Good high quality 5w30 oil for break-in works well.
Usually 1500-2000 miles before first change is sufficient. Change oil and filter and check for metal in the oil.
For cam break-in run at high idle 1500-2,000 rpm for an hour varying the speed up and down often and check everything very...
Go with the aluminum. You cant have too much cooling especially with a V-8. Jegs and Summit have some good ones as well as many speciality manufacturers. The last thing you want is a cooling problem.
A cam with 210 duration @050 normally runs .420 -.450 lift and is commonly knows as an Rv type cam. These cams have fairly smooth idles and provide gobs of low wnd torque in a 350. If you have a noticible lope you are probably running 225 or more duration and more lift. A dual profile cam...
Higher octane fuel is sometimes necessary in sbc. Depending on the compression ratio of the engine and the load under which it is operated.
If the engine is a low compression stocker 87 octane is probably sufficient. If the compression is 9.5 or more higher octane will probably be...
A big trailer in the 30-35 foot range takes a big tow vehicle. You could modify the 62 to tow it but you would never be happy. A v-8 conversion and a matching heavy duty transmission as well as extra cooling wouild help but you would still have a trailer / tow combination that could go but...
80/90 will work very well for all around use. The only time you would want to use anything heavier is if you are running high speeds for long times in very hot temps like the freeway around Yuma. or if you are putting it under very heavy loads in high temps.
You have to get dirty.
Scrape as much of the crud off as you can.
Soak the rest with degreaser, especially the transmission, transfer case and bottom of the engine.
Use a pressure washer of wishy washy car wash and spray off the underside as clean as you can. then spray degreaser again...
Most all of the sbc exhast manifolds bolt up to the same bolt pattern. Inthe 80s some have an extended bolt hole at the left rear. the rams horns will bolt up to any sbc before Vortec. Some of the rams horn have vertical exits and some have an angled exit.
When a steel automatic transmission line breaks, a rubber hose with clamps can be used as a temporary fix. Usually the lack of transmission fluid will be a problem tho. Water will work for a ways before it steams away. If you have beer do not ever pour beer in the transmission. Drink it...
On sbcs heat will sometimes cause valve lifters to clatter. changing the oil may help temporarily but at the least look at replacing the lifters down the road. depending on how bad it may last a long time as is