My Build Thread (Sort of)

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by engineer_gregh

Couple of hundred more miles and I was not happy with the way the truck ran. It seemed to run hot and was underpowered compared to a big block I had owned in the 80's. So I found someone I trusted to rebuild the engine. I don't have the space, tools, or experience to do it myself. Once torn down we discovered 6 402 pistons and 2 396 pistons, 4 burnt valves with bent push rods, and a crank that was so far out of tolerance it couldn't be turned. Just behind the rear lobe on the cam there was a grove cut all the way around. Believe it or not the truck actually ran ok and didn't skip at all. My mechanic has been rebuilding engines for 30+ years and was amazed it ran at all. So the rebuild begins.

65's and 66's used a grooved rear cam journal.

"the 1965 and 1966 big block 396 had unique rear cam bearings and required a grooved rear cam journal, most cams you buy currently are not grooved, the groove can be cut on a lathe in the last rear journal on the later cams , centered ,and its about .188 wide and .125 deep, if the cam is cut,for that oil groove the standard cam bearing can be used".[/size]

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/sh...hp?tid/311489/

I believe those heads raised the compression (98cc heads). I believe the stock heads would have had larger chambers.