The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

[DanStokes]

Me three!

Dan

[squirrel]

I said I was gonna build an engine this year, it sure is moving slowly....being down for the last month with shingles didn't help either.

[DanStokes]

Bummer Jim! Dad had that and it was NASTY. Not sure if they got it cleared up before he died but the two events were NOT related. Hope you get that resolved. I've been wondering about the vaccination for that. You coming to Bonneville this year?

Dan

[CTX-SLPR]

SHINGLES SUCKS!!!!

I had it when I was still in my 20's! It was like having broken glass in your nerve endings and oh the pain of ever, ever getting cold! I have no idea if the vaccination works but I wouldn't wish it on anyone!

Good luck with figuring out the pushrods and/or rockers. I'd suggest going with the rockers as they will give you far more long term flexibility than the pushrod correction will and like you pointed out, you already are $100 into them if you keep the current units. I bet you could sell the stockers for a few more dollars as well.

Slight hijack... you wouldn't happen to have a stock bore 3.8 block laying around would you?

[Caveman Tony]

Randal, they didn't accidentally angle-mill the head, did they?

[TheSilverBuick]

I'm pretty sure they didn't angle mill it based on the pushrods going through the head, and no real change in cc's of the chamber. Valve stems are essentially level with the worse ones being about .005" off, which the hydraulic is more than capable of covering in adjustment. The exhaust valve I measured was the same as the intake, so its not staggered like I feared it may be.

I need to see if I can find a spec on stem height above the valve cover rail. If the valves are installed .10" taller for some reason that would impact the seat and open pressures, which I'm not equipped to check. I think I have the set spring height somewhere, so I should be able to check that.

CTX-SLPR, I do not have the old 231. My Dad scrapped it in 2009 or 2010 when he cleaned out his storage unit. I'm not sure the block was any good, it was standard bore, but I think it had lifter bore issues, excessive clearances or something.

[TheSilverBuick]

I did some math and I think I can get away with the adjustments on the roller rockers and my current push rods. It's going to suck if I cannot and have to order the pushrods anyways as I just ordered up the roller rockers. Barring a cam change, that officially should make it the last upgrade for the engine itself.

[TheSilverBuick]

Oh yeah, next payday I should be able to order up the 9" rear axle for my car with 3.89 gears and a true-trac. Should be at my place by the end of June if all goes well I "should" have a July install.

[stage1scott]

Oh yeah, next payday I should be able to order up the 9" rear axle for my car with 3.89 gears and a true-trac. Should be at my place by the end of June if all goes well I "should" have a July install.

whose did you order Randall? I LOVED the Moser I had in the skylark

[TheSilverBuick]

I'm going through Quick Performance based on this thread: http://www.bangshift.com/forum/showt...ck-Performance and my interactions with the sales rep/tech support guy. The price was pretty good too.

I inquired at Chassisworks, but they wouldn't drill the axles for two bolt patterns (5x5" and 5x 4.75") nor would they send the rear axle more or less ready to go. I'd have to press the bearings on the axles, etc as well. I just want it to show up, I pull the axles out, pop my disc brake assembly on it, pop the axles back in and bolt it under the car, and top off the fluid (then of course get a driveshaft).

[milner351]

I agree - fully adjustable roller rockers would give you a bunch of adjustability going forward.

Another possibility if I'm understanding it correctly - I'm not sure what the timing / cost would be - but - could the problems be solved by grinding the valve stem tips down a little instead of buying new pushrods?

[STINEY]

I've shortened pushrods "in the field" by cutting the shaft just behind one of the ends with a cutoff wheel, don't cut the end, just around it.

Then using a trainer hitch ball as an anvil and 2 3/8" sockets and a hammer, drive the end back in until seated.

Worked, and still running well. That was 12 years ago.

[Bob Holmes]

I've shortened pushrods "in the field" by cutting the shaft just behind one of the ends with a cutoff wheel, don't cut the end, just around it.

Then using a trainer hitch ball as an anvil and 2 3/8" sockets and a hammer, drive the end back in until seated.

Worked, and still running well. That was 12 years ago.

Geeez, you're a hack. And I mean that in the most complimentary way.

[STINEY]

Why thank you, kind sir.

I take that in the spirit it was given.

[TheSilverBuick]

Got the roller rockers in on Friday. Installed them today and did a quick adjustment (being hydraulic it's pretty straight forward). Did some piston to valve clearance checks and all looked good. Settled right back to 4* advanced. Once it all looked good I put the timing cover on for real (the picture is before that) and primed the system. Had a solid 75psi oil pressure with the drill and got oil at the tips of all the rockers Some of the lifters seemed to loosen up after having plenty of oil going through them and rotating the engine over a few times. So I expect to need to do another adjustment on a couple of them after the engine has ran and has some rpm in it.




As the engine sits now ready for installation. I changed out half the evaporator box with an uncracked one I got from the junkyard this weekend. I'm thinking of cutting the top of the core support out for easier installation (and later removal, LOL), and have to decide how I'm going to go about making it bolt in.



I'll probably install it next Saturday.