74' f engine rebuild

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Installing the intake and exhaust

Breaking out the new hardware, coated one end of the studs with high temp anti sieze.
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Sure is a big-ass fan you got there rsb :eek: troubles keeping that turd cool?? :confused:
 
Installing the header bolts

Before installing a stud I screwed onto the stud a nut then a washer then one more nut. I torqued the nuts to each other, just enough to resist rotation when torquing the stud. Makes a great handle when hand screwing in the stud. Next, I ratcheted the stud to bottom, giving it a few ft-lbs of torque so that it would seat. The reason for all of this is to make sure all of the studs are fully bottomed in their holes. To preserve the light torque placed on the studs I used a wrench with the ratchet to break the torque between the two nuts. Hand removing the nuts.
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Sure is a big-ass fan you got there rsb :eek: troubles keeping that turd cool?? :confused:

YA know, it was the one that came with the rig (fits the shroud with room to spare). After first buying the rig I rebuilt the cooling system. After that the only overheat problems I had were probably related to the thrashed motor. I cured that problem by instaling a overflow system along with a new lower pressure radiator cap. Did they come with different sized fans? huh, news to me.
 
Installing the headers and intake

Turd! Turd!, ya know donny, now that I think about it that beast has been lying around my driveway stinking it up for a while now. Anyways, you got me thinking about the cooling system but that would be jumping ahead. i'll be getting to that. As suggested by Jim (Downey) I slathered all four mating surfaces with ultra copper (both sides of the downey gasket, the mani's and the heads). Placed the header on the studs first nutting the two outside 10mm studs just enough to hold the header in place. Next, I installed the intake. finally all of the hardware. I followed Jims instructions to the letter the last time I tried to seal up my old headers (Jim firmly suggested I torque to the breaking point). the result was bent studs. Probably caused by the uneven match between the header and intake. Unnerved by this experience I torqued the studs this time to 45 ft-lbs. Dang it Jim I should have stuck with your advice, got back from the muffler shop and lo and behold......darkened paint indicating an exhaust leak. More on this later since I am skipping ahead again. Anyways, look at those puppies! My Downey headers, just say YEAH!
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Oiling up

Removed the valve cover, pouring the first quart over the rocker assembly. Squirted the pushrod tops and tappits with assembly lube. Rotated the motor to #1 TDC, used the lifter positions to confirm (its either #1 or #6 untill you take a look at your valves, only way I know to figure it). Installed the cover and added the rest of the oil.
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Priming the oiling system

Demolished my old dizzy for its' drive shaft. Chucked it up and..........cwise or ccwise? I know, I know had to make sure even though we all know, clockwise derrrr. Spun the pump. Once again, derrrrr, could hear oil dripping in the block but had to make sure, loosened the oil filter, hell of a mess to clean up but sure enough, full of oil, sure made me fill better, best mess I ever made, doozies I tell ya, plenty of dooooooooozies.
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I've enjoyed reading this thread. That engine sure cleaned up nice.
 
Installing the distributor

Used a screwdriver to align the pump slot, pointing perpindicular to the motor, same with the dizzy, inserting it with the rotor pointing the contact end straight at the block. Landed just right, pointing more towrds #4 than #3. But....... another missed observation. When I installed the oil pump mount I used the mount supplied with the 2f longblock. The fit between the mount hole and the dizzy was very tight, should have checked that and gone with original mount. Its' in there.
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Startup

Everthing ready to go, a little gas two chugs and zroom, ran a couple seconds and then died. No problem, time to add coolant. Yeppers, fired it up with no coolant. Heard this one? Wait to add coolant until you are absolutely sure it will run. If there are startup difficulties that force you to let it sit for an extended period then the head gasket could be compomised by the coolant. I added coolant with the block to heater hose disconnected. Used the heater hose as a rizer to allow trapped air to escape from the head. Coolant started to flow out of the open heater valve, reached over and shut it off, no air back there.
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Kudos to me bud on the Muds

Thanks Marshall, you said there was a 2f in my future and sure enough here it is, how did you do that? crystal ball? eight ball? IDave the stuff about the pilot bearing and all, the kind of input I was hoping for. I'm always thinking, what did I miss? So thank you times two.
 
Down to the muffler shop

Got the thing running, didn't even hit it with a timing light, jumped in and babied it 5 blocks to the muffler shop. Some of you are groaning right now, sure 20 minutes at 2000rpm. With the open header, no way I am going to expose my neighbors to that kind of abuse. Liked the sound myself (brought back memories of my ol 400hp 283 mouse). Read my Petersons Wheel and Off road while I waited for the guys to connect my old exhaust to my new headers. FUNNY, does anyone know this guy. Texas truck, IH8mud sticker. Oil pressure off of the new sender unit was through the roof. By the time I drove home (ten minutes on the rack then down), coolant temp (new sensor) was right in the middle. Engine was full on hot like it had been running for an extended period. Thinking two possibilities, the thermostat was sticking or the belt was too loose. Usually takes many minutes to achieve that kind of heat. Hey, are those Rancho 9000s on that rig?
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Burp the cooling system?
 
This one is for Woody

Hey Woody, had to ask the Wife, the D? Dilithium crystals! Oh! of course! Anyways, study the pic, a hint, NCC-1701. Plan for the day is as follows, get the Turd out of way, slip the Wifes Cobalt in the One car garage and change its' oil, waited a long time (Cruiser in the way) 12000 miles on Mobil 1 extended, not worried a bit, just that darned change oil message, new cars! Think about it, what do you do? reset? Hate all that computer, winey junk, like people can't look at their fuel gage or pay attention to their oil mileage anymore. roll the Cruiser in there, investigate temp issue, set timing, run it up 2000 rpm for 20 min., set valves hot, brake and clutch fluids again and finally, dile in the carb. Sounds good right? Best made plans of mice and men. I'll try to write all of this cronologically, suffice to say it has a happy ending. So back to the picture, Valvoline racing grade, you bet! trust me on that one, back in Engineering school, we watched as the test pan increased in temp, pennzoil smoked first, then the cheap stuff and at more than twice the temp of the rest...you guessed it the big V. What you've heard is MARKETING, not fact. PENN sucks. The vacuum bleeder, some clutch hydros are almost impossible without one, no more waiting for your buddy to come over to get er done. The forced pressure, isolated bladder types are the best though. let me see, ah the filter, says SAE, thats Society of Automotive Engineers rated best, they should know, their the ones who set the standards that allow you to drive your car for 3000 miles an oil change and still get the miles on the motor. Think they fall for the marketing pixey dust?
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The temperature issue

Had to get to the muffler shop before they closed, sure glad they were open an a Saturday. Oh boy, didn't check this one out, my new front pulley has the two large grooves, the old one, one large, one small, only saw the good seal surface, unimpessed with the speedy sleeve. Checked the belt out, could see the fan spinning (hood unmounted at that time) when I drove it over. Belt was loose though, tightened it, hope the larger groove is not a long term issue, thinking I'll have to go large groove alternater and replace the pulley on the water pump, down the road.
 
The spark timing

Oh ya forgot this one. Yesterday, I set up my timing gun, dragged it into the cab with me, one hand on the trigger the other keying the starter, flash, flash went the light, vroom went tne motor. With the timing vacuum hose off, motor ticking, I went a looking for my marks, no where to be found, that far off. Explained the back fire through the intake mighty fast. Set it to the 7 degrees BTDC and called it good. What can i say? I was in a hurry. RPMs cma right up.
 
The oil pressure

Now its' a runnin fool, and I can hear it run. Know what a worn throw-out bearing sounds like? Coming from the motor, changing pitch, going away, coming back. Not a good sound. The valves are noisy too. Check the oil pressure again, meter pegged all the way up. Shut it off.
 
What next?

Thought about it a while. New game plan needed. Genius, I'll change the oil, get that cheap startup oil out of there, that will do it. desperate times, desperate minds. Changed the oil. Put the V in there. New filter. Good plan? But no, All the problems mentioned and more, now ther is an oil leak from the drain plug. Accused the new drain plug washers I got from SOR. Dang, went for the 2000rpms for 20 minutes routine anyways. fix the leak later. The picture shows my shade tree for the huge volumes of oil that gushes from the pan.
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