306smalblk
Forum Member
Hey did you prime the engine with oil before cranking it over ? just wondering ? project looks great man. I had a 78 elcamino ss car along while back.
78 caballero
- Thread starter The ghoul
- Start date
I had the converter pushed all the way back so when I mated the engine and trans I had to pull it forward to contact the flexplate... still havent had time to unbolt it and try to turn over the engine...
thanks man! Im pleased with how its comming about... well.... before the engine issue that is.
I was wondering if dry bearings would cause this...
I was hoping I could get away with un-plugging the coil and turning it over to prime the engine (not a heck of alot of room between the carb and firewall to get the distributer out and prime it). I know it isnt an ideal or 'safe' plan but I figgured it would be better than hitting the key and letting it run in.... have to add that to the "things to try" list before I pull the engine...
never took any of the caps off... just loosened them a half turn and re-torqued... perhaps I popped one of the thrust bearings into the wrong spot...?
Unless one was loose before I touched it... Idk; I just think it would take a day to troubleshoot it if I had a day to devote to it! Lol
OK, so did I mention I was ADD?
I got back one of my old cars for a super good deal
(almost 1/3rd of what I got rid of it for)
my old man said I could keep it in his shop up at their beach house in Harbor Beach
so the thought of borrowing his truck every time I wanted to trailer it to the beach or back to town for a show or something wasnt sitting great with me. Seeing how in april I freed up about $200/month by wrecking my bike
I decided it was time to get rid of the Dart and get into a tow pig/home improvement hauler
Then proceeded to debadge it, throw a 4/7 drop kit at it (with C notch for frame), a set of 5000lb capasity air bag helpers, thrush two chamber muffler I had kicking around, and Lights out window tint tossed some 20% on the drivers and passingers windows..... all in 11 days... all while working two jobs... busy would be an understatment!
So, looks like after a little much needed R&R and dumping the Ford off at the beach house I will be back cracking on the Cabby in a few weeks..
I got back one of my old cars for a super good deal
(almost 1/3rd of what I got rid of it for)
my old man said I could keep it in his shop up at their beach house in Harbor Beach
so the thought of borrowing his truck every time I wanted to trailer it to the beach or back to town for a show or something wasnt sitting great with me. Seeing how in april I freed up about $200/month by wrecking my bike
I decided it was time to get rid of the Dart and get into a tow pig/home improvement hauler
Then proceeded to debadge it, throw a 4/7 drop kit at it (with C notch for frame), a set of 5000lb capasity air bag helpers, thrush two chamber muffler I had kicking around, and Lights out window tint tossed some 20% on the drivers and passingers windows..... all in 11 days... all while working two jobs... busy would be an understatment!
So, looks like after a little much needed R&R and dumping the Ford off at the beach house I will be back cracking on the Cabby in a few weeks..
Thank you sir, yeah its been a crazy few weeks
I saw the car show..
Id love to but the problem is my vacation wraps up the 22ed. Its going to be hard pressed getting another weekend off (not so much from the gov-ment but the second job home depot). Ill definetly hit yall up next year tho.
Seems to me I've been here before...
Pulled the 350 back out
Got a torque reading of 45ft lb to turn it over with no plugs in it and it was a grabby sort of deal (breaks loose/ binds up/ break loose)
Loosened up all the caps both rod and main and still the same.
Took all the rockers just as loose as they could get....
Pulled the 350 back out
Got a torque reading of 45ft lb to turn it over with no plugs in it and it was a grabby sort of deal (breaks loose/ binds up/ break loose)
Loosened up all the caps both rod and main and still the same.
Took all the rockers just as loose as they could get....
Ok it just got weird didn't it?!
I re-torqued every thing, shot some ATF in the cylinders to lube them, installed 3 shims under the starter and ran jumper cables from the battery in my running silverado to the starter (negitive to starter casing). It turned over a little labored but better than it has to date with a bit of meshie noise still. Poped plugs in it and sure enough, quarter crank then locks...
Pulled the plugs back out and cranked it over and noticed the file plate is bent (1/2-3/4" in and out as its cranking). Then I recalled, when I took it apparat the crank still had a pilot bearing in it from when it was coupled to a manual transmission.
My next move is to drain the excess trans fluid out of the cylinders and shim the starter more and see if that works out... Other than that I have no other ideas ?!
I re-torqued every thing, shot some ATF in the cylinders to lube them, installed 3 shims under the starter and ran jumper cables from the battery in my running silverado to the starter (negitive to starter casing). It turned over a little labored but better than it has to date with a bit of meshie noise still. Poped plugs in it and sure enough, quarter crank then locks...
Pulled the plugs back out and cranked it over and noticed the file plate is bent (1/2-3/4" in and out as its cranking). Then I recalled, when I took it apparat the crank still had a pilot bearing in it from when it was coupled to a manual transmission.
My next move is to drain the excess trans fluid out of the cylinders and shim the starter more and see if that works out... Other than that I have no other ideas ?!
dave89iroc
Club Member
Did you remove the pilot bushing?
Sent from an undisclosed location
Sent from an undisclosed location
Yes I removed it when I discovered it but I think because the flex plate was bolted to the torque converter with the pilot bushing in place it bent the flex plate. It would be odd that it would be the cause of my issue, but at this point I'm running out of options..
Today replaced the bent flex plate, shimmed starter to spec same result with less noise.
Got frustrated and pulled the timing cover and noticed the timing cogs were out a bit (odd because I never took it off...
Fixed that, same result.
I pulled a compression test 170ish psi before it sleazed.
I think I have now narrowed it down to the new head gaskets are too thin (recall it is bored 30 over perhaps it was also decked?
Possibly stock starter is just too weak?
Maybe I got too much crud between the pistons and cylinders...
Got frustrated and pulled the timing cover and noticed the timing cogs were out a bit (odd because I never took it off...
Fixed that, same result.
I pulled a compression test 170ish psi before it sleazed.
I think I have now narrowed it down to the new head gaskets are too thin (recall it is bored 30 over perhaps it was also decked?
Possibly stock starter is just too weak?
Maybe I got too much crud between the pistons and cylinders...
Yeah no option at this point. Just wanted to rule out all the other possibilitys before pissing away the gasket money..
See, the problem with a project log like this is you feel real guilty if you do something this damn stupid and hide it..
Turns out the cylinders weren't nearly as clean as I thought..
One was particularly gritty.
After I got a dile on it I came up with a number of 0.053" between the deck and piston top at tdc
(dial was moving counter clockwise naturally)
Guess it was for the best because I noticed none of the rod bearings looked very healthy.
Lucky the crank looks "stained" but nothing I could feel with my thumb nail
Turns out the cylinders weren't nearly as clean as I thought..
One was particularly gritty.
After I got a dile on it I came up with a number of 0.053" between the deck and piston top at tdc
(dial was moving counter clockwise naturally)
Guess it was for the best because I noticed none of the rod bearings looked very healthy.
Lucky the crank looks "stained" but nothing I could feel with my thumb nail
CamaroKid91Z
Club Member
LS1 and be done.....