My 427 SOHC Build..... Finally the time has come!

[cobracammer]

Thanks Guys.  Im kind of excited and relieved to have Jay working on it.  I know in advance its going to be a few months away, but this will give me the time (and space) to move the radiator, move the EFI computer (and wiring ) into the car, and clean up some of the wiring mess.

A little sad because I really want to learn as Much as I can.  I love this stuff.  Maybe if Jay has time, he can post some pictures of what I did wrong, what went wrong, and what was damaged as he slowly goes along.....  this way I will know better on the next car I build  LOL  :0)

Im going to be building a wooden crate to ship it in.....  Jay told me of 3 freight carriers he knows of for shipping things as large as an engine.

Still showing the house like 3 times a week to random realtors, so I may be shipping this engine out from my house, but when its done......  might be getting shipped to a new house  HAHAHA

As a side note to what Barry was saying, I think the only 2 galleys on a Pond block that are open behind the stub cam sprocket are the 2 that the car retainer plate bolts go in.  I ordered special low profile 12 point cam retainer plate (even though this engine does not use the retainer plate itself) to plug the holes.  I got the low profile ones so they would not interfere with the back of the stub cam gear.  I believe on a standard 427 block, there is a galley that would plug off a line that runs directly down the center of the valley of the block (But on a SOHC Pond Block, the casting is not opened up).

What is weird to me is that I don't remember there being any oil galleys inside the block that needed to be plugged.  If I left one off the back of the block, it would pour out of the bell housing.  If I left any on the outside, I would see the oil pouring out.  On the front of the block, there was a main oil galley plug that went at the bottom on the drivers side as well as the 2 can retainer bolts which I used the low profile 12 points described above.  Other than that, I drilled and tapped the stock dipstick location to accept a pipe plug.

On the inside of the block, there is the 2 piece Cam plug that Jay made for me (Sandwiches the 4th cam journal) which allows oil to the Passenger side head, and the stub cam with a groove in the # 2 journal which is supposed to allow oil to go to the Drivers Side head.

The only thing (and I cant find a photo) was the Melling Oil pump.  It came with a little bag of stuff to convert the Migh volume pump to high pressure.  I chose not to do this, but I wonder if I was supposed to plug something up?  Doug from precision didn't mention it when I asked him about the little bag, so I just installed.  Maybe there is a galley plug in the oil pump?

[BH107]

Sorry to read about your misfortune, but at least you know what other stuff you need to fix or move and you'll have the time and space to do it. Think of it as a test fit or mock up and now you can detail everything out and be ready to drop it in and play when Jay is done with it.

As far as the dyno goes, are you sending your computer up with it?

It seems to me that at some point you were getting some oil to the heads, because I don't think it would have lasted as long as it did with no oil at all.

[cobracammer]

Good point. I just got off the phone with Doug at precision. He verified oil pumps are ready to run out of the box. That isnt the issue. Said early Pond blocks were off a little on the oil galleys and oil feed holes in the head..... But he said at least the head gaskets are reusable.

[cobracammer]

Ok. Starting to get the engine ready to pull and send it on its way to Jay. Got the headers and collectors off and am bringing them over to the ceramic coater on Wednesday (appt). He said it takes 3 to 4 days. Below are some pictures ofthe tubes. Chris at A C carcraft does nice work:

[cjshaker]

So you should know by now that 3-4 days actually means about 2 weeks, right?
Looks like a lower grade of stainless. They look like they have some surface rust on them in spots, not that it really matters once they're coated. They also look like they got pretty darn hot. I don't think I've seen stainless turn that dark unless it was darn near glowing red

It's really kind of Jay to offer to go over the engine for you. Maybe he'll screw up and send you back his Shelby Cammer engine...lol

[cobracammer]

Hahaha. The black on the collector was actually paint. Alog of soot though from therunning rich time. Ceramic coater is hoing to media blast them first, then ceramic coat inside and out, and the bake them to cure

No stainless though. Raw steel

[Nightmist66]

Hahaha. The black on the collector was actually paint. Alog of soot though from therunning rich time. Ceramic coater is hoing to media blast them first, then ceramic coat inside and out, and the bake them to cure

No stainless though. Raw steel

Sounds like you found a good powder coater, doing the inside is the best way to go. It should cut down even more under hood heat and keep efficiency of the exhaust flow.

[cobracammer]

Thanks Jared. Never know anymore until after the experience. Lol. Hopefully this guy works out. Progress while i am removing the engine and cleaning upwiring

Dying to get it to Jay. Itwill be months before I get it back, but i really really want to know what I did wrong

[cjshaker]

That's right, I forgot they're steel. That explains the coloring on the tubes as well.

[cobracammer]

OK headed over to the "ceramic" coater during my lunch break.  Once I got there, and unloaded all of the pipes and collectors onto their counter, he then breaks the news that its not truly a ceramic coating..... but rather a heat resistant powder.  In addition, he did not think (after the fact) that he would be able to do a good job.  He gave me the address for the other person in town who does it slightly different.  Something called Jet Hot coating.  Apparently its a true ceramic coating (inside and out) and will hold up past 1800 degrees. 

Once I got to that guys shop, I felt better.  He even knew what  cammer engine was!  It ended up costing about $100.00 more than the first guy, and will take about 3 weeks...... but well worth it especially since I have the time while the engine is off to Jay.

[machoneman]

Yes Jet Hot is a true ceramic coating that some header makers like Hooker use on their top quality headers. And it does work as I was amazed at how much my underhood heat dropped after adding J-H coated Hookers.

[fastback 427]

Is the guy you dropped the headers off doing the blasting and coating himself? Or just sending them off to jet hot then marking up the price? If he's doing it himself I'd make sure they're prepped properly inside and out and coated inside and out as well.

[cjshaker]

Sounds like the first guy was simply referring to powder coating, which isn't heat resistant enough.

And I thought that Jet Hot was a specific place of business, and that they did their own prep work to guarantee their work?

[cobracammer]

OK, I spoke with the guy I'm using right now (to clarify).  Yes, you are all correct.  Jet Hot is a specific business (not a type of ceramic coating).  I think I may have misunderstood as he says its a true ceramic coating like Jet Hot.  He is not a Jet hot place of business.

The first place said they did powder coating, and also a heat resistant powder coating.  So yes, I think the first place was not really what I was looking for.  I am grateful that he turned me away when I got there.  He basically said I could do it, but it would peel off.  He sent me over to the 2nd place (Hot Shot Performance).

This guy runs a smaller outfit, but from the look of his shop, he knows his stuff.  His is a true ceramic coating.  They will be media blasting the tubes and collectors and ceramic coating the inside and outside.  it then needs to cure in high temps for a period.

I asked him about the slip joint of the primaries into the collector after its been coated...  He said that it should still slip together even after the coatings.  I should get them back in about 2 - 3 weeks.  I guess you can think of it as a large backlog means the guy has a good business.  The first place told me they would have it done and back to me in 3 days.

In other news, my engine cradle for the Cammer engine arrives tomorrow.  I will be bolting the engine to this cradle and then bolting the whole thing into a custom made engine crate (2 x 4's and plywood)  Found a few already made online, but after measuring the Cammer engine, its really wide, so its wont fit.  Also, we figured it better to build a sturdier crate since shipping this will be a first for me.... and I'm scared it will be damaged in a flimsy crate.

[machoneman]

Be sure to mark  the crate "This Side Up" on all four. No kidding.

If the engine is very secure to the pallet's bottom, it should not make a difference but.....why chance it?