The AClockworkGarage.com Race car build thread.

[WhiteArrow3800]

You may have to cut the crossover and add an easy seal band clamp on those headers. For whatever reason the bend isn't at the right angle.

This.
I have SSAC, which was the same thing. I had to trim the crossover fairly significantly to get everything to fit. I still have trouble with sealing that front crossover connection though.

[Marik_bathory]

I'm not too concerned honestly. It seems like the newest ones have been giving the most troubles and these have been sitting around for a while... hopefully they'll snug up just fine. I will pick up a band clamp just in case though...

[Marik_bathory]

No major updates... just more painting. Gonna tackle the Timing cover and the fuel rail tomorrow. For now here's the oil pan.

[zuper8]

So fun to go through this thread for the first time! Can't wait for more!!

[Marik_bathory]

So fun to go through this thread for the first time! Can't wait for more!!

Great news! You don't have to! It looks like last week's updates didn't actually post... *dang* internets... So you can have an update right now!

Big news from this (last) weekend. We've decided to use this motor...

...as a bolt donor. Seems a couple of the timing cover's bolts went on walkabout and since that motor's probably never gonna get used for anything anyway (it's just an L67 afterall), we'd yank the bolts from there.

That said we slotted the Timing cover into place, fitted a new AC Delco Cast water pump

and glued the oil pan in place.

starting to come together. We rolled her over and I very carefully lowered the manifold into place before using a hammer, to pound the 8 bolts and five woods screws into place...


Irish engineering, she'll hold.

That just about used up our 6 hours or work for the week, so we dropped the upper components back on and snapped a few 'just because' pics.





Lookin' sharp.

[tcolvinOH]

Dude, this is sweet! Definitely going to be following this. Inspiration for rebuilding my Olds 350 for the Cutlass.

Nice work!

[00Beast]

Looks good gents!

[Marik_bathory]

Dude, this is sweet! Definitely going to be following this. Inspiration for rebuilding my Olds 350 for the Cutlass.

Nice work!

I do love me some G-bodies. I can't wait to see what you do with it. This car is my first project car since losing my G-body in the 'divorce'...

I miss you lady...

Not much to report today, getting a few coats on some suspension components including a 34mm front bar.

[Marik_bathory]

Did a little more painting today. I never intended to paint everything, originally it was just going to be the valve covers. But when you paint one thing it just makes the unpainted thing next to it look like crap. I'm drawing the line at the block. I am not going to paint the block.

Took apart the alternator today to paint the case. I would not recommend doing this. It quickly escalated into "Oh holy crap I wish I knew about the paper clip thing before I started!" but what's done is done. I got it back together and it looks OK. This is not a show car.



A few things are piling up to make it look like this project may get shuffled onto the back burner. another car in the fleet is grumbling and may require service and the wallet, well it's quite empty. i'll keep the 7 interested people updates as best I can. This concludes your regular post. Shameless self promotion to follow.


Shameless Self Promotion:

In honour of being broke I am offering a Buy-one-get-one deal in my shop. If you buy any clock I'll throw in one key chain free. www.AClockworkGarage.com

[SSEiMan01]

Looks awesome! :D

[MurderMitten]

Lookin great! Just have to get rid of those ugly manifolds Can I ask why you're not using the blower from the L67 or did I miss something earlier in the thread? Is it junk? I figure a racecar should be supercharged!

[RJolly87]

He has a stubborn, I already asked early on.

[MattStrike]

I am not going to paint the block.

Can I ask why you're not using the blower from the L67

[Jrs3800]

That L67 is mine..... .. ..... and it will be used in the distant future... I will build it before its used for anything, we have no idea what the history is with it... As well its attached to a 4T60E HD.. The case has the threaded boss snapped off the front.. But I have another 4T60E HD case in the shed... So mine mine mine mine...

We wanted to see what we could do on a limited budget, as well as odd and ends I had laying around, and I have a lot as in stockpile.... LOL

I have a lot of other things I need to do before I can see my projects come to life and life is still too busy..

As well sad to say My 95 is the one developing a rod knock at low hot idle... Above idle and it shuts up, My best guess is rod clearance out of spec( wear )... So very soon it will get a fill of 15-40 to keep it going for a little while.. I am searching for a good low mileage L26 or 05 L36( exact same engine )....

Its also possible we may yank the motor from the van, and install a stock 3800 II/III in it and drop the vans bumpy cam motor in the car... So there are some things going on in this camp and not all of them are wanted right now..

I will be happy to see the 98 Bonneville fire up and run with a lope...LOL.. Once we get that accomplished we will move onto my engine knock project..lol

[BillBoost37]

Guys.. the oil pickup for the aluminum pan is different than a steel pan. Couldn't tell from the pic, but it kinda looked like the steel pickup. Please tell me it isn't the steel pan one.

It's still looking pretty

[Jrs3800]

Nope... This is an 05 Buick LeSabre motor.. From everything I can gather all 05 + 3800 NA's were really L26's no matter what it was designated as... 05 L36 was simply an L26 under Series II non DBW...lol

So its the oil pick up that came with the motor right down to the glued on oil pan... We yanked the oil pan to get a clean seal while R&R'ing the front cover..

So no worries Bill its the correct pick up tube for the oil pan..

[Marik_bathory]

Lookin great! Just have to get rid of those ugly manifolds

See page 4

Can I ask why you're not using the blower from the L67? I figure a racecar should be supercharged!

I'd prefer you didn't. I covered it in the very first post. But I guess I'll cover it again just for you... The point of this car is to see what you can actually get out of this type of car, namely the throwaway high mile no options cars that nobody wants but can be had for a couple hundred bucks. We all know what can be done with a blower. It's not interesting or exciting anymore. Everyone says I shouldn't be doing this, but that's what they told Brad about top-swapping. He did it anyway, now nobody shuts up about it.
Oftentimes forced induction can move you up a class at some competitions, putting this car up against chassis it will have no chance of beating. We will be expecting power in the range of a stock blower car anyway, just in a stealthier package. and on '87 octane...
Lastly, and what should be most important to you guys. It's not your car, it's mine. I'll build it how I like.

It's not supercharged it's supernatural.

[Jfridge92]

While I'd love to have a blower on the LeSabre, I'm really excited to see this car N/A. There are some really surprising results that an L36/26 can throw, Mikes car being a perfect example since he has one of the highest horsepower N/A bonnies. Plus it's exciting because not top swapping is more in the realm of what I'm capable of doing hahah. Can't wait to see this finished!

[MattStrike]

I don't think anyone said not to do it. But not painting the block after making everything else nice and shiney



Another way to free up a few horses is to run an underdrive water pump pulley. The 3400 pulley is a 6% underdrive, it just needs the 3800 bolt holes and a trim to the hole in the center. If you have a buddy with a lathe they could trim the hole to match the 3800 water pump hub and all you need then are bolt holes.

[yourgrandma]

Heck, you could have rolled the spray paint budget into a blower .