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fuelie head p/s bracket

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goalvanny

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yes yes i know i know youre all gonna say buy vortecs i know this already but heres the glitch....my motor is built and has been built for a while now. it was in 71 c10 w/ man steering so it was fine then. but now its in my 86 k10 so now i need p/s steering and cant figure out how to do the bracket without the holes in the heads. i am capable of making some but was wondering if anyone had pics of what they did just to give me a idea to work from. ....

new heads are out of the question because my cam and valve springs will not be happy with vortecs nor do i want to replace my intake manifold as it is a ported together as a set and this motor is a dyno proven 450 hp with a very healthy curve
 
Drill holes!

Dont be scared! Several years ago I had the same problem. I was talked into drilling and taping holes. (3/8 course thread) It was super easy. Make sure you put some silicone onto the threads of your bolts, as they will extend into where oil will be present. I always had a little oil ''swating'' there but it is worth it.
 
DO NOT drill the heads. Two reasons, first the heads are not flat on the ends to properly support a bracket and secondly one or more bolts will either end up in water or oil or both. If you plan to use the long water pump (what comes factory on your 86 K10) you probably won't find anyone that makes brackets since all of the camel hump heads used a short water pump which used different brackets than a long water pump.
 
thnkas yea i dont plan on drilling heads either... its has a short water pump on it as nothing under the hood is stock. i have a aluminum short pump on it now i think i am gonna work off the two driver side bolts for the w/p and go from there and then use the header bolt for support as thats what i did on the alt with a turnbuckle to keep it true and straight with everything else
 
4X4HIGH said:
DO NOT drill the heads. Two reasons, first the heads are not flat on the ends to properly support a bracket and secondly one or more bolts will either end up in water or oil or both. If you plan to use the long water pump (what comes factory on your 86 K10) you probably won't find anyone that makes brackets since all of the camel hump heads used a short water pump which used different brackets than a long water pump.
Click to expand...

Yes you will hit water if you drill deep enough. I would measure first so this wouldn't happen. But if it did, so what. Your waterpump bolts go into the water also. Do they leak? NO! Yes the heads are slightly rounded. So what! This forum is full of inovators and fabricators and craftsmen. I made it work and would do it again and again.
 
My set of heads came drilled into the rocker area, and essentially will not stop leaking oil. Silicone, JB Weld, ARP thread sealant, nothing works 100% at keeping the oil from leaking out once the engine heats up. It's the worst on the passenger side, on the lower alternator bolt.

Just an experience with the "drilled through" accessory bolt holes. It sucks.
 
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chev4x4455 said:
Yes you will hit water if you drill deep enough. I would measure first so this wouldn't happen. But if it did, so what. Your waterpump bolts go into the water also. Do they leak? NO! Yes the heads are slightly rounded. So what! This forum is full of inovators and fabricators and craftsmen. I made it work and would do it again and again.
Click to expand...

I'll bet your waterpump mounts to a nice flat surface and uses a gasket. :rolleyes:
 
My 69 camaro has fuelie heads, and while I did have to engineer an alternator bracket, ( it hangs on the passenger side ), I don't recall having to do anything special to mount the original pump and bracket to the block. IIRC I'm just using the lower bolts, and no top bracket or anything like that..it stays tight, too.

I will try and take some pics for you by the weekend..

I realize that the truck probably uses a different pump and bracket than the camaro, but any info helps right?

here's the best shot I have of my engine bay right now..

enginepic1.jpg
 
goalvanny said:
do you happen to have pics of which bracket you used and such
thanks in advance if you do
Click to expand...

Sorry, no pics. after several years of use i sold the truck. i did see it a while back, still running. I would assemble all your brackets as if you had holes. Then you can use the brackets for templates.
 
chev4x4455 said:
build yours however you want. I'm just giving suggestions that have been successfull. Talk theory all you want.
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Successful, i would say you've been "lucky" if that is how you do things.

Theory? I've probably been working on cars/trucks longer than you've been alive (31 years now). Maybe you should heed some advice from people who have ACTUAL HANDS ON PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE as i do. :deal:
 
chev4x4455 said:
Talk theory all you want.
Click to expand...

That's taking the discussion a bit out of context. A water pump is bolted to a machined flat surface on the front of the block, and still uses gaskets to seal the machined mating surface of the pump to the machined surface on the block. That isn't theory, that's fact.

Things can work well that in theory shouldn't, however the chance of failure or unexpected consequence in those situations is usually massively increased.

Accessories are actually very difficult to get lined up just right even with the factory parts, machined as GM did, adding in more variables simply increases the chance of problems.

Whats the worst that can happen here? Unusable heads? Its up to the PO to decide if he wants to chance it based on information folks here have provided.
 
wow i guess i hit a sore subject with a certain someone...

not trying to get into fights over this just wanting some info on what others have done

i myself am i professional mechanic for a living and a farmer my entire life so i do understand how things work. just trying to make my life a little easier with the bracket stuff havent really had time to even look at it yet...

if i drill then i drill does... it really matter if it leaks a little oil whose rig doesnt for that fact
 
Well its frustrating to *me* to put a new motor together with all sorts of goodies, like a one piece oil pan gasket, or one piece rear main seal, and have it start leaking/burning/using oil right off the bat. Not to mention that it will destroy rubber, like motor and trans mounts, if it gets to them. But you are right, it's a minor problem compared to everything else that happens.

Not hurting my feelings on this topic, if it works, hey, that's great, you were able to use what you already had. It's always your decision. :)
 
goalvanny said:
wow i guess i hit a sore subject with a certain someone...

not trying to get into fights over this just wanting some info on what others have done

i myself am i professional mechanic for a living and a farmer my entire life so i do understand how things work. just trying to make my life a little easier with the bracket stuff havent really had time to even look at it yet...

if i drill then i drill does... it really matter if it leaks a little oil whose rig doesnt for that fact
Click to expand...

No sore subject here with me. A certain someone here though seems to think i don't have any experience or something and that's what set me off.

Also, my rig DOES NOT leak anything. I'm pretty anal about that. I build engines for a living and i hate leaks.
 
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