rebuilding my 350

by thepossumface Fri Aug 23, 2013 10:17 pm

Okay guys so sense my 350 Is outta the car flywheel being jacked up its finally giving me reason to build this motor. And here is what I got from the parts place
-new water pump (old one was rusty and hell it was 20 bucks)
-new timing cover gasket
-new mellin camshaft (with all the rods and stuff)
-new flywheel seems lighter than the old one
- head work is a so and so i wanna do it but i dont have a ton of money to get a alot done any ideas? maybe just better flow/power? im new to the head work scene
-gotta get new gaskets need to know what size head gasket part # i should get
-got all new valve cover gaskets and intake gaskets from felpro

is there anything else I could do while its out to give me some more power?
after all this is done my engine work is gonna be done for a while. so any good advice is welcomed. Very Happy

by dragons_lair59 Sat Aug 24, 2013 5:39 am

Maybe small port and polish for the heads there are a lot of videos on how to. I myself have never done it

by dragons_lair59 Sat Aug 24, 2013 5:41 am

Gaskets usually cheaper if ya buy a complete set as apossed to each gasket

by thepossumface Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:29 am

yeah ill have to get a complete rebuild gasket set from rockauto its like 40 bucks i believe last time i got one

by dynchel Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:17 am

if you want alot of low end power for cheap get some heads from a 305. the have smaller combustion chambers wich will raise the compression. i have #416 H/O heads from a '84 monte carlo. thety have a 58cc chamber compaired to my original 76cc chamber, just make sure to use thick composite head gaskets if you go this route. this is a old stock car trick when you have to use production parts to run a certain class. alot of people say not to do it, but ive never had a problem, and the car runs strong.

by ant7377 Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:07 pm

dynchel wrote: if you want alot of low end power for cheap get some heads from a 305. the have smaller combustion chambers wich will raise the compression. i have #416 H/O heads from a '84 monte carlo. thety have a 58cc chamber compaired to my original 76cc chamber, just make sure to use thick composite head gaskets if you go this route. this is a old stock car trick when you have to use production parts to run a certain class. alot of people say not to do it, but ive never had a problem, and the car runs strong.

My buddy uses them on his 71 Camaro. That car hauls A$$ too.

by thepossumface Sun Aug 25, 2013 8:44 pm

yeah i thought about it but i think im gonna have to stick with my heads for now, im to iffy on buying them on c.l last set i bought were bad and i had no way to know.
but maybe ill just save up for some vortec or lighter edlebrock heads.

by dynchel Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:21 pm

Just remember, vortecs require a different intake and valve covers.

by alleyball4 Sun Aug 25, 2013 11:20 pm

I did the vortec heads on my 350 ... Summit sells an intake that allows you to run a carburetor. With the exception of the center bolt valve covers, it's hard to tell the difference.

And you get a lot better flow than the stock heads, and are a third of the price of many of the performance heads.

by 77mali Mon Aug 26, 2013 10:06 am

alleyball4 wrote:I did the vortec heads on my 350 ... Summit sells an intake that allows you to run a carburetor. With the exception of the center bolt valve covers, it's hard to tell the difference.

And you get a lot better flow than the stock heads, and are a third of the price of many of the performance heads.

X2
Edelbrock has the Vortec carb manifolds as well. You need 23 degree vortec heads- there are tons of them out there. It is more expensive to do this but all good things seem to cost money. A new Cam will also contribute to low end torque as well as a good torque converter.

by thepossumface Mon Aug 26, 2013 3:53 pm

yeah thanks for the advice guys, now that I got my timing chain on and everything is lined up i just need to put everything back together, hoping I put everything in there correctly put the oil on the cam just gotta get H.G and some other small odds and ends and ill be able to drop her in the car, but sense its out maybe put some electric fans in there or keep the stock fan? ive had electric fans in my bronco it was okay didnt notice anything different. just want you guys opinion

by pila Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:28 pm

You don't need electric fans. The electric fan mods have become more of a fad for appearances and bragging rights than for cooling. It if cooled OK before, leave it alone.

by thepossumface Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:17 pm

yea my thing was if it cooled the car better and faster than a stock fan

by ant7377 Mon Aug 26, 2013 10:45 pm

pila wrote:You don't need electric fans. The electric fan mods have become more of a fad for appearances and bragging rights than for cooling. It if cooled OK before, leave it alone.

I agree,one more thing to break.

by thepossumface Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:46 am

now does anyone know what to tourque the bolts for the rocker arms to? i kinda left my book in my moms car and forgot to get it.

by Joe73 Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:02 am

Rocker arms dont get torqued. Just put a socket and wrench on the nut and use your finger and thumb on your other hand to rotate or "roll" the pushrod back and forth while you tighten the nut. When you get some resistance while rolling the pushrod stop tightening. Then tighten the nut another 1/4 turn more.
When you start up the engine and have it warmed up, you will loosen the nut til you hear "clacking". Then slowly tighten it up til the clacking stops and then go a 1/2 turn more.
If you have an old valve cover handy you can cut the top out of it so oil doesnt splash on your exhaust while its running. Or just use a piece of cardboard about 4 inches high and a little longer than the head. Put it in the groove on the spring side of the heads. That will direct the splashing oil back into the head instead of on your exhaust.
Good luck with it.

by bracketchev1221 Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:54 am

Wait till you get your book back so you adjust them in the right order. But I find instead of rolling them, lift them up and down while tightening until all movement is out. Rolling them, if the lifter has no oil, it is easy to compress a lifter and not know it. Then tighten a 1/2 a turn on a stock cam. But if you want to start without the book, I use this method. Start with cylinder #1 and adjust the intake valve when the exhaust starts to open, or in your case the exhaust pushrod moves up. Then rotate the engine until the intake valve fully opens and begins it closing movement. Now adjust the exhaust. Continue on to cylinder 3 then 5 and then 7. Finish that side of the engine and then go to the passenger side.

by thepossumface Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:08 pm

thanks guysi think i have 1 spare valve cover ill use that,but most of the stuff is in now just gotta put motor back in, on that note. Did anyone bolt the convertor to the engine or put it on the trans then bolt it up?
I know in the bronco we put it on the trans and then lowered the motor and bolted it in. but i couldnt rotate it when it was in the engine still

by bracketchev1221 Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:42 pm

Put the converter on the trans and bolt the trans to the engine. Then bolt up the converter.

by thepossumface Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:06 pm

alright thanks, and can anyone tell me were i can get a bracket for the starter that goes on the intake instead of the t-stat?

by Joe73 Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:46 pm

I think you mean alternator bracket. The starter doesnt bolt anywhere near the manifold. I've been running this alternator bracket that just bolts to the water pump with one bolt. Been working great for years.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/spe-4713

by 77mali Tue Aug 27, 2013 7:26 pm

Long or Short water pump Possum? They usually require a bracket on the bottom side for the long style pumps
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/trd-9317/overview/make/chevrolet

or if you like the one Joe linked they also sell just the bottom piece
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrg-4954/overview/make/chevrolet

by thepossumface Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:47 pm

im not sure if mine is long or short, its just a normal one i picked up from autozone.

by Bruisr Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:58 pm

Its most likely a long pump, provided you told them the year of the car your working on. If you put the water pump with the engine side facing down or the fan hub up, the distance from the center of the pump to the surface its resting on should be about 1 1/2 inches. 3/4 inches for the short pump.

by 77mali Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:56 am

https://www.g3gm.com/t3770-how-to-tell-short-from-long-water-pump-for-chevy

https://www.g3gm.com/t4830-valve-lash?highlight=lash

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