62 clutch fork -scattershield

[pvs409]

I have attached pictures of my clutch fork installed on my 62 409 stroker motor.
My clutch fork does not line up to center the transmission. I used the original 409 clutch fork(in second picture on my 57 chevy scattershield) used for the 553 aluminum or 552 cast bell housing. It touchs the lower edge of the fork opening in the scattershield and still does not line up with the clutch.

What clutch fork do I need to use with a Lakewood scattershield?
Do I have to make a lower rod to fit the scattershield vs using the original lower rod?
Can I continue to use the original cross shaft with the lakewood.

I sent a PM to Tom K. who said he has a scattershield on his car.

I also included a picture of my motor installed in the car

 

[409 Chevy Performance]

bell housing

You have a PM

 

[yellow wagon]

Your motor looks great!!! What are the specs on the build?

 

[Skip FIx]

When I put one on my previous 64 I used the factory fork. Sometimes you need a different length pivot bolt. I think Chevy had two lengths and there is also an aftermarket adjustable.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Good advise!

Paul:

I sent you a PM about an hour ago. I think Jack Gibbs set me up with the correct parts.

Question aside: Have you fired that engine up yet, and did you have any trouble sealing your valve covers. I have the exact same ones, took off my Moons the day before Thompson, put the polished scripted ones on, the leaked like a sieve, you I swapped back the Moons and have been using them ever since. I was careful to fit the gasket up to the cover, install it, tighten it down, but she still leaks. Didn't goober up the bottom side with RTV since I adjust the valves a lot .

Cheers!
TomK

 

[pvs409]

62 clutch and 409 motor

The motor is a 474 cubic inch stroker motor(65 truck block). It has a eagle 454 crank and 10:1 ross pistons. The cam is from Aubrey Bruneau, a crane cam with .617 lift on the intake with 280 duration at .020 lift and solid lifters. The block I bought from Phil Reed, the stroker kit was from Curt Harvey via Phil Reed over 5 years ago.

I was going use some heavily ported 690 heads on the motor, but my motor machaniest found out at the last minute that one of the heads was cracked around one of the valves ( I plan to have them welded and maybe reuse then some day).
Baker Enterprises here in Sioux City, Iowa, did my motor, they are a family owned machine shop/motor rebuilders that has been in business for 40 + years, father still working and two sons. They do all kinds of motors old and newer and construction equipment.

We switched to my edelbrock heads which I had already purchased and had not planned on using them on this motor. We had to switch my push rods from the 690 push rods.

The motor has been on the dyno about 3 weeks ago( I did not have my camera when it was on the dyno). We ran it 4-5 times and finally up to 5500 RPM. It dynoed at about 470 HP with 500 ft # of torque. It had the most horsepower at 30 degrees total timing(at 32 timing it lost 20 HP). The original carter AFB's seemed to running rich the plugs showed to much gas.

They thought it might run over 500 HP if the carbs where not so rich. We also used the stock 925 and 926 exhaust manifolds instead of my 2" jardine headers(They would not fit on the dyno). With 2" Jardine Headers he made for me, Jared says they are worth 20 HP.

The gaskets on the polished chevrolet script valve covers on the motor did not leak on the dyno, my machinest installed the gasket set, I think it is felpro but I will ask, what they did when installing them to keep them from leaking(they sealed my motor to zero leaks from the pan and other areas). The valve covers have allen head bolts to hold the covers down.

We reset the valves at least twice during the dyno runs and retorqued the heads after the dyno run(Jack Gibbs just reminded me last night about the retorque needed on Edelbrock heads). Jack also mentioned to re-tighten the rocker arms on the heads, I have to check that yet if it was done along with the head retorgue they did.

Here are a few more pictures of the motor and the headers -headers that are not installed yet.

Now I have to remove clutch and pressure plate in my Lakewood scattershield and check it for being centered in over the pilot bearing hole for the transmission. the fork still appears to be 1/2 inch off center from the pilot bearing. My machinest is coming this afternoon to check this problem with my scattershield/clutch fork).

Paul

 

[Ronnie Russell]

pvs409, First of all, congratulations on a great engine build. The parts selected are great. I think maybe you wasted a lot of what a dyno check should do. In my opinion, the exhaust manifolds were a terrible idea. If those are , in fact, 3361-3362 carbs, there is no way they are too rich for your engine, assuming they have the std. jets. The ex. manifolds are choking your engine down so the accumulated gases cannot escape. Jared is being quite modest and conservative with his guess. The advantage would be much more than 20 hp, at least in my opinion. The engine installed in your car will be much improved over what you ran on the dyno. I hope you can find a way to tune afterwards, either drag strip e.t. slips or chassis dyno. If you re-jet now with leaner jets, I think that could hurt you later. I would also want to talk to the builder about harmoic balancer indexing. I have never seen one of these engines run its best at 30 dg. Not a big deal here because you can start at 30 and go up and down at the strip or chassis dyno to find what is best. Glad you got some input from Jack about the re-torqueing. Absolutely critical information. Might be sorta hard to do now because it helps to re-torque with engine at operating temp. Maybe you can address this after the engine is in the car and an oppurtunity to run. After you get these little things done that is gonna be one fine automobile. Good luck.

 

[pvs409]

62 409 motor

Ronnnie,
thanks for the comments, My machinist, wanted the dyno run, I wanted to find out what the numbers would be for this motor. Actually on the first dyno run, we had a stuck lifter, so had to disassemble the motor, on the second run(with mutiple runs that day) the carbs leaked to and had to be fixed. Also verified if there if there where any leaks which I liked. I just wanted to know how it would perform on the dyno.

For the carbs we had decided to run the motor in the car, no changes to the carbs.

We just switched clutch forks to a straight one vs the 409 one that has a bend in it, the transmission went right in no line up problems. My help to do the installation just left.

Actually the intent is to run the 2" Jardine Headers(just had them ceramic coated) in last set of pictures. We just could not get them to fit the dyno motor mounts they had, had to run the cast iron ones for the dyno only.

I waited three years to buy headers until Jared Jardine just started making 2" and larger headers that did not modify inner fenders/firewall etc. that are a bolt in fit.

I was just test fitting the headers to the motor, I may have to lift the motor slightly to get the passenger side installed. More fitting needed with help, my help is gone.

Also have the hurst 4 speed shifter installed, on my muncie 4 speed overdrive transmission. I think we have the hurst arms set to shift 1st to 3rd with 4th as overdrive. I will post some pictures of the shifter installed. Others have asked about this in another post. It remains to be seen if I like this transmission once I drive the car.

Paul Stensland

 

[MileHiSS]

You must be a miracle worker. I have countless hours trying to gey my PMC valve covers to seal, and I think I 've tried everything.
Total junk IMO.

Nice motor btw.

 

[jr.W]

You must be a miracle worker. I have countless hours trying to gey my PMC valve covers to seal, and I think I 've tried everything.
Total junk IMO.

Nice motor btw.

Are the sealing surfaces of the valve covers machined or cast?

 

[hogmotors]

FYI:
The last 2 scattershields that we installed(new)were misaligned considerably(USA made no less!). One so much that we had to use the largest offset dowels.
I would strongly recommend checking all of them with a dial indicator as advised in the instructions.
I was floored! Do you suppose they drill them with a 1/2" hand drill? I would have thought you'd do something as simple as a bell housing w/CNC.

 

[johnnyrod]

I have a set of PMLs and no problems with seal. I use Fel Pro gaskets

 

[pvs409]

62 409 motor

I am not sure on my valve covers if they are machined or cast at the gasket surface. I gave them to my machinest to install to assemble the motor about 4 months ago in the box they came in. I think they also used felpro gaskets. I will talk to him this week and the installation. I don't want to remove them from my motor now.

He removed them at least twice during my dyno runs and they have not leaked.
Paul

 

[Nuts]

Congrats !!!

Paul,

As always, your builds, put a weekender like me to shame. That is one great looking motor, can't wait to see her done and on the road. bang

Bill

 

[pvs409]

62 Ss 409

thanks Bill nice to hear from you,

I am seriously thinking about taking the car to Thompson, Ohio[/I]960 + miles to tow for me.. I would like to go to Kansas City in September if we have an event there.

I just need to finally get it started, even though the motor is ready to run, once everything is hooked up. I have to hook up the new gas tank, steering column, headers, exhaust, brakes to do, alignment, interior that is assembled to install.

I have all my glass installed, after finding that I had the wrong power window arms.
I had two sets used the wrong arms on my rebuilt motors.

My power brake booster for my 4 wheel disc brakes now hits the aluminum valve covers on my motor. I hope I do not have to go back to stock valve covers. I and friends like the valve covers on the motor(shown on pictures in this thread).

Attached below is a picture without the motor outside and few inside some of the colors are not clear. I did the oil pressure, water temp and gas gauge(had to modify the new tank unit to use the Stewart Warner gas gauge) in the dash like you did them.

Paul

 

[Nuts]

Hope to see you there !!!

Paul,

We are making plans to attend Thompson with the car, (2700 miles one-way), sure hope to see you there !!!

The car is really looking GREAT !!! Sorry to hear the valve covers don't clear everything ! I also like the looks of them. How about one of the off-set boosters I've seen advertised, would that help you out. My stock ones just clear and I have to have the motor at TDC to get them off ?

I like the way you did the gauges, did they fit without making the hole larger ?

We have not thought about making a trip to KC, but who knows ? If there is a gather put together, we will take a good look at it. That's a lot closer to home !!!

Keep up the good work, and we hope to see you soon.

Bill

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Looking good!

Paul:

She certainly is looking great .

I noticed your plates are the same as mine, but of course, mine are Missouri issue .

We should put 'em side by side some day!

Is that color Twilight Blue, or some other color? I am currently doing the '62 Belair in Twilight Blue with Ermine White up top. I've stopped for Winter, but hope to finish in the Spring. As usual, it's both a time and $$$ thing.

Great project, great progress!

TomK

 

[pvs409]

62 Ss 409

Bill,
The gauges have aluminum trim rings that fit the SW gauges very snug. I Had to file a notch in the trim ring for each gauge. I bought the trim rings on e-bay. I had to get another set made no extra cost, the first set where not large enough. I had to measure the stewart warner gauges.

I have to contact Right Stuff who supplied the booster and 4 wheel disc brake set to check on what you mentioned. I have some pictures to send them. They have been very helpful to date.

I hope to go to Thompson, my wife does not want to ride in my 350 4 wheel drive Suburban to tow an enclosed trailer. We went to Michigan a couple of years ago, the towing setup is not very stable.

Paul

 

[pvs409]

62 Ss 409

Tom,
Yes I had to wait 6 months to get the plates, they where on another 62 SS (same color as mine) that was on e-bay for sale in Iowa. I correctly guessed the car would leave the state. When they where not renewed I got the plate.

The color is Nassau Blue, it matches 914 paint code for that color in base coat clear coat.

I went through 4 different color tests trying to match Nassau blue, the last test from a friends repaint of a bubble top that was originally Maroon, turned out to match Nassau Blue. From other pictures -The only car around here is a wrecked HT that had badly faded paint.

I have seen less than 10 cars in this color, only one in person over the last 15 years.

The one under the thread listed : Introduce Yourself - "Cousin Eddy's 409" is same Nassau blue color, in Illinois returned from California.

Twlight blue is also a rare color, there was a HT for sale in Omaha, Neb a few years ago that I almost went to look at.

My car is a Van Nuys built original SS California car. Perhaps we can park together at Thompson, I think I saw that you where going. I would say 85 %chance I am going, I prefer Kansas City.

Paul

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Bumper talk

Maybe not of interest to those who don't care about details, but I noticed that your rear bumper is the three piece variety and your car is a Van Nuys (LA) build. So it mine, and it has three piece bumpers. When we were at Thompson, Quik9er and his buddies from Canada all had 1962 Belair 2 door sedans that were VN builds, and they originally came with three piece bumpers. We theorized that the later (mine was a June 1962 build) cars might have come that way, while the earlier car were fitted with one piece bumpers. I read recently where CA dropped the 1 piece bumper requirement on January 1, 1962 or something to that effect.

Any ideas on this? I guess we just need to have those who have the verified originals chime in. I thought mine was, but I've only had it for 6-7 years and although there was but one owner prior to me, she died and left the car to her descendants (from whom I purchased).

Cheers,
TomK