1960 Corvette 283-290 F.I. Survivor

[napa68]

I have been bouncing between the 60 and the 67 this week. One item I was working on was the chassis on the 60. So after a couple rounds of degreasing, scrubbing with scuff pads, steam, and preserving......this is what I have come up with. To say I am pleased is a fair statement, especially when one considers the mileage of the car!



Yes, that is the ignition shielding for the right side laying there in-between the frame rails



These two marks I did not know existed (nor do I know what they represent)



The faint remains of the A.O. Smith stencil









The engine crayon marks. "CS" is the engine suffix for the 290hp F.I. engine



After all of this was completed, I was going to pull the car outside shoot a few glamour shots of it, as the weather was pretty nice yesterday. I go to fire the car up, and the engine turns a quarter turn and met with a "clunk". WTF???? I've been here before..........I know the lyrics to this song

So I start pulling spark plugs to check for fuel. Sure enough on the #6 cylinder, it sprays like geyser. HYDROLOCK I got the cylinder cleaned out, and fired the engine. It's not right. It must have distorted the connecting rod a bit. So on Monday, I'll call the engine builder to see what his schedule is, and start pulling this apart.

The irony is, the last thing I was going to do yesterday was to sit down and order parts, including the anti siphon valve for the F.I. unit that prevents these instances. A good lesson to not procrastinate (intentional or non- intentional)

For those of you who enjoy these projects, there is more to come on this one. On the bright side, I can upgrade the rods, and spin this engine as originally designed. I'll pull the oil pan and strip it to knock down the color and try to make play the part.

[scuncio]

Sorry to hear about the engine issue. Is this a common scenario for the early FI units? Hopefully the 1/4 turn of the engine wasn’t enough to distort the rod.

[napa68]

Originally Posted by scuncio

Sorry to hear about the engine issue. Is this a common scenario for the early FI units?

It is Tony. In hindsight, I should have pulled the unit right away. My plan was to see how far out the unit was from proper operation, to determine if I'd do the unit in house or send it out.

It seems to me, the engine has a bit more of a vibration to it, and the vacuum reading is not quite as stable. I'm not going to chance it. Be it if I keep the car or sell it, I want to make sure a problem does not show up..... and possibly hurt the block (by breaking a rod).

[Too Many Projects]

That car has too many miles on it for you to leave the engine alone anyway... This justifies having it "freshened"...
The car will be better for it, getting the engine/trans gone thru.

[SupremeDeluxe]

Tim,

I can tell you are in love here, so you aren't going to "mind" the time and expense of starting anew with the engine. Just means more time until the trade...

[60sStuff]

Tim,

Your chassis clean on this ‘60 is awesome and so deserving for this beautiful Corvette.

A fresh engine is also deserving.

[TimG]

Tim, it hurts to read this. At least the damage appears to be internal, and the block was not damaged. You've also got a great engine builder, so you're in good hands. I also know you love that car.

[RPOLS3]

Ugh............sorry to hear this.

[dykstra]

This might be a blessing in disguise Tim? It sounds like you thought something was a miss from the get go.
While it sucks to have to pull the engine, I'm sure you will have peace of mind after it gets the ol Tim S treatment.
None of us on the site have seen you do anything half azz.

[napa68]

Originally Posted by dykstra

This might be a blessing in disguise Tim? It sounds like you thought something was a miss from the get go.
While it sucks to have to pull the engine, I'm sure you will have peace of mind after it gets the ol Tim S treatment.
None of us on the site have seen you do anything half azz.

Originally Posted by RPOLS3

Ugh............sorry to hear this.

Originally Posted by TimG

Tim, it hurts to read this. At least the damage appears to be internal, and the block was not damaged. You've also got a great engine builder, so you're in good hands. I also know you love that car.

Originally Posted by 60sStuff

Tim,

Your chassis clean on this ‘60 is awesome and so deserving for this beautiful Corvette.

A fresh engine is also deserving.

Originally Posted by SupremeDeluxe

Tim,

I can tell you are in love here, so you aren't going to "mind" the time and expense of starting anew with the engine. Just means more time until the trade...

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

That car has too many miles on it for you to leave the engine alone anyway... This justifies having it "freshened"...
The car will be better for it, getting the engine/trans gone thru.

Originally Posted by scuncio

Sorry to hear about the engine issue. Is this a common scenario for the early FI units? Hopefully the 1/4 turn of the engine wasn’t enough to distort the rod.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the sentiments.

I will admit, I felt the timing chain may have been stretched an amount. These harmonic balancers are not known for shifting the outer ring (like the later 8" units) and this requires me to time the engine by vacuum, not with a light. These early cranks are not drilled for a bolt, and thus the balancer needs to be pressed on (or drilled and tapped for the bolt to pull it on). So, it's not like I could have done a timing chain and gears with it in the car. In all, it's all probably for the best.

I certainly enjoy the work and these projects. As I have stated before, I have a great engine builder and his shop makes these projects very enjoyable. The expense side of it sucks, but it's all part of the hobby and business.