Re: Heads.

by 74MonteCarlo Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:40 pm

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Getting closer! Heads on, intake on, all bolts torqued to original specs per the service manual, all valves adjusted per service manual. Next step, mask everything off and paint!

by 74MonteCarlo Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:13 pm

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Painted! I'll have to shoot a second light coat on the intake tomorrow. Crappy phone picture...it looks more red here than orange. Would it have been easier to paint the heads and intake out of the car...probably...but you mess everything up, like the bolt heads, when it goes back together.

Hopefully I can try to run it this weekend. I have a set of brand new Accel 'universal stock' spark plug wires I'd like to out on it. I won them at a car show. Hopefully I can get them together and put them on it, trying to find a set of crimpers to use.

Coming along nice though...

by 77mali Thu Oct 18, 2012 8:15 am

Looking good Kyle! Thumbs up

by 74MonteCarlo Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:10 pm

Thanks! Been plugging away all day long...all that's left to do is the new dipstick tube, and distributor and hopefully the new spark plug wires I won at a car show.

I'll post a couple pics tonight.

by 74MonteCarlo Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:18 pm

by 77mali Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:29 pm

Looks awesome! I like the old blocks so much more than mine Sad

Do you run all the original smog stuff on your engine?

by 74MonteCarlo Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:46 pm

Thanks!

It was on up until this spring. Everything worked properly, but the pump was a little noisy. Too much plumbing. The equipment boxed up in the attic.

by 77mali Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:53 pm

You did well removing them- they rob sooo much power!

It's amazing what the Gov & EPA did to the industry back then. I often wonder what our cars would have been like without all those regulations? I think if It had continued on strong from 1970 without the regs & no oil embargo, by '77 Chevy would have had a 475 hp 454 & maybe Olds & Pontiac a 450 hp 455. lol!

by 74MonteCarlo Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:02 pm

I didn't see any power gain with removing it.

by 77mali Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:19 pm

Really? Nothing at all?

by 74MonteCarlo Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:57 pm

Nope...still a dog. I cant even get the tires to break loose to do a burnout.

by ant7377 Fri Oct 19, 2012 7:10 pm

Had the feds not ruined it there were motors ore than 8 cylinders being developed. Olds had a Hemi just about done the, Caddy Eldorado was going to get a 12 cylinder (Notice the long hood). I bet our cars were going to get huge motors too (thats why again ,long hood) . Friggin Gov't ruins everything. I read a magazine article saying LS6 Nova's and 429 Mavericks were going to come too.
Get the distributor recurved on that 74 it will help alot they suck bad stock,I did it on my 73 and it was a huge difference. Better mileage too.

by 74MonteCarlo Fri Oct 19, 2012 7:12 pm

I don't care if it's not fast, tbh. I just want it to run and drive good.

Power=trouble

by ant7377 Fri Oct 19, 2012 7:16 pm

It will help alot with driveability .Kinda just runs smoother,pulls away cleaner. They really crapped them up after 70.

by 74MonteCarlo Fri Oct 19, 2012 7:17 pm

Lol, as it is I can barley afford the things I HAVE to do to get it running again...no room for "extra stuff".

by bigredlaguna Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:13 am

I agree with ant7377, bumping the timing up a little with nothing else has a noticeable improvement in driveability and power. It's free, too.

Don't worry about too much power with a stock 74 compression ratio, there is only so much to be had.

Your work so far is outstanding.

by 74MonteCarlo Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:46 pm

The car is now running and driving. Still smokes a little, mostly upon start up. Hoping it's just some residual anti-freeze laying in the exhaust and muffler. Hopefully this week I can get the coolant flushed out.

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by ant7377 Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:17 pm

Looks great Kyle !

by 77mali Sat Oct 20, 2012 6:03 pm

Take it on a little trip to clear out the residuals- if the smoke is whiteish, chances are it is coolant.

That's one sweet A$$ M/C.

by 74MonteCarlo Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:43 pm

Thanks fellas.

I have driven it a little, but not much, just a couple of miles. I don't want to drive it much until I get the coolant system flushed out. But the smoke is getting better. My dad saw his buddy today, who is much more experienced with engine building than we are, and he told him that's normal for a while, especially with the colder temperatures we have here right now, and that I haven't gotten the car real hot yet.

On another note, it starts up REALLY great with the new Accel spark plug wires.

by WyldeBill66 Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:50 am

I sure miss my 74 454 Monte Carlo after seeing yours.

by DiscoMalibu Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:41 am

Nice work, that motor looks great! Love it. Yeah, advancing the timing should help. My tired 305 ran like new once I bumped the timing a little.

by 74MonteCarlo Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:20 pm

All this work for nothing. Still smoking!

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by ant7377 Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:37 pm

Man that sucks ! Check the oil and water make sure nothing is mixing,get a pressure tester and test the system.

by 77mali Mon Oct 22, 2012 6:05 pm

Did you change the coolant yet?

Check the torque on the bolts in the head & by the block- look for any non oil "wetness" anywhere on the block. It only takes 1 being wrong to leak a little coolant into the cylinders. Heads are hard work but don't despair I'm sure you'll figure it out.

PS- I can't tell you how many times I looked at my car this year and said- Is all this darn work worth it? It can get frustrating.

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