yes..... but probably 3/4 of the wedge engine builds here don't the proper squish, it does make a difference....But the OP engine will be ok if built with care
I have gotten a great deal on a crate engine before. It concerned me that the long block looked brand new but the oil pan and intake manifold looked like ass. My concern was if the outside was dirty was the inside dirty? The intake and oil pan were both nasty inside but the block and rotating assembly were clean and new. A new replacement oil pan was installed, and the intake was thoroughly cleaned. The long block was disassembled and reassembled with Felpro gaskets. Long story short it needed this process before starting the new engine.
So this engine has some run time, did you get lifters with it that somehow were kept in order , or did you remove them and take picture? Even if lifters are long gone, and it appears cam is unused, it maybe old enough to be of a material quality that will wear correctly, crower makes a " cam saver" hydraulic lifter, use the race series version, family still owns the company, so hopefully the quality is better than the usual liars club manufacturers. Let the gang know how it goes.
One other thing, no matter who supplies lifters, I check the convex on the face with a machinist square and pop the retainer clip for a look inside for debris, add some oil and make sure the plunger action is correct.
Curious of what super tight is ? Can you turn it over with a torque wrench and get a ft lb measurement
To answer the above questions. The motor was extremely clean when I got it but dusty and absolutely stuck when I got it. I washed it just to remove dust etc. as it looked like there was never any oil in it. I pulled main and rod caps. They had what looked like a white/light tan prelube remnants and were in perfect condition. All rods and mains spec'd nicely. My interest was perked by the "pink" rods. I've never seen a set in a rebuild before except for some truck motors, which I am assuming this is. I soaked it up for about two weeks and freed the rings. At '040 over, (the pistons still have the manufactures ink stamp on), I didn't want to tap the pistons out and screw up the rings requiring at least a hone to seat new rings. The new timing chain and gears were there but someone helped themselves to the cam. This is not a crate motor but a rebuild from a known rebuilder. The security slug is epoxied to the block for the warranty info. What worries me is it is so unusual for anybody to part with anything decent around here I keep thinking there must be a catch. I had the cam in the shop from another project. I think I pulled it from a motor I built and then sold to a client. As I remember he wanted a lumpier cam and this one had little or no time on it. It just went on the shelf and the paperwork was lost. If it was anything special I'd have marked it. They don't come with lifters and It doesn't look like the cam was used other than an install and removal. After assembly, the motor spins over nicely with the typical amount of effort. As the chain is nicely tight I doubt the engine was ever line bored. Other than that I put a new Melling high volume, using the standard pressure spring, pump in it along with a new pickup brazed to the pump, new factory pan and timing cover. The offshore tin is like tissue paper, well worth a few extra bucks. I also threw on a new no bypass oil filter base valve and a decent filter for start up. What I got was a decent block and rotating assembly, not much else. I don't consider myself a mechanic, I mostly do chassis and fabrication work, but this short block worried me as it is so nice. The heads were a gift from a client and are a fresh set as well. I grabbed them as my interest was in the 1.94 valves which are typically GM mid performance items. Most 350's around the shop here either have small chamber double humps or aftermarket heads so I'm not real up on the 400 heads. I still need to get lifters, pushrods and rockers all just factory stock stuff. I should probably spring for a set of 1.5 roller rockers and the shim gaskets. Then I can fire it up and see what it sounds like. I don't have a run in stand anymore so I may just set it in the chassis. I don't feel comfortable running it that long just on the floor. The worst that happens is I need to search Craigs List for a 307.....
Sounds like you have done most of the things needed to insure that the engine turns freely. I think the roller rockers are a good idea. One thing I would do is disassemble the new lifters to check for manufacturing debris, and then insert them in the lifter bores and insure that they rotate freely. I think that is one of the major causes of cam/lifter failure. Also be aware that cam lube is not the same as engine lube when you assemble them into the engine. I'd also spring for actual "break in" oil rather than putting an additive into normal oil.
I love this last line. In my parts the 307s are all gone, scrapped I guess, but 305s are still available...
I'm pretty careful when putting things together and I'm treating this one as I would a fresh build. Break in oil, proper cam run in and a close eye for odd noises and any leaks. This could actually turn out to be a fairly decent street motor if I haven't missed anything. I'm running the 650 Holley for at least a while. After it's running well I can mess with multiple carbs, cam and a better set of pistons over next winter.
Check the hot rod forum, 2nd page, for " new hydraulic lifter's bad" if you haven't seen it, read it, getting kinda long, food for thought, use Isky or Moroso Moly paste lube on lifters, if cam is "dry" blob moly on end of long screwdriver and work onto cam lobes through lifter bores. Keep in touch.
Use cation with that High volume Oil pump, With a stock capacity pan it can quickly suck all the oil out of the pan if at a sustained higer RPM, like banging through the gears and winding it up. The pump can remove oil faster than the oil can drain back into the pan. A high volume oil pump is for use with a larger volume oil pan to support the extra oil needed when using the high volume pump. I've seen more that one just broke in small block that ran great, but then all the sudden started rod knocking after some spirted driving. If its not to late, I think about putting a standard capacity pump in it or at least a little larger oil pan.
In response to Nailhead Jasons' post, I have used high volume, (big block) pumps for some time now. Most of my street engines never turn over 5K or so and as such never get into that territory. If this was a 301 shifted at 8K it would be a problem. On a motor like this it just keeps the crappy lifters full. Point taken but not a worry on this motor. Besides, I had it on the shelf.
In my youth I was assembling one and the first piston was .050” in the hole. Since I had time and didn’t like it I took it apart and had a shop remove either .040 or 045”. Assembled all of it everything went great until I went to put on the intake. I had the heads resurfaced too and now the combo came back to haunt me. Intakes are a pain to resurface and fit.
We've all had one that just drove us nuts! HacksawBill on here is chasing an intake problem right now for the same reason. Big difference in building a grocery getter like this and any kind of performance engine. This one is just a simple KISS principal project. There's plenty of time to build a stoudt motor if I can get it on the road like this and to be honest, the best thing I've done is stopped trying to build a headturner and just started using whatever I have around. I'm actually making some progress on what was a very stalled project.
You are correct with your statement "Use caution with that High volume Oil pump" But it is sort of..... a myth. A high volume pump is only needed at low rpm with loose clearances. At high RPM the pump is bypassing most of the oil via the relief valve back to the oilpan. The total volume is usually restricted by the clearances in the engine. The one caveat here is Roller Rockers with constant feed oil [that is why restrictors are needed in the lifter galleries] Roller Rockers [anodized] are a glamour component at the top of the engine. DIYers love them, because it impresses them. They are an easy bolt-on whereas oil restrictors are a lot more work.
I'm using the pump mostly because I had it. Also when I mention roller rockers I'm discussing the stamped steel type that work nicely with stock studs and pushrods. No ego there, just seem to stay quiet for me and not chew up the valves. Every little bit helps and I think I have a set of 1.5/1.6 laying around here. Not much sense to 1.6 with this mild a cam. I can buy half sets though. Putting the 1.6 on the intakes could possibly give me a little more torque if the valves clear with them, probably not a problem with this one.
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