Has anyone heard of an engine builder using Vaseline for a lube to assemble a motor? I took my car to a shop (Bruce Jeffers) in Amelia Ohio to be rebuilt, punched out .30, and he supposedly put in a 3/4 cam. I was there when he dropped a couple of the push rods and used them anyway,he said that they were ok. also he reused the head bolts and he said that they would be fine...I don't know anything about rebuilding motors, but this just doesn't seem to be right to me...I think that maybe I will have problems in the near future!! I am just wanting someone that has experience with engine rebilding to maybe give me some input as to these things that I have seen with the rebuilder!! Also how can I tell if he really did put in a 3/4 cam, is there anyway to really tell? Also the car runs like crap since the rebuild and he says that he cannot figure out why it runs so badly now, when it ran good before the rebuild!!
But I had to have it rebuilt because it had spun a rod bearing, also when I got the car back some of the electrical and the vacuum lines were not connected right!! Is there anything that I can do in regards to this engine rebuild?

 

No but I have heard of using K Y Jelly when bent over like you were! LOL as for the 3/4 cam, (have not heard that expression in 30 years) get the cam card and manufacturer and see what exactly was put in there. Its the heart of the engine and will explain a lot.

 

Well a regular cam is about 20" long. Does yours measure 15" long. If so you for sure have a 3/4 cam.

 

Take along about 4 of you largest mates and go over and talk to him about the rebuild and why its not running right. He will remember quite a lot.-- Andy

 

I'd run as fast as i could from a machinist/builder who referred to the cam they were giving me as a 3/4 cam...

Scary.... The vasolene thing... Can't say that its good or bad- but coupled with the 3/4 cam comment, it sounds like this is a backyard hack at best... I'd run.

 

I have heard of packing the oil pump gears with vaseline before break in, but I thought it was dumb, so I just used a little bit of cam break in lube on the new gears instead.

 

Can't be any worse than a ready to run 425 short block I picked up a few years ago. They put the thrust bearing at the wrong journal and when it would not seat all the way a hammer was used to get it all the way down. The scary part is I am 100% serious.

 

"Also how can I tell if he really did put in a 3/4 cam, is there anyway to really tell? Also the car runs like crap since the rebuild and he says that he cannot figure out why it runs so badly now, when it ran good before the rebuild!!"

I'm thinkin' that cam could be only 3/4 in phase!! Seriously, from the sound of this guy's habits I doubt that cam was degreed & could be pretty retarded *insert additional puns here*.

I would make that one of the first things to consider followed by tune up & vac leaks.

 

wow.......

 

why did you pick it up if it is not running right is it the same intake carb and distributor ?
What was his warranty before the build? Did you pay in full ?

 

This is a scary thread. Take it back and do not accept excusses. You paid for a engine build not a piece of crap. Demand a full parts and labor sheet and post it. Lets see what he did to you. Best bet is do you have a friend who is savy with engine builds who can go with you to see this guy and ask the right questions.

 

I have used vaseline before on a buick to prime the oil pump since it sets away from the oil pan in the aluminum timing cover and works great for that purpose, pumps up oil presssure very quickly.Feel free to use it on an AMC or Jeep freely if you have a distributor on the front of the engine (it"s just a Buick by another name) The guy sounds a bit squirrely to me, I think I would use the manufacturers reccomended assembly lube and not take that big of a risk on that big of an investment. Just my 02 cents worth. You can send the .02 by mail (it's ony 44 cents now) Oldsdroptop

 

How old is this guy. The 3/4 cam was common in the days of the flathead Fords which was a long time ago. They only had 3/4 and full race cams. No body ever talked about cam specs of degreeing cams. When the SBC cam along, we all used Duntov cams which were Corvette cams. I am sure many of you remember the 097 Duntov. This guy does not sound state of the art to me. As far as Vasloline, I have saw it used years ago to prime oil pumps before folks started priming the with a drill. You would not want to use ti on bearings or a camshaft.

 

Come on guys I put effort into my smart *** comment and not one person has mentioned it.

 

i laffed out loud, dude

 

Sorry Richard. It was pretty darn funny. We have probably been cutting you a little slack with the luck you have had lately. How about an update on the Princess.

 

When I worked for an Oldsmobile dealership in Minnesota we used Vaseline in the oil pump of the 231 V-6 for a faster prime but used a GM assembley lube for the rest of the engine and we reused the head bolts on all the engines except for the Quad four and the 1.8 l ohc engine.

 

Ok I will. I wonder what he did with the other 1/4 of the cam.

 

Ditto!

 

That did took a lot of of cipherin' to figure out.
Did you have to take off your shoes??

People at cruises always ask me if my engine has a cam, maybe you don't even really need one??

STP did the song "Vaseline", isn't it ironic?.
Remember Sister Sludge? they sang that song "We are Greasy".

 

I laughed and tried to get a mental picture.

 

I'm not going to admit havin a wee chuckle.

 

I looked at a truck a few years ago. The owner said it had a built 350 with a 3/4 cam. I was going to buy it for a parts truck. So I didn't care what cam it had in it. He was proud of that cam. He got mad when I reach over and opened up the choke and the idle smoothed out. Then I told him oh by the way it's a 305 not a 350. I didn't buy it, because he wouldn't sell it to me. Said I didn't know what I was talking about. Then I said I guess all those 350 and 305 I have built don't mean anything then.

 

For what it's worth, I re-used my stock head bolts on my Olds motor, and it's fine. I give some credit to OLd iron.

I put lug nuts on and off of my car for 12 years at higher torque on the same 20 studs. When I switched to slicks and long ARP's a few years ago, I have already broken 2 of them.

 

Agreed stock or mild build original bolts are fine. Pushrod dropped on the floor if inspected and clean that does not bother me either.

I would start with a compression check and go from there if I was the OP.

 

Must have been the same guy I bought my ready to run 350 SBO from.

BTW, I have always used grease or vaseline for my oil pumps on rebuilds. No way to prime pumps on Slant Sixes and if it worked for them, I figured it would work for everything. No trouble so far...knock on wood. But NEVER as assembly lube.

sb

 

And here, I thought the vaseline was for when you got the bill from the machine shop...

(Badda BING!)

Seriously, I always pack the oil pump with vaseline when I have the motor apart. It speeds priming and dissolves completely in the motor oil. I do use assembly lube elsewhere.

 

errr...TMI !

(too much information!)