Status update - 85 Dolphin rebuild

[keitholivier]

I just got my little Dolphin back together after the engine was in 100 pieces on the bench up to last weekend. The motor now runs sweetly. This afternoon I visited a muffler shop and had a new catalytic converter and muffler fitted and I had the exhaust terminated in front of the rear wheel (side exit). Its about 12 feet shorter now than before (counting the crossover behind the axle to avoid the grey and black water tanks). It is very quiet, unlike before with the rusted out and dragging exhaust.

I put in pistons, rings, main and big end bearings, new oil pump, new front cover with new timing sprockets, chain and guides (same as the original, the old one was fine). Also sprang for a new cylinderhead which came with a new cam. Reused my rockers which were not worn. Finally, wasted a lot of time trying to put new toyota studs into the old exhaust manifold. After so many heat cycles the cast iron is so hard and brittle I gave up and bought a new manifold. Just put in the new manifold today. Actually left in the old sealing rings on the joint to the header, since I figured the muffler shop may have to seperate the joint (which wasn't required). I still have the new sealing rings and the fancy nuts for the joint to the downpipe. I did coat all the threads on the manifold with high temp anti seize compound in case I have to do more work on it in the near future.

The cost:

Overhaul kit $300 (pistons, rings, bearings, front cover, timing chain & sprockets,gasket set, oil pump)

New cylinder head and set of new head bolts (old ones were dry corroded)$325

New exhaust manifold $85

Metric fine fasteners (for front cover and cylinder head which are delivered with no fasteners) and to replace damaged fasteners $100 approximately.

Sandblasting the block and sump (quite a lot of road salt corrosion) $60

93% zinc primer for protecting block and sump (1 can) $8

High temp black paint for block and sump $6 (unfortunately only black, white or grey available)

Aluminum paint to get some parts to look respectable again (tappet cover, water pump, steel heater hoses, dipstick handle $6.

New radiator hoses $45

New spark plugs and plug wires $50

Still to do prior to summer vacation (soon)

Get rear brakes working (rusted out steel brake lines at the rear)

Adjust rear drums so that handbrake works on both wheels

Purchase and install coach battery (having real problems finding deep cycle batteries in my location)

Troubleshoot charging of coach battery (I see some thick wires running to the main vehicle battery but the wire to the positive terminal has been cut, this wire is at least 1/4" thick). I have the impression that when the coach battery died, the previous owner simply connected the main battery and the coach battery in parallel. Not a good idea. I was planning to run an inverter from the main battery into which I will connect a dedicated battery charger, thereby fully isolating the 2 12v systems. I just have to be sure that the coach battery is not getting connected to the alternator when the engine is running. The inverter gets its power through the stock battery isolator under the hood, so it is only powered up when the engine runs. When one is connected to mains one has the stock battery charging system, which I may need to improve as described here on this forum. Right now I am not anticipating being hooked up for long (just overnight) so concerns of overcharging the coach battery are not a high priority.

I don't have my air assist springs fitted yet. I have run out of time for the chassis surgery required to make them fit. I hope the suspension holds out. It is a bone jarring ride with the current configuration.

Maybe as part of my radical rebuild after the summer vacation, I will convert the rear to a full air ride system with linkages to control tracking (no leaf springs whatsoever). I figure I can reduce the weight of the new coachwork by a substantial margin with the aluminum honeycomb sheets, so a softer spring rate and more compliance overall will be possible. I have a 2004 3.4l Chevrolet V6 sitting under the workbench and I'm thinking of combining that with a TH700 and a rear axle from one of the full size pickups (no dually's please).... There should be a much wider range of tire choices available for a modern axle and the situation today is not much different (spare fits front axle only). Its just a fact of life that finding spares for something 21 years old is getting tough. The D rated tires are down to just 2 brands now in the 14" size.

If I go ahead with my crazy plan, then my powertrain will be put up for sale (engine, trans and rear axle) but only AFTER my summer vacation....

best of luck and best wishes for rapid regrowth of all the missing knuckle skin....

Keith