Silverbullets' resto: Engine, gearbox, suspension

[El_Freddo]

Top effort SB!

When welding Y pipes like ours, it’s a good idea to bolt an appropriate length of rod/pipe between the two exhaust flanges to help keep them in place.

As for exhaust size, I’d be going for 2 inch maximum with an EA81 (or EA82!). I have a 2.25 inch on the EJ22 and I reckon this is a bit big - because I think my exhaust blew out most of the guts of the muffler a long time ago. Engine could be a bit tired with this crap I’ve put it through...

It’ll be interesting to see how the collector being bigger effects the engine performance. Exhaust building is a true science in itself!

With the collector, they way I’ve done mine and the way I saw a professional exhaust builder do it, was to hammer the two edges that meet flat, then run a weld up that flat edge on both pipes so you effectively end up with two “D” shapes welded together back to back. After that, stretch a piece of pipe to go over the two pipes that are welded together. This bit isn’t easy without a machine, so mine will be a “super pretty” (read: brutal) sliced piece of pipe with infills to complete the widened section - once I get around to it.

I’m looking forward to the rest of your exhaust build, especially the bit where you fire it up to hear the note. It will change shortly after a few thousand kms, then slower as the muffler ages etc - it helps to keep water out of them too, but you shouldn’t have any issues with this!

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

it’s a good idea to bolt an appropriate length of rod/pipe between the two exhaust flanges to help keep them in place.

I thought of this after I'd already welded it, d'oh

As for exhaust size, I’d be going for 2 inch maximum with an EA81 (or EA82!). I have a 2.25 inch on the EJ22 and I reckon this is a bit big - because I think my exhaust blew out most of the guts of the muffler a long time ago. Engine could be a bit tired with this crap I’ve put it through...

Had a chat online with the supplier I was getting the parts from (they build exhausts too) Super helpful they were too, I told him what the engine was displacement wise, max RPM, expected maximum HP. He thought 2.5" would have been fine but said if it was him he would go no lower than 2.25". So I decided to go with 2.25" for the rest of the system. Ordered another haul of mandrel bends and what not, and with pipe in hand I think 2.25" looks just about right somehow.

Along with that lot I ordered a "hot dog" resonator and spent hours agonizing over which muffler to get. I really wanted a chambered/OEM style of a decent size because I don't want it to be super loud. Seems like when you're buying aftermarket mufflers, chambered/OEM style does not exist because all suppliers just assume you want straight through performance type. There were some options from the USA but super expensive and none in full stainless construction which I wanted. So I decided on an X-force muffler which I was led to believe was straight through but with a chamber in the middle. When it turned up though it was just perforated pipe from one end to the other stuffed with fiberglass, and smaller than I was expecting...so I guess it could turn out loud after all

Enough text, here's some update pics from the last 2 days work. It's the center section from Y pipe to the muffler. Not quite finished yet, haven't quite worked out how to meet up to the muffler with the pipe I've got left (that thing in the pics below is the hot dog) There will be another V band joiner just before the muffler as well. For this section though it has turned out quite well, better than I expected actually

[El_Freddo]

Tidy work mate!

With the rear muffler, throw a V band before it so you can easily swap it out if you need to. And if you don’t like the noise level, do some research on muffler construction then make your own!

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

Yep have done another V band just before the muffler, I've already needed to take the whole system apart numerous times...bad bad times ahead

I got some gasket material and made some new custom gaskets for the enormous exhaust ports on this engine, went to bolt up the exhaust manifold for what I thought was the last time, got the high temp silicone on there and bolted it up. Was doing the nuts up to spec (25 Nm) got to the last one and...
*SNAP*

Took the manifold off again, destroyed my new gaskets, bugger bugger bugger. Stud was snapped off flush with the head so I drilled a 3mm hole through the middle and managed to get the stud out some how. Bad news is the helicoil wire came with it, no chance to re-helicoil the thread as the hole was too damaged/wallered out. Fantastic. Next plan was to drill for M12 thread, use a solid steel threaded bush with an M8 thread through the middle. Went to drill tapping size for M12, drill bounces off a steel set screw that someone had put in from the side, revealing someone had also already repaired this hole with a bushing...of 15mm aluminium round bar and JB weld
Managed to dig out what was left of the round bar, the set screw, cleaned out the hole with a wire brush in the Dremel, to find the JB weld was hiding a 15mm hole straight through into the crank case

That is an intake pushrod you can see through the hole. Cylinder head is going to have to come off to fix this. Can't wait to take the entire top of the engine apart This engine has already been rebuilt twice since the distributor gear broke after the first rebuild.

[El_Freddo]

Holy shit Sam! Heart sinking feeling I bet

Before removing the head, what is the planned fix for this? And are you sure that isn’t the coolant jacket (not that a coolant jacket is any better than the oil drain passage).

I’m wondering if you don’t have to pull the head to fix this. Can you make up some weird stud that’s a larger diametre at one end and the normal exhaust stud size at the other end, then helicoil the head for the oversized diametre? Use some loctite glue (the hard non-remove stuff) to hold it all in place good and proper while providing a seal to the inside world of your engine.

No one would have to know about the fix - but if this isn’t up to your standard then best to go with what you’ll be so happy with.

Good idea to check the other studs and possibly do them all the same to avoid more of this later down the track.

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

OK OK, crisis averted (luckily!) The thread is repaired without taking the head off, the exhaust manifold is now bolted up and torq'ed to spec.

So the 15mm chasm in the head, turns out it is the perfect size to tap a 5/8" UNF thread. So a steel plug was made up by the engineer I know (knowing someone with a lathe is worth a million bucks) 5/8" UNF on the outside, M10x1.25 on the inside. The tap cut the thread with no problems, the bush went in beautifully, drowned in loc-tite and trimmed, filed flush with the mounting face. Then the M10 stud was also drowned in loc-tite and done up snug (no too tight)

Benny - I did replace the studs on the drivers side head, somehow those threads were intact and in good condition, just cleaned them up and loc-tite on the studs, all sweet. The passenger side head is the trouble maker, it already had studs in it which I attempted and failed to extract so decided to leave them be. Well of course one of them snapped hence this drama. All good now, may be starting the engine this week to see how she sounds with the new exhaust

On another happy note, I got my twin carb air cleaner box vapor blasted before I paint it. Looks a million bucks, almost good enough to clear coat the bare steel

[Silverbullet]

That stud was the main hold up, since it's fixed I was able to finish of the exhaust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Y0pY_ ... e=youtu.be

A longer vid is coming soon this was just a quick clip

[El_Freddo]

Glad that turned out to be an easy fix Sam! Your large mate must be worth his weight in gold!

Exhaust sounds alright on the video (would be better in person). It should sound better once the exhaust pipe is at operational temp too.

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

Will sound better with engine up to temp, exhaust system up to temp, engine broken in, exhaust broken in
Looking back at the footage and the sound, it kinda reminds me of how the old car/old engine used to sound with the original exhaust and blown out muffler, but louder and "meaner" maybe? I dunno, if it turns out to be too loud to live with I will swap that muffler out for something bigger and chambered I think.

Today and yesterday I painted up the newly cleaned air box and rocker covers with engine enamel, VHT "GM blue" SP135. It is darker than the paint on the stock air box but almost exactly the same as the darker color on the rocker covers. Still looks mint, color matched air box and rocker covers AND brand new OEM style stickers for the air box and elsewhere in the engine bay Silly me forgot to take photos of it all today, they'll come tomorrow.

Looking ahead to what is next, I can't help but think to move forward now I really need to register it for the road Found the old rego slip from when it last lapsed (2013 ) looked it up online, I could register it today with no inspections needed no problems. Also need current rego to request new number plates. Front bumper/bull bar is a bit of an issue, thinking I'll get a stock bar of some description just so I can drive it while I figure out what to do with the ally bull bar I have for it (the ally bar is seriously beaten up but a unique design which I like) Tires are another issue, the ones on there now are 205 wide profile which is too wide considering the wheels are plus 50(!!) offset, the rear wheels have 6mm spacers in there just to stop the tire rubbing the shock absorber. The wheels themselves are another issue, the aforementioned plus 50 offset is just silly and too close to the rear shock. I'm thinking I might get away with it with 195/80/R15 all terrains, they shouldn't rub. Otherwise my only option is buy steel wheels and get them completely modified (width and offset) Of all the steel wheels out there I am limited to a grand total of one (1) design option Seems nobody makes 4WD steel wheels with 4x114.3 stud pattern with a positive offset larger than 12.
But enough rambling

Here's the longer vid with a full tour if anyone is interested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFqEZX2Vgjg

[Silverbullet]

Pics of the air box and rocker covers painted/installed. Also you can see the reproduction foil stickers on the air box, OEM style care of https://boxerbeauty.com/
He's got lots of other OEM style stickers for EA71 vehicles, EA81, L series, Vortex, Liberty etc.

Waiting on some new hose for the crank case breather/PCV system. That stuff is hard to come by and expensive, $50 for 2 metres! And no shop in Adelaide had it in stock, soonest ETA was 3 weeks or something stupid so I bought it from ebay slightly cheaper.

[El_Freddo]

Looking good Sam. Video was a good overview of the vehicle except for the interior

Have you considered modding the exhaust tip to sit a bit lower to avoid any rattling when the exhaust pipe moves? I reckon it sits too close.

Otherwise for your first exhaust build you’ve certainly nailed it!

Do you have a time this year that you would like to have the wagon finished by?

Cheers

Bennie

[Silverbullet]

Have you considered modding the exhaust tip to sit a bit lower to avoid any rattling when the exhaust pipe moves? I reckon it sits too close.

Yeah you are right it does rattle, that's another thing that moved during welding When I had it tacked up the tip was much further down, fully welding the pipe seems to have pulled it up. It's a simple fix, I'll just cut a slit somewhere between the tip and the muffler and bend it down, then weld up the slit.

Do you have a time this year that you would like to have the wagon finished by?

I'd really love to have it close to fully complete by August, that's the month it was manufactured 40 years ago this year. Also I found the original owners manual and warranty schedule, service schedule booklet which had my parents as the new owners in September 81', so I think we'll have to have some sort of family get together/BBQ in September this year

(but between you and me) I had a clear driveway today with no cars in the way, there was couple of litres of fuel in the tank and I just couldn't help myself So today marked the first time she's been out of the driveway under he own power in close to 8(!) years! Just went up and down our street a few times (no number plates yet) it was a bit surreal actually. Happy to say it seems to drive absolutely fine, except my custom tacho is reading precisely half of actual engine speed and the alternator charge light stays on even though the alternator is charging. Big grin on my face for the rest of the day though

Some pics of other progress today; got a good chrome fuel filler flap and re-painted the black areas. It looks a bit rough still because the die cast alloy seems to be corroding(?) in some places causing a pimple of oxide to burst through. Still looks fine though I think.



Also got the emblems and logos back on the fenders and rear gate, the black parts were re-painted and I tried out some "liquid chrome" paint pen on the fender logos, turned out alright.




And lastly I finally plumbed up the air lines for the rear air-shocks and put some air in them (no pics of that) the rear does indeed go up and down with the air pressure now, custom fender gap FTW