1970 455 low mileage suggestions

So I’m buying a 1970 455 with less than 45k on it. I have the history behind it and I have the car it came out of ......

Looking for opinions as to what you guys think I should consider before dropping it back in.

My background is 38 years of painting/ body work and have owned my own body shop for 29 years.

I was never into doing anything engine related other than painting engine bays and simple task, gaskets timing chains.... and so on.

I’m dropping this into a 70 Electra.


Suggestion wanted

 

I would swap the timing chain if it has nylon gears. Otherwise I’d just replace all the gaskets except the head gaskets and also replace the valve seals. I would probably replace the water pump too just because I’ve had a 25k original spit the front seal and bearing out on me before while cruising down the interstate in the middle of nowhere.

All of this is cheap and easy while the engine is sitting on a stand versus in the frame.

 

I’m sending out carb to board member to get rebuilt. Thanks for chimming in

 

Drop the oil pan and clean it and the pick up tube screen that way you know you're not trying to suck clean oil through sludge and probably nylon teeth from the timing chain.

 

BEFORE doing ANYTHING I would purchase an endoscope. They are cheap at less than $20.00. The one I have is number HD720P & hooks up to your laptop for a full view of condition of cylinders for rust & other abnormalities even IF it has been sitting out of car for a month since it last ran. ALSO icludes other tools for various reasons. For less than $20.00 could save you much un-needed additional $$$$ IF there happens to be something wrong. Then spray WD40 or PBlaster or some other penatrate into the cylinders for at least SOME lubrication of the vitale inner workings like rings, cylinder walls & pistons. You'll be surprised at how useful it can be in MANY other situations once you have used it.
Then follow the steps above. What you are doing is checking the foundation of things which could save you big $$$$$.
You wouldn't start building a house on an old rumbly foundation would you????
IF everything turns out OK just follow the advice above.
Just my nickels worth.

Tom T.

 

In MY shop, that'd get run on a test stand, cranking compression test, cylinder leakage test, oil pressure and manifold vacuum verified. Verify exhaust heat riser works, so that the intake manifold heat crossover gets SCREAMING hot, otherwise the exhaust passages in the heads and manifold may be carbon-plugged. Lots of "Grandpa" cars had to have the intake manifold removed so the carbon could be chiseled out to get the choke working properly, and the engine running right in colder weather.

All decisions then made on the basis of actual data; except for the "usual stuff" on a fifty-year-old engine:

Replacing the timing set, degree the camshaft. Verify TDC markings on damper and timing pointer, mark damper every 90 degrees with paint stripe or dimple. Mark hub and damper inertia ring so you can tell if the ring slips on the hub later.

Re-sealing whatever seems difficult-to-do later--rear main and valve stem seals, for example. 45k miles or not, there is NO WAY I trust a rear main seal that old. When the pan is off, I'd pull a main cap and a rod cap to verify the bearings.

I'd pop out at least one core plug so as to install a block heater. Core plug inspected, if rusty all the rest of the core plugs get replaced, too. If the block has drain plugs, remove both OEM iron/steel plugs and install either brass plugs or brass draincocks. Verify no debris at the bottom of the water jackets.

Genuine GM/Delco HEI distributor and plug wires, disassembled for cleaning, inspection, and lube. Probably a new pickup coil. Tune the centrifugal and vacuum advance as needed, staying fairly conservative since that engine is going to be pushing a lot of tonnage and high-speed rear gear ratio.

You've already got the carb handled; but verify that the choke works properly once it's installed.

New or "professionally cleaned" radiator, back-flush or replace heater core. New rubber hoses--radiator and heater hoses, etc.

Fresh fan, A/C, PS belts. Assure pulley alignment!

Verify starter, and flexplate teeth, water pump, alternator, (12SI upgrade?) PS pump, AIR pump (if used.)

Paint engine as desired, but assure ground cables attach to bare metal for good electrical contact.

 

All that is neat, but in the real world I would replace a few gaskets and make it red again. Probably replace the valve seals and blueprint the oil pump. No need to go bananas.

 

How many times do you want to remove a fifty-year-old engine to fix stuff that'd be easy to do before it's installed?

 

If I was gonna do all that,..I would rebuild it ha

 

Clean the pick up tube,..new chain,.. service oil pump,... run some marvel mystery thru the cylinders,.put fire and fuel in it and let it do work

 

Why stop there? Sonic test the block and chisel a chunk off and send it out for some metallurgy to see if it's even worth the time.

It has 45k and he knows the engine.

 

Ironically i wouldn't do any of that for a rebuild, I'd just yank it apart..

 

When was the last time it ran?

 

I heard it run a year ago, before guy pulled it. He had plans For it but changed his mind. Thankful I get the opportunity to get it back where it belongs.

Thanks to all of you for chimming in,
Much appreciated.

 

No, he doesn't "know" this engine. And 45K miles on three oil changes and the original coolant doesn't make this cherry. The only way to know the engine is to do some testing, and to deliberately LOOK at various parts for signs of eminent failure. You slap the engine onto a stand, while you're driving the mounting bolts into the rear of the block, it takes forty seconds to inspect the flexplate for cracks, and check the ring gear for chipped teeth. If you crank the engine and it doesn't sound awful, you can be reasonably assured that the starter doesn't need shims removed/installed for proper engagement. But you'd need to pay attention to the sound of the starter!

A huge amount of what I recommended would, individually, take a couple of minutes each to accomplish. Yes, the timing chain and camshaft degreeing is somewhat involved. So is running it on an engine stand. But then, verifying manifold vacuum, oil pressure, the compression test, and leakdown test are a BREEZE because everything is in the open. If you've done the timing chain before running the engine, that damper is now marked at 90 degree intervals so achieving TDC for each cylinder's leakdown test is simple. As is pointing an infra-red thermometer at the heat crossover--or just watching spit sizzle on it.

Tell me: Would you rather pull the water pump/timing cover with the engine on a stand, or try to remove potentially broken, corroded bolts AFTER the engine has been put in the car? If you've pulled the water pump and you're holding it in your hand, how long does it take to spin the impeller, feel for bearing roughness, look for rust on the impeller, and inspect for seepage at the weep-hole? Two minutes? How long does it take to look at the damper, check it against the degree wheel and timing pointer, paint some stripes, and maybe pound on a Speedy-Sleeve? Twenty minutes? Thirty?

Around here, you'd want a block heater anyway. Might as well devote ten seconds of attention span to the condition of the core plug you've just removed. Again--is it easier to install core plugs AFTER the engine is in the car?

And on, and on, and on. What I suggested is a nice "Long Weekend" project--good insurance against in-car failure.

 

Jarrod, what are your plans with the car? Is it a customer’s, your own, a flipper or?

 

Put a hundred shot of nitrous on it and run it.......lots of life left in it....who knows about how long us humans will be here tho.....

 

its mine. Going to build it as a tribute to my dad. He loved the 70 electra