Inliners International Forums General Discussion Blown and Injected 292 turbo build with LP gas and HP gas...

Here is first racy speed part. More to follow....

Did you add a extension to the hat?

Larry

Yes, and cut it out to 5", and redid the bottom of the inlet port so transitioned better to the mixer inlet.

You made a nice looking ( vintage) part. This will interesting to follow. Lp is cheap, I have easy access to it on the farm and fill my own tanks for forklift and the grill. Had ran it on a pickup for almost 5 yrs.

Just an update - ordered pushrods yesterday - last part! So engine will be together and running soon. Will get some pics when installed in car. I ran into the same problem as the kid with the 63 nova - 292 oil pan is too boocoo. I solved it by moving the engine back 2" and working the firewall and trans tunnel. Currently waiting on clutch to get set up - I've picked up a McCleod adjustable slipper clutch to save on parts, which may be overkill, but you know what they say about overkill.... I finished my transmission rebuild (richmond 6 speed) and it is ready to go. I have been scared of transmissions for years, which is ridiculous because I work on nuclear reactors and a transmission is not nearly as complex. I welded in frame mounts to sit the engine in the right place with the right slope. I couldn't get as much down to the rear as I wanted because of the center link on the steering, only 1.5deg. I leaned the engine .5deg to the left so it would sit straight under acceleration and hopefully not bash my newly fabricated firewall. I'm running poly motor mounts with 60's chevy pickup bracket on drivers side, but on the pass side I had to make a bracket as I couldn't find a match. I'm running the stock trans bellhousing mounts along with a rear crossmember hopefully stiffen up the front end a little as I have had problems with this in the past. Right now I'm in the middle of fabricating alternator brackets. I'm running an ATI damper. I countersunk it into the crank gear, but it still makes everything sit way out in front. After I get the clutch, I have to put everything back in, wire the car, and fab up the fuel and exhaust. Then we will see if this experiment will work!

Lesson learned: Changing to 3/8 pushrods midstream is a bad idea. Drilling 5/8" holes in a block or cylinder head is nerve-racking. And my brilliantly stupid idea of running bbc 1.8 rockers means clearancing the pushrod holes even closer to the rocker stud. I'm starting to get nervous about hitting water. Had to order head porting bits so I could get in the holes and clearance from the top. I'll take pics when I'm done and everything in the valvetrain is assembled. You have to grind down at least to below the bolt bosses for the side covers to get the pushrods to clear. My kids were wandering in and out of the garage during to evening, watching me drill the holes nice and slow so I didn't snap another 17.00 bit. Christian my gearhead son commented that "it's much easier in the game where you can just click to buy the stage III engine." Yeah, they don't tell you about this part, do they?

But... if it was easy, everyone would do it.
Appreciation of a personally modified engine (as opposed to a ZZ4 crate engine) is an IQ test.
If "cost-effective" was the entire purpose, nothing but nitrous would ever be used.

As an aside, a general warning on pushrod clearances:
1. you only need .010" clearance if the hole is smooth (Manton)
2. for larger diameter pushrods, the entire hole must be enlarged concentrically (unless the original smaller pushrod was obviously not centered)
3. for higher rocker ratios, (almost always) only the edge closest to the rocker shaft or stud needs more room
4. higher cam lift may need more room both toward and away from the shaft or stud

Here is the fabricated alternator mounting to go with the ATI damper. I have a new respect for automotive engineers. I have more time, wire, and grinder wheels in these to simple pieces of metal than in my firewall or my motor mounts. There's whole bunch of gusseting and boxing underneath that simple piece of steel. Getting an alternator to sit level under belt tension requires some finesse. I really doubt myself when I get my butt kicked by something like this. But, when everbody else looks at it and doesn't even notice how not stock it is, it'll all be worth it.







Please note the engine doesn't sit that far forward. I've got it out so I can get to the pushrod holes for #6. Engine setback, what a great idea! My next car is going to be a t-bucket.

Nice work!
What type of oil adaptor do you have on your engine?

Not too sure how your alternator will charge with that under driven crank pulley. Might be a bit small IMO.




MBHD

I'm not sure on the adaptor. I got it at the NAPA off the performance wall. All the rest of the stuff for remote filter I'm stealing from my road race car that's "resting". Although I doubt I'll do much hot lapping (you have to actually go rounds to hot lap) an oil cooler makes a big difference if you do, and on the street in town it can make or break a marginal cooling system as well. I run an oil cooler on everything now. Someone once told me 30% of your cooling is done by your oil, but I have nothing scientific to back that up, and I imagine it varies from engine design to engine design as well. Panic?

That's a 30% under pulley. I guess if it's not charging, I'll just have to wind it tighter! No Hank your point is valid and correct. On my mustang I ran a 30% under pulley with the same alternator and it too did not charge at idle, but as soon as you were moving the voltage came right up. This is a stick car so keeping rpm's in charging range shouldn't be difficult, and there isn't that much traffic out here on my side of the water.

IIRC,
when you run hyd lifters/flat tappets & switch to roller lifters/set-up,it also will drop your oil temps.

I would like to run an external oil cooler,but I have not looked into one as of yet.
I would like to get something nice though.


MBHD

My routing is the filter, then an oil thermostat, then a B&M supercooler w/fan. Fan switch is 170 on 140 off. Oil thermo keeps you from overcooling oil and hurting bearings. You want 180-210F. Fan is not required if you put it right in front of the radiator. I attach my cooler to the grill in my 56, which about a foot in front of rad, so fan is needed.

30% of your cooling is done by your oil

I think that's the high end, and it's not what you get - it's what's possible to get.
The problem with using oil is that even with a cooler, the hottest oil (the most efficient heat rejection in terms of radiator weight, BTU dump per inch of air exposure, degrees lost per pass, etc.) is a dry sump where hot oil from the crank goes to a filter, then the cooler, and finally back to the pressure pump.
A cooler receiving oil from the pump is probably getting "cold" oil from near the bottom, and (important point) oil doesn't circulate in the pan the way you want, unless you force it to. To get hot oil to the wet pick-up, you need baffles in a pattern that might not be helpful for your G force and windage control.
With no cooler, the oil temp loss is limited to oil washing over a radiant surface (sitting in the pan does very little). Diverting more oil to the head works since it's high temp and continuous drain-back (also increases VT life, and cools the springs), but your drains must be big enough or the oil finds the guides.

Finally got my top end together in time for Independence day! I had to get a set of long porting bits to make enought room for my pushrods. Then I had to clearance the bottom of the rockers for the pushrods and the top for the adjuster nuts. I can't complain because aluminum grinds easy and they were for a BBC so they weren't necessarily going to fit. Also I think setting my geometry for mid-lift had something to do with it. Here are some pics before I hid all the purty parts:









It's just a warmed up 235, right?

Rick,
Be sure to double check your pushrod holes in head. Sometimes water can be hit.
What size is your cam? Tom

Nice looking stud girdle!

The rockers are 1.72 ratio? or?



MBHD

Rockers are harland sharp 1.8 ratio for BBC. I guess I had better hook up water and see where I am at. The pushrod holes already passed the flashlight test (shined a light down the holes) but we will see.

Tom, cam is 230/230 at .050, .606 lift hydraulic on 112 installed straight up. I put in rhoads lifters to help with the idle.

Update: Ran the exhaust and mounted the turbo this weekend. The good news: I am a much better welder now. I have progressed to the point where my welds look as good as the ones you get at the crappy discount exhaust places, so I'm pretty proud of that. By the time I finish this car, I should be good enough at building it that I can start over and redo all the early work Everything is kind of busy in the rear of the car now, but I haven't had to get too crazy. Yet. I still have to run fuel, nitrous and brake lines, and battery cables. Here are the obligatory pics:

















My crew chief was working hard in the heat today.... :))

I had not realised the turbo was going to be placed in the rear. Good job on lots of work done!

Curious, What mixer are you using? I have easy access to LPG also and even have a few lp kits but for lessor hp applications. Tom

Of course, what was I thinking.

From what STS systems I have seen, for the most part,they do not wrap the pipes going to the turbo & work just fine.
I do not even see any type of wrap used on there website.
http://www.ststurbo.com/testimonials
http://www.ststurbo.com/gm_truck_install_pics

Good work being done there & the crew chief deserves a snack.

Keep it going!

MBHD

Tom, I'm running the classic 425 Impco with a model E vaporizor and an electric lockoff hooked to an oil pressure switch. I could have gotten away with a 225, but it would have run out of breath on top. I will probably have a little harder time stabilizing the idle, but hopefully the rhoads lifters will help.

STS doesn't wrap them, but a lot of guys on the LS forums do to help with spool with a bigger turbo. Although your pipes don't last as long when they're wrapped. I'm kind of on the fence about the wrap right now.

Not much to report, other than I'm going on vacation soon, so the car budget took a hit and progress is paused until after school starts. I did get the front suspension all done and the charge pipe finished - not really notable, and not really inline specific, but I think it sits nice and looks tough, so I'm going to make you look:






I moved body back and the front tire up and forward. Hopefully it doesn't look too funnycar...

Well, I'm back on task with the 56. The good news: my prospective old lady has no prob with me spending time in the garage. She's a keeper!

I, with the help of my friend Dan and his bead roller, fabbed and installed the driver's floorboard this weekend. While this doesn't seem to be related, I need to get the floorpans in so I can run the wiring harness so I can start the engine. Next weekend is passenger side. I have already mounted the fiberglass frontend, and have the grille and one headlight and turnsignal grafted in. I have convinced myself that it still looks stockish, so please don't burst my bubble!

Also, Mike at Ravenswood got my clutch out of machinist's jail where I got it wedge-locked, and it is in Ohio getting refurbed and set up for my car. It is a Mcleod Soft-Lok off of racingjunk. I should have it in my hot little hands next week. Then I can shorten the driveshaft and driveline will be finished!

As far as work on the engine, I have been doing up the cooling system. I picked up a 31x19 with 2-1" cores crossflow aluminum radiator and have fabbed it in. It's probably on the big side, but you know what they say about overkill . I found a way out on the oil cooler - my friend dan has a long skinny one that can set below the radiator horizontally out of sight.

That's it for now. I have reset my goal to be running and on the track for the season opener in Bremerton, which is not until April. Wish me luck!

I LOVE the car!!!
I don't like the look of your pushrods and rockers, though.
The rods look way too long. Have you measured for stem contact or valve lift to see if they are right???

Yes, I had to clearance everything quite a bit to get everything to clear. I used mid-lift theory for geometry- basically rocker is 90 to valve at 1/2 max lift. They look funny after looking at small blocks for so long, but the valves are canted the other way on an inliner.

I used mid-lift theory for geometry- basically rocker is 90 to valve at 1/2 max lift.

Miller's advice is not how to adjust other brand rocker arms, but why you can't. None of the commercial rocker arms are designed to mid-lift (patent problem), and all reach 50% lift at some point other than 90° to the stem axis. The compromise is that when the longer (valve) lever is at 90°, the shorter (pushrod) lever isn't, and this is built into the rocker, it's not an adjustment.

So, how would you have set them up?

What does Harland Sharp say?
It may only be off a few thousandths, with no perceptible effect.

Measure twice, and cut once. ARRRgh! I "knew" my slip yoke was 1330, so I spent the money to put 1330 ends on my driveshaft as it had 3R ends on it. When I got it back, I discovered my slip yoke is in fact a 1310. And, I remembered that I have another slip yoke that just needed shortened that was already 3R! So, I could have just had him shorten the driveshaft, weld back on a 1330 end to match the 8.8 rear, and saved money. Now, I either have to run a conversion u-joint (which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place) or pony up for another slip yoke. Measure twice, and cut once. And you know what they say about assume. So, I put my frustration to good use hammering in floorpans. I forecast it will be running by the end of the year.

had my blown lpg rod on the road for 12 years.lpg avalable in about 60% og service stations in oz(1/2 the price of petrol too and 100-105 octane rated!)

VERY VERY VERY nice buickroadster

An update of no progress....

Well, it's been awhile since I've been here, or even in my garage for that matter. I had "paused" to get everything settled while my g/f moved here with her son from Charleston. Well, the situation with her son required a lot more investment in time and energy than we originally thought. That whole situation didn't end well either. It was an ugly situation involving drug abuse and stealing that we had to devote all our attention to. My g/f and I got married and that has worked out really well. We spent the summer traveling and camping on my motorcycle, which pretty much erased the car budget. It was amazing, the trip of a lifetime. This fall I picked up an old Crown tour bus converted to rv. We have decided to rv full time when I retire from the military, so I've been devoting my time/energy to getting it ready to go. Also, I had to get extensive shoulder surgery that is taking a long time to recover from. BUT, Teresa has insisted that I finish the car this summer. So you will see updates soon. The bus has an 855 cummins, which is an inline six diesel, if that counts for anything.