Started on motor rebuild

[Sams_71]

Yesterday was a good day! I dropped the truck off at a local machine shop to have the motor pulled and rebuilt. I decided to keep the original motor rather replace it with a new one. Sorry to say I couldn't do this job myself, something that is not in my toolset. Timing is something of an issue now as well for when I returned from dropping it off I had a fax from my lawyer that GM, who a few weeks ago agreed to repurchase my 2000 'Vette, had tendered an offer. So, the rebuild needs to be completed as soon as possible so that I have some transportation. Happily, I'll now have the resources I need to get this classic back into tip-top shape. I'm also planning on repairing the suspension system will the motor is out of the way.

Happy days all,


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Sam

http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html
tmj39@att.net

[Sams_71]

Two days into the the job...

http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/media/144071/site1006.jpg

http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/media/144071/site1007.jpg

http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/media/144071/site1008.jpg

http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/media/144071/site1010.jpg

I also joined a truck club here in KC, I'm going to my first meeting tomorrow.

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Sam

http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

http://www.chevygmcofkc.org/

tmj39@att.net


[This message has been edited by Sams_71 (edited 08-23-2002).]

[WES]

Sounds great!! I think if the engine is origanal you are better off anyway. I bought a new goodwrench motor for my Blazer once and was not at all happy with it. Let us know if we can help you. http://classicheartbeat.com.westserver.net/ubb/smile.gif WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com (http://www.ClassicHeartbeat.com)

[longhorn man]

crawl in there and detail your chassis while the engine is out. Even if it is a spray bomb deal, it'll look good!
Why do you want GM to buy back the flexable flyer?

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'69 G.M.C. (http://geocities.com/andys_69_gmc/) 350/350 and a heluva cam. Still trying to clean up the left over damage from the Dope-Smokin-Old-Man.
The 1970 One ton Longhorn (one of only 1404 built) with only a TH350...soon to be CADDY powered and a TH350. Check out The Longhorn Webite. (http://www.longhorntrucks.freeservers.com/) Andy, in Columbus Ohio...Home of JEGS

[Sams_71]

Flexible flyer http://classicheartbeat.com.westserver.net/ubb/confused.gif , haha, I hadn't heard that one before. I've had to take it back to the dealer numerous times. It's had computer related problems since the first week I got it. They keep having to replace the controls. The brain, (twice) the throttle control unit (twice) and this last time when the steering column wouldn't unlock was the final straw. It's safety issue now, I don't know when it's going to lie down again. The remotes, the memory package and blinkers all work every now and then. They've tried to buy me off with a free extended warrantee and $5,000 to just keep it. In Missouri there is a 3 strikes and you're out law. So they settled out of court, paying off the bank, lawyer fees and everything I've paid on it. 26 payments, down payment and registration fees. I still have to take it back to the dealer to have an inspection to make sure that I hasn't got anymore than normal use though. So I drove a new 'Vette for two plus years for free. I also drove a bunch of rental cars while it was in the shop.

I had planned on jumping in the `71 and taken care of some stuff while the motor was out. Cleaning up all that oil sludge build up, it's nasty in there. Replacing the coils, shocks, bushings and steering controls. You think I should spray paint the front part of the frame too? I was there yesterday. The radiator support under the battery was corroded completely away, so is the battery box. Also going to fix that transmission leak.

They've got the motor apart, block washed. Cylinder walls are scared. It's going to be bored .30 over. Two rings were broken. Replace the pistons and rods. Replace the crank, it had grooves worn in it. Replace the cam. One rocker arm had oval shaped notch wore in it from the top of the valve stem. The bolt holding that rocker arm on had a notch worn a quarter of the way through it from the rocker arm bouncing around and almost sawing it off. It had two different heads on it. One required tapered seat plugs, and the other didn't. They had kept one piston to show me how the rings wobbled around in the grooves.

Questions, for ya all. Should I get it balanced? The guy showed me how they would weigh out the pistons and the rods and the bottom of the rods to get them all equal. Said that would cost an extra $200. What color should I have it painted? They want to do black. I had thought about the red orange like it was.

I'm going to get my `67 today. It'll be a 160 mile return trip.



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Sam

For the record...
http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

The Genuine Chevy - GMC Truck Club of Kansas City http://www.chevygmcofkc.org/

Contact me
tmj39@att.net

[GJORGENSEN]

That engine sounds like it has been around the block a time or two. Lots of shadetree fixing like on the heads.

I always have my engines balanced. Good way to extend the life of an engine and about the cheapest in the long run. What I do is just buy the complete rotating assembly from a good supplier and get it all balanced at that time. They usually add $100. That way I save 100. Of course that is only when I build one from scratch. Usually I don't have to replace the rods only put in new rod bolts.

If you want a little more power I would just use a cam with .454 lift intake and exhaust with 112 degree lobe centers. That will give you good low end performance and nice horsepower with that Edelbrock Performer manifold. That is the same as a GM 350 horse cam. Still get good idle also.

George

[Sams_71]

Thanks for the tips George. I'll talk to the guys tomorrow about the cam and going ahead and balancing it. If the crank is grooved and worn where the rods clamped around it, wouldn't the rods be grooved inside as well?

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Sam

For the record...
http://home.att.net/~tmj39/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

The Genuine Chevy - GMC Truck Club of Kansas City http://www.chevygmcofkc.org/

Contact me
tmj39@att.net