Replace the heads on the car or yank the engine?!?

Evidentally I never learn my lesson to leave well enough alone.

My SBC runs fine, it's a low mileage rebuilder longblock with no problems.

It's just low horsepower.

I got new heads/intake/carb for it, and I'd like to *maybe* add a cam as I'm not sure what's in it now(although it must be mild? I get 20" of vacuum at idle FWIW)

The more I think about leaning over that fender to R&R the heads and intake and headers, runninig the valves, etc the more my back hurts. Also I have concern about getting antifreeze and crud in the motor and contaminating the bearings.

I'm I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Am I just adding more work than I'm saving by pulling the motor and putting it on a stand?

also, if I pull the engine I may as well do a timing chain/ new rings and main/cam bearings and check the clearances, right?

or maybe just rebuild another motor and swap them out?

If someone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

 

If it aint broke,fix it till it is

 

You DID say low mileage, right??? I'd drive it until I built the motor I wanted in there.

 

X2
I had to rebuild my heads two years ago because the guides were shot. I missed a lot of driving time waiting for the work to be done.

 

Johnny
I'm real big on pulling one down for inspection before using it. Never the less you say its a low mile rebuilt long block and it runs fine. I wouldn't go through the trouble if its already running and you're using it.

If you are going to change the cam then you may want to pull the motor for the work. It depends on which is going to be more work removing the stuff that is in the way to get the cam out of pulling the motor.

I am ***uming that changing the heads and intake are to gain performance. You are most likely going to find if you do a head and intake swap that you are still not happy with the performance so perhaps a cam change is in order. That being the case if you decide to pull the engine for the cam swap you may as well check your clearances while you have it out. I personally would not consider rings and inserts unless it needs it and you'll know that when you inspect it.

If indeed you decide to just change the heads and intake I wouldn't even consider pulling the engine to do it. Pull the goose neck and the T stat open the block drains from underneath and drain it. Then go after changing the heads etc.

Whenever I do anything major I always change the oil anyway so any antifreeze that ends up in the lower end will end up in your drain pan. Not to worry about contamination at all. You're golden.

 

Heads, cam and lifters, intake and exhaust.....I'd find another engine and build it right, then swap it in and save or sell the one you have now. A complete engine on the floor is worth a lot more than a pile of swapped-out parts, either to you or someone else. Plus the downtime on your driver is much less.

 

What Pork said. Spot on.

 

I agree

 

depends on how hard it is to get the motor out of the car. If it's easy, then pull the motor and do it right (on a stand). If it's difficult, then pull the motor and do it right (on a stand), then you won't have to go thru the h***le of pulling it again when you screw something up because you didn't pull the motor the first time.

 

My back ain't what it used to be. If the engine is easy enough to pop out, I go that route. Plus you can do the gaskets over if desired.. and paint it up to make it purdy...

Bob

 

two years ago I pulled the heads, cam, intake, and oil pan from my chevy in my one car garage. Best decision I have ever made, I installed a solid roller, ported heads, repainted the headers, ported intake, baffled oil pan. I didn't pull the engine but either way I say do it and leave the bottom end alone if it is low miles. If you have the parts ready you shouldn't have your car down for very long. Now my car is really fun to drive, good luck Johnny.

 

two years ago I pulled the heads, cam, intake, and oil pan from my chevy in my one car garage. Best decision I have ever made, I installed a solid roller, ported heads, repainted the headers, ported intake, baffled oil pan. I didn't pull the engine but either way I say do it and leave the bottom end alone if it is low miles. If you have the parts ready you shouldn't have your car down for very long. Now my car is really fun to drive, good luck Johnny.

 

I did the top end swap with the engine in a car I had (o/t '70 El Camino) and it was easy! I installed Dart Sportsman aluminum heads (2.02/1.90-64cc combustion chambers) a Proformer dual plane intake and a 650 Edelbrock carb. The only problem I ran into was that the angled plug heads wouldn't work with the headers I already had in the car! (something to keep in mind!) If I already had the proper headers, this is easily done in one day, allowing you to go cruising in the evening! This included an oil change and new filter. This mod and a high-energy coil really woke her up!

 

Your building half a motor , why not just build another short block under your top end package and keep that motor complete as a backup or for future project .

 

Just grab a new 350 shortblock,

http://sdparts.com/details/gm-factory-replacement-parts/12556121

 

X2 R Pope. Build the engine you want with the new stuff and drive what you have, then swap it out and you're back on the road in a weekend. Doing it the other way is for us guys in the midwest, it gives us something to do when it's 27 below zero like it was at my house this morning, If I lived in LA I'd wanna be driving as much as I could.

 

drive it while you build another motor, pull it and sell it when the new motor is done

as far as half building a motor, the answer will always be the same no matter how you word it, do it right or not at all

 

Not everybody can afford another motor! You would need either a new/rebuilt long block or would have to rebuild another engine. He already has a fresh engine! But, I guess, if you can afford it, build another engine and paint it/dress it up the way you really want it, and have a show-quality engine to install when you are ready. (Also if you pull the engine out, you can clean/paint the engine bay!) (my .02)

 

Them's words of wisdom. Even with the fenders off it's still a pain in the *** to work on.

 

sbc short blocks can be had pretty cheap, then its just a quick swap. plus, you can put in a stall converter or check the clutch. more power just breaks the weak link down the line.

 

cam ,heads, and intake should be an easy day to swap.You won't be down long.I swapped heads twice and cam once last summer just trying combinations well worth it.

 

What HP gains are you looking at? I say drive it till you build what you really want.

 

If you can afford to do it right, you can afford to do it twice...the question is simply about how much your time is worth both for the actual work and the enjoyment you get from driving the car. If the money and space is available, why not track down a rebuilt shortblock and use your parts...then either keep the current SBC for another project down the road OR sell it and recoup some of the investment?

 

"as far as half building a motor, the answer will always be the same no matter how you word it, do it right or not at all" By seventhirteen.

Best advice given seventhirteen: Never build half a$$ because it's a half a$$ engine when you've finished....... <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

IMHO, You should be able to pull the distributor, intake, heads, radiator, or front bumper (whichever) cam and lifters, and put them all back in an afternoon (one day at the most), and never have to crawl under the car, let alone take the hood off... Just do it and quit overthinkin' it!!!

 

I think some of you guys misunderstood he is just working on a good motor in his car not building another motor. as far as contaminating the motor just drain the water and lay rags in the valley.Use a shop vac to get anything that falls down.Go for it no need to pull a motor for a top end swap.

 

I know that, but he's also talking about changing the cam, and getting the pan to seal properly after pulling the timing cover, with the engine in the car, can be a nuisance. It's not like we've never done this before....

 

Id say (From personal experience) leave the engine in the car and drive it...while on the side rebuilding another engine...and swap it out in a weekend, so youll be back on the road asap

 

i think if you pull the timing chain cover you should pull the pan, getting it to seal can be trouble, as has been said, at that point checking the bearings is a good idea, even just swap in a new set of rod bearings wont cost that much, as for leaning over a fender and torgueing the head bolts, better do a few min of back streching first, my back hurts just thinking about it.

 

I understand you may know, but if he is asking he may not have as much experiance .I'm just letting him know it's not a big deal even with the motor in the car.I think it's a waste of money to build another shortblock.