Rat repair.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

You've got to have an "air in" spot to go along with the PCV valve. Originally, it was a hose connected from the valve cover to the air cleaner spacer. Lacking that, you need a vented breather cap in the valve cover. Otherwise, the PCV valve is gonna get it's air from somewhere, even past the lip seals on the front and back of the crankshaft.

Hey Tex. What do you prefer to use on your intake gaskets to promote seal? Gasgasinch or the Right Stuff? Something else? What about the bolt threads? Thanks!

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by ERASER5

So tell me about your PVC system. Looks like you are sucking from both valve covers. Where is air entry point? For a PVC sytem to work properly, there has to be air in as well as out.

The reason I ask is that there is more than one way to skin a cat. And I am looking for ideas to help solve a problem of of my own.

Regarding my last reply i want to stand corrected, I had all night to think about it and jog the brain.. when i rebuilt this engine in 95 i did have a breather on one side, i recall the cheap ass breather kinda fell apart and i needed something quick, the auto parts store didn't have a breather on the shelf so i came up with the idea, didn't give much thought to air getting in at the time and figured it wouldn't hurt anything. I have gone thru once since then and replaced all the vacuum hoses about 5 years ago during the last carb rebuild, i think its been this way about 10 or so years.

[swamp rat]

Todays progress: (Well yesterdays progress now)

Got the manifold removed, plugged the ports, laid a rag in the valley plugged the ports and scraped the gaskets then cleaned and vacuumed the crap out of the valley and ports and put in clean rags. Scrapped the intake manifold surfaces and cleaned it with engine brite. Will do a final clean and surface prep later. The worlds Products heads have ports just slightly larger than the Performer intake, still uses the same gaskets tho, the lower wall thickness is thinner than on a stock head but the silicone bead still mates up ok.

So the auto parts store gave me the wrong intake gaskets yet again, he said they cross referenced to the fel-pro number i gave him, B.S, totally wrong port size..... I stopped there on the way to work and we reordered the Edelbrock gasket.

My biggest concern with this job is if i have to re-torque the bolts what kind of sealer do i put in them that's non hardening so when i re-torque it won't break the seal???

They gave me the wrong carb base gasket too so had to look that part number up and order it, i got it from the carb rebuild kit I run and Edelbrock 600 cfm.

Not an ounce of sludge in the valley, until i pop off the valve cover i'll assume no sludge there as well. (crossing fingers)

[Dean'smeanmachine]

so im not the only one that uses socks for rags

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Hey Tex. What do you prefer to use on your intake gaskets to promote seal? Gasgasinch or the Right Stuff? Something else? What about the bolt threads? Thanks!

I only use top of the line gaskets (FelPro). That said, I lay them in place with about three drops of gasket cement to hold them steady. Then a 1/4" bead of black silicone along the front and back rails of the block, and running about 1/4" up onto the side gaskets. Then drop intake straight in place. Use your favorite sealer on the bolt threads. Torque in place.

I worked at my local GMC dealer back when they issued the service bulliten advising to never use the rubber end seals and instead substitute silicone. It drastically cut warranty oil leaks when they started doing it this way.

[swamp rat]

Man, i didn't know that asking what type thread sealer/Gasket/RTV to use could resemble another oil thread but ... I started a thread in the engine folder in January and resurrected it about a week ago.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post6655217

The problem i have is My intake gasket ends up getting saturated with coolant, last time I replaced them I used black RTV on the bolt threads and i believe that after it hardened i re-torqued them and broke the seal, plus probably not the best for antifreeze resistance. I cant remember what i used the other times

A friend at work said use Permatex thread sealer with Teflon in it, I found this stuff but it say's you only have 4 hours before it sets if you have to re-torque, i don't work fast and may not be able to heat cycle and re-torque in that amount of time:

http://www.permatex.com/products-2/p...sealant-detail

I'm also thinking back old school and checked out a can of Permatex Hi-Tack, it is non hardening, won't desolve with oil or antifreeze and say's its excellent for sealing threaded fittings. I like this because it looks like it will allow more than 4 hours for re-torquing and i usually only get a couple hours a day to work on stuff, i want to install the intake, let it sit over night then fill with coolant and fire it up, then re-torque.

http://www.permatex.com/products-2/p...sealant-detail

So unless someone chime in ans say's i'm making a huge mistake I'm leaning toward choice number 2.

EDIT: I even read a thread on the net where a guy uses plane ole pipe thread sealant and said he never had an issue with oil or coolant working its way past the threads.

[swamp rat]

So as i mentioned i don't work fast, between my shaky hands and worn out body its taking me about 2-3 times as long to accomplish something than it did 20-30 years ago, lots more grunting and griping too as i climb in and out of the engine compartment for what seamed about 60 times this weekend. LOL! I swear if i had a shop (and a cement floor) i'd weld up a big rolling tool tray that i could slide into the opposite side of the engine bay so i could load it up with what i need.

Anyway, out with the old and in with the new, i pulled out my machined straight edge and checked the mating surfaces of the intake, one side had a nice rock to it so i took it to my favorite auto parts/machine shop and asked what it would cost to do a minimum clean up on the manifold, I was money ahead to just buy another new one for an additional $30, sometimes its just not worth the headache, plus they had one on the shelf.

Got it all back together today less the fuel line and antifreeze, i decided to add a fuel pressure regulator at the advice from another board member but naturally i forgot to buy some bendable steel fuel line.. Still need to figure out where to add it and keep the fuel line mounted solid.

Here,s a shot under one of the valve covers, still nice and clean for a '95 build and 80,000 miles, did note a little wear on the rollers, a little bummed about that.

[swamp rat]

I forgot to add, were still not into some good warm weather yet, had about a 4 day stretch but now nice and wet and colder, not the kind of weather i want to do bondo work in, will save that for a bit.

Still have plenty if stuff i can be doing in the mean time.

[Tx Firefighter]

Concerning the wear on your rollers, it reminded me of something I read.

The legend, John Lingenfelter, wrote a book about rebuilding small block Chevy's which I spent many hours reading and digesting.



He said that he had done a lot of researching and testing and found that roller tip rocker arms don't tend to roll. He said they find one spot and stay there and the roller is static from that point on. In his opinion, money was best spent on roller fulcrum rockers rather than roller tip rockers.

Not trying to disrespect your rockers, just telling you what smarter men than men have found and offering a bit of explanation for why you might be seeing some wear on the rollers.

[swamp rat]

Painfully obvious that i made a choice to go a little cheap due to budget, wanted something a little better than stock but didn't want to spend a couple hundred or better, this was a recommendation from a parts supplier, i wouldn't use them again.

[Tx Firefighter]

When I read that section of his book I was broken hearted. I had just saved my money for months to buy a brand new set of Erson roller tip rockers. I was so proud of them. I used them anyway and the engine ran fine but I was kind of disappointed that the experts claim I had spent my money on stuff that wasn't great.

I later bought a set of Crane Cams full roller rockers since they were claimed to be high quality and wound up having several fail in the fulcrum bearing area.

Heck if I know.

[swamp rat]

Well maybe down the road I'll replace them, but not now.

In the past i preferred to do as much as i could and learn, now i'm at the age that some things I'll farm out, like rebuilding an auto tranny, have done it in the past but don't want to do it again.

When i built the engine i spent a lot of money on quality machine work including balancing the rotating assembly. One place i couldn't get a lot of advice on was if i needed to change the rocker ratio or not. But it was clear i could not run tall valve covers as my engine is mounted to the rear holes in the frame. I just wanted a reliable build without a lot of headache.

My cam is a Comp cams Grind number CS 260H-10.
Gross valve lift 440,
Duration 260

Here's the link:
http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/c...x?csid=72&sb=0

[Mustard72]

Do you like that cam? I got a Melling MTC 1 for Mustard, which appears to have a bit more duration and a bit less lift than yours. It's supposedly a good towing cam, but now that the 6000# horse trailer is going away, I'm not sure I won't regret getting a little more cam if I actually ever get it back on that.

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

my favorite auto parts/machine shop and asked what it would cost to do a minimum clean up on the manifold,

Years ago, I would send exhaust manifolds to Stans headers in Auburn for a touch up on his huge belt sander.
I know your handled now. Might save that old manifold?

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Mustard72

Do you like that cam? I got a Melling MTC 1 for Mustard, which appears to have a bit more duration and a bit less lift than yours. It's supposedly a good towing cam, but now that the 6000# horse trailer is going away, I'm not sure I won't regret getting a little more cam if I actually ever get it back on that.

I really don't want to steer you one way or another as I'm not an engine builder by trade. don't know that i have an answer for you, I know that the larger cam the higher up in the RPM the power is built. I'm also running worlds products heads with different size (larger) intake runners, that in itself has an affect on air flow, plus Doug Thorley Try Y headers.

I can tell you that my truck is really happy at freeway speeds but i think with the 33" wheels and 4:10's i wouldn't mind having a little more bottom end power. It isn't phased by heading over the mountain pass but i have not pulled anything more than my small 7" flatbed trailer, dirt bike and a small camper on the back.

I think its best to contact the cam company's, let them know what you have and ask there opinion.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

Years ago, I would send exhaust manifolds to Stans headers in Auburn for a touch up on his huge belt sander.
I know your handled now. Might save that old manifold?

Yea i'll keep it, it may come in handy some day.

[swamp rat]

Spent yesterday cleaning the garage so i could unbury my wife's bike, we have a bike trip coming up and want her to be able to get a little saddle time in before we leave, plus reorganizing was badly needed just to be able to walk in there..

Today i got the engine fired up, timed and readjusted the carb, then re torqued the intake manifold bolts after it got warmed up.

Then i got back to working on my bed filler tube cover, i have a knack for wanting to over complicate things, came up with the idea to have the cover flanged all the way around including using some old bed material for the flange along the bottom, still have a ways to go yet but i have the cover bent and fitted, now i need to make the flanges and get them tacked and welded on, time consuming......

[Dean'smeanmachine]

sounds like a cool idea

[swamp rat]

Todays progress was to start the flanges that will be welded on, still have a ways to go yet.

Tomorrow i have a busy day, meeting friends for breakfast and then going to work.

If i have the time before work i'll drag the mig outside and tag the flanges in place, if not there's always Sunday. The trick is going to be controlling the warpage.

Hopefully it will be a bit dryer than it was today.

[Dean'smeanmachine]

that looks awesome, great fab work!

[Mustard72]

That's gonna look really nice. It'll look sorta original with the flanges, I would think.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Mustard72

That's gonna look really nice. It'll look sorta original with the flanges, I would think.

Thanks. I hope it turns out ok and I can control the heat webpage.

No progress today. Got 4 hours sleep then went for breakfast, came home and passed out for a bit before I left for work.

[mcbassin]

Very nice work on the filler tube cover.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Very nice work on the filler tube cover.

Thanks!

[swamp rat]

Ok, so i may have mentioned somewhere i took a little 2 wheeled road trip with some friends I was so gone for a bit. we stopped in the Aviation museum in McMinnville Or. amongst other places. The Spruce Goose, the largest wooden plane ever built by Howard Hughes during WWII. Thought i'd share a couple pic's.