73 Centurion,I'm planning on blacking out the side trim but I'll still have to have something to protect that looong side from door dings,probably some thin black moulding.I'm also considering older portholes to replace the plastic ones,I may make my own,that's another option.Can you photoshop something like that? :beer H
Just a tip on the pushrods, use an adjustable pushrod to get the length you need then order the new ones from TA or Poston.
Bare Naked Well I tried to get some lifter preload readings today and was not able to set up the indicator's tip perpendicular to the lifter cup.I used a long tapered tip and was able to record some measurements that way,they are more for reference since I can't say that they are fully accurate.The number that repeated the most was .020" with one reading as much as .030".I think that when the time comes I will do as suggested here and use an old pushrod to make an adjustable for fitting purposes.I have some made but are for a BBC roller set up,too short for the Buick.Oh yeah,here's the naked block :grin: .HF
The Guts Once I finished messing with the preload thing I went ahead and pulled everything of the block.I found one lifter with it's face pitted a good bit and about 4or5 others starting to pit also.They came from the center cylinders.These heads had extra large heat openings for the manifold crossover and an extra heated port(about 1/4" hole)coming above each runner on the head and being blocked off by the intake manifold.I'm glad that the heads that I'm replacing do not have all this heat directed to the manifold.I visually checked all the bearings and they show normal wear and a few lines where some dirt has been around not to mention little lifter bits.I'm going to replace all bearings including cam bearings,the very first one looks a little beat up.I'll upgrade to the TA's.I'll let my machinist say if we should polish or turn the crank jornals.Is my opinion that the excessive heat on the top end and perhaps some lack of maintenance by the previous owner conspired to the lifter failure and some scratches on the cylinders,nothing major,but with 32k miles I expected better.There's no ridge on top,there was nothing there to hang the finger nail :beer .I'll probably get them honed and put some new rings.That I will discuss with my machinist also.This week I'll measure everything and go to see the machinist.Later,Hector.
Update Well while I was waiting for the machine shop to call I saw a set of TRW forgings on Ebay for an 8:1 compression engine(L2431F .030" over),got 'em for $203.50 shipped to the house and I didn't snipe :bglasses: .I'll be cc'ing the chambers and will deck the block to achieve a true 9.5:1 ratio that way if I ever have a need to lower it I can just replace the still shim gaskets for the composition ones,that's just a tought since I don't think I'll ever spray this thing.Since I'm going with the total rebuild now and upping the comp. I went ahead and exchanged the TA C110 cam for a TA 284-88 H.My thinking picking this grind was that my heads have no porting only the bowls were cleaned up and the 3 angle job so they are pretty much stock and I don't think I will benefit from large lift numbers but since I'm restricted to stock manifolds I think that the longer duration will help there.I'm no expert,I read a lot and like to try different things,anyone here is welcome to comment on thoughts about my approach and ideas that I should consider,that's why I come here.I'll post my impressions on this cam once the combo is together,I know that by using this cam I'll be moving my idle rpm up somewhat and I can live with that I just hope that the total combination is not very soggy down low,(which I don't expect it to be).The crank can be polished but I will have it turn .010" to start with a fresh machine surface and dial in my clearances.I have spent quite a good amount of money with TA as many of you have,ordering,shipping/handling and the exchange of the parts so far has been painless,I hope it continues that way :TU: .Later
CC'ing chambers and piston dishes I've finally broke down and bought me a burette,I used to use an irrigation syringe that can be bought at any medical supply store but this is really the way to go.I read on a Corvair forum that kerosene is a good fluid to use,I used to use a water/alcohol mix but I went with the former for the color,it makes things easier to see.I bought these heads as having a valve job and shaved .020",once I got them I took them to my machinist and asked for a 3 angle valve job and a clean up of the bowls,he went ahead and shave them about .003" to give me a new finish for the steel shim h/gaskets.Wellll the chambers measured as follows: 1-54.5 cc's 5-54.2 cc's 2-55.5 cc's 6-55.2 cc's 3-56 cc's 7-55.2 cc's 4-56 cc's 8-55 cc's I was expecting less volume than that,assuming that the stock size was about 58 cc's for some of the info that I have read.This information is all over and I think that there's no consensus as to what was really offered,some books say something different than others.I took one of the stock heads that I removed from my engine and checked just to get an idea of what I started with,well that one was 55 cc's but some of that is because the carbon build up on the chamber and valves,not excessive but nice and crusty in places.I don't think that these heads were shaved .020".I'm not really dissapointed,I'll make it up decking the block.My goal is for a true 9.5:1 CR.The pistons are the 8:1 CR forgings from TRW and are advertised as having a 24 CC's dish,those measured right on the money.I hope that with the .020" head gaskets and decking I can get my ratio.I'll be playing with a DCR calculator also and see what I can come up with.Any thoughts are welcome.Here's some pictures of my set up and the pistons.Later.
Hector, I'm finding your build up, and the car you are using to be VERY COOL!!!!!!!!! :TU: I'm really looking forward to seeing this one on the road. Keep up the good work!! :3gears:
Thanks for the encouragement,I work a grave shift so on the weekends I keep the same schedule to work on the car,hard some times,but it'll be worth it. :beer
keep up the hard work, it is paying off! Check out this thread about a similar build and comp. issues. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=83234
Nice work, Hector! Keep it up, as your project is really starting to come together. :TU: Once you're done, that 350 should have no trouble at all lugging that car around! :3gears:
Parts ready Machine shop called today and said that my parts are ready,I'll pick them up tomorrow after work.I've been working OT for a while now so the Buick has been sitting,I did manage to work a little on some changes under the hood and detailing the parts that I have here.I cleaned the front clip in preparation to the installation of the engine,I still need to detail it.
A little progress I've been working on my parts,mostly deburring,chasing threads and cleaning,cleaning and more cleaning.The last two out of three weekends that's all I did.This weekend I started setting everything to measure my clearances.On my rods I'm running from .0015" to .0018",the mains are between .0014" and .0016".I didn't used plastigage,I used telescopic gauges,inside/outside mic's and an inexpensive line bore gauge(which will be only as good as the micrometer used to zero it with).I'm pleased with those numbers and hope that they work out fine for my engine.I went ahead and installed the #1 and #2 pistons in the block and planned to install the cam then and degree it,that way I wasn't turning all eight pistons.Once those two were installed I remembered that I left my crank key at work so I wasn't able to set up my degree wheel.Before I went :blast: a friend called me and asked if I wanted to go to the drag races,I turned the lights off and I was gone :bglasses: .This week I should be able to degree the cam and install the remaining pistons/rods.
