Biohazard

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overdue update:

First...why rebuild? Check this! On the left we have a connecting rod bearing that was removed; a rotten freezeplug that wouldn't have held the water if a cool breeze blew through; and a cam bearing that, from a previous rebuild, was driven in too far so the tech doing the work went in afterwards and ground out the oil passage holes to help with the lining-up. Sad.

Pulled motor parts
 
Industrial cling wrap has many uses. Use #318: rebuilt engine transport.





Unwrapped like a slotcar track at Christmas



New overbore pistons



Do I have to call it a 323?
 
Heads installed, set TDC and clocked the distributor gear, cleaned and oiled the pushrods - put them in, installed rocker assemblies (and broke one bolt doing it) then masked-up and painted it.







Cleaning up the motor mount brackets - will shoot them with engine black. Ditto on the water pump.
 
Also,

A week ago I finally got a matching paint sample!! Promptly ordered the paint be mixed and shipped out. Got it Thursday, sprayed it yesterday (67F and 64% rh ). Plan to clear with VHT engine clear if I can hit a sweet spot today between morning fog and early evening rain.

De-gunked the motor mount brackets so I can spray them black for engine installation later this week. I'll do the transmission crossmember at the same time and probably the water pump. Painted the wiper motor last week so it will be ready to go in when all the big stuff is in.

Installed the torsion bars and actually let her sit on all four for a change. Looking a lot less like a jalopy this way.

Correct idler link arrived and I got that put in. Then I was able to do a rudimentary adjustment on the tie-rod sleeves.
 
Engine looks great!
Might want to paint the back of the block to prevent rust.
 
Holly Molly how did I miss this thread great reading here and Wow!!! what a great build/car
 
The whole block is primered, even where there's no red.
Thanks Mike...more to come.
 
So what was supposed to be "passable" weather turned out much better.
I got the clearcoat down, no problems.

On a side note, I noticed when I got my block back that one nut/bolt set was missing from each of the motor mount brackets. Before calling the machine shop I thought I should check to see if they were there to begin with so I went back and looked at the earliest pics I had taken of the motor and, sure enough, one bolt missing from each side. A trip to Lowe's and all is well. Got the exact bolts that I was missing.
 
I boogered-up one little spot but, luckily, its in a place where I can easily get to it later for touching up.



I think it's time to mate the motor and trans back together.
 
Looks like you got the paint to match perfectly. Good job on not settling. Good enough usually isn't!
 
I've had samples that I felt were good enough to use on the interior since there is a decent break between it and the exterior surfaces but just a 'little' off was simply too far off for the underhood. I'm quite pleased with my current paint mix and really stoked to have it down. I need only to spray some mounts and brackets black to start wrenching the motor in and that, thankfully, does NOT require pleasant weather.
 
Spent a week in New Mexico, found a place (3-car garage for the win!) and just got back Friday. Neighbor helped me turn the car about in the driveway. I can clear out the side of my garage and roll it in there now.

Bolted the engine and transmission together with my new flex plate bolts from Mr. Gasket . . . . . but . . . . .



Doesn't thread in very well like this. And just my damn luck, too. I've always said, I would be the one who gets a lemon Mercedes. Look at what I had to go thru for paint. Oh well, here's another pic of the bay just to end this post on a high note.

 
Talk about being screwed! Wud uv expected better from Mr Gasket. Minor set back.
 
Back on the forums!!

Catch up: the company that sold me the flex plate bolt with no threads came thru with an entire new set - so I have extras - and of course found the ones, too. Well, whatever -
- the motor and trans were reunited and mounted into the car.
- the windshield was set into the tracks in the body and secured with a nylon strap
- boxed up the parts bin and loaded those boxes into the cargo bay
- double bagged the front seats to contain the funk (they still have not been stripped to their frames) and loaded those into the car
- reinstalled the hood
- reinstalled my detailed taillights with the new mounting gaskets
- reinstalled the A/C condenser and the radiator

Ones the 'cuda was all packaged-up, I pulled her onto the U-Haul trailer and got the Tacoma ready to do some wOrk.

The engine (the majority of it) reinstalled in the engine compartment.
[URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/vr6pilot/Red%20Fish/IMG_0289_zps9498d2eb.jpg"][/URL]

The Barracuda spent her last two weeks in Alabama safely tucked away in the garage. Never thought I would get the car sanitized enough to pull this off.

[URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/vr6pilot/Red%20Fish/IMG_0288_zps70e95238.jpg"][/URL]

Pulling the fish thru Mississippi. Note the humidity.
[URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/vr6pilot/Red%20Fish/IMG_0299_zps3bd76a9e.jpg"][/URL]

Coda keeping his eye on the Cuda for me.
[URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/vr6pilot/Red%20Fish/IMG_0293_zpse41670ad.jpg"][/URL]

Pulling the fish thru West Texas. Note the humidity...lol.
[URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/vr6pilot/Red%20Fish/IMG_0302_zps37e837b5.jpg"][/URL]


The '69 has been parked in it's own single-bay since the day after we arrived. The seats were quickly pulled out and stored along the side of the house and I have fogged the closed-up garage a couple times with an anti-microbial just to be safe. I've had a very busy last two months between the general moving-in and starting up the new job but its time to get some more activity happening.

Cheers!
 
After posting, I remembered that my wife had shot a few photos from the chase car - here they are from her phone:

Probably still in Alabama


Closer


Approaching the New Mexico state line


The very moment that the "Barracuda formerly known as Biohazard" crossed into her new home state.
 
Looking Great!!!

Glad the move is done (Never done) for now and all went well. Looking forward to more shots and stories about your fish....

Ma Snart
 

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Quick question,
How did the u-haul trailer pull.....
I have plenty of trailers that I can borrow, but if "something happens" I would have to fix it.
Sold mine a couple of years ago and still regretting it.
They are about $100 a day to rent?
 
It pulled fine. I had some issues with the straps which go over the front wheels so I added some backups and it proved to be a savvy move. Check those every time you stop. The rent charge was based on the trailer itself. It cost me like 300-something to get it and I had one week to turn it in wherever.

I'll check out the medsproducts but my current strategy should negate it's need. Thanks, though. You never know.
 
sireland67 said:
Quick question,
How did the u-haul trailer pull.....
I have plenty of trailers that I can borrow, but if "something happens" I would have to fix it.
Sold mine a couple of years ago and still regretting it.
They are about $100 a day to rent?
Click to expand...

Before I bought a trailer, I used a U-Haul for getting a car with my 1/2 ton RAM. I was very happy with how it pulled on my trip from Florida to Milwaukee. At 70 mph on the highway you didn't even know it was back there.

I found it was cheaper to rent if you returned the trailer to the same spot you rented it from.

Ma Snart
 

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