Projects 1962 Biscayne Jr Stocker for the Street Build

Looking good. I like that windage tray attached to the pan.

 

Thanks!
I like this set-up. The conventional trays that attach to extended main studs are a pain in the ass. It's a battle just to get the pan over the tray and the oil pump pick-up.

 

Tomorrow I'll pick up where I left off on some heads I was messing with a couple years ago.

 

I started on these 461 heads a couple years ago but then I got sidetracked. Had them cleaned, machined for screw in studs, and milled .020 to get close to the NHRA minimum combustion chamber size of 62.2 cc's.


I scrounged around in my stash for some valves. Found some 2.02's but I need 1.94's. No problem.

 

I use my valve grinder for this.

 

Plug? so you can polish the cambers?

 

I don't have one. I'm going to try and borrow a friends to hit the seats.

 

Nope, no porting or polishing in Stock. These are the valves I intend to use, they were just too big.

 

Drilled out the pushrod holes so they don't compete with the guide plates. Also, if I add thicker pushrods someday I won't have to remove the heads to drill.


Cut the guides for P.C. Seals.


Got the old school seat grinder out and trued up the stones.

 

Grinding the valve seats.


Just your average 3 angle valve job, 30, 45, and 60 degrees.


The seats are done.

 

I did all the legal Stock Eliminator tricks to the valves (the ones I know about). Cut the O.D. of the intake valves .012 undersize (.015 is allowed), and did a 30 degree back cut on the seats. Rounded the face to the margin on the exhaust valves.



The valves lapped in nicely.


And painted the heads. They are ready to assemble.

 

It's been a week of family gatherings and property maintenance so there has not been much shop time. I was able to sneak in an hour here and an hour there to glass bead and paint a couple things. I don't want to start assembling the heads until I can devote some time to it.
Side panel metal strips.


Valve covers, intake, and pulley's.

 

Dig those 62 rocker covers!

 

They were a swap meet find. I trampled 3 or 4 people to get to them. I can't remember what I paid but it was very reasonable.
Those are the original 327 tags and I was able to save them.
I'm hoping I can use them but I'm not sure I'll be able to properly vent the engine (69 Block).

 

Yeah, I can't pass up an opportunity to call them out as I have been a life long small block Chevy guy and didn't even know those one year only covers existed, stumbled onto an article where they showed the difference, funny, a lot of other people never knew either.

 

I don't remember if they were used in 62, but they are what came on my 63 Impala.

 

I've been told this style was used in 1962 and very early 1963 only.

 

Whoever told you this was wrong, my 63 was built in July 1963 and these are the valve covers it came with!

 

The "style" of valve cover is the same. The difference is the lack of the gusset's on the short side of the center rectangle, which is known to be 62 and very early 63 production only. Later versions had the gusset's stamped in on the short side's. I know... just more "Chevy Geek" stuff that doesn't really matter to the rest of normal people.

 

Yep, and James' picture tells the story.

 

More hand me down parts from my Race Car, K-Motion springs, Crane retainers, and the split locks.
It's a challenge to get the open spring pressure I want with a .398 lift cam but these Comp spring locators are .120 thick which gets me close. A couple shims here and there to finish the job.


I probably should invest in a height mic but I've been doing it the hard way for so long, I wouldn't know how to act.


Assembling


The heads are assembled. I installed an old set of stock springs and left the seat locators off for break-in.

 

So nice to see someone putting in the effort to keep the "obsolete" camel hump heads in circulation.
BTW, I was a machinist (industrial) for 30 years, was never completely confident in the numbers I got using snap gages, would only use them if no other option was available.

 

Does this make me look like an idiot. I use inside calipers! Those new fangled snap gauges are pretty exotic for me….

And obsolete camel hump heads? Why they are state of the art compared to the power pack heads I’m fettling now for a 283.

Seriously tho, I’ve been following this build and really like the engine specs. It’s almost motivated me to get some of the old valve machines up and running and doing at least one set of heads myself.

 

Thanks. Just trying to use what I have and stick to the Jr Stocker theme by keeping it NHRA legal. They require the correct heads for the engine claimed.

And yea, I totally agree. If this was something more critical, no way I'd use a snap gauge. For this operation, I'm just trying to hit my target assembly height (1.650) within <.010 on the soft side.

 

Not at all. Use what you have man! Most people don't even check installed height or they pay someone else to do it.

Actually, I am building a set of Power Pack heads for a legal Super Stock engine for this car. The 62, 327/250 horse engine had the small heads.

The pro's use cutters that do all seat angles and clean up the bowl with one operation. The old stuff isn't state of the art but it's fun and I'm using what I got. I worked in an Oldsmobile dealership back in the 80's, they were throwing this seat grinder out.

Do them heads brother!

 

Crickey, for someone like myself whose experience was mostly bodywork EVERYTHING done so far on this engine is quantum science...

 

Well... we're even, I've been a Mechanic my whole life. I'm preparing for the body work this winter. It will be kinda like a one legged man in a kicking contest, lol.

 

I was so pumped about getting the heads installed that I didn't take any assembly pics. I used .017 GM steel shim head gaskets that a friend gave me years ago. Sprayed them with Copper Coat and used Permatex #2 on the bolts.

 

Checking pushrod length for proper geometry. A 7.800 pushrod is perfect which is stock length. These checkers are about the best way to do it with the stamped rockers I intend to use.


Then it happened. Something wasn't right when tightening the rocker studs. The stud bosses are not machined 90 degrees to the holes for the studs. My Machinist is on vacation until June 2nd bringing engine assembly to a screeching halt.