All your missing is the pen flashlight

 

And a magnet and a pen screwdriver with a magnet tip.

 

Copper, sorry this took so long. As you can see the driver's side header doesn't hug the block as much as the left (which I'm sure you already know). I didn't have any issues with the oil filter adapter and it doesn't look like I will with the starter either.

[IMG][/IMG]

 

The painted headers are installed. I think the stove paint looks pretty good and should be easy to maintain since I bought the brush on version as well.

[IMG][/IMG]

 

I'm a little concerned about these valve covers leaking. I'm not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth but Maggie did get the cheap chinesium covers and I've read they don't seal very well. I pulled them to double check my rocker arm torque and both rubber gasket mating surfaces were covered in the red assembly lube (only on the lower part of the gasket where gravity was pulling the assembly lube). None had actually leaked out but it did get around the screws. I used copper adhesive to hold the gaskets to the covers but not to the black. I left that side of the gasket dry.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

 

I like them as well. They will blend in nice with a flat black lower engine bay , the gold block will POP nicely in there.

 

You may want to wait on installing the headers until after the engine is in. I had those valve covers on mine and they worked well with no leaks. Just don't over tighten them.

 

You might be able to get the engine in with the headers it might make install a little hard as I can assume it might be some what of a tight fit.

 

I have the cheap ebay ones on my 330 over a year no leaks with rubber gaskets I put a little but of Fiji bond subaru sealer on the valve cover side so I could pull off if needed but no leaks in almost two years

 

Good news on the valve covers, thanks guys.
I didn't realize installing with the headers will be a problem. Will I still get the needed "crush" if I remove them and re-use? I made mine a bit tighter than Copper's.

 

I would be kinda worried about removing the gaskets myself, you would want to seat them back in the same spot given the crush affect. But copper would know best !! I would get my handy dandy tape measure out and check I would think the shortys would drop down thru ok although I have loads of space in my 76. Nothing wrong with those covers they look just as good as other brands I had them on a 78 chebby monte carlo no problems. Just a bit of w/d 40 over the winter so as they don't rust and pit a bit.

 

Just put the Correct header gasket on the correct size re toruque to spec if it leaks give it another snug.

 

I want to simplify the re-install as much as possible so I'll go ahead and pull them off. It will give me a chance to clean the paint from the mating surface and measure the crush. If nothing else I'll just get another set. I don't mind making mistakes, I just don't like expensive ones.

 

I wouldn't have thought to put them on after install either, I would have given you the heads up had I known. I think for the price of them I would just buy another set and not take any chances of hair-line cracks after removal. That may just be me sweating the small stuff thou.

 

You will be fine re using them. If they leak they can be replaced with out removing the header. I have re used header gaskets more than once no issues. the flat out header gaskets that are on my current 355. I installed new on my 307 last summer. I re used them when I installed the 355 no leaks , then I took my headers out when I dropped the trans and re used then yet again still no leaks. no torque wrench I just let the arm decide how tight I want the header bolts.

 

Thanks fellas. I'll re-use until it shows problems. School's back in session. I'm having shop withdrawals

 

[QUOTE=Macadoo;640599]Thanks fellas. I'm having shop withdrawals


Forget about Walmart the symptoms will only get worse, a good kick in the a$$ got me shopin for rear gears. Laid the posi out on the bed "poof" traction!! no more withdrawals.

 

Had a little time in the shop today so I polished the valve cover screws. I had previously painted them with a faux chrome but it looked fake/cheap. Wire wheeled the old paint off, a little tripoli and buffing with a clean wheel and presto. I think they look pretty good now.

It's easy to see the difference. I was only about halfway done in the photo. The upper half are after the wire wheel.
[IMG][/IMG]

The screws that came with the chrome covers are those long wingnut kinda' things. I didn't like the look and they wouldn't exactly work with the accessory brackets.

 

They look awesome, much better and cleaner then those long wingnut things sticking up imo anyway. I actually painted mine with my wifes nail polish and they still look great. pick your own color too !!

 

You are insane. In the membrane.

Very nice work, though.

- Eric

 

That goes without saying at this point. Truth is, right now all I get is an hour here and an hour there. So it's little jobs to help me keep my sanity.

76, do they make an Olds gold nail polish? Might come in handy.

 

76, do they make an Olds gold nail polish? Might come in handy.[/QUOTE]


I'm not really sure but I did find some " wifes stolen blue" That was a decent match.

 

I have an order of operations question. When it comes time to prime the system, how much time can I have between priming and first fire? If I understand correctly, I want the valve covers off when I prime, so I can see the oil getting to the rockers. But then I'll have accessory brackets to get on after the valve covers and the accessory belts, etc. So maybe prime and watch rockers, button it up and prime again right before firing? I think I just answered my own question. Thanks for listening

 

Once it's been primed just assemble enough to get it running. Once you have verified all is ok, put the rest of it together. Priming usually feeds oil to all the required areas and it would be fine to even start it the following day. Just make sure when your priming all the rockers have oil flow. It may take some time be patient.

 

Thanks Eric.

 

I usually prime it right before I fire it up. I tape off the dist. Hole assemble everything , top off fluids and the prime the system once all systems are go. Last time it took me a solid 10 minutes to get oil out the push rods. I used an air drill. You can easily kill and electric one. If you stab in your dist. Correctly it should fire up pretty fast. I don't know if you prime the carb like a holley but I use a holley and I fill the bowls through the vent tubes so I instantly have fuel.

 

That's a good question, how does one prime a q-jet? I'll have to get fuel all the way from the tank too, since I blew out the hard lines and replaced all the rubber.
Ten minutes for priming? Geesh!

 

Get a bottle like a chemical spray bottle and fill it with gas or a can of carb cleaner. Fill the bowl with gas through the vent. It will take hardly any time to prime the lines when the engine is running.

 

+1. You can fill the float bowl through the little vent tube that is sticking up between the barrels.

It only takes a few seconds at 2,000 RPM for the fuel pump to pull fuel from the tank, if that long.

Or, you can do what I did last time, and just pour a few ounces of gas down each barrel and wing it over.
If all is well, that should give you enough revolutions to fill the float bowl and keep 'er goin'.

- Eric

 

Thanks fellas...again

 

I need to do this as well... Thanks!!

 

Work on the Cutlass has come to a complete standstill. This winter has definitely put a crimp in my plan. We're still getting sub-zero temps here and I had to shut down the heat in the shop until the weather warms up a little.
Just wanted to update the thread. I haven't given up, just taking an unplanned break. Still hoping to have her on the road sometime this summer.
I'm sure I'm not the only one battling the winter. Eric, I heard you got a little snow up your way.

 

Im working in the basement. I set up a "bondo sanding room" lol. Its a room all sealed up away from the area of the basement I build my engines and transmissions in. I don't want dust there lol. Don't know if you saw my project thread but I been doing this in the basement except for the welding and media blasting. This winter sucks.


https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-old-girl.html

 

Yeah, the WIFE's nail polish
Sure
Uh huh

:-)

 

Nice write-up. So did you get another 50 friends posting your facebook info? lol.
It's not just the weather, Spring semester is my busiest. I'm good, wood furnace is awesome, I just miss the shop, ya know?

 

Lol!

 

No more friends I just have a ton of pictures there lol. Too many to post up

 

Not that much, Mac, pretty much the usual. It does tend to snow in the winter.

I pulled out a couple of heads I picked up a while ago and checked them out, planning to install them in the spring.

Mostly I'm getting everything together to do a bunch of things to my wife's Jeep next month, as soon as the temperature goes above freezing in the daytime - have to put it up on blocks, drop the exhaust system, and do a bunch of nasty stuff. It should be a two day job, so I'm giving myself a week.

- Eric

 

[QUOTE=Octania;655069]Yeah, the WIFE's nail polish
Sure
Uh huh

Hey now nuff of that, keep bringing this up and my wife will find out. That's theft under in my house. Not to mention the clear coat I used.... dam good acrylic enamel saver.

 

[QUOTE=76olds;655528]I just use my own. Better selection anyway.