I really am a dumbass sometimes...

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DesertLake

DesertLake

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Sep 19, 2007
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Somewhere I once read that you should make sure the old o-ring comes off when you change the oil filter. Yep, sometimes it sticks on there. My 4.5qt engine just became an 8qt engine.:mad:

It's amazing how fast 3.5qts pumps out. We will be replentishing our cat litter sooner.
 
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DesertLake said:
Somewhere I once read that you should make sure the old o-ring comes off when you change the oil filter. Yep, sometimes it sticks on there. My 4.5qt engine just became an 8qt engine.:mad:

It's amazing how fast 3.5qts pumps out. We will be replentishing our cat litter sooner.
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Good tip. Ill have to learn from THAT mistake!
Good thing you caught it and didnt go running down 395.:eek:
 
I'm not sure I would have made it to the gate! I could hear it squirting out. At least it wasn't clean to begin with, that 6 month old head gasket is hemmoraging anyway. The crapmobile strikes again.
 
DesertLake said:
Exxon Valdez on my floor is what I'm sayin.
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That is what I call my Ford when it is time for an oil change, 15 qts per change baby. 16 qts if I change the HPOP reservoir. 17 qts with my by-pass oil filter system.

That is some serious oil.:crybaby:

Jack
 
DesertLake said:
Crush washer?!
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poor boy pulling said:
probably the washer that goes on your drain plug?
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Exactly.
I believe most cars use a crush washer on the drain plug. You "should" change it every time you change oil. NBD if you don't, you just get some oil seepage from the plug, from what you say I doubt it would be noticeable.:grinpimp:
 
my cummins is bad for that caught it once disposing of the old filter...i always run my finger across the surface out of habit now..would hate to put 13qts on the garage floor...at 80+ psi...
 
simple rule is to wipe the block gasket mating surface clean and oil new gasket before installing and that miss hap shouldnt happen again
 
More dumbassery. Trying to pop the oil pan off my other 350, a tool slipped and I sliced my finger. Mind you I'm a clutz and manage a slice requiring compression and a blood mop every few months, so I'm used to bleeding. Yet this time, I'm five minutes into hosing out my finger when I all of a sudden pass out. WTF??? We're only talking a few tablespoons, it's not like I pumped dry. I thought people that pass out at the sight of blood were panicking, but it wasn't like that. Again, WTF.

At least I got the engine game plan together. Looks like I'll use the Goodwrench block, crank, and rods that I put in 12 years and maybe 12000 miles ago, but the cam and World heads from the project engine I bought. Still not decided on the intake, any opinion on Weiand aluminum vs stock?

BTW, if you have any old disk drives laying around, the magnets are great for removing lifters. Most of the lifters jumped about 1/2 inch out of the block to hit the magnet. They usually are attached to a backing shield, so the field is only strong on one side. Which gives you something to pry against when the magnet gets stuck to the workbench. Do not get your skin between the magnet and anything metal.
 
I've got an old Hot Rod magazine article here somewhere on a manifold shootout for SBC. If you are running anything less than a cam with 220 Deg duration at .050, then the stock manifold or a Performer are all you will ever need. The weiand stock replacement is also a good one. If you are going to run a Quadrajet carb, the stock manifold will beat anything you can buy when it comes to mixture distribution and economy and with a little porting of the plenum will run with any Performer manifold right up to 5500 rpm.

If you are going to run more cam than that, or run more than 5500 rpm, then you need the Performer RPM or the Weiand stealth. Stay away from the Summit or Chinese knockoffs of the Edelbrock manifolds. I've seen side by side flow bench and dyno comparisons where a stock 4bbl manifold made more power and had better fuel distribution than any of the Cyclone or Summit knock off manifolds.

A quick look at a good manifold and those cheapies side by side will tell you all you need to know. The runners aren't centered on the bolts, the casting flash is horrendous and the plenums are all messed up with strange angles and poor port entries.

If you decide you want to get crazy and put a race engine in there, I've got tons of info for you and I also have desktop dyno on the computer so we can go through combinations and cams to compare.
 
Thanks Will. I did manage to measure both cams, the one from the project engine is .441/.461, 214/223, give or take a bit. The Goodwrench measured at .379/.400, 193/200 as expected. The Weiand doesn't support the divorced choke from my q-jet, so the stock manifold will save some hassle there.
 
Also I just noticed that the rods aren't marked with the cylinder numbers. I think I can get a set of marking punches today, but is it safe to punch the rods while they are still in place, or do I pull the rods then punch them on the bench? The books I have don't say one way or the other. It seems like I should hammer on them while they are supported by the crank, but better to ask first.
 
Hand injuries are weird. I poked myself pretty good in the palm last summer trying to cut some drip line pipe. I got pressure on it right away and didn't lose much more than a tablespoon of blood, but I started feeling woosey in the car on he way to the ER. If I hadn't been sitting down I would probably have passed out. This was one of those, "Oh s***! I can see bone." kind of wounds. I don't usually run to the ER every time I cut myself.
 
Mark the rods while they are on the crank. Otherwise it's a real PITA to clamp them down tight enough to get the die to stamp deep enough.

A stock manifold will probably be borderline if that big cam measured that duration at .050 lift. I've got a cam here at the house I'd let go cheap if you are looking for a 1/2 way point between your two cams. I think it's a crane energizer and it has 210 deg duration at .050 and about .440 of lift.

The big thing is the powerband and compression you will be running, that cam will be pretty weak below 2500 rpm, even with the flat top pistons you have. If you stuff it in a motor with less than 9.0-1 compression it's going to be a disappointment unless you have deep gears and don't mind winding it up a little. I built a 400 small block and used a cam very similar and it was great, but we built a couple 350's with a cam a touch smaller and they hated life until they hit 2800-3K rpm, especially in a heavy truck. Smog could also be an issue with that big cam if you can't get the idle clean enough. If it lopes at all, it's a real bear to get the HC's low enough to pass the sniffer test. The cam you have, if it's as big as I think, is about the upper limit for smog.
 
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