Stuart, I'd be more worried that a "second time" pounded on balancer could come loose. You could hand drill it in place no probs. The crank isn't particularity hard. I don't think it has to be 100% precisely square, just centered which should be easy as there is a machining center already there.
Just work your way up incrementally to Tap Drill Size, index "W" drill bit or .3860". Drill to to a calculated depth. Then run a 7/16-20 tap through. Easy!
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Holy! What a great pic Mark. I'm definitely not a mechanic and I've never "properly" rebuilt an engine but I've owned a few and bought a few rebuilds, done quite a lot of re&re's and this sort of stuff.I get your point about second time on for sure.I have bumped one on about thirty years ago but didn't keep it long enough to see if it flew off! You guys are makin me worry about this..I'll have to drill with a jig cause I'm not taking the crank out ..hmmm I bumped it on with grease not loctite.. These next"curiosity pics" are of numbers stamped along the oil pan seal edge on the block. They are between the webs kinda in line with the rods...8,8,9,10,11,12,12,and 13....eight in total. Does anyone know what these might have been? Just a curiosity ( It's who I am) lol!
I have always speculated those numbers had to do with tolerances. My guess, and it's nothing more than a guess that could be COMPLETELY wrong is that on the assembly line the workers had boxes/crates of piston and rod assemblies waiting to install, each box/crate marked with a corresponding number.
And now hopefully someone here will be able to answer this correctly with a confirmed reason for those stampings!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Ya,the numbers do seem somewhat random. I had in my mind some sort of assembly line sequence as well....I scratched around and found a balancer washer a big thick one that has been with me for decades.I can't believe I found it! I do have a couple of 25/32 drill bits and a 2" 7/16 x 20 grade 8 bolt. 2" is cutting it tight but with some loctite should be ok considering I wasn't even going to go there.....but I just did some reading elsewhere and even though I see guys have done exactly what I just did the consensus seems to be; drill and tap! So I'm going to do it. Free hand on the stand. I also just read that this crank could be forged which can make the drilling a little more tedious than drilling a cast one. Here are the pics of my "hub" ..It's a solid steel no rubber jobby. After reading some it seems some folks are unaware that GM did this back when..
Any numbers on the balancer? Havent seen one like that. But I havent seen that many original balances.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Hi don, no numbers that are visible on this hub. When I was a kid these hubs were how we identified early 283's. Over on another forum I read that some early 327's may have come out with this hub as well....I do see the odd one for sale on ebay. I went ahead and drilled my crank with the hub in place..
Hey Mark, the hardest part I think was gauging how deep to go. Getting started was easy because there was a tapered hole in the end of the crank so the bit naturally centered itself. I had a brand new 13/64 bit so I used that for a pilot hole followed by the 15/64. I used tapcut cutting oil and WD40 and air to blow it clean.I propped my cordless drill in my groin and pulled against the drill by grabbing onto the rockers near the bell housing giving some extra pressure to the bit. Lots of oil and a few breaks to let me and the bit cool off! The tapping was nervy because it felt like it might bust from the torque and that would really suck... 1/4 turn at a time and back out a little...another 1/4 turn etc. I removed the tap and cleaned it and the hole numerous times to keep a nice clean thread. I did go up town and buy a 2&1/2 inch bolt because I felt the 2" one might be a little short considering it has to "capture" the crank pulleys and enough room for a lock washer......all and all about an hour to do it and yes the crank is hard but the bits were harder!
The first two pics are of a bracket that was/is attached to my power steering. It doesn't seem to belong.Has anyone seen this bracket before? Bottom left shows the little gaskets that were/are on all of my valve cover screws...anyone seen this? or did someone make them up. Bottom right..I'm wondering if anyone knows how these stock covers were made? Yup they are tin but they are coated with a soft non rusting metal. It is very soft...kinda lead like. It sands off black and marks easily. There is a small raised dimple on the top of each on near one end and some wrinkles in the finish near where they are.I initially thought dipping but maybe they were electroplated somehow. When I was young we pitched these things out for a set of M/T's or the like.These days I have a curiosity about it all!
I havent seen the gaskets on the valve cover bolts before, maybe they came with those valve covers, which I assume are aftermarket.
-- Edited by DonSSDD on Saturday 25th of January 2020 09:13:18 PM
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Here's my progress..new oil pump,new main seal,new timing cover seal,crank snout drilled and tapped,front crank hub sleeved,new gaskets,new pan plug seal, new valve seals..o-rings and umbrellas ( I had to chamfer some of the valves for wear),new engine mounts,new fuel line pump to carb,rebuilt original casting water pump,new paint and valve cover decals,new decal for oil filter canister. All parts involved scrubbed by hand and fasteners wire wheeled. I did the valve seals without air or rope...TDC method one at a time.None of my pulleys show any evidence of paint..just a galvanized type of coating so I'm painting them the same "cast iron" that I will put on my exhaust manifolds. Stuff that was already new to go back on...starter,fuel pump( already on) distributor, coil, carb,air cleaner, rad ,rad hoses and heater hoses and all new associated clamps. O ya new brass expansion plugs.
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Don't tease him with that air cleaner picture Don!
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! That pic is the only pic representation of that pwr steering bracket I've seen anywhere! I knew you'd know something about it Don.It's a bit confusing because in place the way mine was and your pic shows the slot in it is perpendicular to the slot in the wee bracket fastened to the motor mount bolt.It works but seems somewhat counter intuitive. This picture of yours is the only one I've been able to see showing this set up! Thanks for taking the time to post it.....NOW......about that breather....and manifold..... and carb and and
Some guy in pei has everything but the air cleaner.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Thanks for posting this, like a 'how to' for some of us less comfortable with what often seems like simple tasks for you guys! Love the helpful little tidbits of information along the way, would have NEVER guessed one could drill and tap a crank in their own garage! Gives me hope! :)
Thanks Again!
I view this forum and others as the greatest classroom available from the comfort of your own home! There is a vast wealth of knowledge literally "at your finger tips" here.I personally feel a duty to perhaps post some info that could/can be helpful. When I was in the autobody trade I was approached to go teaching....Knowledge is only useful if it's shared with others...and so here we are!! I absolutely believe it and thoroughly enjoy being a part of the sharing of info...I'm very passionate about the trades and training.There's a severe lack of "up and coming" interest in all of the trades and I for one am concerned. Thanks Calvin for saying what you said...not just to me but to all of us here! My exhaust manifolds sandblasted with my "spot blaster", rubbed down with muriatic acid,washed off with wax,n,grease remover and spray bombed with VHT flameproof header paint in "cast iron". Silica ceramic coating it says. I'm not holding my breath here but I like it to look nice goin back in! Also I'm posting a pic of the tool I bought to do my pump to carb stainless line flare. This is a single flare at 37 degrees for AN fittings...A=army N=navy. This flare is peculiar to these AN fittings...not used in 45 degree double flares (brake lines). I looked around to borrow this tool but came up empty so I bought it....It'll be for sale after this...
Nice way of putting it Stuart. It's feels good to share what we know, have done, or our experiences in the hope someone can make use of it, or to even help them realize that even those mysterious "black art" automotive things can be undertaken, learned and even mastered.
The internet and the great forums I visit (this one is tops) inspired me to take on the things I'd never have even attempted way back. And most of the time I've been successful at it. Most of the time!
Now you've got me taking my 327 manifolds off to give them a spray! And how do you like that Rigid tool? Can it do double flares?
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.