Bayer Z-11

[409Kid]

Saturday I talked with Nathan Gerolamy (Horsepower by Gerolamy) who is working on my heads. After blasting the heads in preparation for mag checking I was informed that the -.050 head has been really hurt. Beyond the massive face cut that was done by Excels Weld in Baldwin Park back in the 1960’s there has been considerable welding done on the topside and in several of the ports. This head had also been glyptol’d which was making it difficult to check with the powder they use. He ordered some yellow powder to aid in visualizing any possible issues. The powder has arrived and I’ll know something more by days end. We had also talked about pressure testing. Once he is done with the initial inspection I’ll bring a head back home and build a plate for the pressure check. This will come in handy for future inspections on my 690’s

Im filled with trepidation that this head will not be salvageable. The wait is killing me fearing that I may be beating a dead horse. I was then reminded that these heads were on a running engine at the time it was taken apart and so I’m keeping fingers crossed that it can be saved.

Already figuring on custom thickness head gaskets and/or piston mods done to the fly cuts to accommodate the additional valve clearance needed on four pistons. Time to prepare to sharpen my math skills…

 

[La Hot Rods]

Those old parts have been put to use, that's good and bad. They were built for a purpose and have served.

 

[boxerdog]

Gerolamy Co. did some work on my Harley heads back in the 80s (I think) and they also used to do quality porting work on some circle track engines at one time. Probably a Grandpa or something???

 

[409Kid]

Barry Gerolamy retired and closed the BC Gerolamy quite a long time ago. He built a set of Ironhead Sporty heads for me with dual plugs, XR 1000 valves big springs and did some fantastic port work. They became the prototypes for future sporty performance heads and were featured in advertising in Iron Horse and Hot Bike magazines in the ‘90s. Great guy and shop. Nathan branched out and still does Harley heads but also does automotive race head work. Very knowledgeable.

 

[409Kid]

Called Delta Cams today to get an update on the “mystery cam”.

This is what they said.
Flat Tappet Experimental “Cheater Cam”.
.556 lobe lift
290° duration
104° lobe separation
I forgot the lift @ 50°. It’ll be on the cam card.
They said the valve lash settings was likely ~.035-.040

It probably won’t idle below 2000 rpm which has already been confirmed when it was previously in a Z-11 motor
Launch rpm likely about 6000rpm

Said it’ll be easy on valve train on the front side but is certainly a honkin’ big cam on the backside.

Cam is serviceable as is. I’m having them send down a set of grooved lifters for extra lobe oiling and break-in lube. I may never use this but it would be interesting to hear it run.

 

[409Kid]

I may have found my potential donor car. Monaco blue /blue int. Waiting for more pics and info from the seller. Will update if a sale is made.

Still waiting for a report back on the heads after a pressure test.

The early super T-10 I purchased is due to arrive today. Date codes match the 456 P case I recently purchased.

 

[409Kid]

UPS failures are now 2 for 2 when it comes to parts shipments for this project. My tracking for an early super T-10 close ratio trans I purchased said it was out for delivery two days ago. It never shows up. Tracking then said, “ on its way”/ “new label created”. What the heck does that mean? I call UPS figuring it got misdirected but they just tell me the same thing.

So this AM tracking again says “out for delivery”. Trans finally arrives in what appears to be a well packaged 5/8” plywood crate. With additional cardboard taped around the corners. I thought that the shipper had done that to protect the corners of the crate. Odd, but I thought okay the shipper was being extra careful. So when I open the crate I find that the crate actually had the end panel blown out and the cardboard and tape was UPS’ attempt to make everything pretty to hide the damaged crate. The trans which had been securely strapped to the crate internally had the strap holding the tail housing torn in half and another strap still intact to stabilize the input shaft. It became obvious that the crate had been mishandled and dropped with UPS attempting to hide the damage without fessing up to the potential damaged content inside .

Fortunately, this time the transmission survived the crate damage. But, UPS not being forthright and simply stating, “new label created/ on its way” is certainly misleading. I’m just glad the transmission survived the handling abuse.

Called Gerolamy today for an update on the heads. They are on queue for pressure testing this weekend. Both worry that the heads will fail the test and the anticipation of ordering parts to get the headword completed is on the back of my mind.


No update on the potential donor car. I have also found a local car in storage and I’m making an attempt to contact it’s owner

 

[63impalass409]

I had UPS do the same to me with a 606 cased Muncie and when it finally showed up the box was destroyed and repacked by them but the main case now suffered a broken ear and UPS denied the sellers claim saying it was not properly packed but it was I think they get pissed and throw these down on the ground

 

[409Kid]

Or it falls off their automated conveyor systems. Between the 456 posi rear end that suffered damage and the trans I don’t have much good to say about UPS. They were also $100 more than FedEx to ship it but that’s a whole another story.

I sent out a crated transmission I had rebuilt to a customer in Macon GA via UPS last November. It got lost int heir system for over a month seems it got misdirected and ended up as a whole truckload sent to an Amazon Distribution center in NC. The trailer had been sitting at Amazon being used as a storage unit unbeknownst to UPS. When Amazon finally got the trailer on their dock and began unloading it they realized that over half the trailer had misdirected freight in it and they refused the load. UPsidedown dispatched a truck from GA immediately to pick it up. Eventually we had a good outcome but it was a nail biter as the trans was a rare piece and I and my customer wouldn’t have been able to replace it easily.

 

[409Kid]

Progress report

Thanks to Mark Ascher I have purchased the ex Bill Lagana/ Oak Hill Chevrolet Z-11 “Locomotion II” hood to be restored. It had been modified with a Thunderbolt teardrop scoop and the hinges had been deleted with 4 pins added as a lift off hood when the car was later purchased, repainted RW&B and renamed “ the American Way”. Just another old race car at that point. There is the remnants of an Oak Hill Chevrolet decalcomania on the underside of the hood. I will replicate it and put it back on the hood to show its provenance. It is currently headed to my sheetmetal fabricator in WI to effect repairs. It is what it is. I’m glad to be able to return it to use on a Z-11 project. It has been wall art through many owners for quite a few years now.

The heads both passed their pressure checks. Nathan has been waiting on my cam selection which has now been made. Comp Cams .700 lift. Last one that Show Cars had in stock. Not my first or even my fifth choice but there seems to be a shortage of big lift cam blanks. Isky was my first choice but they said that the cores have been back ordered for over a year from their supplier and no chance of knowing when or if they will ever receive them. I will still order Crower or Isky lifters for better reliability.

Nathan is now working on ordering the Manley Pro 11/32” valves at the length we'll need, bronze BBC guides, springs, retainers and Viton seals.

 

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