Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
Disassembled most of the engine today and found some surprises and some "as expected" things. First of all, the short block is a 4 bolt main 350 out of an '80 model truck. Was apparently rebuilt at least once as it has a .020" over bore. Whoever did the rebuild slapped on a set of "416" 305 heads with 58cc chambers and 1.85/1.50 valves. With dished pistons and a .038" thick head gasket, it probably has around a 9.3:1 CR. The biggest surprise was that the head gasket was not blown between 6 and 8 as I originally thought. There's no sign of cracked rings or major cylinder issues, so I can only assume the problem is in the heads.
I checked on eBay and found the bulk of the parts I'll need to do a rebuild for around $350. Pistons, rings, bearings, cam/lifters, timing chain, valves, springs, retainers, oil pump, gaskets, freeze plugs, and etc. For another $150 you can upgrade to hypereutectics and a performance cam. With machine work, I should be able to assemble a nice little runner for under $1000. Let's see how fast this plan unwinds.
UPS delivered the Vintage Air kit today. I did a quick check for damage (none visible) and to see how it looked in general. From what I see, quality is very nice. Won't truly know until installation time, but I'm betting it will bolt up without a major hitch.
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