Sounds like you are going to have a busy month, I'm still looking forward to hearing that thing fire up for the first time, if you are able to get a video of it please do, if not pics will have to suffice, I can just imagine the roar from it if I have to.

I'll definitely do some kind of a video to commemorate the starting. I'm afraid if it starts and stops, then never restarts everyone will think I lied!! LOL. I'm not sure but I'll probably start with a Victor intake and a borrowed sorted out carb so I not chasing fuel problems on start up. That front distributor should be fine but you never know. It'* a completely new engine, parts combination, ignition, etc etc etc. So many thinks can go wrong. Hopefully I've engineered all those problems out. We will see.

Mark

Spent the morning taking off the clutch bell housing, pressure plate and clutch leaving the flywheel on and mounting the engine stand rear plate. Removed the front cover, drilled, tapped, and installed the -10 AN inlets for the turbo drains. Remounted the cover and torqued the balancer to spec.
Then I took a bottoming tap and retapped all of the aluminum head bolt holes, intake, exhaust surfaces, and front and back accessory holes. So they are all clean and ready. I have to drill new intake manifold holes in the heads because the Gutsram has the outer port holes moved out 1/2 inch. I'm little nervous but it has to be done. Will do that once it is on the engine stand.






MArk

I did a couple of hours this morning before the heat hit. Took the motor off the work table and got it mounted on the engine stand. Got the front of the engine all back together with the new AN fittings for the turbo drains.





Then I had to drill new intake manifold bolt holes in the heads. The manifold is made to have enough material to port out the runners. To have enough material the outside bolt holes are in the way, so you have to drill new bolt holes for the outside runner bolts 1/2 inch farther outside. You can see the new bolt holes drilled and tapped.



And the gaskets drilled.



Tomorrow I remove the oil pan and replace the pan and pick up with a Moroso pan and pick up. The pan I am using Is really only good for a boat or maybe a road racer. It has several compartments and swing doors but not much of a sump.

Mark

I took the Catalina to my friend Mikes house today. He'* building and installing my 8.50 full cage. I'll get picks when it'* done.
I also got the distributor back that I had machined to work as a front drive distributor.
This was the distributor before along with the front pump extension.



This is the newly finished distributor mocked up on the motor.



The distributor was shortened and the steps cut to fit into the top flange of the pump extension which is stepped inside originally to hold a bearing.



This is the distributor assembled with the top inserted into the extension flange, the shaft installed, the bearing that originally sat at the top of the flange, now is under the flange between the bottom of the distributor and the shims and locking collar. This holds all everything together.




More pics to come.

Mark

This is the distributor assembled with the shaft , the distributor top inserted into the flange, the bearing, shims and locking collar installed to pull all of the upper distributor together. The distributor body locking collar is locked up towards the top just to get it out of the way of installing the extension flange to extension bolts. It will be dropped down and locked in place. I still have to come up with some kind of distributor clamp that will lock down on the collar to hold the distributor from turning.



The fully assembled distributor and extension.



You can see that the distributor shaft is way too long and still round. I need to cut it to length and have the end machined down to a 3/8ths hex to fit into the cam gear drive stub.

I also bought a BOP oil pump drive with a composite gear.



That takes care of the oil drive.

In this pic you can see the alternator brackets. I still have to build a bottom slotted bracket for adjusting the belt tension. I'm mocking up a power steering pump for future use. I will probably go to a power steering box sometime later and I may go right to a Hydro Boost brake set up before putting the motor back in. So I'll need a pump. If you look at this pic you can see that the accessory belts just fit between the pulleys and the distributor extension. This requires me to hang the alternator and steering pump low or the belts will hit the extension.



I have to drop the steering pump lower. More to do.

Mark

The engine looks so nice, why wouldn't you put a nice racing power steering pump on there and maybe save a few pounds?
Garage Sale - Aluminum Power Steering Pumps w/ Reservoir - Speedway Motors, America'* Oldest Speed Shop

Actually not a bad idea. I would just have to make a proper mounting bracket. If I were to run both a hydro-boost and power steering gear box then I have to add a return port to pump reservoir so both returns can dump back in. The unit in the mock up is an old pump just for mock up. I would get a new unit should I install it.

Mark

Got her home.









Mike Mirecki In Gilbert AZ did the bending and welding/fabricating of the cage and a chute mount. Put in some additional tubing supports for the ladder bar cross member and the old perimeter frame to inside added frame rails too (see pics). Finished up a lot of odds and end welding for me too. Did a great job and NHRA certified to 8.50 on first shot.

Mark

Pics of the chute mount and the added frame supports.







And a poor pic of the NHRA cert sticker.



Mark