1969 GTX....The T stands for tetanus

[threewood]

i also want to recommend, there are far better beers out there than rocky mountain goat piss.

It beats the snot out of Budweiser!

 

[69 GTX]

I'm a tool maker and they do make shim stock down to .001, maybe check somewhere else. You may have more difficulty trying to cut the spring steel. Might be worth the time and effort to just order shims in the sizes you need. Or visit a local machine shop. I would think they could set you up.

 

[threewood]

I'm a tool maker and they do make shim stock down to .001, maybe check somewhere else. You may have more difficulty trying to cut the spring steel. Might be worth the time and effort to just order shims in the sizes you need. Or visit a local machine shop. I would think they could set you up.

That's my point. The thinnest valve spring shim is .015". No one that I have seen makes them thinner. My heights are not far off but I would like them to be as close as I can get. None were too short, a few were a bit long but most were .006" tall.

I ordered a set of shim stock in various thickness so I should be good. Heads have to come off again so I can measure valve relief so I'll swap them in at that point.

 

[threewood]

Received my oil pan today. 6 quart steel with pickup. It is getting painted which is why I wanted plain steel. It looks good except for the pickup. It is perforated instead of mesh and looked very restrictive out of the box. Holes are 1/16". So I made some adjustments I drilled out the holes (350 of them) with a 3/32" drill bit and more than doubled the pickup area. Went from a 1.07" pickup area to a 2.39" pickup area.

Here is the pan...

 

[threewood]

I called John Cope and ordered my torque converter. Gave him my specs and he said the 11" would work but would be a pig with my combo and if I enjoyed, and I quote, "burning your tires down to the rims," that the 9 1/2" would be perfect, stall at 3200rpm and will not affect cruise on the highway. So I ordered it!

I also received my pushrods so I was out messing with those. I pulled the heads and the valve reliefs with playdough. Also swapped in steel spring shims. Got everything tightened down and came in for the evening. Pushrod tunnels look like there is enough clearance. I opened them up as I was messing with the pockets. If I went 3/8" there may have been fitment issues.

I will spin it over 90 degrees at a time and set lash, then pull it apart....again. getting there.

 

[69 GTX]

Remember with alum heads your cold lash could be different than steel heads. I'm sure someone with stealths could give you a starting #. My trick flows are .010 & .006 cold.

 

[threewood]

Remember with alum heads your cold lash could be different than steel heads. I'm sure someone with stealths could give you a starting #. My trick flows are .010 & .006 cold.

I'm setting them .008" exhaust and .006" intake. I finished lashing them last night, no issues. Everything looks good. I still need to pull the heads to inspect valve clearance and remove the playdough. Also getting my oil pan gaskets so I may have the motor buttoned up by this evening.

 

[68GTXNH]

I'm setting them .008" exhaust and .006" intake. I finished lashing them last night, no issues. Everything looks good. I still need to pull the heads to inspect valve clearance and remove the playdough. Also getting my oil pan gaskets so I may have the motor buttoned up by this evening.

so it whats left to get on the road? just stick the motor in and fire it up or is there still a laundry list of to-dos like wiring and lights and stuff?

 

[threewood]

so it whats left to get on the road? just stick the motor in and fire it up or is there still a laundry list of to-dos like wiring and lights and stuff?

Oh lord, I have a laundry list of stuff in my head lol. Torque converter is 3 weeks out. Need to get a flexplate before I can mate the two, driveshaft and u joints. I also need the headers and exhaust system which I will be ordering from Jegs. Valve covers, wires, carburetor, air cleaner, fuel pump, oil pressure gauge and sending unit. Distributor, pertronix II, flamethrower coil, wire set, spark plugs. Up front I need heater hoses, radiator hoses, water pump pulley, belt, alternator. Trans cooler and a set of lines to bend for it. Fan, fan clutch, shroud for the 26" radiator. Oil dipstick/tube. Break in oil, ATF fluid and rear end gear oil.

I might be missing a few items but that should do it

 

[threewood]

It took me about 2 hours to pull the heads, check valve clearance, button them up and torque everything. I went back through and lashed the valves again. I lubed the ARP headbolts with ARP lube so my torque sequence was 20-40-60 ft/lbs per 440 Source. Rocker cap studs got 40 ft/lbs. Finally!!....Except I have to pull the rockers again after break-in to install my double springs.

So after a break I went back out, pulled the distributor drive gear and put on the intake. 440 Source told me to use the valley pan sandwiched by thin gaskets on both sides. So I stuck the first gasket with ultra grey to the heads and pulled down the pan with the end hold downs. Everything was aligned, so i test fit the intake on the gasket. Looked pretty good as these gaskets are really thin. I still need to pull it back off to add washers under the bolt heads and to apply sealer to the bolt threads.

Here is the lash chart I used. I had been doing it another way which worked but with this new balancer that is marked every 90 degrees this way is a snap! Those lash numbers are cold.

 

[69 GTX]

I see you are going with a spreadbore intake, which carb you going to use?

 

[threewood]

I see you are going with a spreadbore intake, which carb you going to use?

I haven't decided. What would you recommend for a street car? Looking around the 800 to 850 cfm range.

 

[69 GTX]

I'm not sure I can make a good recommendation. But I did like the old big Thermoquads. Great mileage and BIG secondary's. I do like vac secondary's. I thought I saw Demon or someone came out with a Thermoquad replica. 850 -950 would be good.

 

[threewood]

I'm not sure I can make a good recommendation. But I did like the old big Thermoquads. Great mileage and BIG secondary's. I do like vac secondary's. I thought I saw Demon or someone came out with a Thermoquad replica. 850 -950 would be good.

I am leaning toward the Demon w/ vac secondaries in the 800 - 750 cfm range. I have never tried one but hear they are nice. Holley makes an 800 cfm vac secondaries which looks more traditional. Either way I will have to figure out what kind of tunability I need.

 

[69 GTX]

Might think about what air cleaner your going to use, might make the difference on hood clearance too.

 

[69 GTX]

Quick fuel makes a 880 vac sec but it's a square bore. 575$

 

[threewood]

Quick fuel makes a 880 vac sec but it's a square bore. 575$

This manifold will accept either square or spread bore. I am just thinking 880 would be way too much for mine on the street. I would rather be a bit under carbed and have it more responsive down low.

EDIT: I am really leaning toward the Quick Fuel SS 780 VS. Seems to get great reviews, nice adjustability. And as for aircleaner, whatever fits. Car is N96 but I am not gojng to run the stock setup.

 

[threewood]

So I installed the manifold for good. No issue with bolt spacing with the 4 gaskets plus the valley pan. the manifold bolts go into the head so i sealed the threads with ultra grey.

I also got my oil pan on. My pan, with both gaskets and windage tray is 7 3/8" deep. Oil pickup is 7" on the button. So I applied indian head gasket to the threads and twisted the pickup on, used an angle gauge to get it square with the pan bottom and slipped the pan up into place.

 

[moparnation74]

Looking great!

How long did it take to drill all those holes larger.........

 

[69 GTX]

Did you put the Hemi skid plate on the k member?