Anything new from the straight 8 hot rodders?

[Buick Guy]

Well, Spring is trying to get a start here in Montana, and the snow has melted off of uor test track. We got the Bonneville car out this week for some testing. We need to get some data-logging time to get tuned up with the new EFI system that we put together on the straight 8 this Winter. We went out and made a short pass and found that we needed to re-plumb the waste-gate lines as there was no control and it hit 25 lbs of boost instantly. No damage done, so we changed some things and made a second pass at 14 lbs, and found the weak link-- The T5 Tremec transmission . As soon as I put it in 3rd gear and let the clutch out, it stripped all of the teeth off of the cluster gear and third gear. They aren't rated for the torque that the straight 8 puts out. Needless to say, a new Tremec TKO 600 will be here in a couple of weeks. Typical farmer engineering, push it 'til something breaks and fix the weak link and go again. As they say, Racing costs money, How fast do you want to go?
I'll post again when we get it back together. Doug

[presten]

The engine is up and running and all seems to be in fair shape. I had a couple of minor oil leaks on the side cover right at the parting surface of the head and block...the head was not quite flush with the block surface. Fixed that with some JB weld and a file! I was not too happy with the headers so am having a set built. The four carb set up seems to work well except for an excess of fuel when you crack the throttle from the accelerator pumps...not too unexpected since with four pumps all squirting at one time. Will have to modify the cams for that. Also I pulled the rocker cover and found that I had several lifters that were not rotating so I have all the lifters out and am going to have them re-ground unless I can find a new set of hydraulics for a good price. I will try to attach a picture.

[Jyrki]

It looks great! Do you have a picture from the carb side?

[GH]

Mike and myself has been working on the Buick salt flat race car. We are trying to be ready to go to the chassis dyno in Ohmaha Nebraska the weekend of May 9th. The Megasquirt is all wired up now and we just have to get it running after we finish a few items.

[Buick Guy]

GH,
The snow and rain melted off of the "Montana Road Dyno" enough today and we took the SaltCat out for a test run with the new TKO 600 trans today. It was very smooth and shifted like it will work very nicely on the Salt. We have to work some little EFI gremlins out as it wouldn't put any boost out at first, and then then it wouldn't go below 25 lbs. Very encouraging , however. Tomorrow we will try to get some time in between snow storms. Spring is almost here. We've got 102 days left 'til Speed Week. It may take another tank of fuel to get "er done, but it's only money. We're having fun now. Doug

[saltracer]

GH.......you are way ahead of me, trying to adapt Hilborn unit to the saltflat car.........what a mess. I am further along than this pix, but a ways to go. Got everything made and welded, mounted barrel valve today, and start linkage next week.
Pump drive was much bigger job than thought. Ended up using BBC timing gears and chain, had to make front cover.
I'll try to get more pix's this weel end.( Psssssssss, you told me it mike take a while to get a cam ground, you are damn right there)
DL

[presten]

I ran into a very good cam grinder when building my 320. He is a real "old timer" and very good! His name is Demitri Elgin (I believed he started the original Elgin Cam Works and sold out to retire). He lives and works in Santa Rosa, CA and operates a much smaller cam service there. Listed in the phone book as Elgin camshafts. He has done a lot of race stuff for SCCA cars, some Salt Flat stuff so he might be just the guy to talk to. He has done quite a bit of lecturing and writing on high performance camshaft design...some of his stuff I read was way over my head! I am not at home right now so don't have a phone book with me...if you are interested in contacting him you can Google his service or email me at presten@comcast.net and I will help you get in cantact with him.

[1942limited]

I have a 41 Straight 8, 320. It has 41000 original miles and came with the original dual carb and dual exhaust manifold. I just bought an original 1952 four barrel manifold and original carb which works beautifully for this engine ($100.00 total price). I only have the engine and I am looking to make a 1950's style Hot Rod with chopped top, channeled body, wide rear wheels ,large whitewalls and green and white tuck and roll interior. I don't have a car or truck yet but am looking for one to install the straight 8 engine. Meanwhile does anyone need the dual carb and dual exhaust manifold ? It comes with the original carbs, but only the front carb works.

If you still have that dual carb set up, I am interested.

[PolarRoller]

Just a note to thank the contributors here for all the information, and to let them know that there are lurkers and newbies out here soaking it all up.

My project is a sort of hot rod, but likely completely different than everyones here. I am developing a sort of fantasy British 'gentleman's express" that might have been built in the mid thirties over there. Think old Aston Martin or Bentley with cycle fenders and huge Lucas P-100's, 20" wire wheels and so on. If you have ever read any of the books "The Saint" (the James bond of the 30's) my inspiration is the Hirondel, his car.

The basis is a 1935 Alvis ladder frame, with big aluminum dif, huge wire wheels and big alloy drum (mechanical) brakes... and I thought a Buick Straight Eight would be the right "period" fit, and it is. I was looking for a 320 of course, but found a good 263, and in retrospect, looking at the comments here, I am glad I did. I will be reviewing all this info when the time comes to begin addressing the engine, but for right now I am trying to get all the motors mounts right and, big immediate problem, fitting a transmission to it.

I chose a Chevy SM 420 truck transmission from the early 60's because I wanted the granny gear, and, a truck transmission is about right for a car of this era, in fact, a substantial upgrade, because SM stands for synchromesh. (I doubt I will ever go much over 60 in the thing as it is more of an art project than a performance project.). I don't know if anyone has dealt with this, but, the top two bolt holes look like they will fit...the spine is the right length and number of splines but I will have to mess with the throwout bearing a little...I'm thinking I might be able to figure out how to bore out the threading on the two bottom holes that don't fit (bell housing), and drill and tap some receiving holes into the transmission face..or, maybe figure out how to adapt and use a Chevy bell housing. Anyway, if any one has faced this issue would like to hear about it.

When I look at this engine I just can't help but thinking "what if". I mean we are lucky to have it at all with it's overhead valves, but I keep thinking, DAMN, if it just had a cross flow head; if it just had an over head cam; if it just had a TWIN overhead cam! If only the pistons weren't siamesed etc...And thin I think, wow..what if some enterprising mechanical engineer got together with a master machinist and figured out a way to solve this problem, it could be a minor industry because there are plenty of blocks left! The BMC "A" engine had this happen (like you would find in a Morris Minor, Spridget, Mini etc)...Somebody makes and sells a twin cam head for this little four banger...I think they cost about 6 grand. Think what a 263 would look like with a beautiful, alloy, period looking twin cam head and 4 SU's or 8 Amal carbs (!) coming out one side!!!? With enough acorn nuts and jewelry, it would look better than a 1939 Delage Grand Prix racer!

Well, just day dreaming, but, if anybody wants to make one, sign me up! In the meantime we could just enthuse about it. Any ideas how the cam gears would be driven?
Bill

[artesian]

Just a note to thank the contributors here for all the information, and to let them know that there are lurkers and newbies out here soaking it all up.

My project is a sort of hot rod, but likely completely different than everyones here. I am developing a sort of fantasy British 'gentleman's express" that might have been built in the mid thirties over there. Think old Aston Martin or Bentley with cycle fenders and huge Lucas P-100's, 20" wire wheels and so on. If you have ever read any of the books "The Saint" (the James bond of the 30's) my inspiration is the Hirondel, his car.

The basis is a 1935 Alvis ladder frame, with big aluminum dif, huge wire wheels and big alloy drum (mechanical) brakes... and I thought a Buick Straight Eight would be the right "period" fit, and it is. I was looking for a 320 of course, but found a good 263, and in retrospect, looking at the comments here, I am glad I did. I will be reviewing all this info when the time comes to begin addressing the engine, but for right now I am trying to get all the motors mounts right and, big immediate problem, fitting a transmission to it.

I chose a Chevy SM 420 truck transmission from the early 60's because I wanted the granny gear, and, a truck transmission is about right for a car of this era, in fact, a substantial upgrade, because SM stands for synchromesh. (I doubt I will ever go much over 60 in the thing as it is more of an art project than a performance project.). I don't know if anyone has dealt with this, but, the top two bolt holes look like they will fit...the spine is the right length and number of splines but I will have to mess with the throwout bearing a little...I'm thinking I might be able to figure out how to bore out the threading on the two bottom holes that don't fit (bell housing), and drill and tap some receiving holes into the transmission face..or, maybe figure out how to adapt and use a Chevy bell housing. Anyway, if any one has faced this issue would like to hear about it.

When I look at this engine I just can't help but thinking "what if". I mean we are lucky to have it at all with it's overhead valves, but I keep thinking, DAMN, if it just had a cross flow head; if it just had an over head cam; if it just had a TWIN overhead cam! If only the pistons weren't siamesed etc...And thin I think, wow..what if some enterprising mechanical engineer got together with a master machinist and figured out a way to solve this problem, it could be a minor industry because there are plenty of blocks left! The BMC "A" engine had this happen (like you would find in a Morris Minor, Spridget, Mini etc)...Somebody makes and sells a twin cam head for this little four banger...I think they cost about 6 grand. Think what a 263 would look like with a beautiful, alloy, period looking twin cam head and 4 SU's or 8 Amal carbs (!) coming out one side!!!? With enough acorn nuts and jewelry, it would look better than a 1939 Delage Grand Prix racer!

Well, just day dreaming, but, if anybody wants to make one, sign me up! In the meantime we could just enthuse about it. Any ideas how the cam gears would be driven?
Bill

Sounds like a great project you are planning. Here is how lotus drives their twin cams with external drives: