Helping a young guy rebuild a 304

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Hi all,  a good mate of mines son Joe is 11 yo and loves to play around with engines.  Up until now he has been rebuilding lawn mower engines, old stationary engines etc.  He comes and helps out with the senator sometimes and is quite a smart kid.

Anyhow he has decided after mucking around with my car he wants to rebuild a V8, at first he was looking at buying a clapped out 308 but they are hard to come by.  Anyhow I have decide to sell him my original 5L out of the Senator.  Pretty much it will never ever go back into it, and rather than gather dust under my bench, I would much prefer it went to a young guy to learn and practice on.  And if i ever wanted to I could buy it back.

It was running when it was pulled out, so its more about freshening it up, he doesn’t have a lot of $$ to spend and isn’t chasing big HP (yet anyways).  So its more about stripping it down, learning what all the parts do, cleaning them up and putting it back together.  He eventually wants to build himself a HQ ute, and wants to drop this engine into it.  Not sure if its worth him maybe putting a different manifold and quad throttle body on it, or stick with the bananas?

Also he is keen to buy a book or video to help him, anyone got or used this?

 

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Freshen it up.

Flattops. 10:1 and a 286 cam wth bannas.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Cheers Cav, nothing else?

[Judge1 FrazerParticipant new zealand1983 VB LSA MG9 6060 6 speed View build HERE Member since: February 5, 2016 Posts: 775]

hey gary thats a good book to learn of there is another one i’ll have a look for it , will be a good for the young fella, once he has done that he can see how turbos and superchargers work

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Cheers, yea he is a really nice young lad, I have given him a pirate copy of my CAD and he has become bloody good at it, also given him some lessons on my lathe.  So will be nice to see how he goes with it.  I reckon I might buy him that book to go with the engine.

This is the mower he just did, got the new decal made, rebuilt the whole thing.  Pretty cool I reckon

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Btw he will have to find someone else to teach him about turbos and blowers, that’s black magic to me…

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

ive got that book, found it to be a pretty decent read, some info seemed a bit dated but helped me out here and there

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by  exec24.

[[TUFFVQ]Participant Melbourne1991 VQ 304 View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 171]

There’s also an engine blueprinting book I bought a few years back that has good general information in it. I’ll try and get the name of it at home.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Thanks all, any info appreciated.

[[TUFFVQ]Participant Melbourne1991 VQ 304 View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 171]

An easy google search found the book: “The Step-by-Step Guide to Enginer Blueprinting” by Rick Voegelin

Might be helpful for more in-depth discussion on general engine principles, rather than specifically the HV8. Still a good read (I remember learning about piston gas ports on this when it came out, for example).

 

 

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Just don’t want to overwhelm him given he is 11 that’s my only concern if ya se what i mean.  I have loaned him a heap of my old engine/tuning books, but I think they sort of went over his head.  I am more after any advice/info on more basic rebuild step by step stuff.  Then whilst he is doing that we can chat about the principals if you see what i mean.

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

cava454 wrote:

Freshen it up. Flattops. 10:1 and a 286 cam wth bannas.

 

Yuk.  wrong manifold for that cam.  Will choke it just as it really starts to come on.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Sort of want to get him vibed up with how it looks too, thats why i was thinking new manifold and quad throttle body.

[Judge1 FrazerParticipant new zealand1983 VB LSA MG9 6060 6 speed View build HERE Member since: February 5, 2016 Posts: 775]

Hey Gary found the book it’s about pulling down engine and then rebuilding it  pic below  , also i only found out 5 years ago how turbos work but 12 for super chargers

[gtrboyyParticipant gtrboyy1.6 Getz View build HERE Member since: January 20, 2016 Posts: 201]

AV8 is pretty cool reading with couple of guys doing home rebuilds on humble ol’ $50 red 253.

 

Thing about efi 5l is need bump up the compression with flat tops + small cam & do the required oil mods…attend to those 2 issues can leave the rest standard,just reco.

That way down line if wanting more fast wont need to pull engine down…besides once learn all oil mods you’ll either develop the  ol’ 5 litre fetish or hate them.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Immortality wrote:

cava454 wrote:

Freshen it up. Flattops. 10:1 and a 286 cam wth bannas.

Yuk. wrong manifold for that cam. Will choke it just as it really starts to come on.

It will still go great and sound good whilst maintaing a “budget”.

My mate had above combo, but used solid lifters instead it had absolutely no issues smashing tires in 3rd gear, would sometimes even grab 4th.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Great info guys, will go looking for those books.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

I started in a neighbours Shed when I was around 12>13, it led to a lifelong obsession with cars, props for helping the young fella out Gary!

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Cheers Ian, it is nice to think us old farts can pass on some of the passion.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

Some of the best and worst times of my life have been in under and around cars, it’s character building as nothing is handed to you!

[Author]

Posts