1wild&crazyguy
Banned
Somebody needs to take all of these ''tips'' and simply make a one post list so that you dont have to read a gazilion pages.
always use a brand new oil pump if you have the $50 to spend. it will pay for itself.
use a high volume pump if it's a performance engine. high pressure pumps can lead to troubles if it's a stock-type oiling system and not an all out race build with external oiling, restrictors etc... a high volume pump is generally sufficient. use a good oil pan with extra capacity and matching pickup if you can afford it.
all clearances should be checked. every bearing. learn to love plastigauge. all bearings should be pre lubed, preferably with white lube before initial startup. fill the oil filter with oil. use a distributor shaft to prime the oil system as well.
use good gaskets. cheap ones will end up having you tear things apart to replace them. such a pain in the butt just to save a few bucks.
everything should be clean and oiled as you assemble. ring end gaps should be checked.
everything has a torque specification... follow them to the T. use a good torque wrench.
your rods and pistons should all be weight checked and balanced with your crank.
use new head bolts and rod bolts if possible. especially if you dont know the history of some of the bolts you dont know if someone overtorqued them or ran the engine like crazy etc.
how to rebuild the small block mopar by William Burt # sa143 cartech , is excellent though the one i got is for magnum and i have LA engine but all the tips and tricks are relative.heaps of good clear photos, check sheets you can copy and engine specs.What books are recommended?
Remember to put the oiling hole side of the rocker shafts facing down. Doh!
And NEVER trust a /6 nylon distributor gear with a hairline crack in it for a "test trip" down the road to try your now non-lean burn setup. -At least I got a tow home with my buddies Dodge truck, so the humiliation was far less.
Use a high volume pump, with a standard pump bypass spring; keeps the oil in the pan.
Great advice!
If you are going to use a high volume pump, I highly reccomend a deep sump pan. If you use a stock pan, you will have to keep an eye on your oil level. Most of the oil could get pumped to the top end without you knowing it. We all know what could happen next!
Make sure your machinist has experience with Mopar engines... I read so many threads about guys who got their engines FUBAR'd because they had a dumb Chivvy guy put the short-block together. For my 360 build I found a machine shop in Colorado Springs that built circle-track racing Mopar engines and after attempting to pick the guy's brain a little bit I quickly found out he knew WAY more than I did... Very reassuring!
Only thing I didn't like was he didn't act like balancing the rotating assembly was a big deal for a street engine, even though everywhere I've read says it's a 'must-do' for any decent performance engine. He still balanced mine upon request though.
Seen this missed a few times on engines that come in to get fixed- Rear galley plug needs a small .030"-.050" hole in it to oil the cam gear properly.
Has to be drilled by the engine assembler. A 1/32" drill bit is what I use, so it takes some care to do it without snapping off the bit. I use a Bridgeport to do it.Was not aware of this one. Is that hole typically already in place in the plug kits you buy or do you have to drill it?