Rebuilding a Harry Pellow (Maestro) engine

[Jbrooks]

Hey guys, I am helping rebuild an X-Maestro's engine.



Some of you may know a long time "Porsche Pusher" Tom Olsen. Tom has been in PCA and the R for longer than most people. Tom and his B coupe make all the parades and holidays and drove from Anchorage AK several times. Tom traded in the "ring eating monster" for a maestro massaged C engine 20 some years back. If you have read Harry's books, you know of the Mohave crossing or the guy from Alaska. Anyway, Tom burned a No#1 exhust valve on the way back from Georgia last fall. With over 100k and numerous cross country trips on the Maestros Engine it's was time. If your JPipe gasket starts to leak FIX IT.

Tom bought all the parts and invited me down to help the assembly. The Saga Begins



Tom and his coupe last fall after replacing the C hood, with a proper B hood from Trevor.

[Jbrooks]

Tom did the tare down, sent the heads out for guides, seats. I came over measured the case and crank rods. I was amazed, it was all nominal, the bearings had a few sparkly spots, but overall the inside was just fine, except for the one valve that was about the size of a nickel and had to cracks burned right through the radius next to the stem.
I was able to verify a true Mastrio's engine, the steel crank gear, had eight big screwdriver strikes where he drove the gear on with a 5 pound drilling hammer and giant screwdriver, just like in the Video. Nasty but effective, I prefer the heat the gear in an oven press fit. That worked just fine.

Tom plans on the going to the East Coast Holliday, and Rennsport and wanted a "bulletproof proof all day cruiser". Since the case was still STD, no wear or strange things he decided to go big and light weight, 1700cc
SCAT Crank
Carello rods
Shasta cylinders
JE pistons
Web Cam
Precision Matters oil filter, pushrod tubes
Electronic ignition

My first experience with these new products, I am an old school guy, the porsche stuff was always good enough for me. All this technology seem to make sense. Now I have done a couple engines before and my P-Tools are 50 years old but they still work.

[admin]

Finally an engine build post. Yippie! Don't get me wrong, all the body related repairs a great but I've been lurking and waiting for an engine build for a few years now. Tell me, how much of the Maestros original work will remain? From the new parts list not much I take it. I will be following your progress with great enthusiasm.
-Karl

[Jbrooks]

Bottom end:
SCAT crank was pretty much stright forward. Tom had sent the pulley, flywheel, crank and clutch off island for balancing. They came back ready and pretty shinny, and matched.

Carello Rods are a different aninimal, they weight almost nothing compared to the rods we removed. All were with in 0.010g of the same weight. My first exposure to new technology. "Stretch bolts"



Not all that complicated when you think about it. But I am a 35 Ft-Lb with new nut guy. These stupid rods have a special grease, and small bolt that stretches 0.004-0.0045 when tight. And a whizz bang dial indicator to measure the stretch. The new bolts are not the same length, the are +-.002, so each one starts at a different "0". Ok, now 8mm 12 point bolt head, I can do that. Now it get fun all the 8mm box wrenches are either too loose or won't fit, so I revert to 1/4" drive and torque wrench.

Very little torque required ~5 in-lbs = about 0.0003 on most of the bolts, but it's not linear. Most of my TQ-Wrenches started at 150 in-lbs. I had to use and old one for aircraft avionics to get that far down the 0-150 InLbs scale. Not as easy as OEM parts, but much better for reduction rotating mass and probably way stronger.

Now the fun part, they torque Up and stretch between 22-26 inch pounds you add 5inlb, remove the socket, put on the dial, add another 5 InLbs and remeasure, rinse and repeat, until stretched 0.0045. It's a pain. If you ever decide to use the rods, and they are great rods, I suggest at special tool.



Snap On and Stahlwille both make one. 8mm off set torque adapter 3/8 drive. This allows you to leave the dial indicator on the bolt and still apply torque with a inch pound torque wrench.











Bottom end together on to the Pistons.








Thanks for following

[Jbrooks]

Karl
Case, flywheel, sheet metal, carbs. All new guts

The removed rods, crank and Pistons measured good, I would reuse them for a local daily driver even the bearings look OK, worn but measured nominal for wear. The only scratches were on the oil pressure and tempertature pistons, but they polished out fine.

[JTR70]

Welcome along here Karl!

I agree more motor stuff would be nice and thank you John for sharing this build. Looks like a no expense spared effort by the looks of the rotating unit. Gorgeous stuff!
If you're having trouble loading pics let me know.

Justin

[Jbrooks]

I just had a couple photos disappear but they were on the server

[JTR70]

Your second post has lost all the photos. Hit edit on that entry and try loading them once again. You'll have to manually erase the "attachment address" in the text box then hit "insert" again on the new photo. Place the curser where you want that specific photo displayed then hit "insert" on it. Hope this makes sense...

[Jbrooks]

Install the cam crank, measure the end play, install lifters and the other case half, a little torque and
It begins to look like a 616/. Measure the cam throw and verify cam timing and lift, Cam card matches the degree wheel, I do this only just to make sure the cam gear is on properly. And timed to the double dot on the crank.





Pistons and cylinders were pretty straight forward, nothing new here, other than they only have three rings, super thin and above the wrist pin. The cylinders are Shasta CNC and I really like them. Ring compressor was interesting these are 86mm. My pile has an 80,82 92 but the 86.5 was in another box. I did get one set on with the 82 but it was way harder than I remembered. Then it hit me. My P8a is 82,5 mm. I am doing an 86mm. Da... Found a new P8b, made my life easier a week later.

We installed them, then used a PreMat top end tool to check cylinder square to the case and deck clearance. We also use it to measure the piston into head displacement. This tool is a 1" aluminum plate designed to bolt on in place of the head and let's you actually measure cylinder square ( not tilted ) and are both at the same hight. The deck hight from the top of the piston and cylinder ( deck hight ). This allows you to do the math and get the bottom spacers right. We were shooting for 8.5-9.0:1 so Tom can run on pump gas anywhere. We came out with a final of 8.72:1







Above photos curtesy of Ron LaDow at precision matters. Not an advertisement, but this tool makes compression ratio and deck hight so easy it's almost stupid. Like the little 8mm wrench, if you are going to do a few of these it's a good investment. The old P-Tools still work, but as the technology matures, you need the new tools. Everyone always needs new tools.

[Jbrooks]

Third piece, oil pump full flow filter were not too bad. Needed to modify the oil pump in the third piece for a new internal oil line. We are using Ron LaDow's oil filter. That attached over the old pump cover.

Tom has an electronic tachometer, and being a B he ran the wire through the old tach cable housing. Pretty slick remove the drive cable, and protect the tach wire with the old cable case.

Cutting the relief for the new oil tube, stright forward 1/2" end mill 1/2" tube 30 minute to tram and set up, 30 seconds to mill. New oil tube has o-ring seals and just pops in the new relief.




The last engine ran 100K with only the filter flow from the little no# 50 hole in the old banjo bolt. This one should do better with a full flow filter. Will leave both filters installed, you can remove the OEM filter and just run the side hose over to the other original case fitting, but it would not be a 356 without the OEM filter can.

[Jbrooks]

HEADS

Tom sent the heads out for overhaul, seats, guides, new valves and enlarged to the new cylinder bore. They look OK so all I did was measure the volumes and match the compression ratios. One was 58.9cc the other 62.2cc. I ground and polished the small and brought it up to the 62.2 volume.
The 58cc was factory stamped, the 62 was not.




Using a Fordome tool, a couple carbide cone burrs and sanding drums/discs. Pretty straight forward, grind, measure, grind measure, sneak up on the desired volume. Vaseline to seal the tool, not too much, it can change the reading by squeezing into the head space. I use Denatured Alcohol in the burette, evaporates quickly, no residue. When we were done all the chambers are with in 0.05cc. Minuses in about 0.2 thick, the bottom is the measure point. The last few drops is critical if you want them equal. A 5cc hypodermic for the last few micro drops. Fill the hole each time.





Now this is a street engine, so a 1 cc split is more than fine, it ran 100k with the 58/62 split. But since Tom driver long distances each year, the closer to zero the better, besides you have the tools, you are all set up, why not make them all equal and shinny. A couple more hours, in the zone, if it's your engine why not. It's only apart every 20 years.

Thanks for following

[Jbrooks]

Heads on

Now the lower end is verified, time to install the heads, this too is pretty much by the book. We matched the heads, measured the deck hight, piston volumes calculated the cylinder spacers at 1mm, installed them and we are ready.




We used a reinforced sump, I also drilled out the drain plug and installed a 10mm rare earth magnet for extra chip collection.

Push Rod tube are the spring loaded from PreMat. I have heard of them but never paid attention. They are pretty neat I must say. But on with his head. Torqued up and and beginning to look like a 616/.






Installed a new aluminum oil cooler, distributor drive, and distributor.



And yea that's a 64 Cadillac convertable work bench in the background.

[admin]

Looking great. What kind of horsepower are you trying to achieve and will it be dyno'd?

[Jbrooks]

XL not planning a dyno run, but a road trip to Key West instead

Leaky valve on cylinder #1. Valve regression and maybe the exhaust gasket leak. 100k miles installed a few million cycles.




Got the heads on, then the first problems showed up. Harry build pretty engines, and they worked well. But some of the parts were recycled and from different engines. We have all done this, you just have to pay really close attention to the details.

This engine has A heads and iron rockers, after the overhaul a few things were out of spec.
No #1 exchust valve spring retainer was striking the rocker carrier. Not good


It took a 0.050 shim under the rocker stand to get it to clear. Shim between the head bolt and stand is silver.





That fixed, Tom had the rockers surfaced and reground. The grinder took off so much on the valve contact pad (0.200+) they now hit the intake retainers. Now this had late rockers on an early shaft, it worked for Harry, but now they had no clearance on the inside arch. And this is with the shims.


So tight, the spring retainer cleared, and the push rod will rotate, but the valve lash gap was 0.030+.. All the intake rockers hit the retainers. SO rethink, research, and call Jack..

The old style rocker fit (nice to have spares around), so we measured the stand and rockers, changed the rocker stand with a spare, removed the shims and started over.



If something is not working on a 356.
Rule#1, read the book. Rule#2, do what the book says. Rule#3 call Jack Scaggs send photos.

[Jbrooks]

There are several things that could cause the lack of clearances. I am not going to remove the heads and remeasure. The heads have new seats, guides, valves springs retainers. It might be the valve job, seats too far in the head, valve too long, etc. We had short rocker stand, over ground rocker. One stand was 0.050 too short, the other side had 0.020 clearence, I almost swapped the stands, but the left side exhaust spring had 0.020 clearence, intakes were bad but new rockers will fix that.

Here is the spacer on the head bolt and one intake valve spring removed for measurement. The rocker stands on a surface plate showed one was 0.050 shorter than the spare.

Right head after shim.

So final, another iron rocker carrier, unground intake rockers, a call to Jack, send photos, he called me back at 21:30 (9:30PM) no kidding, we spent 1/2 hour on the phone, verified what I thought was wrong, remember RULE #3 CALl Jack. Finished up the build, got her ready to crank.


Oil pressure, valve and push Rod rotation, the next step. New full flow filter, polished relief and temp Pistons, everything looks well. 2cc of oil in each plug hole for the top ring and we are ready.

Crank 10 seconds and NO Pressure!!! Put on a direct reading gauge in place of the temp sender and NO pressure. Finger test over the temp sensor outlet NO Pressure, CRAP. Pulled the plug on the pressure relief remover the spring and piston, crank NO Pressure, no flow, double crap.

After a night of brain cramps about what would cause this, it was the new oil filter. On the stand I filled it with break in oil so the first fluid through the oil passages would be the super oil. This is a GM high ZDP zink product looks like 80w gear oil. The filter was causing a vapor lock and the pump was not priming, backed off the filter, cranked until we get flow at the filter adapter. Then tightened the filter, crank and presto 35 PSI, oil light switch opens at 9psi, after 20-30 seconds rocker pins are getting oiled, valves are rotating, pushrods spin, and best of all not leaks seeps or drips.



Engine sits overnight, still no drips, spots, so its time prime the carbs, set static timing, last look over. Valve covers on ready to fire up.



Fired up on the second crank, settled out after 10-15 seconds, blew smoke like crazy for 8-10 seconds as the 2cc of oil in each hole burned off. Ran 2 minutes at 3000 rpm, ran out of gas.

Refilled the tank, rechecked the j-pipe temps then restart 2800 RPM for 5 more minutes, no # 3Cyl j-pipe running 125 degrees cold. Check the plug, Ok, change the wire check spark, crap now I have a dead hole and a carb to rebuild.

We had the carbs on a wet bench, the floats were perfect, verified with the P-Tool and Toms PreMat tube gauge.








Excuse the parallax from the camera, they do agree.
Amazingly enough they both agree, but looks I have a high speed circuit to no #3 Cyl blocked so we tore down the carb, tossed the bits in the cleaner bucket and get back at it tomorrow.

It lives.