The 283 Rebuild Begins

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by justcuz

How do you crack an intake manifold? Does this guy build hobby stock race engines? Old stock Chevy 2BBL intakes are worth bank to these guys for some reason.

Got the manifold back today - when the shop owner drove down to pick up the back-up '283'. The crack was right at the water neck. Typical hack (the guy that took my truck) and he'd over tightened the 3/8-16 bolts on the thermostat housing. What a schmuck. Anyway - good catch on the cam - and yes, we're going for just a minor bump above stock, for the sake of the 2-barrel's economy. About 75% of Eddings rebuilds are close to street-stock and the rest are marine and HP stuff. They have a heck of a reputation here in the Southland. It will all be good - in about two Saturdays.

On the engine compartment front: Finished the painting and detail today. Took all the wrapping off the wire looms and redid it with 3-M Friction tape - old school to the max. Then I coated it with Performix 'Liquid Tape'. Looks like showroom quality now. Can't wait for the new engine struts and motor mounts to arrive next week by UPS. Took 30 hours of scraping, sanding, primer and flat black to get the sheetmetal back to a decent condition. The amount of engineering that went into the assembly is phenomenal - even for 64/65 and the rust was (thankfully) very, very lite. Tomorrow I'll secure the wire looms with S/S clamps and take the idiotic clutch pedal assembly off. One day at a time.

[MacAttack]

Engine compartment is complete - waiting for the powertrain.

Picked up the T350 automatic yesterday and the new aluminum pan holds 3 quarts of fluid!. Painted it flat black last night, after masking everything off.

The engine towers and motor mounts arrived yesterday, and despite spending well over $200 I think it was worth it - the set looks perfect.

The engine builder called and asked what I wanted to do with the heads from the cracked motor and the other various hardware Monday night. I told him to keep it and he said the second ‘283’ (the one out of my Chevelle) was torn down and cleaned - getting ready for mag. Hopefully that all went well yesterday.

[justcuz]

If you are keeping the 2 barrel you might want to plug the exhaust heat riser passages that go to the cast iron base of the carb. Drill them out till they clean up. 3/8 if I remember correctly, then tap and plug with 1/4 pipe allen headed plugs. Thread in till flush with top of the intake. This prevents the vacuum leak that developes when the base gasket blows out from the exhaust pressure on the base of the carb. Many people with early Chevys that had 2 barrels wondered why the car (or truck) suddenly started running bad. Usually this was the answer, the gasket blows out and causes a huge vacuum leak and acts like a giant EGR valve.

[MacAttack]

Good catch, justcuz. Thanks.

Mac.

[justcuz]

You'll never guess how I know this!

[MacAttack]

I think I can - but tell the story anyway.

[MacAttack]

Tackled the removal of the clutch pedal assembly last night. Kind of a pain - but got through it.

Recap: The guy that took my truck back in February - for some unknown and illogical reason - took out my six and its T350 automatic and threw (literally) in a ‘283’ and a junky old 3-speed manual. I’ve now got all of that garbage removed and disposed of accordingly.

So anyway, I get under the dash and remove the clutch pedal’s return spring, go to the other side of the steering column ‘tower’ and see this bent and rolled "clasp" (for lack of a better word) on the end of the shaft that the pedal hangs from. No cross-bolt is holding it and only a bent nail is holding the connecting rod that runs through the firewall.

Not knowing any better and doing a quick eyeball of the factory assembly manual, I take a mungus screwdriver and pry the clasp off - after removing the nail that held the vertical rod, which let if fall to the driveway. I smacked the end of the spindle rod with a hammer and then drove it out with a punch.

Piece of cake.

Now here’s the odd part: The brake pedal didn’t come loose. In fact - I think because the truck’s got a power assisted brake unit - the pedal’s connect to it, instead of the stock location.

Is this the reality?

[justcuz]

I could be wrong as it has been a while, but I think all the brake pedals were the same. It had a hollow shaft and if it was a stick shift the clutch pedal went through the brake pedal and was held on with a flatwasher/circlip on the throttle pedal side. I think it stayed that way until Chevy went to bigger brake pedals for automatics.

On the carb, mine blew out while I was out of town and off roading in my 1963 K-10 4x4.(My avatar truck) I was out in the country and the thing started running bad, had a heck of a time figuring it out until I noticed the exhaust exiting under the rear of the carb base plate. Those gaskets are pretty heavy and impregnated with a piece of metal, like an old exhaust manifold gasket. My temporary fix was to remove the gasket completely and just bolt the carb directly to the intake. I was up above Lone Pine. It sealed better than with the blown out gasket. When I got home, I removed the intake manifold, cleaned out the heat riser holes, tapped them with a pipe tap and threaded the allen head plugs into the top of the manifold. Basically the intake below the carb then acted as a stove to heat the incoming fuel mixture but did not pressurize the gasket area in the cast baseplate of the carb. I also did not install the restrictors for the exhaust in the intake manifold gaskets, so the exhaust was freeflowing in the crossover in the intake. I had dual exhausts on this truck and the benifit of leaving the intake manifold restrictors out was that it kept the carbon buildup in the intake to a minimum. I realized this later when I installed a 4 barrel manifold and carb. The 4 barrel manifold by the way, does not apply heat directly to the base of the carb, but works like a stove, just as the modified 2 barrel intake did. As a side note, I did the same plug modification on my 4 barrel intake for my 401 Buick engine in my boat.

[MacAttack]

Great advise on the carburator, justcuz.

I will follow through with it as soon as the motor gets back - as the intake manifold will be coming back separated from the long-block rebuild, ready for painting. Should be a piece of cake using your method.

The next deal I’ve got to concern myself with is the transmission fluid lines that run up to the bottom of the radiator.

Any vendors with "buy or remake complete" capabilities?

Has anyone used classictube.com before?

[Chevy Fleetside]

Get some aluminum line and bend your own. This way you can run them where ever you want. I am going to run mine down the frame rails.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

Get some aluminum line and bend your own. This way you can run them where ever you want. I am going to run mine down the frame rails.

Cool idea, but be careful. The transmission moves a little bit and the frame is rigid.

[Chevy Fleetside]

ok,, I am going to run them down the frame rails and stop at the tranny and cross over with soft line. Acually braided steel line to be exact..

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

ok,, I am going to run them down the frame rails and stop at the tranny and cross over with soft line. Acually braided steel line to be exact..

You know what's crazy - I found the exact lines I need in the Original Parts Group website yesterday evening. About $85 for stainless steel lines (2) with all the appropriate fittings.

You may be okay with going 'hard tubing' all the way. These lines that I may yet order run right to the bottom of the radiator - which is connected to the frame - virtually - so you may not have a problem, other than using the softer material.

If I get the motor in and this connection routine turns into a hassle, I may just leave the radiator loose, make the connections and then tie the radiator down. Failing that, I'll just clip the ends off and go soft tube to the radiator.

[joe231]

most cars and trucks in the 70-80's came with hard lines from the transmission to the radiators, worked for many years that way

[MacAttack]

So the motor got delivered today and the final price wasn't that bad, considering the first block was total junk and that couldn't be determined until it was disassembled, cleaned and magged: $1,650 total, with a pick up and delivery from HB to Covina and back.

I sprayed the intake manifold today - which was bare metal and tapped the two heat riser holes: 1/2-13 and inserted Allen set screws - as suggested. Worked perfectly and a really intelligent idea, even confirmed by the engine builder - today.

Built my engine stand again, finding all the bolts from 18 months ago, and a move back into the new house. Now the fun begins. Well, once I get past this harmonic balancer issue.

[justcuz]

Whats up with the balancer?

[joe231]

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by justcuz

Whats up with the balancer?

Stuck.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by joe231

Yep - you're right, and I'm working on it. I always use those Fuji throw-away cameras (27 shots) and get them processed at Wal-Mart (yes, I know - I should make the transition to digital) and this last one that's in now will also come with a disk, so I can share and you can all make fun of me accordingly,

[Chevy Fleetside]

You have to paint it all pretty before you take pictures.

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

You have to paint it all pretty before you take pictures.

Seven hours today - doing just that. NOT TRADITIONAL! I'm going to take a major load of crap for this, but the block's Navy gray - In honor of my Dad, who passed away a while ago and was an MCPO. Flat black pan, Chrome valve covers, gray block and intake manifold.

BTW: Is there a torque pattern for the 2-barrel intake manifold for a 65' 283 SBC?

A couple of disappointments when inspecting the long block during my paint work today: #1. All the hardware at the oil filter port is gone, including the male pipe thread fitting. #2. The push rod for the fuel pump isn't in the block.

Is this normal after an engine rebuild? I don't want to start a stink if it isn't warranted.

[leftcoast66]

Originally Posted by MacAttack

Seven hours today - doing just that. NOT TRADITIONAL! I'm going to take a major load of crap for this, but the block's Navy gray - In honor of my Dad, who passed away a while ago and was an MCPO. Flat black pan, Chrome valve covers, gray block and intake manifold.

BTW: Is there a torque pattern for the 2-barrel intake manifold for a 65' 283 SBC?

A couple of disappointments when inspecting the long block during my paint work today: #1. All the hardware at the oil filter port is gone, including the male pipe thread fitting. #2. The push rod for the fuel pump isn't in the block.

Is this normal after an engine rebuild? I don't want to start a stink if it isn't warranted.

I'm not sure about with your builder, but the guy who does all of mine usually gets me all new parts while I'm there, or he throws all those parts that I'll reuse to the side to give back since he has to take them off to do work on the motor.

[justcuz]

What ever went with it should come back.
The harmonic balancer is stuck on the crank?
Torque pattern for intake is in any shop manual. Basically an x pattern from the middle 4 out to the outside. 3/8 bolts, 35 ft lbs as I recall.

[justcuz]

Oh and I seem to remember grey being used by Chevy for truck engines at some point. Maybe more of a blue grey, but grey nonetheless. What cam did you have him put in the engine?

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by justcuz

What ever went with it should come back.
The harmonic balancer is stuck on the crank?
Torque pattern for intake is in any shop manual. Basically an x pattern from the middle 4 out to the outside. 3/8 bolts, 35 ft lbs as I recall.

I’m calling the engine builder this morning to see what’s up with the missing components - just didn’t want to come off as a d*%k. The cam is fairly mild - just a bit more bump than stock, because I wanted to maintain the mileage with the 2-barrel set-up.

The harmonic balancer is off again - no biggie. Bringing some mic’s and a last-word indicator home from the shop tonight and measure the crank end for size and roundness. If needed, I have the guys at the shop take a sniff out of the bore and then coat the bore with red Loc-Tite.

I’m still going to stand this motor on end, pack dry ice around the crank end and heat the balancer a bit, prior to banging it on the engine.