Jolls FC Ute Project

[Jolls]

Stripped down most of the front end and the diff today.

Diff had a 2.78 long bolt course spline centre. I salvaged the drums and brake components (almost new). The centre and housing are now in the for sale section along with my original 3.39 centre.

The front end was missing the brakes on the driver's side. Thanks to Rob I have a set of links to make the brakes work as this front end was shy as well. So I now have two front ends and still seem to be missing one "bolt".



I will search through my parts bin over the weekend. I trust that it was just thrown in the bucket by the previous owner when he stripped it down.

The front end also has a set of engine mounts welded in.


I compared it to my HR disck brake front end and the location is different.



So I guess it is not set up for a red six. Given the 2.78 ratio diff it could have possibly been set up for a V8.

Not sure what use it would be to anyone as I think any mod like that would now require a disc brake setup. Anyway if you have any idea of what it has been set up for or have a use for it - please let me know. My plan at this stage is to strip it down as spares so it takes up less room in the shed.

[ardiesse]

Craig,

For a moment I thought the king-pin front suspension was from an EH, and somebody drilled the holes in the outrigger to suit a grey motor.  But no.  The lower control arms are definitely FC.

The GM-H engineers moved the engine and transmission forward about four inches for the HD.  On the plus side, the firewall had no indent and the transmission tunnel became much smaller than in the EH.  On the minus side, worse weight distribution and more understeer.

Your HR front suspension has had the "early" crossmember outrigger fitted, but as the car it was fitted to had a grey motor, there was no need to move the red motor engine mounts.

My two cents' worth: don't strip it down to save space.  Parts will get lost.  Attach a wheel rim to one side and park it in a corner, standing on its side.

Rob

[Jolls]

Thanks Rob,

Both of these front ends came out of FC's. The HR front end was licked up from a guy down the south coast who reverted his FC back to original. The second one that I picked up on Wednesday I have no info on. I will try to track the fella I picked it up from and get some detail on what it is set up for.

Cheers
Craig

[Jolls]

Just heard back from the guy I purchased the front end from. He advised that it had a 161 in it when he picked it up.  I guess the original HR mounts were a but too far forward for a red in an FC.

[Jolls]

Bucketing down rain here in Murrumbateman so no shed construction going on today with Son 3.

Great opportunity to commandeer Mrs J's Oven and get to work on the donk.

I had already soaked the rope in oil and fitted it and the crank so I had a bit of a head start.

Gudgeon pins into the freezer pistons and rods into the oven, went together so easy. Threw the rings in; only one of the compression rings were sided so it was pretty simple.

Then out to the shed to start putting bits back together (finally). The manual in an excellent guide so it was pretty easy to get the alignment right. Then had a minor drama - one of the bearing caps had smaller nuts than the other five so they are only done up hand tight at the moment. Will need to get into one of the specialty fastner joints and buy 12 matching ones of the right grade and then tighten it all up. Not a big drama just a PITA. I would have known this from when I stripped it down - but clearly for got.

Fitted the cam and oil pump and that is about as far as I can go at the moment. I have to clean out the sump and get it ready to go and the head is still in the post so there is no rush and there are plenty of other things I can turn my hand to in the short term. Steering and brakes is one aspect and finishing the rust work it the other.

Son 2 has gone back to swinging spanners so he will take the axles in and press the bearings on so I can get the diff back together. King pins are still in getting done and I will end up making the spacer for the front brakes on the lathe - I have had some ridiculous offers on FB Marketplace  for something I can turn up easily.

So I guess now that things are starting to go back together we have turned the first corner. Still a long way to go but the small wins keep us heading in the right direction.

[ardiesse]

Craig,

Conrod nuts - for a B motor they should be 19/32" AF.  The thread is a non-standard size - 11/32"-24TPI.

Come the J motors, the conrod nuts were changed to a tall 1/2" (I think, but maybe 9/16") AF nut, but still 11/32"-24 thread.

So I reckon you might have one EJ conrod.  Your chances of finding replacements will be limited are very good.  ARP sells conrod bolt and nut kits for grey motors Starfire conrods: AR205-6002.  They also sell the nuts: Nut Kit 8740.

Otherwise I could unearth a couple of the old-style 19/32" AF conrod nuts and send them down.

Rob

[Jolls]

Thanks Rob,

I have them on route from Rockets.

Cheers

[Jolls]

Ordered the ARP nuts yesterday and they arrived this morning.

King pins were completed and picked up by son 3 yesterday.

TNT dropped the bundle on picking up the head. Received a cal to say it has been handed off to Interparcel for delivery. It has yet to be picked up so expect delivery mid tp late next week.

Bottom end was all buttoned up today.

Didn't proceed any further as I need to paint it before the harmonic balancer and accoutrements go on.

Put both steering columns back together - getting the bearings back in is a real art! I decided not to cut off the washer reinforcement on the "repaired" selector shaft and will keep that column as a spare for the time being. I haven't set either up to spec as yet.

Off to watch the Tigers play tomorrow and grand daughter's birthday Sunday so there won't be much progress over the weekend. I may get some time to modify the old rocker cover to make an oil dam for setting the hot clearances.

A question on fasteners for the timing cover. The original motor (still on the run up jig) has different sized and length bolts, whereas, the FB donk we are rebuilding has the corresponding bolts and reinforcemnt plate but the left hand side (the short fasteners) uses the same screws as the sideplate and sump. What is correct?

Cheers

[Jolls]

Found and answer to my own question.

I pikced up a master parts catalogue FX-FC yesterday so thought I would tke a gander.

Sure as eggs - Bolt and Lockwasher Assembly 1/4" x 20TPI 5/16" in depth.

I checked the sideplate cover fastners and they are simply listed as bolt special, bolt and lockwasher and washer ext lock  1/4".

I have plenty of spares of the side plate screws but may see if I can find some socket heads the right size to replace them all.

Now to see what I can pull up in the local fastener shops.

[ardiesse]

Craig,

The short timing cover screw (1/4-20 x 5/16) is round head with a screwdriver slot.  Its lockwasher is an "ordinary" type.  I have many of them if you want to go original.

Many people replace them with the sump/sideplate screws (the famous "stovebolt" of six-cylinder Chevrolet fame, and yes, they carry the same part number.

Beware of replacing the stovebolts with socket-head cap screws.  The SHCS have a much smaller head and you risk distorting the side plate unless you use a flat washer of 7/16" or 1/2" diameter to spread the load.

You've already got the camshaft in, so I'm too late with this suggestion: replace the camshaft thrust plate bolts (1/4-20 x 3/4) with button-head socket head screws.  Makes installation and removal much easier than with a thin-wall quarter-inch drive 7/16"AF socket.

Rob

[Jolls]

Thanks Rob,

So they are screws. I think I have the dome head ones in a bucket of bolts - wasn't sure what they were off. Now I know. I have plenty of stovebolts, so no worries there.

I was thinking about replacing them for ease of undoing down the track. It was easy to put together using a screwdriver now that they have all been cleaned. I was thinking more about the sump than anywhere else as they are a pain to undo with a screwdriver when they are caked in oil and road grime.  The point about the surface area is noted and will require both a plain and star washer if I go down that track. I am torn between keeping the original look and modifying it ever so slightly. Given I plan to run the triple SU's (providing I have a suitable manifold) and already have the alloy rocker cover. the Socket Heads won't look out of place I do decide to change. over.

There was defintely a trick missed on the camshaft thrust plate bolts - but I didn't find them difficult to remove or insert so my trsty old sidchrome socket set should be up to the task if I ever need to do it again. I trust not! I will keep it in mind for when I refresh the original donk though.