My "Free" 68 Road Runner

[smyythe68]

Congratulations, most posts are on the next big problem we come across. Yours is all about every turn you take has the sun shinning on you. Nice to see a change. Making it out of Michigan is definitely where you went right, better selection of projects to start with. keep on it and you'll be driving it in no time.

 

[jm8881]

It's been a little while since I've posted an update. Haven't had much time to work on the car with the holidays and all. I have been chipping away at the engine. It's entirely torn down and mostly cleaned up. I bought a set of heads for it, nothing fancy just some 452 heads complete with valves, springs, and rockers. I'll clean those up when they arrive. For now I've decided to just do a re-ring job (bearings, rings, gaskets) and get the engine back together. After it's running and driving I'll get some go fast bits for it.

Here are those pictures of the junkyard engine I promised a while back.

I don't have any pics of it cleaned up, these are shortly after getting it onto the engine stand.

 

[Basket case]

looks way cleaner than any boneyard engine I ever got!

 

[moparker]

Was it numbers matching?

 

[Dieselholic]

Love this thread! Keep it up!

 

[69wedge383]

You got to love So-Cal car finds, No rust after sitting with the windows down for 20 years not even in the trunk..Lol Just watch for hibernating wildlife! The Black Widows around here are incredible in their veracity!!! let alone the Mojave Green Rattlesnake if the car is in the High Desert?. (they are an aggressive rattlesnake that will case you!...yes, case you!! Lol)

 

[jm8881]

Was it numbers matching?

It's from the correct time period but I think this particular engine was from a truck.

I'll be taking the block and crank to the machine shop tomorrow. The cylinders are in good shape but not good enough to just deglaze and put pistons into. Unfortunately the turn around at the shop I'm taking it to is 3-4 weeks right now. So it'll get cleaned up, the cylinders may get bored to .60 and I'll have get new pistons. The deck will be checked and decked if needed. New cam bearings will get installed along with galley and freeze plugs. The crank for sure will have to be cut to at least .20 on the rods, the main journals look good to my eye but we shall see.

Also, to date I haven't found any unwanted creepy crawlers in the car. Hopefully it stays that way.

 

[Ron 73]

Pretty cool Jim, It looks and sounds like you have it covered! Your going to bore it .60 over that im not used to hearing but im no engine builder, sounds to me like a big power plant being built though!! I have a 400 and a 440 and i have no idea where im going on them so the more i hear from you guys building at least i get an idea what i should do, or think about anyway, Thank ya sir!!!

 

[HawkRod]

This is such a cool thread - to see a outdoor time capsule unlocked and brought back to its former glory. Great find, great thread, and great work!

Hawk

 

[jm8881]

It's been 3 months since my last update? Dang. Well it's not for lack of work. Well, kinda. :eusa_whistle:

I got the engine back from the machine shop. Block checks out fine, crank was cut to .020, block was bored to .040. The bottom end is assembled minus the cam since I haven't picked one out yet.

There is one thing that kinda seems a little off. All the pistons measure .022" - .024" from the deck but number 8 is only .019 in the hole. I don't know if it's the block or the pistons or if I should even worry about .003" of a difference.

I got the transmission back to my place to inspect and found pretty much what I was expecting.

What do you think the chances of the servo bores and such still being in good condition? It seems like there isn't much corrosion in there but it's hard to tell with that sludge everywhere.

Also I found these numbers welded into the bellhousing. I found numerous transmissions online with the same type of numbers but no explanation. Anyone know what they mean?

- - - Updated - - -

Also I found the numbers, the original trans has been swapped out.

J2801540 3539457

 

[Photon440]

The valve body is aluminum, you have a good chance that the pistons still slide in their bores. Shouldn't take long to take a look and find out...

 

[jm8881]

The valve body is aluminum, you have a good chance that the pistons still slide in their bores. Shouldn't take long to take a look and find out...

I'll be tearing into it this weekend, just wanted to see if anyone else had experience with opening up a transmission to find what I found.

 

[a68postcar]

build on, looks like it is going to be good.

 

[jm8881]

I dropped the transmission off at a reputable shop this morning. He said it will probably take a week and a half for him to get to it. I'm not in a rush, just want it done right.

The engine is almost 100% complete now. Shouldn't be long after the trans is finished before I drop the two between the frame rails. The plan now is to get it running and driving so that I can get it registered and moved to my place so I can work on the little stuff like interior and such.

 

[jm8881]

I just got off the phone with the transmission shop and as I was fearing he said that the inside of the trans looked like it was on the bottom of the ocean with the Titanic. He couldn't get anything freed up and it was rusted up solid.

A quick look on craigslist shows that rebuildable cores are about $150 plus an hour or so drive one way and on top of that I won't really know the condition of the internals.

I was looking on summit and seen that TCI transmissions have free shipping right now. Does anyone have any experience with their transmissions?

 

[Photon440]

Bummer, that puts a crimp in things. I wonder though, with the insides full of oil, how did the transmission get so rusty? Doesn't the tranny shop have any built ones available?

 

[jm8881]

Unfortunately there wasn't much oil in the trans. I imagine it slowly dripped out and got replaced with moisture somehow. Also the rebuilder said he didn't have a core for something that old.

 

[Basket case]

might as well put a 4 speed in it!:3gears:

 

[jm8881]

As much as I would like to I'm not sure I could afford any one of the kits and piecing one together might even cost more.

 

[Photon440]

There's a big block auto @ converter in the for sale forums.