kelvinb

Build the bumper out of 1/8. 3/16 is over kill. Mounting brackets id go with 1/4.

joelsmithdesigns

exactly what I was thinking. I've got some 3/8" or 1/2" plate (I can't remember what....but it's free!) that I plan on using to make the actual winch plate / mount. The bumper will slide over the top of and bolt to that. kind of two reasons for this. 1) so you'd have to completely remove the bumper to steal the winch....and good luck with that 2) if for some reason I do get hit, or hit something and it tweaks the bumper, I can pull the outer shell off and tweak it back to square....hopefully anyway

1/8" will be plenty stout enough...especially when it's welded up geometrically with gussets and other supports.

joelsmithdesigns

got the new bearings for the engine with the hyper pistons in last night. The full gasket kit and new timing chain should be in today for the engine with the forged pistons. I did get the new springs, camshaft, and rockers put on the topline head last night and once I get the metal timing guides and new chain on it tonight or tomorrow and try to have it ready to drop in this weekend.

joelsmithdesigns

Cleaned and repainted the block on the .60 over motor. Got a new timing chain and steel rails put on and cleaned and replaced all the other gaskets for the water pump, oil pump, oil pan, etc. as I wanted to make darn sure this motor was sealed tight. Replaced the front main and rear main seals as well. Then I got the other head bolted on using the ARP studs and degreed the camshaft. Long block is built up, and just waiting to be dropped in and have the other accessories bolted on. I think I'm going to go down to the shop and sandblast the valve cover and paint it black (so there's less confusion about which motor is which Red top / Black Top) along with all of the other accessory brackets and things and I've got one more minor 316L stainless shaft upgrade to do for that Warn 8274 winch that I need to use the metal lathe for (also at the shop).

I should be ready to drop it in and bolt on the intake and exhaust along with all of the other accessories. I won't hook up the remote oil filter or any of the other "extras" just to make sure this one is running correctly and limit the possibilities for other issues if they arise.

Once I get it running correctly.....here are the next plans...

I really want to move the battery to the other side of the engine bay, installing a dual battery setup (Red Top Optima backed by a Yellow top tended by the Painless DPM or National Luna - haven't decided yet) and installing another external waterproof fuse/relay box for the multiple sets of lights I'll have in the bumper and potentially on the roof rack( that I haven't built yet.) This dual battery setup will be aided by the big 3 upgrade to the wiring (might as well do that when I'm moving the batteries), and the jaguar XJ 120/140 amp alternator upgrade as well (seems more cost effective than the GM 1 wire conversion or the high dollar direct fit high amp replacement). I've been slowly picking up Piaa lights for the bumper, reverse lights, and upper luggage rack as well as other things needed like the K&N Apollo intake for the battery swap / cold air intake (and potential future snorkel). I'll also be making custom interior panels, building an entire center console from scratch and upgrading the stereo to a double DIN GPS unit to have several sets of component speakers run by amps and lining the interior with some B-quiet soundproofing. I'm by no means an audiophile, but had some of this gear already and picked up some more for cheap - I just wanted a solid sounding system with or without the top on.

(Once the rig is running) My future plans are somewhat laid out below:





Initial speaker system diagram.

joelsmithdesigns

Got home with only an hour or so of light left, but managed to get the engine off the porch (down several stairs), across the gravel drive, and hoisted up so I could replace the rear main seal and install the flywheel and clutch.

Despite losing light, I was fairly hell bent on at least getting the long block dropped into the rig and married up with the trans. Somehow, thanks to my dorky Petzl spelunker headlamp, I got everything in and married up. Probably something I wouldn't really try by yourself in the dark in a gravel drive, but since I've done it about 4-5 times now, it went fairly smoothly.

I have a concert and date tonight, but plan on getting the rest of the accessories bolted up sometime this week, if not this weekend (and still need to head to the shop to sandblast the valve cover).

I have a week's worth of vacation I need to use before April and a free place to stay in my old hometown of Red River, NM.....so I'm wanting to get it running and drive it a week or two before I take it on a 10 hour trip to the mountains.

joelsmithdesigns

Here's another option for the audio setup that uses all 4 channels of the 5005J and a 2 channel amp to run the ACIS62's as well as shows the location of the speakers / amps in the rig.

joelsmithdesigns

I got up at 6 yesterday and worked all day on the engine. Getting all of the accessories bolted up, checking, and then double checking everything. as the sun was going down it was finally time to add the oil and antifreeze and see if i could start her up.

I turned the motor by hand probably 20 times until the oil pressure gauge registered and hopped in to fire it up and set the timing.

Nothing. the starter motor just spun.

the last thing I did before taking the other engine out were the compression tests and leak down tests, so I thought maybe I burned up the starter. Luckily I made it down to the parts store before they closed for the night and was able to get another starter. Threw it in and .....nothing but spinning again. I thought maybe the flywheel was off just a little and turned it over several more times by hand. Still nothing but the starter spinning. I even thought maybe they had given me the wrong starter, so I put the old one back in. Nothing. spaced it back with a couple of washers in case it was "overshooting" (old chevy guy trick). nothing....still spinning.

My guess is one of or a combination of several things:

After sitting a while the battery is too low to crank the engine. I put it on jumper cables for a while and still nothing. Brand new red top Optima. I may take it down and have it fully charged up just to eliminate this as a potential issue.

Possible corrosion or break in the main wire going from the battery to the alternator not allowing it enough juice to actually turn the motor, but enough to spin. I was planning on doing the big 3 upgrade to the wiring anyway when I did the dual battery setup, so it may be a good time to go ahead and replace the main wiring with some much bigger gauge stuff, or just go ahead and install the dual battery setup and K&N Apollo intake now.

another potential cause is that the trans and engine aren't married up exactly right and that's causing some binding that is too much for the starter to turn over (although it turns by hand). I really don't want to have to pull the block again (easier than pulling the trans in my driveway)...so I'll leave this to the last option. I may even try to turn the engine over by hand with it in gear to see if I can get the car to move on its own (verifying that the trans and engine are lined up correctly)

The last thing I can think of is that the timing chain kit I got was a little too tight and that might be causing some binding or enough tension that the starter can't turn the engine over. It was a bear to get on, but usually is, so I didn't think much of it at the time. The engine does turn over by hand, so I can't imagine this being the issue.

The metal plate that bolts to the back of the block before the flywheel and clutch actually positions the starter. I'm using the same plate as before, and it's located on the back of the block with two metal pins, so although my first thought was that this was "off" a bit and the starter wasn't in the right position couldn't be correct because of the locating studs on the back of the block.

kind of at a loss until I get the wiring upgraded and make sure the battery is good. Has anyone experienced the same thing? I'm sure it's something simple or common and I'm just beating a dead horse.

92ehatch

If the starter is spinning then it isn't binding.

Clarify if the motor is turning, if the starter is spinning or if it is just making a click sound.

The starter not only spins but pops out to engage with the flywheel. That happens via the solenoid. Once it pops forward it completes a circuit allowing it to turn and this turning the engine.

When you say is spinning it tells me that is not engaging the flywheel.

Or that it is engaging the flywheel and the engine just spins and doesn't fire

joelsmithdesigns

engine isn't turning over at all from the starter (it turns fine by hand)

starter doesn't "Click click click" machine gun sound like when the battery doesn't have enough amps to crank it

starter spins like it's popping out, spinning, but not engaging the flywheel.

it acts like it's either behind the flywheel too far (popping out into the flywheel and the end of the cog on the starter is being stopped by the flywheel) or too far away from the flywheel where the cog just spins like there isn't a flywheel there at all or it's missing it.

92ehatch

That kind of sounds like something is out of place then. Unfortunately doesn't sound like an easy fix either.

Factory flywheel?

joelsmithdesigns

not the factory flywheel, but a billet one that was working fine before I pulled the motor.

92ehatch

Have you tried pulling the starter and running it off vehicle to ensure it is functioning properly.

Also inspecting the flywheel for missing teeth.

Seems odd to me that this is happening unless you forgot to bolt the flywheel up. That would be hard to forget though

joelsmithdesigns

pulled the starter and ran it off vehicle. It spins and plunges outward and appears to function correctly.

Flywheel is pretty much brand new and isn't missing any teeth. Completely hand cranked the engine a full revolution checking for missing teeth or any other issues with the flywheel.

SwVa_1stGen

One of the small wires to the solenoid is damaged

joelsmithdesigns

can you elaborate?

I'd feel much less stressed out about all of it if I had a firm direction to start out in

joelsmithdesigns

I'll need to read up on this.....hoping it's the wiring.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post51975700

SwVa_1stGen

The small wires can break right where they go in the connectors from installing and removing.
Check the continuity from the connectors up the wire about a foot.
The battery wire powers the starter, the little wires, tell the starter to start and the other engages the bendix

joelsmithdesigns

hoping I buggered the wire somewhere pulling it on and off, or maybe even just a bad terminal connection. I'll check it when I get the chance.

92ehatch

I don't think it's a wire. Am i not correct in saying the starter will not spin until the solenoid has activated

joelsmithdesigns

well, I've read that if the main wire from the battery is corroded or has a loose connection, that it can cause the starter to spin, but not have enough amps to actually engage and turn the flywheel.