Got my engine from Dave today

[Deleted User]

I ordered an engine from Dave Kostansek a couple weeks ago, and it arrived today !! Looks real good, and if the crate is any indication of the workmanship on the engine, --- its gonna be a winner !!



Tim and Dave must be carpenters too, because that crate is a class act in itself !! Could've air dropped it, and there'd be no damage.



Thanks Dave and Tim !! I'm looking forward to hearing it come to life real soon. I'll post a few pics as I go along and get that engine compartment freshened up a bit.



silverone.

[Deleted User]

Having fun struggling with resizing these pictures !!



Here's another one.

hudsonguy

silverone,



Beautiful engine. Dave and Tim are top notch guys that do great work. Nice shop, too. I'm envious. I can almost hear it running.

rambos_ride

That engine looks sweet!

I'm a little frightened by your chain attachment though - you wouldn't want to drop it or have it slip...these types of load levelers really make the install job a lot easier

harry54

Looks great ... Dave and Tim are a class act.....

[Deleted User]

rambos_ride wrote:

That engine looks sweet!



I'm a little frightened by your chain attachment though - you wouldn't want to drop it or have it slip...these types of load levelers really make the install job a lot easier

If you look at the engine in the background, you'll see one of these adjustable attatchments laying on top ( yellow in colour ). That's the one I use mostly, but if you look closely at the engine in the crate, before unpacking, you'll see that the chain used to take it out was on the engine when it was shipped, and probably the same one used to hold it up when it was painted, since its the same gold colour on the ends.



Was really good of Dave to leave it on there, as it made uncrating a breeze.



As soon as I prepare the engine for installation, I'll use the balancing rig, to get things sitting "just right".



No shortcuts in this outfit --- I wanna be around to drive this car for a looooong time yet !

Unknown

A nice shop filled with Hudsons, related parts and good tools! Now that's my kind of place. Good luck with the new engine.

Richie

Silverone, that engine looks great, is it stock? If modified, basically what was done? A new engine like that has crossed my mind a few times. Thanks Richie.

VicTor Z

Great looking motor! I bought one of those balancing rig at the swap meet, made in China, $21.00. I pulled the motor (308) and trans , backed the Hudson out of the way, just then the chain from the $21.00 rig broke. The chain on the front of the motor held, luckly for me the motor was high enough that the trans did not hit the concrete. Both chain links bent at the motor, the rear link broke because of the waight of the trans. Now I need to pay the bucks and buy one like Dan and Rambo has!

[Deleted User]

Richie wrote:

Silverone, that engine looks great, is it stock? If modified, basically what was done? A new engine like that has crossed my mind a few times. Thanks Richie.

Yes Ritchie, this one was done up basically stock, to replicate as closely as possible what you'd hear and feel in 1953 when you drove her off the showroom floor. Since my coupe came stock with an automatic trans, there's less incentive to "soup up" this one, since I don't plan on driving it too hard anyway. This'll be my "cruiser".



I'll be doing a couple more engines this winter, and would like to do a 7X for one of my other cars, --- likely one of the one's with three speed and overdrive. I'd like to do a '54 Coupe this way, so we'll see what develops. First I've gotta find the right car though, as I don't have a that '54 coupe yet.



silverone

Richie

That is great Silverone, it sounds like you have it all together. I like your plan !!! Thanks for your reply, Richie.

Unknown

I've used a chain as shown on the motor many, many times. Just put a long (at least 4") 3/8" bolt through the chain where you want the balance to be and it won't slip when the hook slides up to it. Just a poor man's solution but I've done probably 50 or 60 engines this way with no problems.

[Deleted User]

tristansdaz wrote:

I've used a chain as shown on the motor many, many times. Just put a long (at least 4") 3/8" bolt through the chain where you want the balance to be and it won't slip when the hook slides up to it. Just a poor man's solution but I've done probably 50 or 60 engines this way with no problems.

That's how we did it 30 years ago. Just had to make sure you had the right sized washers under the bolt heads.

MikeWA

Don't know how we survived. I put a 283 Chev engine (with cast iron Powerglide attached) into a '36 Chev pickup in 1967, under an oak tree out by the barn. Had an 8N Ford tractor with loader to lift the engine, but couldn't control the loader back by the tractor seat and be guiding the engine down at the same time- so did the only thing possible under the circumstances: cut an old wood fencepost down to the proper length, used it to support the tractor loader with a floor jack underneath, so I could "feather" the engine down with the floor jack release. Guess Darwin wasn't watching that day (or a lot of other days, for that matter). That's why I just shake my head sadly, when my 2 year old grandson's parents won't let him be liberated from that #%*& car seat for just once, while we are in the hayfield picking up bales, going a breathtaking 1/2 MPH, so he can see what's going on instead of looking at the ceiling.

[Deleted User]

Silverone - Do you have the receipt/bill of lading(?) for shipping that engine? Does it happen to list the the 'shipping weight"...?

I'll take a look see if I can find it Rick, but I don't think they actually weighed it. When I was asked what the approximate weight would be I just estimated 750 lbs should cover it, and they were happy with that. I wanted to make sure the crate weight was covered too, so tried to err on the high side, rather than have the thing refused somewhere at a pickup or transfer dock, because it was heavier than expected.



My strategy must have worked, because it arrived on time, at the quoted rate, and without a hitch !!

Unknown

Mike (WA) wrote:

Don't know how we survived. I put a 283 Chev engine (with cast iron Powerglide attached) into a '36 Chev pickup in 1967, under an oak tree out by the barn. Had an 8N Ford tractor with loader to lift the engine, but couldn't control the loader back by the tractor seat and be guiding the engine down at the same time- so did the only thing possible under the circumstances: cut an old wood fencepost down to the proper length, used it to support the tractor loader with a floor jack underneath, so I could "feather" the engine down with the floor jack release. Guess Darwin wasn't watching that day (or a lot of other days, for that matter). That's why I just shake my head sadly, when my 2 year old grandson's parents won't let him be liberated from that #%*& car seat for just once, while we are in the hayfield picking up bales, going a breathtaking 1/2 MPH, so he can see what's going on instead of looking at the ceiling.

Did the mother of your grandson ride in a special car seat before delivering him? Anyway, isn't it amazing that so many of us survived riding on Dad's lap, standing up in the back seat, laying on the rear package shelf or riding on the big rear seat armrest of an old Hudson. You need to do some one on one baby sitting so that boy can learn what you have to teach him. IMO, a little boy would go nuts to see all that a farm has to offer.

EssexAdv

I have been involved with 2 of Dave's rebuilt motors. I installed the first one in a friends 51 HH. The 2nd I fixed a blotched install job by a less than qualified professional mechanic. Both of them run great. You should have no problems with your new motor. Dave usually static balances them prior to assembly. Not as good as a rotating balance job but it does make a difference...good luck on your project

[Deleted User]

EssexAdv wrote:

I have been involved with 2 of Dave's rebuilt motors. I installed the first one in a friends 51 HH. The 2nd I fixed a blotched install job by a less than qualified professional mechanic. Both of them run great. You should have no problems with your new motor. Dave usually static balances them prior to assembly. Not as good as a rotating balance job but it does make a difference...good luck on your project

Thanks Lewis, things are coming along pretty well, but I am still waiting for some parts from Bill Allbright, Dale cooper, Dave Konstansek, and transmission seals from someone who's name I've forgotten at the moment, plus a couple things still at the powder coaters. I expect all to arrive this week, and assembly shall begin. Engine compartment is all painted, detailed and ready.



I'll post a picture or two as things go along, hopefully they'll help others get their projects under way. With all the help from this forum, this project has turned out to be a snap !! I was reluctant to tackle it at first, but now I'm having so much fun at this, I'm eager to tackle a full resto on one of my convertibles. Looks like this winter is going to be a busy one. I'll start by getting a welder friend to help me build a rotisserie like Hugh Morrow has described in an earlier posting here, and do this car to #1 standard.



silverone.