Wednesday, March 30, 2011

289 Engine

So here is the deal.  We have a Ford automatic overdrive transmission, great with the 4.11:1 rear end gears.  We built the mounts to fit the period correct Y block engine.  To mate it up to a Y-Block takes some serious folding dollars, $850 is the cheapest I was able to find it.  We couldn't find a Y block in good enough shape to rebuild.  And rebuilding is expensive.  So we decided to go with a 289 that I had sitting under my bench which would bolt up to the AOD.  Yeah right...

The 1965 289 needs to have a rear sump to clear the cross member, so the kit is ordered from Speedway motors.  After I received the kit, I found out the auto shop had a 302 with the rear sump pan on it that I could have had for free....arrrgh!!

Here is the rear sump pick up being installed.  Everything looks good, but the dip stick.  The one they sent was for a late model block with a hole in the side of the block, so we will fabricate something...oh and the flex plate won't go from the 65 289 to the AOD, so we have to special order one.  And so the idea of bolting it up goes out the window...Next thing is to mate the trans to the engine and build the engine mounts and transmission cross member.  Oh and I bought a donor truck for the parts and pieces.   Yee haw.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Starting back together

Unbolting everything from the frame, and touching up welds
Who doesn't want peace, dude?  I turned the students loose with the wire wheel to knock the majority of the crusties off of the frame
Here it is, ready for the sandblaster
Cleaning the rear axle housing.
D&D Auto body in St. George Utah did the sandblast and paint.  Satin black epoxy over an epoxy sealer.  Awesome.
Spray bombing the suspension pieces
Ignore the big block chevy rocker covers. 
Still cleaning the rear axle housing.
Laying down the primer on the rear axle housing.
We sprayed it Dixie high school blue, and put a DHS logo on it.  Here my student is peeling the vinyl decal off leaving the white underneath.
They must think this is a DOT job, one guy working...
The rear of the frame
The front suspension is together...
Unmasking the rear suspension pieces...
The logo
We were able to find all of the bolts.  Amazingly enough.
This is the rear housing installed.  Now for bits and pieces...