71 GY3 GTX update... Comin' together!

[firefighter3931]

With the pistons that far down and an open chamber head you will want a cam profile with a flatter powerband. Something like the Crower HDP 271 grind would be a nice fit, inmo. 

Jim, are they ever finished ? 



Ron

[471_Magnum]

I got the pan off and pulled the #1 rod cap. This is what I found (see pics).

[Charger-Bodie]

time for a stroker crank and a kiesler 5 speed?!

[471_Magnum]

time for a stroker crank and a kiesler 5 speed?!

More like time to refinance the house. 

[Charger-Bodie]

time for a stroker crank and a kiesler 5 speed?!

More like time to refinance the house. 

it sucks when life comes at a guy like that trust me ive been there myself, it make the wait even worse! hang in there thou it will all work out!

[Ghoste]

Be patient Jim and take heart in the fact that cosmetically, the car is done.  I know how bad you want to drive it but just hang tough.  It'll all work out.

[The70RT]

Damn........any second thoughts? Not that that would do any good 

[471_Magnum]

I'm exploring my options right now. Ideally I might be able to find a decent 440 locally. I put out the SOS to some friends. Something might turn up.

I need to inspect the crank and see if the journals have been turned previously. The scouring on the #1 isn't deep. It may cleanup with just a polish.

I could just go crazy and stroke it, but that would require some creative financing.

[BrianShaughnessy]

What size bearings in it?   You can get .001 or .002's if it cleans up.

Sorry about this motor dude... it kinda bites big time.

 

[Chargerfanatic]

Forgive my ignorance cause I haven't kept up. Was this supposed to be a fresh motor? Otherwise it is just an old motor with miles. Look at it this way, once you have all of it done, it is DONE! You will know what you have and you will enjoy it. If the car is as good as people have said there would be no reason to get rid of it after it is fixed. Sorry that it has been such a headache, been there.

[471_Magnum]

What size bearings in it? You can get .001 or .002's if it cleans up.

Haven't checked the bearings yet. Crank journal still have the undercut fillet on them. They may still be STD.

Since this project has now gone from a quick repair, to something a little more long term, I'm spending the day reorganizing the garage. I'm packing up all the loose parts scattered around the garage so I won't be tripping over them while I figure this mess out.

Forgive my ignorance cause I haven't kept up. Was this supposed to be a fresh motor? Otherwise it is just an old motor with miles.

There were no claims made on the motor. The oil was VERY clean when I changed it after the fuel pump pushrod incident. It probably was fresh, but popping out that lifter after breaking the rocker armed turned it to junk.

[Ghoste]

Then again, the rocker arm failure (and quick shutdown) may have saved you from a more catastrophic failure down the road.

[Charger_Fan]

Half that gouging is probably from the fuel pump rod. I bet if you had the block cleaned, polished the crank, swapped your heads, put fresh rings & a new oil pump on it, it would be good to go.
At least, until you got the hankering for a stroker or something, down the road.

[rt green]

well the hole has been dug. not by your choice, but neverless its been dug. if you were ever wondering about the mystery of the inside of your engine, now you know. if there was anything you liked or disliked about your old engine now you have a chance to copy it, or improve on it. now you have to decide on what kind of shovel you are going to use.
many think about major improvments, or think about trying different things but the thought of pulling the engine to do them is to much so it never gets done.  i'm trying to find the bright side of all this and this is all i can come up with. sorry it happened to you. thank god you werent on vacation somewhere on the other side of the country when it did.                good luck, bruce

[The70RT]

well the hole has been dug. not by your choice, but neverless its been dug. if you were ever wondering about the mystery of the inside of your engine, now you know. if there was anything you liked or disliked about your old engine now you have a chance to copy it, or improve on it. now you have to decide on what kind of shovel you are going to use.
many think about major improvments, or think about trying different things but the thought of pulling the engine to do them is to much so it never gets done.  i'm trying to find the bright side of all this and this is all i can come up with. sorry it happened to you. thank god you werent on vacation somewhere on the other side of the country when it did.                good luck, bruce

I think pulling the engine and rebuilding is the easy part. Seems like most on here are doing that themselves. The body work is what most on here have to farm out. At least his body is great. He now he will know what he has when it is done...no worring about it when your on the road.

[Lowprofile]

I think pulling the engine and rebuilding is the easy part. Seems like most on here are doing that themselves. The body work is what most on here have to farm out. At least his body is great. He now he will know what he has when it is done...no worrying about it when your on the road.

I wish that were my case. I'd take mechanical over body work any day.

Now that you got it all torn down bro, ya might as well build it the way you want it. You'll never have to second guess that car again. 

[471_Magnum]

Unfortunately, there is a difference between what I want (big hairy stroker motor) and what I can afford (stock rebuild). The end result will probably fall somewhere in between.

BTW- Pulled the timing cover. THere is about 1/2" slop in the timing chain. No grind number on the front of the cam.

[Ghoste]

Doesn't matter, I think everybody here endorsed your idea of a cam swap.

[hemi-hampton]

I think 3/16" is max on the chain. The Cam may have the #'s on back or rear of Cam instead of Front, Mine did. Sounds like somebody ran out to the Junkyard & Bought up a 1977 Station Wagon or 1974 big boat C body Polara, Fury, Newport 440  Motor with 200,000 miles, Spray bombed it to look pretty & threw it in there & tried to make some money? LEON.

[Rolling_Thunder]

hey 471 dont feel alone...   I just tore down a 440 built by a certain well known builder...     1800 miles on it and it has spun bearings, scored crank, and broken piston rings...       only difference is this is a customer car...    not mine   

[Nacho-RT74]

well the hole has been dug. not by your choice, but neverless its been dug. if you were ever wondering about the mystery of the inside of your engine, now you know. if there was anything you liked or disliked about your old engine now you have a chance to copy it, or improve on it. now you have to decide on what kind of shovel you are going to use.
many think about major improvments, or think about trying different things but the thought of pulling the engine to do them is to much so it never gets done.  i'm trying to find the bright side of all this and this is all i can come up with. sorry it happened to you. thank god you werent on vacation somewhere on the other side of the country when it did.                good luck, bruce

I think pulling the engine and rebuilding is the easy part. Seems like most on here are doing that themselves. The body work is what most on here have to farm out. At least his body is great. He now he will know what he has when it is done...no worring about it when your on the road.

You have what I think is the HARDER part done. rest is just like a LEGO.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Jim, this months Mopar Muscle highlights year Ones rebuilt 440 crate engines.....supposed to be affordable.

EDIT---just looked up the link and they aint that affordable....

http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/fbshopmain2.asp?cat=1

[471_Magnum]

Sounds like somebody ran out to the Junkyard & Bought up a 1977 Station Wagon or 1974 big boat C body Polara, Fury, Newport 440  Motor with 200,000 miles, Spray bombed it to look pretty & threw it in there & tried to make some money? LEON.

That's probably not far from the truth. It is a 71 motor. It does have a C-body oil pan.

A couple of opportunities have come up. The more promising one is that a friend has a fresh from the machine shop disassembled 440 HP he is willing to sell me. It is a 9.5:1 cast piston motor. I'm waiting for him to come up with a price.

Tomorrow I will call the machine shop and talk to them about inspecting, polishing, honing and rebalancing what I've got.

[Ghoste]

Maybe Chuck had some kind of instinctive feel?

[vert]

Sounds like somebody ran out to the Junkyard & Bought up a 1977 Station Wagon or 1974 big boat C body Polara, Fury, Newport 440  Motor with 200,000 miles, Spray bombed it to look pretty & threw it in there & tried to make some money? LEON.

That's probably not far from the truth. It is a 71 motor. It does have a C-body oil pan.

A couple of opportunities have come up. The more promising one is that a friend has a fresh from the machine shop disassembled 440 HP he is willing to sell me. It is a 9.5:1 cast piston motor. I'm waiting for him to come up with a price.  Things in pieces only seem cheaper.  Theres alway something...

Tomorrow I will call the machine shop and talk to them about inspecting, polishing, honing and rebalancing what I've got.

Add having the block decked to that.  That and a decent set of flattop pistons.   You'll have a solid shortblock and you can spend $ or time on the port matching later. 
Or if you buy your friends engine, make it contingent on how far down the pistons are.  It seems like a huge number of these are way down the bore at TDC, even at ~9.5:1. really being 9'ish.
Beautiful car!