New 4.6L stroker build

[yuppiexj]

I'll be brazing my pickup tube in place.
One of my Chebbie enthusiast friends call's it cheap insurance.
He had a pickup tube fall out of the pump...he got away with only needing bearings.
Properly brazed they won't fall out and have a 100% seal to prevent, or at least minimize, aeration.

[Bodo]

I had my boss tig up my oil pick up before I installed it. Very cheap insurance.

[SilverXJ]

That is something I have been thinking about. Finding someone to Tig it in, or I can solder it in. With the problems I have seen with a my non running pump something has to be done. I know I can't tig, but what is involved in brazing? I can solder pretty well, not only electronics, but I am having a hard time finding the difference between soldering and brazing.

[yuppiexj]

If you can solder, you can braze.

It's simple just like soldering only a bit hotter and different filler metal (higher melting point 450 vs 800+ degrees)
Clean the items with a wire brush and then an oil remover (I like xylene or EVIL chlorinated brake cleaner)
Flux the filler brush on powder or paste flux
Heat the joint until filler rod starts to flow
Flow filler metal until joint is filled
You're done.

This guy uses Copper wire as brazing rod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m678-clpbjw

I'd recommend proper brazing rod. They have flux cored rod for lazy SOBs like me

[SilverXJ]

Would propane be hot enough for that?

[the_wrench116]

i can tig it for you free of charge if you want ive got my setup in the basement. shipping might be a pain though.

[yuppiexj]

Would propane be hot enough for that?

propane with Oxygen (2 tanks) might work.
Oxy-Acetylene is really the best thing to use.

The oil pump and pickup should fit in one of those USPS flat rate boxes and ship for $5 each way

[the_wrench116]

im down for that its up to you just mark what you would want welded.

[SilverXJ]

I'm probably going to braze it myself if I can get my boss to bring in his brazing torch. We have a large oxy acetylene torch at work, but its only a cutting tip.

While test fitting my HV pump yesterday I noticed a notchy feeling if it was rotated. I took a closed look at it and the part of the pump innermost to the block was being lifted off the pump seat about 1/16" by part of the block. I took my dremel to the pump and fixed it. I would have preferred to modify the block, but it was already assembled. I haven't checked the standard volume pumps yet on the block, but comparing them visually it looks like it would have the same problem. I'm going to check the standard one tomorrow and if it is an issue I'm going to make a separate thread about it and a few other issues I noticed with the pumps.

[SilverXJ]

The pump was interfering with the block at the inner most point, where the step in the machining is. It was holding the pump off the block at that point about 1/16". I'm glad I caught it this time around, and I already modified the HV pump. I would have modified the block, but it was clean and assembled at that point. Source of the failure? I will be checking the pumps on the other blocks tomorrow. The below image is of the standard pump used during the last failure.

Block:



Modified HV pump:




Also, here is my cam gear oiler mod. The copper tube has a .025" hole in the end. It is about .010" from the pump drive gear, which you can't see because I couldn't get a good pic from that angle.

[SilverXJ]

I had to move the line for the cam oiler. The motor mount was in the way. I put the old oil pump on with a gasket and the largest feeler gauge I could slip in and get to the oil passage was .008". Not very large, but it is unrestricted and it may have measured more at a different angle. I blue printed the oil pump and every thing checked out. I also had my powder coated weld the oil pump pick up on.

Better pic of the cam oiler: There is about .012" of clearance between the nozzle and the gear.


Oil pan is on and its ready to be primed. My machinist wants to come by the storage unit and see how it works with the restricted push rods.

How it sits now (i hope that intake will clear the hood):

[SilverXJ]

.008" doesn't sound like a lot, but considering its from a 1/2" hole and maybe more clearance closer to the block center it becomes substantial. I estimated that half of the outlet from the oil pump was uncovered. Maybe more. Doing the math, that let out enough oil to be equivalent to a .089" hole. Maybe more as I am sure there was a larger gap toward the center of the engine. Then there is that other hole off the bypass that is normally sealed to take into account as well.

[SilverXJ]

Just got back from priming the engine on the stand. My machinist came by and we both thought that there is a lot less oil coming up through the push rods. I would still like less, but the restricted push rods only came in .020" at the smallest, which is what I have. Still more than enough oil for the springs and rockers. Oil pressure was 65 PSI cold using 30wt oil, taken at the back of the block.

I don't think I will have an issue with cam gear failure. With just a .024" hole it sprays a nice stream on to the distributor gear. I was afraid that I might not have been close enough to the gear, but I could have backed it off some and the stream would still have hit. Wish I could have gotten a pic of that.

Tomorrow I will swing it in the engine bay then get started on bolting all the crap onto it, which is no fun.

[amcinstaller]

yea, but bolting on all the crap means youre one step closer to hearing it fire up and going for a drive. thats gotta count for somethin, doesnt it?

[SilverXJ]

Its together. All I need to do is prime it one last time, drop the cam sensor in, drop the coil rail on, bleed the fuel rail, check the coolant, connect the battery, jumper the fan relay and fire it. Then do the cam break in again. I could have done that today but 1) it was late in the day 2) It was warmer out than I would have liked and 3) I just plain chickened out.