and bodywork update shots to Clay's thread, here's some of the parts I'm working over ...
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... with a little help from my friends.
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I'm happy with how everything is cleaning up so far. The water pump housing and intake were both pretty nice castings. It won't be much longer now - if the rain would only stop.

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... and just to add a few Before Pics and bodywork update shots to Clay's thread, here's some of the parts I'm working over ...
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... with a little help from my friends.
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I'm happy with how everything is cleaning up so far. The water pump housing and intake were both pretty nice castings. It won't be much longer now - if the rain would only stop.

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Not much new to report. Looks like I lost the deal on the used TCI Streetfighter transmission so it looks like we'll just rebuild one of the spares we have laying around here. I have been spending a little time removing parts off of the parts car and I did just score these!!!!!

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OK I know Leanna is gonna skin me alive for posting these cause they're not finished yet(still needing the clear coat) but I'm so excited I can't help myself......

Absolutely beautiful!!!

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Heh hehhh ... no skinning darlin! I know you're excited. If I had any influence over Mother Nature all of it would be done by now but it's just rain, rain rain ........... humidity and Powder **** don't always go well together. As long as you're happy that's all that matters. :D:D:D
 
OK to update the continuing saga....
To date, all we've accomplished is taking stuff apart! Save building the motor, if we ever get it finished.
I sent a box of additional smalls to Leanna this morning and decided it's probably make or break time with finally deciding exactly what all I want to have her work her magic on under the hood. The last couple of weeks have been a flurry of ordering and mailing misc stuff to her and she just keeps grinning and saying "sure I can do that!"
So I took one last look at a picture of a fully functioning motor and decided the power steering reservoir, cap, and brackets were gonna feel left out if not included in the treatment so off to the shed tonight to start dismantling the spare PS pump and dumping the parts into the used parts washer I bought so they can soak overnight and get packed up tomorrow for the trip to Tenn. The housing and cap came clean pretty quick so here's a shot of that.

I swear Leanna this is the last of it...…. except maybe for those two mystery parts I posted in the other thread:rolleyes::rolleyes:

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