Lippy's ERA #797 build log

[lippy]

Patrick - how did you get those to work? I tried but couldn't.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by lippy

Patrick - how did you get those to work? I tried but couldn't.

Just take the image source path, such as h.t.t.p://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/9580812534_7f316f386c_c.jpg and encase it with image tags, like this [I.M.G.] and [/I.M.G.] Don't use the periods, I just put the dots in there to keep the site from interpreting the tags and source paths so you could see how it's done.

[DanEC]

Installing the engine from the side works fine. Just about any good 1 ton lift should work for it. A engine tilter is kind of a nice feature to use but isn't absolutely necessary. Before you completely turn loose of the engine be sure to level is up from side to side as there is quite a bit of room in those slotted motor mounts. Mine was a little low on one side and I loosened the chains on the high side and lifted it just slightly on the low side with the hoist and it slipped/rotated around until it sat level (used a level across the valve covers).

I can't believe I've already forgotten but I think I installed mine with the clutch in place but not the bellhousing. I'll look at my pictures tonight.

The transmission is the real trick because it goes a ways up under the dash. I used the hoist but the chains would have hit the dash cowl long before the transmission was in place. I ended up assembling a little lifting beam with a heavy metal piece that I strapped to the top of the transmission and then picked it up at a single point as far back as I could. I was able to get it into position then.

I usually use a couple of 4 inch dowels screwed into the top transmission bolt holes in the bellhousing to hang the transmission on so I can align it and then slide it into the clutch disc and pilot bushing without putting any weight on the clutch disc and possibly springing it (hello clutch chatter). However my dowels were for a Muncie and a Toploader uses a larger transmission bolt that so I ended up just doing the best I could - fortunately without any problem for the clutch. To make the dowels just buy some four inch bolts of the right size, cut the head off and round off the cut end a little. Believe me its well worth the effort.

Car looking real nice - I wish I had bought FIA wheels.

What was I thinking - need a 2-ton lift.

[cscobra]

Your FIA wheels look great--I may consider switching to these when the lack of decent 15" tires forces a change to 17" wheels and tires (perhaps sooner than I think!).

Remember, it was easy to install the engine/clutch/bellhousing/transmission as a single unit from the front--you don't even have to angle it much. To do this, the upper center section of the transmission tunnel must not be installed. I used screws to install the center section (instead of rivets) in case of future maintenance/repair. This approach would have been very difficult if not impossible with the old design (757 and earlier). By the way, I'd already installed the radiator and instrument panel, too.

I also mounted the starter to the powertrain unit before the 3-minute installation took place (last-minute decision). As it turned out, I could also have mounted the cast-iron water pump and the expansion tank prior to the installation (not the alternator or fuel pump, though).

ERA still does it the original way even with the new design (758 on), but they were interested in learning that it could be done. They don't know of anyone else who has tried it this way; however, if I can do it . . . . well, it just wasn't hard to do. (Keep in mind, though: 1965 cast-iron FE block, Lakewood bellhousing, and 1965 cast-iron Ford toploader. With other combinations, your results may vary!).

If you want to try it, it saves time and effort, and it greatly simplifies adding the clutch and transmission. I had put everything together just to make sure there would be no problems (doesn't everyone do this?); while it was all together, I decided to experiment and try to install it all together just to see if it would work. Was I ever happy when it did!

[DanEC]

Cscobra - do you have some pictures of installing the engine and transmission as a unit? That would simplify things but no one suggested it was possible when I installed mine. I assume you used an engine tilter?

[lippy]

So my engine is done and tested and I should have it in hand in another 1-2 weeks. Next step is to install it. Earlier on this thread, cscobra mentioned that he dropped in the whole engine/bell/trans assembly with everything but that alternator and fuel pump. He did it from the front without a tilter, and he has a toploader. Not sure why the fuel pump would be in the way. I will try to drop in the engine/bell/trans, assembled, from the side with a tilter and two ton lift, and I have a TKO. I will also jack up the rear on larger jack stands to lessen the angle. If it doesn't work I'll pull the trans off and do the engine plus bell only. Additional thoughts and experience appreciated.

[LodiWino]

Lippy;

You can pull engine/bellhousing/TKO5 with 2 ton engine hoist and tilt adjuster. Hoist on passenger side of car with jack stand on frame at front of door opening. No worries.

[lippy]

Thanks. I'm guessing passenger vs driver side doesn't matter.

[cscobra]

I have some pictures, but I've not yet decided where to put them on the web. I'll get to work on that when possible along with the other information I mentioned in my thread last February, when #766 hit the road (670 miles so far).

I just finished fitting the top two nights ago after spending a careful two weeks on it--looks good, and exhibits no flapping of the top or rattling of the sidecurtains even when driving at 75 for a bit.

[cscobra]

Dan, I just noticed the part of your message about the engine tilter--I did not use one. My engine came with a lifting plate bolted to the intake manifold. It had three large holes in the vertical lifting portion. We started off using the forward hole thinking that a lot of tilt would be necessary, but it was too much! We ultimately used the center hole instead with no problems and with good results.

[lippy]

I think we're making good progress. Since my last post, we've:
- Replaced my damaged fuel line with a flex PTFE one
- Installed pretty much all of the interior carpet. Glad I went with the wool. It looks and feels great
- Got the crossovers and speakers in, and finished up the conduit that carries the amp wiring, etc, to the rear of the car
- Replaced the ammeter with a matching voltmeter
- Installed the dash and windshield
- Installed the steering column. I may move the turn signal to the left. Also, the block that clamps the steering column to the shaft that extends through the footbox tends to rub the carpet panel when the wheel turns, so I will modify the block by rounding the corners and shortening the bolts
- Installed the glove box. Since there was no back panel included with the kit, we cut and formed one out of sheet aluminum, covered it with felt, and fastened it using black screws
- Finished most of the dash and MSD wiring and tied it up
- Mounted the emblems and rear view mirror (kids were really excited about this). I think I will go with the bullet mirror on the left and Raydyot on the right.

[lippy]

More pix:

[patrickt]

Dang, it's starting to look like a real car....

[lippy]

Update since my last post:

- The stereo took quite a bit of time to get right (at least I hope it's right). I wired up the rear crossovers and installed them, and then I installed the amp with the wiring completely hidden
- Installed the roll bar
- Carpeted the trunk. I "hung" the bulkhead piece of carpet so it hides the speakers and crossovers, rather than glueing it completely to the rear bulkhead and cutting holes for the speakers. One other comment: the trunk doesn't have Cool-it insulation/sound dampener like the interior. After installing the carpet on the bare metal in the trunk, I realized the carpet doesn't do a great job dampening the aluminum. Not a big problem in the trunk but I'm *really* glad I used Cool-it on the interior panels. It really deadens the sound, and it doesn't make the carpet installation difficult like I heard it might.
- Installed the fuel tank hoses.
- Replaced one panel of interior carpet (the compound curved piece behind the driver's seat over the rear wheel well). It turned out much better than the first time. Most of the carpet is really easy to install, but those panels are a b*tch because of the curves.
- Finished the wiring in the trunk, and reinstalled the trunk. I shimmed the hinges to get a better fit. The gaps are perfect, but there is one length where that doesn't seal completely against the weatherstripping (about 12" along the left side). Any hints? Should I even worry about this?
- Shimmed the pedal assembly to take lateral play out
- Safety wired the rear wheels. The fronts will have to come off so I didn't do them yet
- Started to paint the expansion tank. I began with a VHT "epoxy" paint that I later learned isn't really epoxy, and it didn't adhere. So I stripped it chemically (nasty stuff from Home Depot) and re-primed it with real 2-part epoxy primer from Eastwood
- Installed and "leveled" the rear quick jacks
- Applied 3M Paint Defender to rear fenders/spats. Excellent stuff. Went on perfectly and looks great.
- Installed all of the door hardware, side pockets, weather stripping, etc.

[xb-60]

Lippy - I had forgotten you were using FIA wheels.....that looks great!
Cheers,
Glen

[DanEC]

Lippy - your garage is far too neat!! Mine started out looking like that 3 years ago. Now it looks ready for an episode of American Pickers.

You are one of the first who has tried 3M Defender and posted positive comments. Care to share any tips and lessons learned?

I doubt there is much you can do at this point about the area of the trunk lid not sealing well. You could add a strip of 1/4 inch wide x 1/8 inch thick sealant strip to the underside of the trunk lid edge in that area. It would probably not be real visible with a black car but it may bother you evey time you see it. I see where you shimmed the trunk. I did the same with washers under the hinges on the body side. Since you loosened the hinges, you might also look at the gaps forward and at the bottom. I found on mine during the body work phase that I had to be careful to always get the trunk lid reinstalled in exactly the same position as a 1/16 of an inch forward or backwards changed how the lid fit flush to the body by quite a bit.

I agree with XB-60, I really like those FIA wheels. Whole car looks nice.

Dan

[lippy]

Dan,

Thanks for the tips on the trunk. It never sat completely flush on one side but I'll mess with the forward/back position as you mention. I may just have to live with it. It looks good but just doesn't seal completely on one side.

On the Paint Defender, check out my comment and pix here: 3M Paint defender kit. For this application, it was very easy to get good results. For a larger area that is horizontal, it may be problematic. Not sure. PM me if you want me to talk you through what I did.

The reason my garage is so clean is that I won't do much on the car without my kids, but I still like to be around it to look and think what I can do next/better. So I end up neatening up often late at night when the kids are sleeping. Plus I've only been in this house two years, so the garage hasn't had time to get crapped up yet.

[DanEC]

On the trunk I probably could have explained a little better. I built a very slightly larger panel gap at the leading edge of the hood and trunk so that there was no chance of the panels hitting when opening and closing - hard to see but a gap about 1/32 wider than the 3/16 I used around the rest of the panels. Sometimes when I reinstalled the trunk I would forget about that and install it with the 3/16 gap at the front and then realize what I had down because the rest of the trunk along the sides was no longer perfectly flush with the body and was very slightly higher. I would re-adjust the front gap for that slight amount and then the trunk would flush out again. It could have been something unique to my car but it kind of makes sense considering the nearly 90 deg curvature as it rolls down to the bumper area.

It may just be something to live with - the panel molding tolerances on fiberglass just aren't close to what they can do with production sheet metal. I think I have a couple places on my doors where the weatherstripping gap is irregular and may be to narrow/wide. Owning an old Corvette I know you are familiar with fiberglass irregularities.

I'll study the link on the 3M Defender - I must have missed it when it was first posted (or just forgot about it).

thanks

[lippy]

We are ready for the engine. We've completed everything we could think of at this point. Since the last post:
- Installed the batter and checked all of the electical and stereo functions. After correcting a couple of easy to fix bugs, everything works and the stereo sounds great.
- Polished out all of the transport damage and scuffs with a Griot's orbital buffer and their #3 polish. I would highly recommend it.
- Finished a bunch of small things like rerouting the parking brake cable, installing the wiper blades, replacing some of the fasteners with aircraft-grade ones, etc.

Brent plans to dyno the engine on the 22nd and I should have it right after Thanksgiving. with any luck I'll have the car on the road in January, and I plan on going through the CA SB100 process in early January.

[kevins2]

Looks awesome and you're making great progress. The rivited hood scoop looks good on black.

Kevin