Bringing a Retro Small-Block Chevy Back to Life
This month we’re picking up where we left off by completing the rebuild of our 350/350 small-block Chevy engine. Part of that process was deciding what would be reused and what needed to be replaced. As we mentioned before, this engine was originally built for drag racing, and therefore, had high compression pistons, solid lifters and cam, very stiff valve springs, etc. It was easy to eliminate those parts from the “keep” pile, but some others, like the timing chain, pushrods, oil pump and carburetor weren’t so easy. I really wanted to keep as many of the original parts as possible, but advancements made with some of today’s parts were just too hard to overlook. The carburetor is an excellent example of this.
This motor originally had a very unique three-barrel carb that I could have had restored to like-new condition, but it still wouldn’t have performed as well as a modern carburetor. Enter Quick Fuel Carburetors. They had exactly what I needed, a retro-looking carb with modern features and the know-how to help me select the right one for my application. There was also the possibility that some parts looked good on the outside, but might have problems lurking internally, which was the case with the oil pump. A new high volume oil pump was far too inexpensive to take a risk with and was replaced.
So follow along with us as we bolt everything back together and breathe new life back into this old, long forgotten piece of my family history. Speaking of family, I’d like to dedicate this article to the memory my mom, who had more than a few hours logged into the original build.
Sources
Quick Fuel Technologies
Dept. STTR
129 Dishman Lane
Bowling Green, KY 42101
270.793.0900
Quickfueltechnology.com (http://www NULL.quickfueltechnology NULL.com)
Van Senus Auto Parts
Dept. STTR
6920 Kennedy Ave.
Highland, IN 46323
219.989.7129
Vansenusauto.com (http://www NULL.vansenusauto NULL.com/)
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- The first thing we needed to do was blow out all of the residue leftover from the machining process.
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- Next, we sanded down all of the gasket surfaces and ran a tap through all of the bolt holes.
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- After installing the bearings, we set the newly polished crank into the block, installed the bearings and bolted the mains back into place. We torqued them to the factory specs.
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- Moving on to the pistons, we installed the rings and set each one aside until all eight were ready to be installed.
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- Before installing the pistons, we wiped each cylinder wall down with oil to make sure everything was clean.
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- Using a piston ring compressor, we installed each piston into its respective cylinder, and then we flipped the motor over and torqued everything to factory specs. It’s a good idea to mark each one after you’ve finished so you don’t lose your place along the way.
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- While the motor was already flipped upside down we installed the new high volume oil pump.
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- Here’s a shot of the block with the pistons installed. It’s starting to look like something again!
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- Next we reinstalled the original studs that we had cleaned and checked for integrity. We coated each stud with thread sealant prior to installing them to prevent leakage. Once all of the studs were installed and the excess sealant was wiped off, we installed the head gasket. We completed both sides prior to installing the heads.
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- While the sealant on the head studs was drying, we finished rebuilding the heads with new springs, retainers and seals. The original parts were designed for the higher compression of the original configuration and couldn’t be used.
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- Now it’s time to rejoin the rebuilt heads with the block and torque everything down. For this task we used a template that specified the torque pattern and followed it to the letter.
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- Next up, we lubed up and installed a new hydraulic cam and timing gear set. The original cam was a solid lifter type made for the higher compression of the original motor.
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- Now it’s time for the fun part—paint! The oil and filter will remove any overspray that doesn’t wipe right off during the first oil change. Be sure to use a good oil filter.
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- Back to the assembly, we installed the original rocker arms, pushrods, and bearings, making sure to coat everything generously with assembly lube. This is the final step of the “internal” assembly.
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- We dressed up the motor using a combination or new and restored parts. First we installed the bead blasted Edelbrock intake manifold, a new GM Performance Parts chrome timing cover and the original, restored Edelbrock valve covers.
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- Keeping with the retro theme of the build, we installed a new, retro-style Edelbrock oil filler tube.
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- Next we installed the blasted and repainted oil pan that my dad had custom built back in the ‘70s. Notice that we didn’t install the pick-up onto the oil pump in case there are clearance issues with the frame.
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- Once the pan was installed, we flipped the motor back over and installed the distributor. We chose to use an HEI model for simplicity and reliability.
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- To complete the look and performance of this classic mill we topped the motor off with a new Quick Fuel HR-650 mechanical secondary carburetor and an Edelbrock air cleaner.
Tags: 350/350 small-block Chevy engine, carburetor, chevy
