Hey guys and gals i'm building up this 1979 350 SBC crate motor with .030 over pistons, i will be doing this for the first time and im also in the middle of another project (prob be a while till im done of this motor). i'll try and post all the pics i can and will need to ask questions throughout this thread.

Unfortunatly i have no pics of it being bored or the crank and pistons being installed, someone else did it (i wouldnt trust myself with that lol).

But here are some pics and questions















Now i have these both timing chains/gears, i ended up using the chain but should i have used the gears? which ones are better (i dont mind changing)





I had this off of another motor, was it necessary that i put it on? because i did lol.



I put the gear on just to put the cam in better (finger tight), the cam a crane cam and the specs are 228 degrees duration at .050. .480 valve lift intake and exhaust, don't really know what that means lol but thats what it is.

The crank gear i put on as far as i could with my hands then i used a big socket to tap it on with until it bucked up. i took the bigger gear back off the cam, lubed the chain and wrapped it around the gear. i made sure the #1 piston was TDC and the cam was in propper (3 o'clock on the cam pin).

What are the propper torque specs for the cam bolts?













Let me know if i missed or messed anything up.



Here are the heads, i was wondering if they can be used as is or will i have to do something to them? what do i do to test them?











More pics and questins soon

Thanks
Joe

 

I think the double roller chain is better, unless you like the whine of the timing gears. They do have a neat sound, but eventually it will drive you nuts of you use the car much. Iassume you lined up the timing marks on the crank and cam when you installed the chain? You said you used the thrust bearings for the cam, but do you have a button for the end of the cam?
I don't know of a way to test the heads before installing them. I usually just rent a spring compressor and remove the valves to look over the grind and see how it was done, or if it was done. At that time you can also check the valve guides for play and fit of the valve stems.
It looks like the heads have seen some use since they were rebuilt, so I'd check them prior to assembly, and if they look good I'd clean up the head surface with steel wool and some solvent, then install them.

 

looks good

 

I don't see any assembly lube on the camshaft. It it's not gooped up with some breakin muck, your lobes and lifters are gonna have a short career at opening stuff. Since your cam is not a roller, you don't need a button. As 1971BB427 has already stated, the dimple on the cam gear needs to be at 6 o'clock and the dimple on the crank gear should be at 12 o'clock. If your cam drive pin is at 3 o'clock the dimple shoud already be at 6 o'clock. Just make sure the crank dimple is lined up directly below the cam gear dimple. I put red Locktite on the cam bolts if I'm not using a retainer with bolt tabs, and just tighten them until they grunt. I agree with 427 on chain versus gear drive. You won't see the rpm to notice the timing variation due to harmonics, but most people I talk to at the track stay away from gear drives because of vibration transfer from the crank. It's either chains or belt drives. You might consider awling a small ditch from the front cam bearing oil hole to the front to oil your chain. I do that on my builds but I don't know if it really makes any difference. Have fun putting this thing together. You're going to be smiling from ear to ear when you finally light the wick on it.

 

Ditto here on the lube while you are assembling the engine. There are a few good cam/lifter greases available to use there. On all engine bearings use a quality assembly lube (I use Permatex). Also, in the pictures it looks like the pistons and cylinder walls are dry. Did you oil the rings good prior to pushing in the pistons? One more item, check your oil pump sump tube for fit. I have seen many of the SBC sumps come loose, I put a spot weld where the tube meets the oil pump on all my engines. Cheap insurance.

Don't forget to prime the oiling system before firing it up!

 

Get that cam out of there right now and put the assembly lube that came with it on the lobes and journals. NOW. If the cam did not come with lube go pick some up at the parts store. Moly Assembly Lube. Sorry to sound like a jerk. I'm really just fooling with you but seriously lube that cam. Don't be afraid to lube the hell out of it. And use some break in oil with a zinc additive in it. If you don't that cam will have flat lobes in a heartbeat. Smother the lifters too. Soak the lifters overnight in a quart of oil. This will get them good and prelubed. Make sure they are all submergered in oil. Just watchin your back- Damon


P.S. Oops I didn't see all the other replies.

 

cant wait to see the finished project keep up the good work

 

Hmmmm....I'm looking at a used cam in the picture, it's already "broken in".
Hopefully you kept the lifters matched to the bores they came out of. If the lifters got all mixed up, or if you're going with new lifters,
then you need to get a new cam with the new lifters.
And no, you don't need to use the cam button shown in the picture. Gear drives want a button, but a timing chain keeps things held together.
Plus the slight angle on the cam lobes helps to keep the cam from walking out.

 

Cool, thanks.

i did lign up the timing marks, i just sat the button/bearing thing in freely, but im gonna take that back out.

 

Thanks allot guys i really appreciate it.

the cam is used, i have the original lifters and everything is submerged in oil but i dont know exactly which hole each one was out of, is that a prob? i thought i could just drop them in whatever hole? and i just submerged the cam in oil before i put it in. i hope th guy who put the pistons in did it proper because that would suck.