jimbosprint 1972 C20 - the good, the bad, and the ugly

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

That's pretty cool, but I'm about out of money to spend on this for at least a while.

Yeah, I'm with you on that one... why do you think my status updates have slowed down so much. -$. I have an hei distributor at home that will be going on the truck, and eventually so will ome of those corrected caps. My 99 Tahoe had one on it from the factory, and I really liked it, but the disteibutors themselves were junk, they were plastic and if you tightened the cap too much, the mounting ears snapped off. When I got my tahoe it had a zip tie holding the cap on. I used to twll people it lets the cap wiggle for variable timing ;-)

[jimbosprint]

Photo gallery updated (210 photos!). Link in sig below.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

Photo gallery updated (210 photos!). Link in sig below.

I just browsed your web page, didn't know you had a nova, I will have to post up a pic of our 73 SS.

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by no1udknow

I just browsed your web page, didn't know you had a nova, I will have to post up a pic of our 73 SS.

Awesome. I sold mine 8 years ago. Waaaay too long to go without a classic Chevy! I loved that car, and I want to make this truck even nicer.

[jimbosprint]

The truck with no name

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

The truck with no name

I think you should put the good by top pic, the bad, by engine pic, and the ugly by the dent ;-) and do ot left right left

[jimbosprint]

At least I got something done today. I replaced the resistor wire that went from the bulkhead connector to the old coil with a nice healthy 12 gauge wire for the new HEI distributor.

[Saclandman]

I think I need to do that too. HEI would be nice.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by Saclandman

I think I need to do that too. HEI would be nice.

me too, I have a distributor already that I have been sitting on for a while, time to put it to some use

[jimbosprint]

$90 for HEI from Summit. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850001r/overview/

I had the same one in my Nova and it worked well.

[Saclandman]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

$90 for HEI from Summit. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850001r/overview/

I had the same one in my Nova and it worked well.

Did you get the whole combo kit or just the distributor? Just wondering if the extra $30 is worth it for the kit.

[jimbosprint]

I just got the distributor. I think it was ~$45 for wires from Napa for wires that will work under the stock exhaust manifolds (I asked for wires from later 70s).

Not a bad deal for the kit if you can use those wires.

[jimbosprint]

Got a couple more little things done today while the paint on the block cures competely.

The transmission crossmember was re-installed into the frame. Amazingly, it went back in a lot easier than it came out (and I didn't even get that dirty).

I got the alternator fan and pulley painted to match the rest of the pulleys and brackets.

I also got a few timing marks painted on the balancer. 0 is marked to use the stock timing indicator, and 30-32-34 for total advance timing.

And I removed the redneck cruise control next to the gas pedal that had some evil 2" screws going through the firewall.

[Xeen]

Originally Posted by jimbosprint

I removed the redneck cruise control next to the gas pedal that had some evil 2" screws going through the firewall.

[jimbosprint]

The plan is to put the motor in on Wednesday!

[jimbosprint]

Got a few things done this morning. So excited to get this running that it's hard to sleep.

[swamp rat]

Hey can you post the part number's on the manifolds for me please? Thanks.

[jimbosprint]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Hey can you post the part number's on the manifolds for me please? Thanks.

LH - 39324?9 (could be a 3, 6, or 8)
RH - 3905364

[flashed]

Wow ,looking good ,keep it up.

[jimbosprint]

Disaster. The block is missing a hole drilled for one of the plug wire shields. I don't know what to do. I will take them all off if I can't use this one. Ideas?

Add to that some LMC incompetence.
"This part you sent me doesn't work, can I exchange it for a different part?"
"Okay, sir. Please email us a photo of the part you need."
"Photo sent. Do you have the part I need?"
"Customer service will look at the photo in a day or two and get back in touch with you.
"Thanks!"
Couple days later I get an email that says they shipped something. I call and ask if it is the part I needed.
"I don't know sir. All the account says customer service took care of it and sent you new parts."
New parts arrive today and are exactly the same part that I got the first time, not the part I asked for or sent a photo of.

Also, thanks for insulating this cartoon plug loom so I can only use 2mm wires on it.

[jimbosprint]

Crate motor regret. Wish I had spent the extra money on rebuilding the original engine.

[Xeen]

Keep in mind you have a new crate motor and it isn't going to have the same configuration as a small block from 45 years ago so your heat shield bolt holes aren't going to be in the same place, in fact you may not even be able to use heat shields that bolt to the block at all, you might have to use the style that bolts to the exhaust manifold.

[jimbosprint]

I'm putting the motor in tomorrow without the heat shields. Maybe someday I can fabricate (or get someone to fabricate) something to make it work. If I come into a pile of money though I'm putting it into rebuilding the original block.

[Xeen]

Honestly the metallurgy in the new crate motor is so much better than the old 60's-70's small blocks it's not even funny, you have the better deal with what you have you just need to figure out a solution and trust me it's out there.
You will burn up your spark plug wires very quickly unless you shield and route them properly then you will definitely be unhappy, don't give up so easily.
The local machine shop will know in 2 seconds what heat shields you need with that block/exhaust manifold combination so load up the engine and take it down there, they will probably even have them in stock and sell them to you.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Honestly the metallurgy in the new crate motor is so much better than the old 60's-70's small blocks it's not even funny, you have the better deal with what you have you just need to figure out a solution and trust me it's out there.
You will burn up your spark plug wires very quickly unless you shield and route them properly then you will definitely be unhappy, don't give up so easily.
The local machine shop will know in 2 seconds what heat shields you need with that block/exhaust manifold combination so load up the engine and take it down there, they will probably even have them in stock and sell them to you.

Burn up the wires??? Jimbo, I can't remember an engine that I have had that ever burnt up wires without heat shields. Yes, most of them had headers, but even ones with the OG mani's and no heat shield never burnt up wires. But as far as the heat sbield mount goes, are you afraid to drill and tap it yourself? You may need a special tap to work with the hardness of that block, but you can take a dial caliper and measure the depth of the holes on the old one, and then mark it out on your drill bit so you dont go too deep, then just use a corded variable speed drill, go slow, and use lots of cutting oil. You could do it man, I have faith. Then when you are running the tap, you go 3/4 turn forward, then 1/4 back to remove debris, and keep spraying the cutting oil. Youll be done in no time.