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I am (hopefully) nearing the small finishing elements on my 350 build but I have come to a point where it would do well to see some good pictures of someone's 350 that have been taken as they built it so that I can see if there are any pieces or steps that have been missed. It's been several years in the making...
Here is where I am. I know that I need to install the carb and the dist. as well as the headers and the rest of the brackets on the accessory assembly up front, but I wonder if there are things that may not be as obvious that I may not have installed to this point that need to be done before it's ready to install. My plan is to set the engine (once everything but the carb, dist and headers are installed) in an engine cradle, bolt on the flex plate and pair the th350 to it and then install the entire unit. I have chosen this approach because I am not confident in my ability to match the two together once in the car.
Please feel free to comment on the pros and cons to such a plan as well...in fact please do. Any help and insight at this point is gratefully welcomed
I hope the surface rust here won't be a problem...
I can't help with a lot of what you asked, but I did notice the heater hose nipple on your intake. Is that a factory nipple with a restriction (1/4" hole) in the base or is it a plain nipple with no restrictor? I ask because an unrestricted nipple could result in too much flow / pressure in the heater core which could rupture it.
It is easy to mate the engine with trans in car. I have done it few times alone. When you install them together, your car must stand much higher. Also you need tilt option in your engine hoist. If you ask me, easier separately than together.
I can't help with a lot of what you asked, but I did notice the heater hose nipple on your intake. Is that a factory nipple with a restriction (1/4" hole) in the base or is it a plain nipple with no restrictor? I ask because an unrestricted nipple could result in too much flow / pressure in the heater core which could rupture it.
Never heard of this. I have an unrestricted hose nipple on the same corner of my RPM intake, no problems. Heater core should stand the pressure regulated by radiator cap just fine. Of course this is just my personal one man experience.
Never heard of this. I have an unrestricted hose nipple on the same corner of my RPM intake, no problems. Heater core should stand the pressure regulated by radiator cap just fine. Of course this is just my personal one man experience.
Sorry Kenneth,
I have to agree. When I worked in a rad shop back in my teenage years we pressure tested new re cored rads at 25psi and the heater cores at 40psi .
The heater core will have no problem taking the full pressure of the rad cap .
I can't help with a lot of what you asked, but I did notice the heater hose nipple on your intake. Is that a factory nipple with a restriction (1/4" hole) in the base or is it a plain nipple with no restrictor? I ask because an unrestricted nipple could result in too much flow / pressure in the heater core which could rupture it.
I bought (from fusick) the original part for the intake for that year. I did not see an option for one form or another. As far as I know, this is the only one available and it is not restricted. In fact, what you see would screw right into the original iron intake. I had to use an adapter (and gooped up my intake) in order to install it into the edelbrock.
It is easy to mate the engine with trans in car. I have done it few times alone. When you install them together, your car must stand much higher. Also you need tilt option in your engine hoist. If you ask me, easier separately than together.
Will you please detail how you accomplished this, for me? When I took the engine out (at Brad's shop almost three years ago or so) it was taken out paired and then I separated the two. Are there any tricks to getting the two together that would help save me the agony of figuring it out on my own? I seem to remember that there were particular problems with orientation for the mating to work properly, for example.
How did you get the transmission to hold in its proper place while installing the engine, for another example?
I apologize for the ignorance, but if I had not taken the engine out and had it sitting for all this time I might remember a little better...
Never heard of this. I have an unrestricted hose nipple on the same corner of my RPM intake, no problems. Heater core should stand the pressure regulated by radiator cap just fine. Of course this is just my personal one man experience.
Originally Posted by 76olds
Sorry Kenneth,
I have to agree. When I worked in a rad shop back in my teenage years we pressure tested new re cored rads at 25psi and the heater cores at 40psi .
The heater core will have no problem taking the full pressure of the rad cap .
Eric
It's not the pressure but the flow rate. I lost three heater cores due to this over the years (1980 til present). Ran the engine to 5500 RPM and got fog on the inside of the windshield; pulled the heater core and every time it was ballooned and the seams were split. Finally learned about the restriction in the factory heater valve and hose nipples.
It's not the pressure but the flow rate. I lost three heater cores due to this over the years (1980 til present). Ran the engine to 5500 RPM and got fog on the inside of the windshield; pulled the heater core and every time it was ballooned and the seams were split. Finally learned about the restriction in the factory heater valve and hose nipples.
Maybe some restriction in return line of the core?
Will you please detail how you accomplished this, for me? When I took the engine out (at Brad's shop almost three years ago or so) it was taken out paired and then I separated the two. Are there any tricks to getting the two together that would help save me the agony of figuring it out on my own? I seem to remember that there were particular problems with orientation for the mating to work properly, for example.
How did you get the transmission to hold in its proper place while installing the engine, for another example?
I apologize for the ignorance, but if I had not taken the engine out and had it sitting for all this time I might remember a little better...
There are couple of things one should do to make things easier. Take everything radiator related+radiator out. Do not assemble the engine mounts. Put a jackstand or something under the trans to keep it near the trans tunnel roof. Line the engine with engine hoist with trans bellhousing and push the hoist. That's it. May need some rattle&shake. It's simpler than you think. Don't overthink it, just do it.
Once you have assembled few bolts to bellhousing, you can line the converter to flexplate by rotating the converter. Lift the engine attached to trans as high as the trans allows and assemble the engine mounts.
It's not the pressure but the flow rate. I lost three heater cores due to this over the years (1980 til present). Ran the engine to 5500 RPM and got fog on the inside of the windshield; pulled the heater core and every time it was ballooned and the seams were split. Finally learned about the restriction in the factory heater valve and hose nipples.
Good to know, mine only shifts around 5000 rpm, so far so good unrestricted. If it blows, I know why.
It's not the pressure but the flow rate. I lost three heater cores due to this over the years (1980 til present). Ran the engine to 5500 RPM and got fog on the inside of the windshield; pulled the heater core and every time it was ballooned and the seams were split. Finally learned about the restriction in the factory heater valve and hose nipples.
Good point.
I've never owned anything that ran up into those figures. Now you mentioned that, I have heard that flow rates in higher RPMs can and will rupture a heater core. I guess that's why High flow water pumps and T-stats came into play.
My apologies Kenneth.
Good point.
I've never owned anything that ran up into those figures. Now you mentioned that, I have heard that flow rates in higher RPMs can and will rupture a heater core. I guess that's why High flow water pumps and T-stats came into play.
My apologies Kenneth.
For your information, gentlemen, I'm underdriving the waterpump by 20%compared to stock(smaller crank pulley and bigger WP pulley), maybe that's the reason I'm not ballooning the heater core?!?
Original reason for underdrive in my case was not the core, or even the parasitic power loss. I just know when your spin the originally overdrived (compared to crank speed)WP let's say 5000rpm and beyond, the lower radiator hose will be sucked shut. Spring inside of it can help some. According to my own experience, you can safely slow the WP by 20%. Plenty of flow still even at idle. At least with alu heads.
Last edited by slade69; July 13th, 2017 at 03:10 AM.
Reason: adding pic
I'd clean the paint off the spark plugs. If you're using those plugs. May not misfire, but you may break plug wires trying to get the boot off a crusted paint sealed plug.
Inline tube sells the correct heater hose nipple. Stupid questions, but did you install the oil slinger on crank, the galley plug with oiling hole in distributer area and timing chain area. I assume you have correct spacers for PS pump brackets? Install dipstick tube with engine out of car.
Agree on installing engine and trans separate and mating in car. I tried and tried with engine and trans mated together on my seventy SX and could not get correct angle even with the load leveler I had on the engine hoist. The tail of tranny would hit the ground before you could get it under car. If you raise the car like the other poster said then you need a taller engine hoist. You can probably do it with rad support off, but my car was assembled. Make sure torque converter is rotated and fully seated in tranny and I installed tranny rear mount and jacked up front of tranny to mate engine. Get the bolts in to mate engine and tranny and Get a flywheel turner tool and it is easy to rotate around and install converter bolts.
Just to add to hose nipple debate. I blew one out after a day @ the track, it was ruptured. Welded a washer onto nipple to act as a restriction & no problem since.
For your information, gentlemen, I'm underdriving the waterpump by 20%compared to stock(smaller crank pulley and bigger WP pulley), maybe that's the reason I'm not ballooning the heater core?!?
Original reason for underdrive in my case was not the core, or even the parasitic power loss. I just know when your spin the originally overdrived (compared to crank speed)WP let's say 5000rpm and beyond, the lower radiator hose will be sucked shut. Spring inside of it can help some. According to my own experience, you can safely slow the WP by 20%. Plenty of flow still even at idle. At least with alu heads.
I am running a similar under drive pulleys and have had mine up to nearly 5000 rpm. I like this set up better than the ridiculous small crank pulley I had before, no charging or overheating issues. You may be onto something with this.
I'd clean the paint off the spark plugs. If you're using those plugs. May not misfire, but you may break plug wires trying to get the boot off a crusted paint sealed plug.
I appreciate the advice, but these plugs are only to plug up the holes so I could paint the engine without getting paint into the cylinders. Now they are there so moisture doesn't get inside the cylinders. I will be putting a new set in before I get ready to fire it up...
Inline tube sells the correct heater hose nipple. Stupid questions, but did you install the oil slinger on crank, the galley plug with oiling hole in distributer area and timing chain area. I assume you have correct spacers for PS pump brackets? Install dipstick tube with engine out of car.
As far as I am concerned, there are no stupid questions, my friend.
Not sure what oil slinger you are referring to.
The galley plugs were installed by the machinist and I believe they are the correct ones.
I bought the PS mounting kit from Inline tube, so yes I have all the correct hardware for the installation of the accessory brackets.
I did install the dipstick tube while it is out of the car. I don't know if it's visible in the pictures or not...
Agree on installing engine and trans separate and mating in car. I tried and tried with engine and trans mated together on my seventy SX and could not get correct angle even with the load leveler I had on the engine hoist. The tail of tranny would hit the ground before you could get it under car. If you raise the car like the other poster said then you need a taller engine hoist. You can probably do it with rad support off, but my car was assembled. Make sure torque converter is rotated and fully seated in tranny and I installed tranny rear mount and jacked up front of tranny to mate engine. Get the bolts in to mate engine and tranny and Get a flywheel turner tool and it is easy to rotate around and install converter bolts.
I appreciate the information here. I have a friend who is going to help me install it and we are going to mate it in the car as has been suggested...
July 10th, 2017, 12:32 PM
