I received my exhaust headers and mufflers back from NitroPlate about 10 days ago but just found time this evening to unwrap them. They look very nice. They ceramic coat everything inside and outside - even the SpinTech mufflers from what I can see. They swear that this will not be a problem with slip connections but I remain a little skeptical. I'm anticipating I may have to remove it from the inside surface of the collectors (sanding drum on a drill probably) in order to seat the exhaust headers. I'm going to use the slip connector sealant that ERA recommends (see pic) which may add a little lubrication to seating the connections. I also got my copper exhaust gaskets so I'm ready to go. Now if I can get all of this installed without scratching anything.

I need to also fill the cooling system, hang the dash and plug in the harness, install a battery, run a pre-oiler in the engine and it should be ready to fire up - hopefully. :rolleyes:

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1668.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1669.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1670.jpg

Very nice! The 289 pipes were a snug fit with heat temp spray paint. Completely different setup, though.

Enjoying your updates, Dan! I can see the girl sitting over there under the plastic... ;-)

- Allen.

Allen, what did you do to your stub axle and how did you manage to do it? Maybe a new thread so we don't hijack this one....

I was wondering to myself whether the Jag/Dana/Salisbury stub axles of a certain time period in the last few years, or from a certain manufacturer, may have come from crappy metal. Kind of like the solid lifters for FEs a few years back. Now I don't know that, but it just seems unusual that we would have a rash of stubs go south like that. And from CSX and ERA. But what do I know....

Read my clutch thread and change the names ;) (except at least he figured it out before pulling the rest of the drivetrain....) %/

Allen needs to trot trot out to the garage with his digital camera in tow.:cool: Seriously, I know he has the ERA outboard braked rear in his car and, for the life of me, I can't remember the last time someone broke one of those.%/

Finally got my exhaust mostly finished up.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1727.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1726.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1722.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1720.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1724.jpg

I still have an anchor to drill out and tap in the upper part of each wheel well that will hold the pipe firmly in position. Right now there is about a 1/4 inch minimum clearance from the frame to the pipe wrap and about 1 inch to the tire. Depending on the size of rubber insulator that I install at the anchor I can alter these dimensions somewhat.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/IMG_1723.jpg

Any ways to fix the broken photo links to photobucket? I may try to move the files back to the same tier that I originally had them stored and see if that works.

You have two choices: 1) Either edit your previous posts so that the photo links point to the new locations; or 2) Copy the pics back to the original link locations so the URL pointers are once again correct.

What I did was move the entire ERA file folder (dragged the whole file) to a subfile folder under "Cars" (catchy huh?). Think if I just drag the entire subfile back into the main folder list it will self-correct?

Guess I'll try it - not much to lose except these most recent photos.

What do you got to lose?

It worked - how about that!!!

Well don't screw with it again.:cool:

Dan,

Great job on the exhaust. Looking back at what you went through, that was quite a project and I'm sure you're very pleased.

Good to see you're feeling better and back at it.

Regards,

Kevin

Dan:

Fantastic work on the exhaust. I love watching your car come together. It is going to be very nice!

- Allen.

Thanks guys. I'm undecided if next I need to do the final polish and install the hood, doors and dash unit and fire the engine - or just install the dash and fire the engine and then do final assembly. Kevin, you and your son would probably have this knocked out in a weekend but I'm kind of slow.:rolleyes:

I thought I might fire the motor for the first time this weekend but after filling the cooling system I sprung a leak at the thermostat gasket joint. Of course it didn't become apparent until I had it completely full. So, drain, remove, cleanup, new gasket, water pump/thermostat RTV and let sit for 24 hours. I did put 4-1/2 gallons of fuel in the car without mishap - and the gas gage works. As soon as I top off the antifreeze and pull the distributor to prime the motor, I should be ready to fire it off.

We finally have ignition
 

I finally managed to get the motor fired up for the first time in the car today. However, it wasn't without making a bunch of rookie FE motor errors.

First take - when I stabbed in the distributor I didn't get it indexed with the oil pump. It dropped right in when I hit the starter but was obviously off a tooth then. Pulled distributor, fiddle with the oil pump drive and moved it one tooth over.

Second take - nothing. Seems to have no spark. Traced power from the ballast resister all the way through the coil and to distributor and had voltage. Then noticed that the coil wire wasn't engaged in the cap. This set of plug wires has a coil wire with straight terminals and 90 deg boots and the terminal wants to slip up into the boot and straighten out.

Third take - no go. Now questioning if I really have the distributor timed with the firing cycle on no. 1. Pull the pass side valve cover - verify both no. 1 valves are closed - pop the distributor cap and aaahhgggg - rotor is pointing 180 deg wrong direction. Pull the distributor for about the fifth time and move it to fire on no. 1 - fiddle with the oil pump drive - finally get distributor in.

Fourth take - it turns like it's over-advanced but finally fires but runs out of fuel in the bowl before it can get full prime from the tank. Rotate distributor and re-prime carb fuel bowl.

Fifth take - I got the distributor close enough and finally get fuel from the tank and it runs. :3DSMILE:

However, ammeter is on sligt discharging and the cracked heater hose shut off valve that I thought might hold tight in closed position, starts leaking a stream so fun is over for the day. ERA has a new valve in the mail to me but I apparently have an alternator or regulator problem and the last one of those I had was a real puzzle to figure out.

Here are videos for the fourth and fifth takes if you have a few minutes with nothing to do. At least I think they will work - click on the picture and hope for the best.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps1a787e9e.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps08a39325.jpg


Best laugh of the day. I got up and went to the gun show downtown this morning and arrived a few minutes before they opened the doors. A long line of people is formed out into the parking lot for hundreds and hundreds of yards in 35 deg temps. It took over a half hour just to get in once the doors open. While waiting in the still growing line the guy in front of me turns to his buddy and says, "You know - the crowd this year is even bigger than after the last election."