First Project ever ;)

Okay so this isn't a car project thread... YET.  But this will be the thread that will be my complete build of my first project car ever. I'm starting with a 350 and rebuilding it then plan to find a car to put it in once its built and running. My only limitations at the moment are money and knowledge. So this may be a slightly slower process but hey its a project right? This has been something i have ALWAYS wanted to do and im working on this project with my Grandpa. I want to keep his mind occupied as well as see the smile on his face when he hears that motor fire up for the first time. So with some help from my, now, fellow Scroungers i think this will be a very fun project!
Now to the nitty gritty!

Engine

So i bought this engine from Butch (Thanks!) as it sits and ran some numbers off of it. Should be a good base to start with.


Now with a little oil and some persuasion, i got the thing to turn

Of course once you get that far you cant stop so before work i had a bit of time and performed a piston-ectomy and cleaned up the crank some. Took a few pics of the heads to figure out the story behind the motor so im going to do some searching and find the history.




And i believe the heads are the 993 heads with the 1.94/1.50 valves but ill dig into it later. I was almost late for work



More later! Keep posted!
Next step, Machine shop!

Cats out of the bag so let us see them pics of the car you are putting that engine in

Cool! What's it going into?

Later,

Lee

Where's the pics of the Monte?

Ha sorry didn't see this thread was still around. Project hit quite a snag once i bought the motor. But none the less, its back at it in full force!  Bought this '79 Monte a couple weeks ago. Underside Looks great, solid & undercoated. Body has one quarter sized hole but that's it. You can see it in the second pic, bottom of the quarter.



Hope to get that old 267 out and get it cleaned up before the new 383 goes in. Have parts coming, going and everything in between!  
Hope to get her driving by Thanksgiving time. We'll see how everything plays out!

Just a before and after picture to show what the finished engine bay looks like after the a/c, heater core, and blower fan removed. Degreased and painted  
Before


During...


After

Engine Goodies!




...More to come in a bit! ~~

Looking good. You working outside in the weather or is it in a garage? It's going to keep getting colder!

Assembling the engine in a shed w/ a heater but ill be working on the car outside in the snow and cold temps this winter  Trying to get it put together and ready for painting by early next spring for some cruises!

I have a few observations about your valve spring retainers. To me,they look like they are installed upside down. I could be wrong, I don't know. Secondly, the retainers are definitely too small for those springs. I would not feel comfortable running that as it is.

TurboPinto wrote:I have a few observations about your valve spring retainers. To me,they look like they are installed upside down. I could be wrong, I don't know. Secondly, the retainers are definitely too small for those springs. I would not feel comfortable running that as it is.

You're right, they do look odd.   I'll look inside there and see if they go further down on the bottom side. I'm also picking up the block today so ill ask the machinist what kit he used. Ill report back with what he says, thanks for the heads up!

upside down

David did you put the valves in it or the shop? You are going to have to pull the keepers and flip those over.

Something doesn't look right as Kevin says. I didn't even see the first picture. I was stuck on that pretty purple from where they seated the valves. They look too small. Is that what was on it?

It's been so long since I have mess with any engines I may be wrong but I'd check into it a little more. Maybe one of these Chevy nuts can chime in.

There are some retainers that have a small bulge on the top kinda like those, but this set looks upside down to me also. Borrow a c clamp type valve spring comp. at advanced and pop one out, it should have a larger part on the bottom of the retainer, that fits into the spring. If the underneath is concave then they are on upside down.

Ok I think I figured out why the retainers look so small, some chevy valve springs had a stamped sheet metal piece that goes under the retainer, these are the best pictures I could find.

Thanks guys for all of the replies, its been a busy day for sure so i didnt have time to check them personally. The machinist said they are for a z28 but they are made for a vortec head, which is what they are. Im not very vortec knowledge based but they still do look upside down. Sometime this weekend i will pull one off and see what they look like. Again i appreciate the heads up and concern  Could save me a lot of headache and money!

Also I got the block back today. Pistons are custom and sit flush at 9.0150" so thats what its decked to. Line honed, bored .030 over, new cam bearings, plugs and clearanced for double roller and 3.75 throw crank and rods  

Also Chris55 thanks for getting those pictures. That would make a lot of sense. So i'll do a visual check and when i pick up the rods from the shop ill bring this info to his attention and see what he says. This work isn't cheap so the end result shouldn't be cheap either...

Okay when i went and picked up the rods I asked him about the retainers and he said that they're from a z28 and made for each other. I did also check to see if they were installed upside down and they extend downward onto the valve so were good there too.  < bunny for the hell of it!

Pistons and crank weren't obviously in, this is just a test fit of the heads and put a coat of high temp clear on it and will keep the cast look  

Pistons and rods in. Finally making some good progress  

 

looking good