77K5. The IronMaiden...9/2 headed for Blazer Bash 20!

[76zimmer]

Hey Heath, I did order an adjustable pointer, from my local parts joint, right after I talked with the Chevy dealer. I think its a MR. GASKET part.


And both you guys.....

I did the TDC check by stopping .050 in the hole in each direction, and taking the middle of the 2 degreed readings....But I will check it with a homemade piston stop...just a piece of steel bolted to the block, it shouldn't take long to do it, as I still have the stuff on the engine...
I'll see if there is a difference, thanks guys.


Yesterday I ordered these:

L&L Products, Nickle finish w/ lifetime warranty on rust through.

1973-87 Chevy/GMC, 1973-91 Blazer/ Jimmy, 1973-90 Sub/Tahoe - Complete With Hi Performance Header Gaskets, Collector Reducers and Installation Hardware. 1/2" Thick Flange. 14 ga. 1-3/4" Primary Tubes 4 into 1 Header 2WD & 4WD Trucks

 

[BGKYK5]

I did the TDC check by stopping .050 in the hole in each direction, and taking the middle of the 2 degreed readings

Well that should be about the same then. I think we both just wanted to make sure you weren't looking for a minimum reading on the dial indicator and calling it "0". Having said that, double and triple checking never hurt anything.

 

[76zimmer]

Well that should be about the same then. I think we both just wanted to make sure you weren't looking for a minimum reading on the dial indicator and calling it "0". Having said that, double and triple checking never hurt anything.

Check....

 

[ryoken]

went for some L&L's, cool.... I'm gonna go for that pair with the A.I.R... definitely post pics when ya get em... 1/2" flange, thats sick....

 

[76zimmer]

Thanks Paul, will do on the pic....I'm a whore that way.

After pricing out the other headers with a ceramic coating, which in my experience didn't hold up well to scratches or corrosive environments, the nickel plating, rust through lifetime warranty, 1/2" flanges, and 14 ga. tubes sold me on them.

 

[Recon!]

Thanks Paul, will do on the pic....I'm a whore that way.

After pricing out the other headers with a ceramic coating, which in my experience didn't hold up well to scratches or corrosive environments, the nickel plating, rust through lifetime warranty, 1/2" flanges, and 14 ga. tubes sold me on them.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay and where did you get them?

 

[folkenheath]

Hey Heath, I did order an adjustable pointer, from my local parts joint, right after I talked with the Chevy dealer. I think its a MR. GASKET part.

And both you guys.....

I did the TDC check by stopping .050 in the hole in each direction, and taking the middle of the 2 degreed readings....But I will check it with a homemade piston stop...just a piece of steel bolted to the block, it shouldn't take long to do it, as I still have the stuff on the engine...
I'll see if there is a difference, thanks guys.

Sounds good. I would use your bar steel again and mark the balancer after you get it on with the timing cover and pointer. Mark the balancer at factory zero on both sides when the dome hits the bar, and then measure and mark the center of the balancer between those marks. Then rotate the crank so your new zero mark aligns with where you used to mark it on the pointer(probably the original "pointer" zero), and then adjust the adjustable pointer itself to point to the factory machined mark on the balancer at that true zero position.

Also, that's all I use (if the heads are off), a 1/4" x 1" flat aluminum bar, and bolt it down staggered between two shortie head bolts, and then stop it both directions. It is more consistent than using an indicator, even an indicator at .050" or whatever below. Especially if you weren't traveling the same "piston" direction when you marked the degree point. Because the piston rocks in its bore when it's moving different directions. So if you mark .050 on the way up and .050 and the way back down with the crank travelling the same direction, it may be different, because the piston was travelling opposite. You may even get the same measurement this time, but what about next time? The dead stop will always be the same, every time.

Lookin' awesome.

 

[76zimmer]

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay and where did you get them?

no problem:

http://www.landlproducts.com/list.aspx?cID=4

for the nickle plated, BBC headers it will be ~$580 delivered.



Heath, thanks for the explanation....I've used the piston stop method before in the sparkplug hole, but not with heads off. I never liked doing it that way, as you couldn't see the piston, and my mind works best by looking at it.
probably 90% of the cams I've set up have been with heads off, so that is what I'm set in my mind with. I set up the dial indicator to the center of the piston, figuring rock would be minimal directly above the wrist pin.
At any rate the positive stop ÷ 2 is a foolproof way of checking.
And by using that method, there was .5° difference. When I get the bottom end buttoned up, I will check things again with the balancer/timing indicator marks.
Thanks man.

Today I got the oil pump pickup positioned and brazed to the pump, and checked a few odds & ends before buttoning up the bottom end. Cleaned up the head casting flash in the water jackets, and cleaned some more parts for assembly of the top end.

 

[76zimmer]

I decided to make my own timing TDC indicator, as this aluminum cover I'm using doesn't allow the cheapass indicator I bought to fit....simple...made out of thick stainless sheet, and a little hand manipulation.

I got the short block finished up yesterday, and buttoned up, threw the heads, intake and accessories on it to pic whore it up. No valvetrain in it yet, but this shows what the paint job looks like all together.

 

[crawdaddy]

That looks SWEET. Seeing that put together now has to make you feel better about spending the extra change on a BBC. If not now it will when you mash the loud pedal.

 

[76zimmer]

I gotta say I'm happy with the results so far...except that I got carb cleaner on my valve covers, and fooked up the paint

I think I'll have them powder coated when I get the breather situation figured out.
Thats something to worry about another day.

If it runs as good as I think it will, I'll be changing my shorts in a hurry.

 

[Fred_M1010]

That's one heck of a nice looking engine!
It matches the rest of the build

What silver paint have you used?

Now I really have to get my thumb out of my arse and finish the 454 for my Camaro

 

[folkenheath]

Looks nice, you made a $5k engine look like a $15k engine!

 

[76zimmer]

Today got the heads torqued down, and the valvetrain put in, the stock pushrod guide plates worked well, although had to move a couple of them around a bit to get a good contact pattern on the valve tip.

CC rockers and pushrods. K-Motion springs retainers and locks.
The pushrods are .080 magnums, and the rockers are Ultra Pro Magnum or something like that.

mmmmm:

 

[warwgn]

so what size exhaust you gonna run, and which mufflers?

 

[76zimmer]

That's one heck of a nice looking engine!
It matches the rest of the build

What silver paint have you used?

Now I really have to get my thumb out of my arse and finish the 454 for my Camaro

Hey Fred, I used a light coat of zinc chromate on the bare iron, then a few coats of this aluminum:
Rustoleum engine enamel..

 

[76zimmer]

so what size exhaust you gonna run, and which mufflers?

My headers are about 1.6" I.D. tubes, and the collector is 2.8 I.D. I plan on limiting my rpm to 5500, so probably a 2.5 dual system with high flow mufflers will be the setup. If I cant logistically get a 2.5 system where I want, I may go with 2.5's converging into a single 3.5. That is why I'm getting all this stuff in the frame now, to figure some of these things out.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

and the rockers are Ultra Pro Magnum or something like that.

that sounds like a condom or something.

looks sharp man. fire it up already!

 

[76zimmer]

that sounds like a condom or something.

looks sharp man. fire it up already!

I wish I was that far....still have some things to figure out on the engine before fire up...serp system, breather/pcv system, headers...and on and on...but I did get the sucker set in the frame today...

This is an old header I had laying around....fender well exit anyone?

 

[folkenheath]

Those valve covers looks nice and the studs will protect the threads, nice pieces.

There's only one bummer, it will be impossible to remove the valve cover without removing the brake booster. If the brake booster is small enough that they fit. Or you could switch to hydroboost.