Starting my engine build

[Mrturner1]

Well I decided not to pay a shop 900 bucks to install my heads for me, and I'm gonna give it a try. I've never even taken the heads off of a motor before but it's gotta happen sooner or later. Any tips are welcome, I have some guidance from a buddy but other than that I'm just goin for it. I'm on the fence about cam change, because I don't know what cam is in it, but maybe while I'm in there I'll find out

[Mrturner1]

Here's the beginning

[Mrturner1]

My shop haha

[hugger6933]

I've used a shop similar to that many times. In fact my shop is sometimes full [or not] and I may still work outside either on the "slab" or just in the gravel.

[Mrturner1]

So far so good. This is fun!

[Cmvcruiser]

Sometimes that's the best way to learn is to get some grease under your fingernails

[Coley]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

So far so good. This is fun!

yep...so far so good. Get ready for the weight of those heads tho' when you are ready to pull them...they are about 50 lbs each and will lift you off the ground if you reach over the fender and attempt to lift them up.
What heads are you putting on it?...or are you going to rebuild the ones you have?

Coley

[truckster]

Get yourself a good torque wrench. Proper torque is essential to long engine life.

[toolboxchev]

X2 on the torque wrench, you will have good luck doing something for yourself. Have ancient chinese fortune cookie for dinner also!

[swamp rat]

Get a manual for the torque sequence, or find it on google. go in reverse when unbolting untill the bolts are loose.

Best to not mix up the valvetrain, find a cardboard box and keep track of which push rod and rocker go's where.

[Sklptrljay]

Back in the day, I used to take a polaroid of something if I thought I might not remember how to put it back together. Take lots of pictures and even a video with narration for yourself.....a smart phone is a valuable tool!

Use a cardboard box as mentioned. Last but not least, as you remove bolts and screws get some Ziplock bags and write where they went on a piece of paper and put it in the bag too.

[tcrist]

If you are not pulling the cam and have not done it yet, take a picture of the dizzy for reference, pull the cap and rotate the motor until the rotor in the dizzy points straight towards the radiator or towards the firewall. take another picture for reference.

This way (if you are not changing the cam anyway) you have a reference to where everything is pointing. Just remember "NOT" to rotate the crank at all until you stab the dizzy back in and indicate it per the pictures.

I have a word document on how to adjust your lifters before you start it back up. You should not have to readjust them after you are done if you do it by the instructions. PM me your direct e-mail and I can send you the Word document.

Or just search this site for "valve adjustment". You will fine many posts on it.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by Coley

yep...so far so good. Get ready for the weight of those heads tho' when you are ready to pull them...they are about 50 lbs each and will lift you off the ground if you reach over the fender and attempt to lift them up.
What heads are you putting on it?...or are you going to rebuild the ones you have?

Coley

I got a killer deal on some Pro Topline heads 180cc runners, 64cc chambers and 2.02's. I can't wait to feel the difference in power. I'm also swapping the Edelbrock 600 for a AVS 650.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by tcrist

If you are not pulling the cam and have not done it yet, take a picture of the dizzy for reference, pull the cap and rotate the motor until the rotor in the dizzy points straight towards the radiator or towards the firewall. take another picture for reference.

This way (if you are not changing the cam anyway) you have a reference to where everything is pointing. Just remember "NOT" to rotate the crank at all until you stab the dizzy back in and indicate it per the pictures.

I have a word document on how to adjust your lifters before you start it back up. You should not have to readjust them after you are done if you do it by the instructions. PM me your direct e-mail and I can send you the Word document.

Or just search this site for "valve adjustment". You will fine many posts on it.

Thanks I haven't pulled it yet and I'll definetly get a picture. As I was pulling things off, I kinda wondered how I'm going to remember which plug wire goes where, but I'll figure it out when I get to it

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Get a manual for the torque sequence, or find it on google. go in reverse when unbolting untill the bolts are loose.

Best to not mix up the valvetrain, find a cardboard box and keep track of which push rod and rocker go's where.

I was wondering about that. I was thinking with new heads I would have to get new rockers and pushrods, but I suppose I could re-use these ones. If the cam turns out to be smaller than I thought, I'll be replacing that as well so new rockers may be in the budget. How big does a cam have to be to need aftermarket rockers?

[4 Wheelin Fudpucker]

Your cam is most likely stock. Keep it that way. A timing chain would be a smart move if you have it torn down this far.

The one problem I have with doing a head job on a SBC is that soon after the bottom end starts making noise. Im zero for two, not good odds. When my current SBC got tired, I replaced it. During next winter Ill tear it down and rebuild it.

[El Dorado Jim]

Hey, I see that you are fairly close to me, I am near Placerville,why are you replacing the edelbrock 600? does it work?

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by 4 Wheelin Fudpucker

Your cam is most likely stock. Keep it that way. A timing chain would be a smart move if you have it torn down this far.

The one problem I have with doing a head job on a SBC is that soon after the bottom end starts making noise. Im zero for two, not good odds. When my current SBC got tired, I replaced it. During next winter Ill tear it down and rebuild it.

If the cam is stock I'll definetly want to get something a little more roudy. I got the truck to go fast and a cam is a big piece of that puzzle. I'll cross my fingers on the bottom end, and when it goes I'll have a good excuse to get a 383 short block

[geezer#99]

Change one thing at a time! It's your first rodeo!
If you're doing the heads, leave the cam alone for now. It's only a hundred bucks for gaskets if you change the cam later.
You'll likely have several little problems with the head swap that'll drive you nutz, don't complicate it with a cam change.
Leave the cam alone and you have a better chance of getting it running again.
Change the cam and you have a good chance of having a non running lump parked in the driveway.
X2 on the torque wrench. Don't cheap out.

[jessemthompson]

Also make sure you replace the head bolts. They are stretch bolts and if not replaced it may cause a leaking head gasket.

[GASoline71]

The head bolts can be reused. They are not torque to yield bolts. Unless going for a high compression monster motor. The stock head bolts in a SBC can be reused.

If using aluminum heads... either go studs or upgrade the stock bolts to bolts with washers under the caps.

Gary

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

My shop haha

Hey... my first "shop" was a kitchen. So you're doin' okay!

Gary

[Mrturner1]

So when I'm removing the rockers do I just take them off by loosening the nut on top and its that simple? Do I need to be careful of anything spring loaded that's gonna come flyin out at my face at all?

[Redline novdog]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

The head bolts can be reused. They are not torque to yield bolts. Unless going for a high compression monster motor. The stock head bolts in a SBC can be reused.

If using aluminum heads... either go studs or upgrade the stock bolts to bolts with washers under the caps.

Gary

The bolts can be reused on cast iron heads,but to keep from galling the head bolt spotface on your aluminum heads get some studs or bolts that use washers, as Gasoline stated

[Mrturner1]

I'm mowin what you're growin about the cam change, but is there at least some way I can identify what's in it without removing? I don't see what it could hurt to deck the heads a little bit, I'm mullin that over as well. Stock pistons put me at 8.1-1 roughly? So 9.0-1 could only help I'm thinking, not worried about fuel costs the truck was bought to go fast.