12/4/06

Have you ever noticed that the theme from “Jeopardy” is a variation on “I’m A Little Teapot”? Think about it. Ok. Well, that’s about all I have for today. I'd tell you about the weekend but I didn’t do anything. I mean I got nothing whatsoever accomplished. I did take a few measurements, and bought an oil pan gasket for test fitment, and I'm not convinced a small-block Chevy is going to fit in Barbecue Bob. I'm going to have serious oil pan to cross member clearance issues. I think I may have solved the length issue though. I bought an electric water pump that is only 4” deep. Yeah, it was more expensive than some of the others, but they were all in the 5.5” to 6.5” deep range. We’ll see. Of course the oil pan may make the whole length issue moo. I suppose I could dry-sump the engine, that would allow me to set it wherever I'd like. Of course it would mean dropping another couple grand into the project. I lost the auction for the front sump pan and pickup tube, by the way. I'm debating buying a stock pan and going to town modifying it to sit down in the hole. I may do that. I'd hate to buy a chrome pan just to cut up but I may have to. I mean I haven’t looked on the small-block Chevy isle at Kroger to see if they have stock pans but I'm betting all I'll be able to find are chrome jobs. Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess. In fact, I think I will check with the BoP and see what they have to offer. Hell, they might even have that front sump pan and pickup I was thinking about. What I need to do is what I did with the gasket: send John to the counter to ask for what I need. He knows his small-blocks way better than I do. He’d know how to get a front sump pan. I'd go up and ask for it and the monkey behind the counter would just stare at me like, well like a monkey. John would go up and ask for a pan and pickup from a 1967 ½ Chevy Fizzbang hardtop with a 283 six-pack, a four-speed, non-posi, and drum brakes. The guy would look it right up and have it in stock. Dang him and his encyclopedic knowledge making me look like an ignern’t idjit. [ Really not sure how to feel about that... - SM ] Oh well, what are you going to do? So, I think my new plan for the oil pan, unless John changes my mind, is to have him ask for the front sump pan somewhere and then settle for a stock steel pan that I will modify. If I'd just be more patient I'll have a stock rear sump pan in my hand as soon as that engine comes out of Cave-In. It would be nice to have a new clean pan to cut up and weld however. Yeah, I think I'm going to argue it that way. I'm thinking that $300.00 replica engine is looking better and better all the time too. I'm worried a little about brake booster and master cylinder clearance. It sure would be nice to figure all of that out with something lightweight hanging from the chain. [ FYI, an empty SBC is failry light, and cheaper to boot... - SM ] Of course there is still another issue that I have been avoiding: George. I really should finish that project before diving into this new one. The problem there is George is in the tedious “make all of the crap work together” stage while Barbecue Bob is in the fun “rounding up parts and making wacky plans” stage. I could probably knock George out in a couple weekends if I really stuck to my guns. I don’t know. I'll talk it over with John and see what he has to say. I know he’s pretty excited about a V8 Datsun in the area and wants to get Barbecue Bob up and going. But then again, I might be projecting my own feelings onto him. Where’s the shrink when you need him? Ok, I'm done for the day. Toodles.