Project Anti-Ken-A Very Low Budget 350 build

[Tom Bryant]

Here's the pickup that comes with this pan. Positive retention with 2 pump cover bolts ends the worry of the pickup ever falling out or changing angle.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Here's the sump and trap door.This allows oil to reach the sump but not flow back out under hard braking. This trap door is similar to the '57-'62 Corvette pan.

Jack,

2 questions.

1) Is this 7 qts in the pan or 7 qts with filter?

2) Did you have to remark your dip stick?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[bossvette]

2) Did you have to remark your dip stick?

No you don't
the dipstick depth is controled by the dipstick tube and has nothing to do with the depth of the pan as long as you have the correct tube and stick

 

[Ken]

Thanks Craig, for clarifying that. I went through similar concerns when I was building my engine.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks Craig, for clarifying that. I went through similar concerns when I was building my engine.

Me too Craig. That makes sense that it would be filled to the full mark. Stick and tube were both out of the same engine so they should be right.

 

[Jack]

Here's the sump and trap door.This allows oil to reach the sump but not flow back out under hard braking. This trap door is similar to the '57-'62 Corvette pan.

Jack,

2 questions.

1) Is this 7 qts in the pan or 7 qts with filter?

2) Did you have to remark your dip stick?

Thanks,
Tom

TOM:
Been off-line for a bit .. sorry not getting back to you. Your pan & pickup looks just like mine ... not bad ehh? Craig is right. The existing "full" mark is still correct ... you can run it a a quart low on the stick and it'll still have plenty and will be that much further from crank throws. I didn't remark mine. If I recall, mine holds right at 8 qts INCLUDING filter. Just put in 7 qts ... oil-prime the new motor ... then adjust oil 'till right at or just shy of full mark ... then run-in the new cam.

BTW ... my pickup clearance started right at 1/2" (8/16") from pan bottom ... then I added a "main cap oil baffle" ($5 at speedway motors) between pump & main cap ... flat sheetmetal about 1/16" thick. My final clearance right at 7/16". General rule of thumb on clearance is 3/8" (6/16") ... so I'm only 1/16" higher. IMHO ... with about 7 qts in pan I don't think 1/8" extra clearance would hurt a thing ... w/ 7 qts in pan. Also ... you have HI-volume pump, right? I have Hi-vol small block pump but used the standard pressure spring. Also IMHO ... with the Hi-Vol pump it probably don't hurt to have a bit more clearance from a thin-gauge pan. Also ... I loctited & staked the pump plate bolts ... AND I tacked the tube to pump.
JACK:gap

 

[Blade]

It ain't like I got a lotta money, I'm just gonna spend what I do have before I die.

I agree with you Ken. I cant spend it when I am dead, so I plan on spending prior to that.

Neither of you are married are you!

 

[Tom Bryant]

My pickup was actually a tad too close to the pan and I needed to tweek it to get 3/8 clearance.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Just a quicky to let everyone know that this project isn't dead. It's just on hold until Cruise-Fest is CAC history. Every spare minute has been going into CruiseFest but it will be here and gone before we know it.

Here's a picture of the completed short block.

Tom

 

[Tom Bryant]

Ok. Here we go again. I took the heads apart today. Next step is to take them to the machine shop for cleaning and crack checking. Everything looked good. The valves seemed to have very little play and were all in good condition. Valve seats were in good condition too. No pulled studs or broken springs either. No sign of excessive wear anywhere. I may be able to get by with just a straight rebuild with the exception of better springs and a 3 angle valve job. I'll also port match them after they are clean and before the machine work is done.

Tom

 

[Tom Bryant]

Does anyone have an opinion as to weather I should keep the valve rotators on the exhaust valves or just run standard retainers. Looking at the wear on the retainers I'm thinking new with the new springs. I'm taking the whole mess to the machine shop tomorrow and get their opinion as to the valves and guides. The intakes have some wear on the stems and all seem to have a little play in the guides.

Tom

 

[JohnZ]

I've never used the rotators on any engine I built - never saw a need, never burned an exhaust valve.

Note: 1973-77 engines used P/N 6263796 springs (shorter free length) on the exhausts, to provide the same open and closed pressure with rotators as the later '68-'91 P/N 3911068 springs, used without rotators (80# closed, 200# open @ 1.25" installed height). The 3911068 springs are still available from GM (1.239" O.D., Free Length 2.027", 0.177" wire diameter). After 1977, the exhaust valve spring pockets were machined deeper so the 3911068 springs could be used for both intake and exhaust; with those heads, either rotators or an equivalent shim must be used under the exhaust valve spring to achieve correct pressures.

 

[Tom Bryant]

I noticed that the exhaust springs were shorter. These are Jan. '72 cast heads. Like you, I have never burned an exhaust valve. I think I'll probably just go with regular retainers and all the same length springs.

Thanks John.

 

[Tom Bryant]

I talked to my machine shop guy today and he said the valves were showing wear on the stems and the exhaust guides were a little loose. They magged ok and the exhaust seats are already hardened type. We decided to go with new stock type valves since it is just a mild engine and upgrade the springs and trash the rotators. They have a better spring that works well with mild cams and won't pull the studs if I run it out to 6000 or so in a moment of exuberance. Me? We also talked CR and head gaskets. We might have to do a clean-up cut to set CR where I want it. He will be calling me today or tomorrow, I hope, with a quote. Then I'll pick them up so I can do the port matching and clean up the bowl areas before the machine work begins.

I have a feeling that I'll be in the 60-75% area of the price of a set of new Vortec heads. That's close enough to make me think I should just go with new heads BUT.....

1) I would need a new intake. Vortec intakes. either from Edelbrock or GM are nearly twice what a basic Performer manifold runs, plus I already have that Offenhauser.

2) I can't use the GM divorced type choke on that OEM Holley I have with a new intake so why mess with the old Holley. New intake plus new carb = about $500.

3) I remember Hot Rod said there was a head part number released for Vortecs drilled for both type manifolds. Sounded like just the ticket until I read that you must use a raised runner or Vortec type intake. Older intakes will not have enough lip at the top of the intake runner to provide enough gasket sealing surface for street use. In other words, a vacuum leak waiting to happen.

So just buying the Vortec heads is only part of the cost of the change-over. For what I'm doing I think I'll stick with my old heads unless the quote is way too high.

Tom

 

[Tom Bryant]

I just brought the heads home all clean and magged. Now I need to plan out my grinding. I've been reading a lot on the subject and a few rather minor mods seem to be all that I will need for this mild engine.

Here are a few pics of the clean heads. I'll show the mods as I do them.

Tom

 

[Tom Bryant]

The UPS guy just dropped off my rocker arms I bought on Ebay. Cost plus shipping saved me $10.50 off what I could get them from my local GM dealer where my wife works and $20. less than Pace. I did order the matching pushrods locally and had them the next day. Here is a picture and the catalog discriptions. The old rocker is on the left and the ZZ4 self aligning is on the right. You can see the bumps on the stamping that keep the rocker centered on the valve stem. I think these are an excellent choice for this type of engine. Rollers would be better but that is against the theme of keeping this budget build cheap without sacrificing quality and durability.

12495490 Rocker Arm Kit
These small block V8 or V6 rocker arm kits include 16 stamped steel rockers with pivot balls and nuts. These self-aligning high quality rockers have a nominal 1:5.1 ratio. Use P/N 10089648 for single service part.

Technical Notes: Use on all V8 models except 1997 or newer LS1 design engines. This kit includes 16 pieces of P/N 10089648.

12495491 Heavy Duty Pushrod Kit, Standard Length
These 5/16" O.D. pushrods are standard length (7.724") and have a .075" wall compared to .060" wall on production ones. These pushrods are used on all non-roller tappet camshafts 1955 and newer. This heavy-duty pushrod is manufactured from 1010 steel and hardened. For single pushrod replacement use P/N 14044874.

You can see the hardened tip in the picture.

 

[Jack]

The UPS guy just dropped off my rocker arms ...

The old rocker is on the left and the ZZ4 self aligning is on the right.

I think these are an excellent choice for this type of engine.

I agree Tom ... and with self-aligning you won't have to fiddle with guide plates and their studs either.

I know this is late ... but there are lower cost sources for Vortec intakes($125-$170). http://www.performancedepot.com/partnumber_search.php?partnumber=52007&compid=99999&dealer=no&x=24&y=0 Professional Products P/Ns 52007 (performer clone), 52028 (airgap clone), 52033 (victor clone).
JACK:gap

 

[Tom Bryant]

Well, one down and one to go. Got the intake ports evened up a little. The chambers are mostly polished and the exhaust ports are polished. The big casting goobers are removed from the ports. The short side radius is smoothed over and the bowls blended while retaining the hourglass shape for a venturi effect. The oil drainbacks on the one head were almost completely casting flashed over and the casting core mould lines are very deep in the ports. I didn't hog them out far enough to remove them. That would have been way too much material to remove for this engine's intended use. Basically this was a clean up and polish to improve the flow and reduce sharp edges that would cause detonation job. Intake ports were not polished. These smallish exhaust ports are real tight around the valve guides and even with my smallest tools I'd have to remove way to much guide boss material to polish those areas fully. I'm sure they will be fine for this mild build.

I'm getting all new valves, new better than stock springs (20# more open pressure) and exhaust guides and good seals. They will also be surfaced to set the CR at 9.25-9.5 and a 3 angle valve job all cut at the same time. (All angles not all seats). I will have around $400. in them but that's still a couple hundred less than new Vortecs and intake, even at the best discounts.

These castings were the roughest I've ever seen but the 350 2bbl engines weren't designed for anything more than moving grandma to church and back.

I wanted to use the cast iron rams horn manifolds but they are as rough as the heads inside. Also one has an internal casting bump in the ram tube from an end cylinder that blocks that passage by about 50%. Extrude honing would clean them up and polish them inside but $685. seems a few $$ on the high side to me. I don't want to use headers unless I get coated ones. A friend had 3 or 4 sets on his '72 shortbed before he found ones that would clear speed bumps on a lowered truck. As you might guess these were also the most expensive ones he had to buy.

I also got very excited about this new product from Speedway Motors. Cost is again a problem. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/product_view_full_img.asp?image%5Ffile=9300300%2Ejpg&product%5Fname=Cast+Iron+Small+Block+Chevy+%26quot%3BRam%26quot%3B+Type%3CBR%3EExhaust+Manifold&base%5Fno=9300300&mscssid=K4LVRJXPXAUJ8LTG84R1D5JEG8DMEKD9

I think I found the perfect solution under the hood of the '81. The tubing manifolds they started using in '81 would be perfect with the AIR tubes removed. The ports match in size and the exhaust system I already have should bolt up as they are the same dimensions as the cast manifolds. Now all I need to do is find some and verify the downpipe size..

Tom

 

[JohnZ]

Lookin' good! You'll get some payoff from the exhaust port work - that's the point of most restriction to airflow. What's the deal on the Speedway exhaust manifolds? The link brought up a photo, but nothing else.

 

[Tom Bryant]

oops. Sorry about that John. They are a new street rod product. I just copied the blown up picture link. Here's the listing. These aren't totally out of the picture yet. The more I look at them the cooler they get and I liked them right off.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp/strBase_List./hilt./source.2192/base_no.9300300/str_base_no.91088200%2C91089413%2C91112202%2C91112206%2C91112211%2C91112221%2C91112232%2C9134013%2C91615810%2C91615813%2C91639501%2C91639600%2C91657050%2C91657075%2C9180028%2C9180033%2C9190920%2C9300106%2C9300300%2C97493100%2C/header_title.New+Products%2DNew+Street+Rod+Products/page_name.prod%5Flist%5Fdisplay.asp/search_type.L1%7E493/search_option./deptsearch./deptSearch_id./dept_id./dept_id_p./dept_name./dept_name_p./ShowImages.yes/sq.60/cont.1/intPgNo.4/redirect./qx/product.htm