a beefed 200R4 with a shift kit
Engine Build Up
The original 350 desperately needed new valve guides, lifters and on and on. It smoked if pushed over 3grand and on some days would just smoke any time you hit the gas pedal. I decided to go with a longblock Olds 350 kit from P.A.W. , several deciding factors: #1. pricing and #2. pricing. I usually do all the work myself, but the machine work for the existing block seemed to add up more than a kit. I also decided to toss the slipping Jetaway Transmission and upgrade to a 4speed automatic transmission from Bowtie Overdrives...of course, upgrading the rear 2.78 open to a 3.90 posi is in this plan.
The transmission arrived...
a beefed 200R4 with a shift kit
Then, the engine kit arrived from PAW
After fully going over all the casting #'s and measurement specs with a digital micrometer, I determined that they had sent me windowed main 350 block (acceptable, but not great) and #4A type heads......wait, those are for 403 Olds blocks! To summarize the story, they finally confessed that they were wrong after I sent them copies of Mondello specs along with other proof and the heads. In the meantime, I decided to find some good #5 heads and slap them onto the PAW block. I found some decent ones through a 442.com message board member. The PAW block was drilled for 1/2" head studs, but 7/16" ARP head bolts were sent to me. This was another issue that had to be argued with PAW before they'd fess up to their mistake, but they did and sent me 1/2" head bolts. They seem to do great machine work, but there's a major miscommunication between the machine shop the parts pullers and the tech guys.
Here's some images:
I washed, scrubbed and dried down the block and the crank, hey it's a nodular iron crank...not too bad!
Forged Pistons and camshaft being installed, always use gobs of good quality moly assembly lube
Timing chain, fuel pump escentric and oil slinger install...and then two piece Mondello timing cover install
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The Milodon (Melling) oil pump, pickup and 8qt. oil pan was installed with studs. The harmonic balancer was pressed...Screwin studs and guideplates were torqued down and the Comp Cams Magnum roller rockers and hardened pushrods were mounted and adjusted. A note: be careful, I ordered the the pan/pump/pickup/shaft from Jeg's, I've ordered from them for years now but somehow someone messed up the #'s in their catalog. The pickup part #'s were backwards, so they sent me the pickup for the 7qt. pan....I knew it was wrong because I measured all my clearances. Upon doing some research with Milodon directly, I found out that Jeg's did indeed list the part #'s backwards. They accepted that and had me send them the wrong pickup back and they sent me the right one, though they wouldn't reimburse me for the shipping they did send me a couple of Jeg's stickers (somehow doesn't pay for the shipping, but oh well).
Angie (my girlfriend and rebuild partner) and I drove our '68 around the block one more time before starting to tear it down...
That's Angie driving here, she wanted to do a burnout, but I told her she'll have to wait until the new engine is installed.
During the process of pulling all the brackets and radiator, I broke one of my fingers and tore several tendons in my right hand when I slipped while pulling a pulley...so, I'll have to wait awhile...aggravating but it happens. The finger took about 6+ weeks to heal enough to use it at all, I received a staff infection during that time.....I guess that's pretty common, but it sure hurts when it happens.
Now, to pull the old engine out...