Update on the Scott Fuel Injection Experiment

We started working on the concept of mechanical fuel injection about a year and a half ago. A little pet project to put on my 6 cylinder chevy. We used a Scott Fuel Injection setup from the early 50's to base our prototype. This has gone way beyond a simple project. We have learned so much from this experiment. The engine is running and we used it on the street and did a little spirited driving. It went to the track but other problems forced us not to test it under racing conditions yet. It has been somewhat streetable(gas mileage is terrible). The engine does not like stop and go traffic. What it does like is an open road and rpm above 2000. It is really happy at that pace. It also has a snappy response at any speed which makes it fun to drive. Next spring there will be two injectors hanging off the side and a period correct top end oiling system that will help with fuel washout on the cylinder walls. stat tuned for more.

Guest Starring on Cars Yeah Podcast

If your interested I was a guest on a show called Cars Yeah check out my interview and slew of other cool car guy interviews http://carsyeah.com/ourportfolio/662-michael-pistello/

The Finished Product!!

Some time ago we did a 428 FE Ford Engine for a customer. The goal was to appear stock on the outside and have some hidden hardware underneath. We also wanted to do this with mostly catalog parts and original pieces. The result was 500 HP at 5000 rpm on 93 octane gas from Citgo. The engine was put into a frame off restoration 63 Galaxie 500 XL. The car was finshed this summer and the owner is thrilled! I drove this car recently and it was a treat. You can fry the tires at almost any speed and the car don't look to bad either.

New Year, New Projects.

Happy New Year everyone! We have a few updates and new projects to show you. First off was a special project I did for my nephew at Christmas. A vintage Tonka Pickup Truck and Horse Trailer.This truck is about a 1963 and represents a GM product and a generic single axle horse trailer. As of the past few years, Vintage pressed steel toy trucks built from the 20's until 1970 have become collectable and VERY expensive. As a result people have started to reproduce parts, decals and matched paint for a correct restoration just like real cars. This one was rough and I paid $30 bucks for it at a flea market. I stripped the paint off using the electrolisis process. The dents where removed and it was primed and painted with auto paint(base clear)The chrome was cleaned and polished and the wheels and tires cleaned and detailed. This was a fun project that was outside the norm and made a little boy very happy this Christmas. Next up is the 428 Ford project we have been working on is just about ready for dyno testing. We have to wait for better weather to get accurate test results. We will post the test and it's results later. After that will be a full engine build for a 67 Oldsmobile 400. These are fairly rare so we will be doing a restoration with a few tricks to pep it up a bit and still look stock. The Final item on the list is a project that has been on my mind since we helped work on my friend Dave's fuel injection unit he built from scratch. We have started on our own version of the Scott Fuel Injector. We have a few parameters to work within. 1. we will run on gas for street use and methanol for track use. That means the injector has to be servicable. 2. Street use means engine must idle good and operate well at wide open throttle. This is a tall order with mechanical injection. The Scott unit lends itself well to this application. We spent alot of time with guy's at Hilborn Injection at this years PRI show. They pointed us in the right direction with many tips and tricks. The picture shown is my version of a barrel valve and will allow us to get the performance on the street that where after. We will keep you updated as we move along.

Repair Work for a Big Block Chevy

Every now and then we get a request to repair the thrust area on a block. What happens is that all the aftermarket companies that sell cams and the related hardware to guys that need to have a roller camshaft sell a cam button that keeps end play to a minimum. What happens is the customer puts in the cam button and does not check cam end play. Then when the cam binds up when the front cover is installed  the cam machines a large groove in the thrust area and sends chunks of cast iron though out the entire engine. I figured out a way to repair this a long time ago and have done quite a few over the years. Here is our way of fixing a damage cam thrust on a typical cast iron engine block. First we install a bushing turned up in the lathe to hold a pilot for our seat cutting machine. (this machine is from the 1940's and is built like a tank, It was originally designed to cut seats in flathead engine blocks. we still use it for that but it also has other uses.) I bolt the seat cutter right to the block and machine away the damaged area. Next step was to machine a mild steel insert to fit in the new bore. Normally we would reestablish the height to where it was. The customer wanted to add a Torrington bearing to the mix. The manufacture tells us the dimensions required for this. So adjustments where made to the steel insert and also the cam gear on the timing set has to be machined to a certain spec also given by the manufacturer. After all of this is done we set end play of the new cam button with a straight edge and surface grind the cam button to the required height. The block is now ready for use again. We have saved alot of vintage and racing engine blocks over the years using this method of repair.

Tach Housing for Barn Find 32 Ford

We finished up the Corvette tach housing for the 32 Ford in the prior post. The Housing started out as a solid bar of 6061 aluminum round stock. It was bored in the lathe then split in the saw to create the bezel, a spacer to perfectly adjust the height of the tach inside the housing and the housing itself. Some milling was done to mill slots for the tach cable and mounting screws. We used slotted pan head screws to be more period correct. The entire assembly was polished and a small bracket was welded together after hammer forming two strips of steel to the required radius for the tach housing and the steering column. The bracket was mig welded to give the bracket an appearance of being gas welded.(tig was not available to the average hot rodder in the 50's). I think it turned out cool. Alot of people just can't figure out where that tach came from. What brand is it? What car is it from.It's fun to hear what people think it's out of. We have done our job if people can't figure out if it's real or not.

Shop Update, New Labor Rate and New Hrs.

Been awhile since the last post. Been working on a variety of interesting jobs thoughout the last part of winter and spring.We have been working on parts for a traditional chopper build that is going to California for Born Free-6 Which is a custom motorcycle show which features amature builders who are hand picked to show. Now don't let the "amature" fool you. The people involved in this in my opinion are far more talented than what you see on TV. This is my second year involved in this and it gets cooler every year.Also been working on another "barn find" 32 Ford 3 window coupe. We again built many of the details for this car. We built the aircleaner assembly for the fuel injection unit.(this was documented in a prior post) We built a horn housing for a vintage indian motorcycle horn. We are finishing a Tach for the steering column. The mech. is a vintage corvette tach. These tachs where dash mounted. Customer wants a column mount so we are machining a pod for it that appears vintage. Some of the early construction photo's are posted here. Compare to later when it's done. This car is also going to California for the 50th LA Roadster show on fathers day weekend.

As of June 1, 2014 are labor rate will increase from $50 to $65. We have tried to keep this rate as low as we can but we just can't do it anymore. Hopefully it won't cause any problems. Also we have set hrs as of June 1. Monday-Tuesday-Wedsday, 4pm-9pm. Saturday 10am-1:30pm. Call (630)710-3977 for information or a job quote.