Retreived the washer, new big block is in.

[Kp]

Thanks to everyone who posted their ideas for retrieving the washer that we dropped into my new engine. Once on the stand, I turned it over, and it fell right out.
I spent Saturday removing the old engine, and Sunday putting the new one in.
The only issue that came up was with the LH exhaust manifold. I found that it is cracked all the way around. I guess I am pretty naive, cuz i expected to call the JY and find that they had 100's of these, and that they would practically pay me to take them.
No such luck. Several of them wanted 100 bucks for the left side only!!
I found one place that has one for 65, but it has air tubes that will need to be plugged, since mine doesnt have them.
If anyone around here has a LH exhaust mani, for a 454. Let me know, I'll take it off your hands. The one I need is casting # 3994045.
Thanks again!

 

[roadnotca]

Maybe its common that they crack. I've heard the Jeep 4.0 does that too.

 

[dremu]

If it's like the 350's in ~88-91, they all do that, crack inside the heat riser pipe thing, that tin crap wrapped around it.

The JY's around did NOT have any ... but oddly, some carried an AFTERMARKET (new, at a junkyard?) part with a different design.

The dealer -- and again, this was for my 350 -- got like $250 for them, which they had in stock, and the JY's got maybe half that for the new ones.

-- A

 

[Kp]

I have been considering going with a set of headers, but the truck is an '83 K2500 burb, and it originally came with a 350 engine. Sometime in its life, a PO swapped in the 454. I have heard that it is difficult to find headers that will clear.
I checked into having an exhaust shop weld it up, but they confirmed my original suspicion, that welding a cast mani is not a good plan.
I guess I'll cough up the 65 bucks, and plug the holes for the air tubes.

 

[Pvt. Maggot]

You should just upgrade to headers, read up, i'm sure someone will have the info for you, why pay 65 for a manifold, when you can get a set of headers for not too much more. make that big block purr like she wants too.