Got the dehumidifier running in the garage, was 70 percent, now down below 50 percent. It was dry all Summer, now that motor is in the garage, we have been getting rain. The Melling high volume oil pump is torqued to 35 ft/lbs. I tightened the Canton pick up and gasket with a long 1/2" wrench. I can't get a torque wrench on one side, so just reasonably tight. I cleaned then torqued the oil filter adapter with a steel core gasket with a very small amount of Right Stuff One Minute on both sides to 35 ft pounds with some nice stainless 3/8" × 1" fastners I had lying around. I put on the nitrile coated, rigid core Felpro OS30471C pan gaskets, used the Right Stuff One Minute to glue it to the block. I torqued the Canton 6 qt pan in place to factory specs as it is very slightly warped. I am painting the factory flanged bolts VHT Black Metallic high temp once it sits for a few hours, this afternoon. I also cleaned and painted my best spare timing cover VHT Gold Metallic high temp paint. I will put new gaskets and front seal and paint top rear of the timing cover. Keeping the 358 sealed in plastic in between work on it. It also looks like a pilot bushing is installed, I was planning on a TKX in the next couple of years.

 

Dale, here is pic of the one and two cylinder rod bearings that I was talking about and side clearance issues as I mentioned, 0 to .0010". This why it went back to the machine shop, was only supposed to be a months wait FYI. Which I have learned in machine shop lingo is a year.

 

Don't get too carried away with the RTV. There really is no need for it on the oil pan gasket other than maybe a dab in each corner. I have seen several over the years where the gaskets slide out of position when tightened because of the silicon. Other than the end rails on intakes I probably don't use a tube of rtv in a year. I use aviation form a gasket or spray tack on the front cover gasket and other paper gaskets

 

Going very light on the amount. I tightened down the pan, then removed and wiped off any excess inside the pan gaskets. I did the same with the oil filter housing, very little excess. I find the pans seep and leak no matter the gaskets used. Maybe the Canton pan will be better. I will be using Aviation sealant on the intake ports with the turkey tray intake gaskets and a 3 layer tall but thin Right Stuff on the china rails and water ports. I like to use RTV to basically hold the gaskets permanently in place, only on one side, in case removal is necessary. A lot of the gaskets for Olds are old tech unfortunately, would love a rubber, one piece pan gasket.

 

Mahle/Victor used to make a one piece pan gasket for the diesels, I’m trying to get them to do em again.
But they brought back the steel core, rubber valve cover gaskets with the crush sleeves. They work great.
The Molnar’s are normally pretty good but did your machine shop check them?

 

they must have been ok because there was no mention of rod side clearance work in your bill.

what bearings are they?

 

They were Federal Mogul from Mark. Yeah, when I drag out of them what they actually did, I will post it.

 

Yeah they were supposed to check everything. Yeah, there are some decent valve cover gaskets for Olds. I have set from Rocket Racing like that, seeping a bit out of one bolt hole on the 3rd use. I also have the Edelbrock valve cover gaskets, thinking they are the nitrile coated Mr.Gasket Ultraseal set. I will probably use them with the 73 Oldsmobile valve covers. Hopefully they listen on the pan gasket.

 

Timing cover seal and gasket with the Right Stuff and front pan seal installed and top painted. . I got all the bolts painted with VHT Black Metallic high temp paint.

 

Hmmm, for a small block I normally use Clevites. Are you sure they’re Federal Moguls?

 

Maybe they were Clevite, will look at the boxes. You had trouble getting bearings in the .030" undersize, dam Pandemic. Maybe it was the mains that were Federal Mogul.

 

ok..they didn’t look like clevites

 

Mains were FM, rods are Clevites I’m pretty sure.

 

Yes, Mark correct on bearings. Painted the block VHT Metallic Gold, installed the blasted flex plate and bolts finger tight for now. I will be using the pan mounted dipstick option on the Canton.

 

I will be pulling the heads, cam and timing set in the next couple of weeks. Ordered a black oxide small head 12 point sockets for the 7111 Performer off Ebay. I have been painting and reusing the factory fastners since they are better quality than basic replacements. Of course factory bolts won't work with the RPM due to different runner length and one bolt is very pinched. Edelbrock actually sends a small 12 point bolt like these for that one runner. I also ordered a single Trick Flow SBF 1/2" to 7/16" head bolt bushing, was missing one. You need to open up the top of the hole slightly larger to fit these. These heads were drilled for 1/2" head bolts when I bought them, going on a 7/16" block. I also ordered a fuel pump block off plate. I also ordered a Transgo TH350 1-2 shift kit, converter seal, tail shaft seal and bushing for the TH350 in the car. I also have a 2000 to 2200 stall converter for it. I have the 2004R but had issues with the CK shift, would not shift at all. So I just went back to stock in the valve body and accumulators from a parts 2004R. This TH350 shifts Ok but on the soft side. Honestly part of the reason I am using this Performer cam and iron heads are these weak automatic transmissions. I have seen both fail behind very little stock power. Both can beefed up but then you either have a shitty gearing, old school inefficient 3 spd or a good gear ratio harsh shifting 4 spd auto. I honestly don't trust either of these trans behind real power. With the 3.08 gears, the first gear 3.27 TKX 5 speed should give a perfect launch ratio and make the car much quicker, the .72 OD will also be great a 75 mph. A manual is a millennial theft deterent, old school but with a modern twist, just like this whole car. I plan on getting the SEFI on this 358, no Qjet on this one at all and I will be enabling and running the knock sensor and timing control on the Terminator X. Once the SEFI and 5 speed conversion gets done, I will install the 218/218 .541/.541 112 LSA roller cam, Cloyes Billet 9 way timing set, cam button, Comp Evolution hydraulic roller lifters, Harland Sharp 1.65 ratio rocker for the new Edelbrock heads. Since I also have the Mr.Gasket MLS head gaskets and Edelbrock intake gaskets, I will literally just need 3/8" custom length push rods when the time comes for the Edelbrock head swap.

 

 

Is that gasket on the oil pan right, I thought that tab goes to the inside of the timing chain cover.

 

Yeah, it isn't in the final position, pan isn't even torqued down, just to cover it for now. I might need a cam, lifters, oil slinger and timing set in there😉

 

I’m hoping you get this thing together and running once and for all.

it seems like you’ve been building this for 10 years?

or is that a different engine?

 

Two years on this one. The other is the parts I had parts for years is the Venolia custom used 4.390" forged pistons, rings, sbc 2" journal Scat 6" rods and standard rod and .010" main bearings, 1/2" 4 main Halo, longer ARP studs and offset ground 330 crank from Smitty for a 424 stroker from a 403. I should send that to you on a pallet. I actually may just do it external balance for a truck. I also have 350 block that could use the BTR CP stroker pistons instead. This current 403 hasn't been over heated a bunch of times like my other 403 block. I want to externally balance this for a 88 to 95 GMC/Chebby truck. Yeah, I hope to start pulling the heads this weekend.

 

Antifreeze drained, rad plus block drains on the 403 and battery unhooked. All the header bolts, except the last one, valve cover bolts out and dipstick tube out. I cleaned and painted the valve cover bolts.

 

Serpentine accessories unbolted from the motor. I removed the NGK XR5 spark plugs from the heads so they don't get broken off, still in good shape. Valve covers, intake, carb, distributor and new Melling oil pump drive out.

 

Heads, push rods and rockers are off.

 

I had to buy another puller to get the timing gear off the crank but it is done. It has an acceptable amount of slack. Lifters came out easy with a strong magnet, they look good, kept in order. The cam also looks good, no pitting or excessive wear. Having no play in the valve train is a good sign.

 

I’m trying to keep up on the 358 build…what’s all the 403 parts about?

 

I picked up a used 403, threw the Performer cam, timing set and heads on it. Oil pressure is meh in it. Compression was OK at 150 to 160 psi. Block is still in the 70S. Like I said, the block should go with the 403 stroker parts to your shop. I can wait a year, already waited 2 years for this one.

 

Cam and fuel pump eccentric torqued to 65 ft/lbs, timing chain dot to dot which is 107 ICL. Oil pan, water pump and front cover torqued in place. Flex plate bolts torqued to 65 ft/lbs and the Scat Harmonic balancer decently tight with my Ryobi 18V impact. I used Royal Purple assembly lube on the cam, lifters and timing chain.

 

Got one of the heads chambers polished. It measures 68ish CC. I will try to get the other the same, will give me 9.3 to 1.

 

Other head, the chambers are polished. All gasket surfaces cleaned on both heads. I used carb cleaner, compressed air then brake cleaner and more compressed air to get all the filings. I used the Permatex Copper high temp gasket spray on the head side only, since it doesn't have a fresh machined surface, a few thousand miles since machining. I used the ARP lube on the ARP head bolts, went to the factory 80 ft/lbs, seeing some have had leakage issues at the 70 ft/lbs ARP recommends for Olds head bolts. Painted the heads once torqued in place. The spark plugs in the heads to protect the the threads, junk Champion plugs that will come out once the paint dries, NGK XR5 to replace them.

 

Never had 1 bit of leakage when using ARP bolts at 70#.
Just saying.

 

Good to hear Mark, a few others claimed they had. You would think a manufacturer would know their products.

 

Too bad the mice got in and chewed up your combustion chambers. There is product available at "farm & ranch" supply's to hold down rodents like what chewed up your combustion chambers.

 

🙄🤐Not pretty for sure, just removing material. I could have spent hours on end to make them perfect. Not worth it for iron heads.

 

Put in the XR5 spark plugs. Put the intake on to see how it looks. The Jackass mice approve.

 

Installed this just to kind of see how it fit. It must be very close to the trap door in the oil pan, needs finesse to seat the stick all the way.

 

I was going to use the Turkey Tray gasket, only style that would fit without question. I decided to try the Mr Gasket Ultraseal intake gaskets I bought off Cutlassefi probably 10 years ago. I tried them with my Performer on a stock 76 350, no go. So I will finally be able to use them, thanks to a clean up mill on this intake when the injector bungs were installed. I might actually check and see if the Performer will fit, it may be less than straight. I was able to fit the SCE gaskets on a 403 with this RPM before the injectors were added, probably straighter to begin with. I also put rags in the valley and tapped all the intake bolt holes, plenty of gunk in the holes. I need to figure out an intake bolt set, mine wasn't sent and refunded. I would not mind a reduced head set, to match the one small one needed on the one runner.

 

When do you expect to fire it up?

 

Probably this Winter, too busy to do much for probably a month. I should be able to get everything ready to pull the motor and trans this weekend and complete on Thanksgiving. Well the Sunday before, will be working the Saturday and Monday, $$$. It is becoming a Holiday tradition pulling the motor out the Olds and girls help push it around. Hopefully this the last time I ever pull a motor out of this car. I will be ordering the Holley drop in pump and relay within the next month. Will try to swing the Terminator X shortly afterwards. So fuel pump, wiring and replacing any fuel hose for efi rated and clamps will need completed before fire up. I will probably install the intake in car. I also plan on adding the Edelbrock heat riser block off plugs as well, ordering them this week.

 

If it's the plugs that come with the rpm intake you can have mine if you want.

 

Sending you a text.