Remember, water only for break in until you confirm there are NO leaks inside or outside of the engine.(ant-freeze likes to eat bearings!) Looks like you forgot to detail under the bonnet before the engine went back in, or do you like the "patina" look under the bonnet?(yous guys say bonnet over there instead of hood, right or is that just Australia?) It would of been a great time to make the new looking engine sit in a new looking home, but dealers choice, no big deal. Oh yeah, if the sell sbc headers over there, you may be able to make Buick flanges to weld on to sbc headers to get rid of the manifolds all together? The sbc and sbb exhaust ports are in the same locations they just mount differently; Cut off the sbc flanges, bolt sbb flanges to heads in truck, position headers on flanges and tack weld in place make sure you're happy with where and how they look, do as much welding as you can reach with them still bolted to heads, remove, finish welding, put the protective coating of your choice on them, re-install. TADA, no more cracked manifolds to worry about.
Just got in from the workshop... midnight over here. good progress, should be good to fire up tomorrow! All the new wiring is done, gauges mounted in the cab... tomorrow need to get under it and bolt converter to flex plate, bolt exhausts up and wire up the starter motor, bolt carb back on... etc.. a few things but should be able to fire up in the afternoon. Wish me luck! I did think about making my own exhaust as I can TIG weld, but didn't know about the similarities with the SBC. I'll have to have a look at that then! no detailing under the bonnet, yep it's bonnet here I did think about painting it all black, but then would just look silly as the whole truck externally just looks old with old signwritting and faded pin stripping, would look really out of place with a pristine under the bonnet..or hood
If the under the bonnet looked as good as the engine, people would get the impression the outside looks like it looks on purpose. But hey, its yours to have it look the way you want it to.
Don't put 20w50 oil in it. That's too thick. Run 10w30, or similar. Just because it will make the gauge read higher, doesn't mean it's better for the engine. It's like trying to pump cold maple syrup vs warm syrup. And no, do NOT drive around on the break in oil. All that assembly grease, metal bits (which there will be), need to get OUT of the engine asap after break in. Buick 350s take 5 quarts of oil with a filter change. As said above, before you change your oil, look at it. If it looks milky or is the consistency of water, you may have a headgasket leak. it's unlikely if you got everything torqued correctly, but it does happen. Your dipstick tube is missing the top part of it, it's a two piece tube, but it looks like someone made a new dipstick for it that's shorter. If it reads at the full line when full of 5 quarts of oil, then I'd say it's good. If there are no other marks on the balancer that you could find, then that's the one. Rotate the engine to TDC, which should be 0* on the compression stroke of #1 (front driver's side, near the fuel pump, both valves closed, rocker arms should have little to no tension on them), and then rotate the engine back to the 8* mark. From the front, the engine rotates clockwise, so rotate it counter clockwise from TDC, to get to 8* BTDC, or before top dead center.
No no Mr Sony, I'm going to put 10w30. this is the combo of break in oils I bought... haven't bought the drive around oil yet, always thought 20/50 would be the best? that's what almost everyone over here uses on their classic cars.. and claassic bikes for that matter, 20/50 is what I use in all my bikes. Bear in mind it doesn't get really hot over here, max temperature (if we are lucky for a couple of days in the summer) is about 80F... the normal is around 70F the whole summer.... it's 7am here, just got up as, due to UPS messing up, my oil is sitting in their depot 25 miles away.. I either get it today or wait for Monday delivery. Ok, I'll drop all the oil and see how that is after breaking in. One of my friends also has some special tool to cut the oil filter apart and roll it out, so I'll borrow that so I can really inspect the oil filter Yes there is no marks at all on that dipstick. I guess what I'll do is put 5 quarts in the engine, then mark the dipstick... whereever the oil is then that will be my full line right?
Depends on the filter capacity and if you start the engine to make sure the filter is full. The better reason to run skinnier oil.(thinner oil, even as skinny as 5W30 in the winter) You do realize that the bigger the numbers, the thicker the oil don't you?
A lot of people think they need to use thick oils in older cars just because they're "old", and I guess it makes them feel better seeing 60psi instead of 20. With normal factory type/weight oil, if there isn't sufficient oil pressure, there's a problem. Thicker oil just makes the oil pump work harder than it needs to, and makes the oil take longer to get to where it needs to be, especially if the car sits for days, or weeks at a time. Dry starts are a no no.
Looking back at your dipstick, it looks like one someone made. Not the tube, but the dipstick itself. Here's what I'd do. I would mark where the full and add 1 quart line is from the bottom of the dipstick, and how far it protrudes out of the tube, then I would grab a washer where the hole is the same size as the width of the dipstick, and weld said washer to the dipstick itself, so the dipstick has a stop in it like the factory one did, so it can't go in too deep, and is somewhat closed off to the elements.
Wouldn't he/we want to run oil with the zinc and other additives still in it. Like a diesel based oil(Rotella) which still has the additives in the oil. Or just a regular 10w30 oil and add the zinc
If you use the supplement then you can use whatever oil thickness your engine wants. OR if you had a roller cam you wouldn't need any of that stuff. The oil your engine will want is the thinnest you can get away with that still has decent oil pressure. If the bearing clearances are setup correctly in your hotter climate, you shouldn't be any thicker than 10W40 in the summer and 10w30 in the winter months. If your shop doesn't build to many Buick engines, make sure you let them know NOT to make your bearing clearances like they would on a sbc! Tell them you want .002"(two thousands) for both the rod and main bearing clearances, plus nothing minus .0005"(five tenths). If they hit the tighter end only will mean you can go thinner.
Trying to load pics The outside of your tube is OK. But the dipstick itself is broken + missing several inches
right gents... almost 1am here. been at the workshop since 9am. I'm tired as hell! Haven't started the engine yet... hit a few snags, first one was that I forgot to put the dipstick.. so had to take the manifold off. the dipstick is not home made, it's a proper car dipstick, with the bit on the top and the wavy bits, but looks like there's a bit missing in the end. But I know that last time I done an oil change I put 5 quarts in and the dipstick was enough, as I then got to mark where the 5 quarts were. I don't know what the capacity of the oil filter is, just tried to search on the internet and doesn't say. it's a K&N HP-2003 I understand higher numbers, thicker oil, but from every one, and I mean everyone in this country, they run 20/50, everyone says less than that and is way too thin....? 300sbb - there was no shop to build engine, and I think we are a bit too late for the bearing clearances it wasn't even done the proper way, was just done. I'm hoping for the best. Yes I know it's not the correct way. the correct way would be to get the bearings, measure them, measure the crank, subtract, ask the shop to remove X amount in order to achieve Y amount of clearance. Anyway, redone a load of old wiring in the engine bay, added new wires for starter motor connection, oil pressure switch, temperature sender, done wiring for the gauges, bolted a bunch of stuff on.... Tomorrow I'm left with getting the crankshaft pulley pushed in place (need to borrow a special tool), connect flex plate, exhaust and should be good to fire up. Got the drill on the oil pump today, before bolting down the intake, started slowly and kept the same speed, didn't take long to start to see oil coming out all the right places..a nice new colour oil!
HP take your time you've made it thus far. Not sure what you mean when you say crankshaft pulley Guess I should check pics the harmonic balancer is slip fit and belt pulley is bolted on.That balancer bolt gonna be torqued about 200 foot pounds?.Maybe better to call it a day. I am.
Sorry JP, I was answering Todd about his build in your thread because I knew he is doing a his own.(please do NOT confuse me with 8ad f-85.) I should of made it clear that I was answering Todd, my bad.
I don't know about how you fellows from across the pond do things, but there is just about no reason to run oil that thick in any moderate gasoline engine with normal .003 and smaller clearances. Since you're using the nylon/plastic oil line, keep that thing AWAY from any source of heat! Get some of that black wire loom stuff that's a small diameter to slip over it, then kinda ziptie it out of the way. Or, if you have another collet lying around, I'd swap the sender and line locations, like I did on mine, just so the oil pressure line won't be at such an odd angle. You don't have to, but it's something to think about. And the engine looks good in there! And the crankshaft pulley is slip fit, it should just push on by hand. It's also keyed. If you force it on with a tool you can break stuff. If it doesn't slip on, take some fine grit sand paper or a scuff pad and clean out the balancer hole and/or the crank snout. you can also use a bit of grease or anti-seize on the snout to aid in installation. The balancer bolt, put some medium strength thread locker (usually blue) on it, and crank it down to 200ftlbs, or basically as tight as you can get it. Apply more thread locker to the 8(?) balancer pulley bolts as well, don't want them things flying out. As long as there is 5 quarts in the pan, that will be enough. Take a file or something similar and make a divot in it where the oil line is on the dipstick if there is no identifying marks on it.
oh sorry! ok, my bad too! lol The nylon will be well away from anything hot, i'm routing it straight up to the engine and then guide it over it and into the bulkhead. I could actually swap them around, the thread on both is 1/8 NPT, I put the pressure gauge nylon tube in line with the hole on the block as thought would be a more accurate reading or something.... probably doesn't make a difference though. Yes the crankshaft pulley is the harmonic balancer, I pushed it in but I can't get it all the way in, needs to go something like 1/8 further in... but if you guys say it should just slip all the way in, I'll try take it out this morning and do what you say. Just hope the woodruff key doesn't fall in the timing cover! ohhh I will put thread locker. I ride old harleys, with frame mounted engine, no rubber.... I'm used to bolts falling off if you don't put a lot of thread locker hahahah Right... it's 8am here... I'm off to the workshop again! Fingers crossed my next update is of an happy face and a video of the engine running
You can lightly tap it with a rubber mallet to get it to go in further. If it's in that far, it's already aligned and just tap it on home.
and... I'm back! finished at 10pm today.... but it's finished! Could only borrow the pulley/pusher thing at 3pm, so that thrown all my plans out the window about starting it today. but that meant I concentrated in other jobs like finishing the wiring for the gauges lights, route some other wires different ways, etc.. All in all, was a good day. it's finished. all it's left to do is fire up... tomorrow after work. I have a small question about the running in. Almost every place I read, and as you guys also mentioned, it's start up, bring it to 2500rpm, run it for 20min, slowly increasing the revs up to 3k and then back down to 2,5k - during this time check for the oil pressure, temperature, any leaks, etc. However, someone was telling me today about a different method they do: Start it up, bring it to 1500 rpm, let it warm up and keep checking for leeks, pressure, etc.. once it's up to temperature, switch it off. check the oil consistency and colour, leaks, etc. Then fire it up and do the 2500/3000 revs for 20min. Now..... surely this second method is not right? by letting it warm up, then killing it off for 1 minute or so while you check oil and other stuff, then starting it again, it might do something to do the cam? Isn't the whole point of the 20min to get it hot so things bed in together, and my killing it off you might be affecting the way the metals bed in? by letting the metal cool down and then warm up again? Couple of photos from today...
1st method I think. You want to bring it up to 2500 RPM and leave it there for the full 20 minutes. It helps to have a floor fan pointed at the radiator to help with air flow. You can also mist the radiator with a spray bottle. It really helps to have a few people to help. One person watches the gauges, another person looks for leaks. It's OK if you need to shut it down to correct something, or if it gets too hot. The important thing is not to let it idle. It doesn't need to run 20 minutes straight, it's preferable to do so, but you can shut it down, and just continue if you have to correct something.
Thanks Larry! There will be 4 of us there tomorrow.. so I'll have eyes every where. My radiator is pretty good and have 2 electric fans, so good that when I drive around never reaches 190 on the temp gauge - that's one of the things I'm changing, the fans are always on, so I'm adding a temperature switch to it. But I'll do the spray bottle on the radiator, or have it ready, just in case! Ok, so main thing, dont let it idle! gotcha! And once 20min done, change oil and filter. then it's run in time... about what, 500 miles? with no harsh accellaration? dont worry, I'm sure someone wrote it here before, need to go back. too tired. need my bed for sure!
