64 Vette….Rebuild 2.0

[Bent77]

It started running mufflers on my 68 Camaro because Dyno Max was doing a club class event, and it had to be muffled, but not plated.

Long story short when I wasn’t running the club clash. I pulled the muffler and the pipe section off the collector just to see if it would do anything different. It would pick up 1 mile an hour but it would lose a 10th and a half on the ET

 

[folkenheath]

Back when I had dual 2.25" pipes on the regal, Flowmaster, I would drive it to the track, and unbolt the collectors, and bolt them back on offset, so it was wide open 3" collectors. I would pick up 2 tenths and 2 MPH every time.

Then after the race I would bolt them back on and drive home.

I made the mistake once of putting regular stainless bolts in the collectors to avoid the rusty Grade 8 bolts. They galled when I tried to remove them just one time, loosened up halfway and then galled. I had to twist them off with my 3/8" ratchet and a wrench lying under the car in a dip in the grass. Then when the race was over I had to drive it with open headers to a gas station and find some bolts. I ended up buying some spare battery terminals or something just to use the bolts for my collectors to drive home since it was so late and I had an hour drive yet.

I told myself I would never build a restrictive system again, because I don't want to do that. I don't like cutouts either, too much turbulence when they are shut, I want full power through the mufflers, which usually means keep the exhaust the diameter of the collector the whole length, and don't use choked mufflers.

 

[shady]

That makes total sense Wade and could believe that to be true. Higher velocity results in more friction on the rough walls and potentially less flow with rough as well.

If budget allows I usually get a CNC ported head, check the valve job and spring heights, and run it.

I do hand porting, but I don't really like do it, especially sanding. Because I hate metal dust, at least with the carbide burr its chunks you can sweep up. With the sanding you got to wear a dust mask and then it still gets past it seems. And aluminum is not good for us at all. I am in the process of building a metal dust collection system into my shop for that, I have collected most of the parts.



You are 10 years younger than my father. They stuff they used to build when you couldn't buy much for performance was awesome.

When I took 4 mufflers and made two custom Y pipes to put dual 3" mufflers in parallel on each side of my car a few years ago. My father said, I did that in 1969 with my 63 Nova, I put 2 mufflers on each side to keep it quiet but not choke it down. It only lost ET by the weight of the mufflers, no power loss. It's funny you are doing the same thing 5 decades later.

Research that well.
I'm sure you have already. But aluminum dust can explode and kill you, or flash burn your skin off.
Little dust around the floor is one this, but a concentrated area (inside a collector) should be treated like it was explosive vapors.

 

[folkenheath]

Research that well.
I'm sure you have already. But aluminum dust can explode and kill you, or flash burn your skin off.
Little dust around the floor is one this, but a concentrated area (inside a collector) should be treated like it was explosive vapors.

Yes, well aware, but thank you for heads up.

 

[76zimmer]

I know we discussed the ports at your shop Heath, and yes my decision was to run them with a bit of deburring as I have done, so we assembled them as is. The discussion about breaking into a water jacket was also concerning for me, having never done anything more than a gasket match job.
As evolution progresses, the heads will be a good target for improvement if a future desire to get more power turns into reality.

 

[ktmoutfront]

if a future desire to get more power turns into reality.

I don't understand the IF in that statement.

 

[folkenheath]

I don't understand the IF in that statement.

Says the guy with the stock cam.

 

[ktmoutfront]

Says the guy with the stock cam.

For now. Plans are being made. But it will be a while.

 

[76zimmer]

So IF then?

 

[76zimmer]

Decisions decisions….

Machined aluminum:
Silver crinkle
Black crinkle
Polished

Large tin in gloss black

I have my thoughts what are yours….try to influence my decision here!

 

[82355]

PCV valve is my vote!

Martin

 

[76zimmer]

Dilutes the mixture!

 

[shady]

You'll have to wait till it's all in and see which one balances with the rest of the engine compartment

 

[folkenheath]

I think the polished one matches the machined logo on the valve covers.

The smooth black one is more subtle, either of those.

 

[AgDieseler]

The polished one really ties the room together.

David

 

[Blue85]

I agree with polished. The extra bowtie is redundant.

 

[regal403]

I think the polished one matches the machined logo on the valve covers.

The smooth black one is more subtle, either of those.

Seconded. They both look good

 

[76zimmer]

Been tinkering with the little items.

I swear I’ve wasted more than a whole day trying to find the right set of aluminum pulleys.
And because of the thicker aluminum had to track down some longer w/p studs.
And a longer crankshaft/balancer bolt. Don’t waste your time on the Canton bolt. The threads were only cut half way up the bolt, and the threads bottomed out before it was tightened on the pulley on top of the balancer. So I got a grade 8 of my own and ran threads down farther w a die. Worked out!
Then an alternator mount…fabbing a new one as the aftermarket low mount stuff doesn’t work to well on a 64 Vette front suspension. the old one works fine but has a little tilt in it so the alternator isn’t true to the other pulleys.
But first need a new Milwaukee Port A Band, (and the SWAG table to hold it on the bench top) to cut metal with.
Found out I shouldn’t have painted the top surface.
On to fabbing a new bracket.
I’m far from an engineer and it took several revisions before cutting metal.

Once I got the rough pieces I welded a couple tacs to keep them identical, then drilling some holes and fitted the alternator. Still some Mis -alignment, and I figured it was because of only being supported in one side and the mounting hole on the alternator case is worn so it moves around enough you can pull it into alignment. So I more closely cut the pieces and went to work w a flap wheel to fine shape them, then split them apart and after playing around w shims the alterminator was still a little crooked.
I took of the alternator and found the case was milled at an angle….circled area.

 

[76zimmer]

New brackets and playing w spacers and Checking alignment only to find out the case is milled at an angle. See circled area.
This is a custom built alternator so I don’t know what case they used but it still crooked. I’ll try making that more square and see how it mounts.

 

[folkenheath]

Keep up the good work Dave, that alternator is messed up.