I haven't posted much but am at the pint where I need some information. I have a 76 Chevy 350 motor (who doesn't) which came out of an RV. I would like to know what vacuum lines and ERG stuff that I can remove from the engine to make it function and look good at the same time. Photos would help. Thanks
Agree with tb33anda3rd. Pull it down to a short block, clean out the pan and oil pump, degrease and repaint. get some vortec heads and a 465 lift cam, a vortec specific edelbrock intake and a 600 vac holley or a q jet, new timing chain and gasket set. The hei needs recurved to get rid of the smog curve. If you want to salvage the heads, pull the intake and everything above it. Get the q jet rebuilt and buy a performer spread bore intake, call comp cams and let them know how you'll use the engine and that you're keeping the smog heads, they can get you a cam that will make the best of the poor flowing heads, large chambers and low compression. HEI still needs recurved.
Agree too. Most of the EGR and SMOG related stuff was designed to work together so removing some will leave some behind that probably won't work very well. It probably has a Quadrajet carb and the emissions versions are a bear to get right. Being a SBC there are plenty of cheap parts availably both new and used that will all interchange. If you can afford it the Edelbrock top end kit will get you everything and is designed to work together
Depending on what your doing with the engine. The 194 heads are good that's the value size. But ya the intake is crap. Having the heads done goes a long way if you still have good compression. That's a cheaper way of waking it up. Its a great engine for your buck.
i would calculate machine shop cost's/ Part's and see how much $ and how much hp. then check in to a crate motor.
To get it running, you can disconnect all the vacuum junk and the egr system. You will likely want a vacuum port for your distributer advance cannister and possibly for an automatic transmission vacuum modulator. Usually you can pick these up off the carb, but if you have a source in the intake plenum, use it. I FULLY agree that you could make more power if you changed the intake, heads, cam, pistons, etc... But if you want to use what you have, go for it. You can usually buy a performance style HEI dist for around $100 if you hunt for them. Also depending on what you have for a carb etc etc.... Nut in reality, pull the aircleaner, all the vacuum junk, and block the egr and you are on your way. Another option is to get some moroso or other brand dist springs, a dialback timing light and get it as close as you can. You should be able to push the timing right up to close to 40* total with low compression and decent grade gas.
definately pitch the exhaust manifolds they have restrictions ( lumps ) built in to them for the egr valve assy and if you use the factory heads ( truck heads) some had the lumps on the top of the port and you can grind them out and smooth it up . also besides the vortech heads , World makes good cast iron replacement heads ( s/r torquer) that flow nice too .
you can leave the egr, it's not hurting you, as has been stated you only rely need vacuum lines to your vacuum advance on the dizzy and to your transmission modulator,you can still run the pvc if you want or you could just run breather caps for the crankcase, you want power brakes? They need vacuum also unless they are boosted via the power steering pump
Some good information here. Thanks. I've already pulled the exhaust off and replaced with headers. The air pump went too. I have two vacuum lines going out the bottom of carb. One goes to the PCV and the other line which is way long goes all the way back to the transmission area but cannot see where that would attach. There is a smaller line at the transmission that comes up to the distributor area so i'm not sure of other line which is also larger in size.
if the longer line is as big as the pvc line it is probably for the power brakes. depending on the body style of the rv, it may have gone forward to meet the booster.
Unless you have to go through some type of emissions tests and NOX is a concern, dont keep the EGR valve. The vacuum to the EGR would have been controlled by a thermostatic vacuum switch that would have been mounted in the intake. This was to prevent the egr from coming on when the engine was cold, there was probably a vacuum delay valve in line to the valve as well. These parts are near impossible to find and the chance of them working correctly is slim to none. The EGR will more then likely cause you a driveablity issue at some point if not set up correctly as it floods your intake with inert gas. Dont bother with it. You can get block offs.
That one vacuum line that was long I think was attached to the drivers side valve cover but I could be wrong. I did take photos before but somehow I can't find them anywhere which is a pisser.
Replace the intake manifold and carb like I did on my 1978 350 and you'll be fine. That gets rid of all the EGR stuff, vacuum lines, and vacuum switches in one fell swoop. One thing no one mentioned: replace the vacuum advance can on The distributor if you don't replace the whole distributor, because you will have way too much vacuum advance without the EGR valve. Likewise, if you use the transmission that came with that engine you will need to replace the vacuum modulator on the transmission with an adjustable one for the same reason. A cheap advance kit from the local parts store perks it right up. My engine is none stock except those mods. I wouldn't try to drag race a hemi cuda, but it is actually pretty peppy.
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