I have a sickness...

[tRustyK5]

Well, a bit too hungover to do much other than dink around today. so I figured I'd pull valve covers and oil pan off and see what I got...while crossing my fingers I didn't find anything nasty.

Valve cover off:

Awefully clean inside, and good quality gaskets.

Snapped a pic of the casting numbers on the heads. Everything i can find says truck 454, peanut port. Good low end heads?

Engine numbers:

Pretty clean, and nice to find 4 bolt mains...

Inside of pan...

So, the only other thing I think I'm gonna do is remove the balancer and TC cover and have a look there. I think it already has a double roller on it, but I can't see well enough to be 100% sure. As for the rest, it's damn clean inside...I will do a compression test on it and if the numbers look good I'll run it as is.

Rene

 

[howdiy]

Yeah, new gaskets and stuff everywhere. It appears to be intake, valve covers, timing cover, oil pan.

I'm not gonna touch it for a while yet, but I'm thinking brass freeze plugs, new double roller TC, maybe swap some sexier valve covers on (damn BBC covers are pricy!) and paint it something other than flat black.

Noticed when I got it home it needs a dipstick tube too.

Rene

Tell me about about, I ended up buying 4 different sets of valve covers. Are you running A/c? What pulley system are you going to run. The brackets I have limit my choices a lot.

Seems to be the exact same engine as was in my truck, lasted 250k miles before the timing chain came apart. It would still probably be going if it had a steel timing chain.

If they have a double roller on there your golden, you may want to degree it in though but you'll probably be fine.

 

[76zimmer]

Well, a bit too hungover to do much other than dink around today. so I figured I'd pull valve covers and oil pan off and see what I got...while crossing my fingers I didn't find anything nasty.

Valve cover off:

Awefully clean inside, and good quality gaskets.

Snapped a pic of the casting numbers on the heads. Everything i can find says truck 454, peanut port. Good low end heads?

Engine numbers:

Pretty clean, and nice to find 4 bolt mains...

Inside of pan...

So, the only other thing I think I'm gonna do is remove the balancer and TC cover and have a look there. I think it already has a double roller on it, but I can't see well enough to be 100% sure. As for the rest, it's damn clean inside...I will do a compression test on it and if the numbers look good I'll run it as is.

Rene

4 bolt huh...I got the same casting and its a 2 bolt

 

[tRustyK5]

That's weird, maybe a 3/4 ton vs 1 ton thing? Every casting number reference site I could find called it as a 4 bolt main block though, none said "2 or 4 bolt mains" for that number.

GM could be so strange at times. 2 bolt is still good for a healthy power and rpm range, I wouldn't worry about it.

Rene

 

[tRustyK5]

Tell me about about, I ended up buying 4 different sets of valve covers. Are you running A/c? What pulley system are you going to run. The brackets I have limit my choices a lot.

Seems to be the exact same engine as was in my truck, lasted 250k miles before the timing chain came apart. It would still probably be going if it had a steel timing chain.

If they have a double roller on there your golden, you may want to degree it in though but you'll probably be fine.

OK, so learn me up on degreeing it. I see reference to "straight up, 4 degrees advanced, 4 degrees retarded" etc etc.

I will be running AC. I have the same brackets you do, but I'm going to use the adaptors plates Zimmer got and bolt up the serp set-up from my 350 on it. I think those brackets are $129 or so...but it'll make my life a lot easier.

Rene

 

[76zimmer]

degreeing the cam, is basically checking the cam card specs and comparing them to " as installed" conditions to see that the cam actually opens/closes, and has the specs the card says it does. If not the cam can be degreed with bushings on the cam sprocket if deemed necessary. It can be installed +4, 0, -4 with a crank sprocket, but again degreeing with a kit will tell you if what your trying to accomplish is actually happening when all the parts are together.
It does require a degree wheel, dial indicator, usually a dummy lifter, and a postive TDC method.

 

[howdiy]

But really come to think of it, the only variable he is changing is the timing chain, as long as the dots are lined up I'm sure it will be pretty close to specs.

 

[82355]

Yeah, I wouldn't bother with degreeing the cam. It is just a refurbished engine, right? Meaning it has ran for a long time with the current cam.

Martin

 

[thatK30guy]

It'll be on an engine stand till late fall at least...

Is there something I should know about the BBC timing chain? Anything else I 'should' do before it goes in?

Rene

Bob Cherveny (sp) of BC Engineering (I think) makes a simple tube with holes in it to squirt oil onto each cam lobe from the lifter galley. Its a simple tap into an oil port hole in the galley and screw the tube in.

Cylinders 7 and 8 are known for problematic lack of oiling and this tube is the supposed fix to cure it. I have seen cam lobes go flat in these areas more than the others and most BBC engines that blow or start knocking is mainly due to the lack of oiling in those cylinder areas.

I have the article of the BC oiling tube from a magazine somewhere. I don't have a scanner however. Its a very simple designed tube and I believe anyone could make one if they have the time and patience to get the correct bend and all the holes drilled.