Our Cadillac V-8 engine project gets baked, blasted, and crack-checked | Redline Update #73 - Hagerty Media
In the latest Redline Update, Davin gets us up to speed on the Cadillac 365 V-8 and Honda Trail 70 projects.
First off, he inventories the Cadillac parts that remain after he disassembled the mill. The lifters show varying levels of wear, with the worst offenders displaying significant dishing. Those won’t be reused. New parts will join the original camshaft, which is being reground. Davin was surprised to find a new water pump; the big casting is pretty complicated, so it’s good to know that the cooling system will benefit from fresh components.
Plenty of the original Cadillac parts will be put back in service, however, and Davin reviews some of the steps used to restore them. For example, the V-8’s pushrods went through the parts washer and then through a tumbler filled with solvent and stainless rods to remove the baked-on oil. Now, they look brand-new. The rocker shaft assembly shows what the valvetrain parts looked like before that treatment. The shaft and its components are going into the ultrasonic cleaner before it heads to the tumbler. Due to the wear on the rocker tips, the rockers will need further work, since the ridges left by the valve stems need to be ground smooth.
Besides the tumbler and other parts washers, Davin and the Redline Rebuild crew rely on a media blaster. A quick trip to that part of the shop shows the valve covers getting stripped and readied for the same paint that will eventually coat them and the rest of the engine.
On to the Honda Trail 70, Davin lists all the new parts that he’s already collected, including clutch plates and a rebuild kit for the stator, plus brake shoes, sprockets, a battery, and an OE chrome engine guard. More and more original parts are going into the bin that’s destined for Jason’s Chrome, which will re-plate all those components in addition to polishing all the aluminum bits, including the intake manifold. Other aluminum parts, like the side case, will be sandblasted and Cerakoted. We also get a peek at the stamped steel frame, which is stripped of its stickers and nearly ready for sandblasting. The rusty split rims are also ready to get sandblasted. If they’re not too pitted, they’ll be powder-coated, but Davin’s lined up replacements just in case.
Next, the video team heads to Thirlby Machine Shop, where the heads get disassembled before being thoroughly cleaned along with the block. As previously discovered, one of the exhaust manifolds is cracked from the center port almost all the way to the collector; Davin plans to drill out the crack and weld up the cast iron. Luckily, the block passes its magnetic crack check with flying colors. Mike at Thirlby will handle boring, honing, and decking the block, making sure to leave the stamping on the deck surface intact. Compared to some of the other projects Davin has brought him, this Cadillac should be a cakewalk.
Finally, Davin reconditions the stock rods by pressing in new bolts, cleaning up the rod caps, and resizing the big end. As parts continue to show up, including the pistons and back-ordered fuel-pump rebuild kit, we’ll continue to bring you progress reports. Make sure you’re subscribed to Hagerty’s YouTube channel so you don’t miss a single one.
