The New Project: Part Deux!

[njsteve]

The forged H-heam rods arrived today! Everything gets dropped off tomorrow for balancing.

[KevinW]

Looking good Steve! As to the heads, are you going to use a thicker composite gasket or factory steel shim? The composite should give you close to the factory cc volume, while the shim would give you the smaller amount. I have a bad experience with shaved heads and intake fitment, so I am not a fan, but good luck!

[njsteve]

I'm using the Felpro blue head gaskets. The intake fit fine with no vacuum leaks so it was probably shaved at the same time back then.

[njsteve]

Spent some time glass glass beading the exhaust manifolds. I sprayed them with some high temp, cast iron grey, header paint. It won't last too long after the engine runs, but that paint at least leaves a residue that doesn't rust.

[njsteve]

I also glass beaded the intake. Even though it will be painted the correct 1972 Pontiac egg-shell blue, I still had to get the old clear coat residue off.

I also washed out out the oil pan. It was remarkably non-dented on the bottom. (Running out of things to clean...)

[njsteve]

I scrubbed the M22 to get the all the engine oil off from the leaky rear main seal. The bellhousing got a scrubbing, too. That took a a day of soaking since the clutch dust combined with the leaking engine oil really soaked into the pores of the aluminum housing.








I had to order a new clutch fork since I noticed that one of the clips clips that retains the throw out bearing was broken off.

[mockingbird812]

<span style="font-size: 20pt">Nice job MacGuyver family!</span> [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[VintageMusclecar]

Major kudos to you for getting your children involved in something like this. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

These will (hopefully) be some of the memories they will be able to cherish later on in life.

[kwhizz]

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/worship.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/worship.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif[/img]

[njsteve]

While it was 60 degrees out today I rushed and got the rest of the engine completed so I could get some paint on it. I did spend a good half hour or so priming the oil pump and pumping oil through the engine while constantly turning the engine over by hand to get the lifters filled and oil up to the rockers. The daughter assisted in running the drill...until it started smoking and she ran inside claiming she had homework she had to get done. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Here is something some of you Round Port guys might be interested in. Since no one makes the unique 1972-only intake gasket that has the small square heat riser port for the 7F6 cylinder heads, I had to improvise a little.

I ended up using the Felpro 90123 (RAIV, 1971 455HO,1973/4 SD455) large port intake gasket for the intake runner sections and then sectioned in the heat riser portion from the Felpro 90205 1972 455 D-port head intake gasket. This way everything ends up matching what it is supposed to mate with. And since the cast iron heat riser is a separate piece from the aluminum dual plane intake, there are no leakage problems to deal with.

And yes, that small, open, horizontal rectangle above the square heat risser port is supposed to be open to the atmosphere. It is sealed off from the inside of the engine and I believe it was created to allow ambient air in to prevent hot oil from &quot;coking&quot; onto the cylinder head's internal heat riser passages.