Installation of the HEI went very smoothly. I currently have the plugs gapped at 0.045 and the timing at 4 degrees BTDC. Tom Langdon suggests plugs gapped at 0.060 and 10 degrees of advance or more. I will play around with it some, but for now, it just has to start and run. It's not a driver yet. It's funny how the video camera makes the engine color look more green. The photos show the correct color.
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Local auto parts store didn't have the radiator hoses I need so I had to use my old rotten ones. The vendors online probably have what I need. I relocated the lower radiator saddles to the upper position and installed the radiator support panel. Once I had coolant added, I ran the engine and set the timing. Tomorrow I will install the HEI and new plugs. Then I'll post another video of the engine running.
The alternator that came with the 250 does not line up with the fan pulley and harmonic balancer but I didn't notice it until I put it all back together. Today I swapped in the one from my 230 engine and now it lines up properly. You can see that the one in the lower picture has a thicker pulley. It's just temporary so I can use the fan belt. I will eventually install a one wire alternator.
Now that I know the engine will run, I need to get the radiator hooked up. I finished painting the parts last night. Today, I installed the new manifold gasket tonight.
It rained some today, so I cleaned and painted some bolts. Want to see a picture of that? No, I didn't think so. I did make a diagram of my shifter handle to send to a forum friend.
I have some really awesome friends. Here in my neighborhood and lots more on the web forums! I could not have done any of this without their help and encouragement. Thanks a bunch! Making an engine run is nothing special really. I mean for a mechanic, that is. It's an everyday thing, right? Well for me it's HUGE! I've had to learn a bunch of stuff to get to the point where I actually know HOW to properly insert the distributor so the rotor button was correctly placed to fire the #1 cylinder at the proper time (but I still might be off a tooth - we'll see). In April and May 2013 I had a parts truck engine that ran and had good compression. Then it all came apart for cleaning. So it went from this . . . . To this . . . . . . . . . . . and now this. It still needs to have the timing set, but it runs! After lining up the distributor, I installed the painted valve cover, exhaust pipe, starter and wiring for the key. Cleaned the plugs, installed the battery cables and hooked up the fuel and vacuum advance lines. Tomorrow it just might run! I'll post a video if I'm successful. The HEI will be installed once she's running.
Today, I took pics of the T5s I purchased last weekend. The 1983 T5 is a nice example of an early S10 case with a cable speedometer output. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my 1988 V6 Firebird T5 can be used for either cable driven or electronic speedometers. The 1988 tailhousing has a gear driven pulse generator. Use it as is for a pulse driven electrical speedo or swap in a cable drive unit like I have on my 88 Camaro T5 and run a cable speedo. It's nice to have options! Naturally, I took pics to show what things look like and will include them on my T5 Info page. Note: It's entirely possible that the internet charts have this V6 T5 coded for the wrong year. Internet charts say it's a 1988 but the salvage yard had 1990 Firebird written on the case cover - but they also wrote down that it was a V8 tranny, which it is not. The gearing is all wrong for a V8 T5 and it doesn't have a 26 spline input shaft. I am thinking that this V6 T5 was originally in a 1988 V6 car. The following pics will be included on the T5 Info page as I continue to update the info there. Check back for more updates.
The patch panels I ordered last week arrived (DS rocker is on back order). Now I need to learn some body work. Tonight I applied POR15 to the inner rocker, chopped off the lower front door pillar and cut the inner footwell patch to match the needed repair. Aftermarket patch pieces have a reputation of not fitting too well and I can see that
the lower door pillar will need to be reworked so that it fits inside the rocker properly. The rocker seems to fit very well. I brought home 8 fenders this weekend. I'll be lucky if I can make 2 good fenders from the pieces and parts. I have no use for the fiberglass fender. I think at least 3 fenders are in decent shape in the front half.
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See my BLOG entries from prior months below:
March 2024
My Hobbies are:Auto Restoration Categories |
- Main BLOG Page
- Steering Column Page
-
T5 Info Page
- Thinking about installing a T5? READ THIS FIRST
- My T5 videos
- Making a Custom Shifter
- Complete T5 Driveline - Installation from Engine to Rear Axle
- S10 T5 Transmission Jeep Shaft Swap - DIY and skip the adapter plate.
- Camaro Drive Gear Relocation
- T5 Tail Stock with a Cable Speedo Connection
- World Class and Non-World Class versions of the T5 - How to tell them apart.
- How to determine the T5 gearing
- A possible solution for cable speedometers.
- T5 Transmission Identification - What the Tags and Markings Mean
- What's the difference between a Camaro T5, an S10 T5, and an Astro T5?
- T5 Transmission Tear Down
- T5 S10 Transmission Rebuild
- T5 Transmission Rebuild
- T5 pre-purchase inspection and questions
- T5 Resource List
- T5 Case Inspection
- Bell housing differences
- T5 Drive Gear and Driven Gear Combinations
- A Camaro T5 with the S10 Conversion
-
Tips & Tricks Section
- DIY Wiring Tips
- Oil Pump Priming Tool
- Piston Stop Tool
- Broken Bolt Extraction
- DIY 3 Point Seat Belt Installation
- 1963 Chevy C10 Steering Column Removal
- 1963 Chevy C10 Steering Column Disassembly
- 1963 Chevy C10 Steering Column Rebuild
- 1963 Chevy C10 Steering Column Installation
- Easy Clutch Pedal Adjustment
- Making the Steering Column Safer
- Power Steering
- How to improve gauge cluster lighting.
- Stripping Paint - Polycarbide Abrassive Wheel
- Jeep Cherokee Door Check Modification - Very Simple
- Keeping the hood aligned
- DIY All Cable Ebrake System for 1963-1972 C10
- Alignment Tools - Easier than you think
- Conversion to dual master cylinder brakes 1963-1966 C10.
- Steering column modification
- A simple way to remove old control arm bushings.
- An easy way to adjust brake shoes
- How to remove a pilot bushing from the crankshaft.
- Cutting spot welds
- E-brake clip removal made easy
- Harmonic Balancer Installation - Tapping threads in the crank
- POR 15 with less mess.
- Engine Run Stand
- Engine Dolly - EZ to make
- Steering Wheel Restoration Page
- Sway Bar Info
- Power Brake Booster Page
-
Other Projects
- 1934 Chevy Coupe Build Page
- 1934 Chevy Master 5 Window Coupe
- 1963 Body repairs
- Anvil
- Hot Rod 283 SBC Build
- Grand Cathedral Game
- 1968 C10 Short Fleet
- Rockwell Drill Press
- 283ci SBC Engine
- Safety Stand for Lift
- Coat Hook
- Engine Run Stand
- 1963 Short Fleet Project
- Metal sculpture figures
- Shop Project
- Shop Sign
- Lean-to Shop Addition
- Air Compressor Project
- 2 Post Automotive Lift
- 1963 Chevy Custom C10 SBFS BBW
- Metal Top Outdoor Work Table
- Bearings to grenade
- Bar Stool Go Kart
- Special Bolts Plaque
- Vise Stand
- Grinder Stand
-
Random Pics
- 2021 Stovebolt Jamboree Pictures
- 1963 Custom Comfort Seat
- Flywheel differences
- Carb spacer
- Bimini 2019
- T5 shifter ideas
- Engine Torque and HP
- LUGNUTZ DIY Shop
- Alaska 2018
- 2019 ODSS Homecoming
- Chevy 3 speed transmission ID
- 2018 Stovebolt Homecoming Pics
- Anvil
- Pallet Rack Shelving
- Reference PICS
- shop plywood walls
- Welding Stuff