Recent content by C130 Chief

I don't think the engine needs to go up very far. Remove the horizontal bolts that hold the mount brackets to the block as well as the nuts on the mount blocks themselves and the brackets should rotate up and away from the block. If you have power steering, this may be more difficult...

It would take a lot off Lucas, or any other goo to quiet a timing chain. You'd literally have to fill the engine to the top of the cam sprocket. This would make it impossible for the pistons to move, immobilizing the crankshaft. An engine with no moving parts is going to be quiet.

The timing chain on my brother's 94 Dakota has sounded like a coffee can full of rocks since it was nearly new. Hasn't gotten appreciably worse in 200K miles. The engine has been remarkably trouble free for the abuse and neglect it has seen. In fact the only parts that have failed have been...

Todd from Project Farm just posted a DIY TF rebuild on YouTube. The trans is a 47RE out of a truck, but the basic pieces are 727.

On a street engine I wouldn't run anything cooler than a 180 and my preference is a 195. Engines that come up to temp quickly last longer, use less fuel, and stay cleaner inside. Nothing is gained by running the engine cooler. As others have mentioned, some of the low cost 54mm thermostats out...

Prevents a hot spot under the valve cover that can cause oil to coke. And as others have mentioned, a place for throttle rod clips to hide.

Okay, let's keep it as 318 as possible, meaning 318 heads. So use KB167 pistons and "302" casting heads. Keep the heads pretty simple, 1.88/1.60 valves, bowl blend, narrow the guide bosses and port match to the intake you already have. Maybe a 30 degree back cut on the intake valves if you...

The gasket port sizes are sometimes oversize as you note, and so are the mounting bolt holes. Also, what if you wish to open the port size beyond gasket size? The answer is a transfer plate. Start with a sheet of metal approximately gasket thickness, drill for bolt holes and install between...

Welcome. The Driftless Area is a great part of the midwest that most peaope have no clue about.

I would go looking for a 46RE from a 5.9 Magnum truck, and swap the fuel injected 5.9 Magnum with it. You'll gain some gas mileage and a considerable amount of power for the cost of a brand new carburetor and intake manifold.

Are you running an open hole spacer? On a dual plane manifold? If so why? Yes, an open hole spacer can help a way too small carburetor make more power at upper RPM, but it will play hell with tuning everywhere else. You're no longer trying to tune a 600 CFM carb on a 273, but more like a 1200...

Lifter noise on cold start is caused by one of two things; a lifter that does not work correctly (most likely), or a lack of oil flow to the lifter. If it's the lifter, nothing that comes in a bottle will fix it. If it's a lack of flow, a higher cold viscosity index number will actually make...

The transmission mount is a legit way to locate things. ALL torqueflites had the rear mount pad 22 inches back from the engine face. So if the rear mount is in place you'll have fore-aft location control. The left side manifold is a PITA on early A's, and the right side isn't much better.

So you need to start out with a matched set, be it 42RH, truck, 904, whatever. Just need a dipstick in the tube it left the factory with. Measure from the point where the the tube registers to the transmission case to the full and add lines on the stick. Then put the stick you want into the...

You need 64-66 A-body V8 engine brackets. You'll also want 64-66 A-body V8 steering link. Keep in mind there were a couple changes in the engine compartment starting in 64 to make the V8 fit. The firewall was different where the wiper motor mounts for distributor clearance, and there already...