Mamo 220s in 383 stroker
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
This build is not cutting many corners on the quality of parts. I've done the go-around of budget builds and now I'm redoing parts two or even three times on this engine. That in itself has been expensive. . . there's something about that in Tony's signature. . .
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Well anniversary weekend is over and just about every part has arrived except of course the pushrods. I have something weird going on with my leg so I wasn't able to get a lot done today but I got a few hours in. '04 GTOs are like a girl peeing. There is no petcock on the radiator and you just have to pull the lower radiator hose and let it go. I have a large tub so at least I caught most of it. Something I tried and I'll see how it worked when I pull the heads is I blew compressed air into the steam tubes to see if it could flush out the heads better and minimize that mess. Don't know yet if it worked but I got a lot more antifreeze out of somewhere. We'll see how I feel and what I can get done tomorrow.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Day 2 of the tear-down. I just had the entire engine out and apart last year and I swear there are more parts on it now. The balancer was a bitch to get off but I finally won. Water pump, headers, PS pump and head grounding bolts off. I only have to unbolt the heads, pull the link bar lifters and take the cam gear and plate off before pulling the cam. FWIW My knees don't like bending backwards and getting up off the ground has gotten a lot harder.
#gettingoldisnotfortheweak
#gettingoldisnotfortheweak
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Day three of tear-down. I was so sore last night I didn't know if I'd want to tackle anymore today but I did. Everything is out and ready to start the installs. I need to work on the rocker tip wipe pattern shimming. My experiment of using compressed air in the steam tube eliminated a lot of the antifreeze that spews out when you pull the heads but not all of it. It's nice having head studs as it doesn't fill up the holes with antifreeze at least.
Seeing as I have the Lunati 72532 lifters out is there any consensus as to which way link bar lifters go in? Bar "on top" or bar "on the bottom". There is an oil hole on one side but I assume being contained in a bore it would fill the void regardless.
Seeing as I have the Lunati 72532 lifters out is there any consensus as to which way link bar lifters go in? Bar "on top" or bar "on the bottom". There is an oil hole on one side but I assume being contained in a bore it would fill the void regardless.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Taking a break after spending 3 hours just to drop the oil pan. 
I wasted $135 on a Cloyes Hex-a-Just that didn't work out. I have the Rollmaster crank gear retarded 2* from the last setup and thought I had it figured out 2 ways so I wouldn't have to remove that damn oil pump to reset the cam gear.
I was hoping that a Cloyes Hex-a-Just would allow me to dial in the cam degree by just replacing the Rollmaster cam gear with the Cloyes one. Even though they look identical holding them up against each other the chain was stupid loose with it. Now I'm poorer and back right where I didn't want to be pulling the oil pump to get to the crank gear. What a treat getting to those pan bolts. I had to unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the engine to get to 2 of them. Got to get back to the nerve wracking job of getting that pickup tube bolt out. Anyone know where the idiot engineer lives that thought it would be funny to use the inside mounting point instead of the outside ear to bolt the tube up. As soon as I can move again I want to kick his ***.
I wasted $135 on a Cloyes Hex-a-Just that didn't work out. I have the Rollmaster crank gear retarded 2* from the last setup and thought I had it figured out 2 ways so I wouldn't have to remove that damn oil pump to reset the cam gear.I was hoping that a Cloyes Hex-a-Just would allow me to dial in the cam degree by just replacing the Rollmaster cam gear with the Cloyes one. Even though they look identical holding them up against each other the chain was stupid loose with it. Now I'm poorer and back right where I didn't want to be pulling the oil pump to get to the crank gear. What a treat getting to those pan bolts. I had to unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the engine to get to 2 of them. Got to get back to the nerve wracking job of getting that pickup tube bolt out. Anyone know where the idiot engineer lives that thought it would be funny to use the inside mounting point instead of the outside ear to bolt the tube up. As soon as I can move again I want to kick his ***.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
From: CHristchurch New Zealand
Taking a break after spending 3 hours just to drop the oil pan. I wasted $135 on a Cloyes Hex-a-Just that didn't work out. I have the Rollmaster crank gear retarded 2* from the last setup and thought I had it figured out 2 ways so I wouldn't have to remove that damn oil pump to reset the cam gear.
I was hoping that a Cloyes Hex-a-Just would allow me to dial in the cam degree by just replacing the Rollmaster cam gear with the Cloyes one. Even though they look identical holding them up against each other the chain was stupid loose with it. Now I'm poorer and back right where I didn't want to be pulling the oil pump to get to the crank gear. What a treat getting to those pan bolts. I had to unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the engine to get to 2 of them. Got to get back to the nerve wracking job of getting that pickup tube bolt out. Anyone know where the idiot engineer lives that thought it would be funny to use the inside mounting point instead of the outside ear to bolt the tube up. As soon as I can move again I want to kick his ***.
I wasted $135 on a Cloyes Hex-a-Just that didn't work out. I have the Rollmaster crank gear retarded 2* from the last setup and thought I had it figured out 2 ways so I wouldn't have to remove that damn oil pump to reset the cam gear.I was hoping that a Cloyes Hex-a-Just would allow me to dial in the cam degree by just replacing the Rollmaster cam gear with the Cloyes one. Even though they look identical holding them up against each other the chain was stupid loose with it. Now I'm poorer and back right where I didn't want to be pulling the oil pump to get to the crank gear. What a treat getting to those pan bolts. I had to unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the engine to get to 2 of them. Got to get back to the nerve wracking job of getting that pickup tube bolt out. Anyone know where the idiot engineer lives that thought it would be funny to use the inside mounting point instead of the outside ear to bolt the tube up. As soon as I can move again I want to kick his ***.
good luck, keen to see the results as Tonys work and anything he has a hand in is nothing short of amazing 
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Well things went to ****. I got everything apart OK but had problems getting the pump back on and despite a string on the bolt the mother f'er fell down into the sump (it's in the front on a GTO). There is no getting a magnet in there. It's now either leave the thing in there rattling around and get a new one or pull the motor. What a steamy pile. It wasn't supposed to get to this changing heads. I'm not a happy man at all.
Well things went to ****. I got everything apart OK but had problems getting the pump back on and despite a string on the bolt the mother f'er fell down into the sump (it's in the front on a GTO). There is no getting a magnet in there. It's now either leave the thing in there rattling around and get a new one or pull the motor. What a steamy pile. It wasn't supposed to get to this changing heads. I'm not a happy man at all.
To the other guy on the pan not dealing up - mine neither. And I really don't want to drop the pan for that gasket but I'm going to have to. Ugh.
Does that pan have an oil level sensor similar to an F-body pan? If so, you may actually be able to get it w/ a magnet.
The tensioner doesn't take up the slack on the Cloyes?
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
From: CHristchurch New Zealand
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Looking at it I wonder if I ever have the engine out again if the pickup tube ear could be slotted so the bolt with a washer could be started in the pump and then installed by sliding it in. I probably won't ever need to access it again though.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
I already thought of that. That bitch is mine. I stopped at Harbor Freight and bought every magnet I could find and then went to the Chevy dealer for plan "B" and get another bolt. Apparently I'm the only butter fingers in Michigan as there were none anywhere here but 5 in Chicago. He gave me the specs though and I went to Home Depot and got a couple of bolts. I knew it would bother me if it stayed in there though.
My plan "A" was to use the largest magnet I could find to drag the bolt to the place I could get the flex magnet in. Even with a small one there was barely enough room to get it past the pickup screen. Anyways after a coupe of tries of dragging around the big 7" welding magnet towards the flex one lo and behold the thing finally appeared on the end when I withdrew it. I jammed the pan full of rags this time and vowed to use a magnet to retrieve it if I dropped it again but I got the pump installed this time. As long as the O-ring isn't pinched now I'm good on that.
That's it for today. Have to work until 3 am so I need to rest up and I'll get back at it Monday. I need the R&R to get the aches worked out too.
My plan "A" was to use the largest magnet I could find to drag the bolt to the place I could get the flex magnet in. Even with a small one there was barely enough room to get it past the pickup screen. Anyways after a coupe of tries of dragging around the big 7" welding magnet towards the flex one lo and behold the thing finally appeared on the end when I withdrew it. I jammed the pan full of rags this time and vowed to use a magnet to retrieve it if I dropped it again but I got the pump installed this time. As long as the O-ring isn't pinched now I'm good on that.
That's it for today. Have to work until 3 am so I need to rest up and I'll get back at it Monday. I need the R&R to get the aches worked out too.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Now I have to try to get everything (and it's hard to reach) perfectly clean so I can apply the dabs of silicone by the front and the back so the pan doesn't leak. I've seen a lot of people have issues with leakage after reattaching the pan. It was all so easy on an engine stand. . . .
Thing is, that flange on the tube has two ears. Why oh why couldn't they use the TOP ear????
LS1Tech Sponsor
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 825
Likes: 568
Great news on the bolt retrieval....I have been out of town for a few days or I would have chimed in sooner with the magnet scenario. I suspect its all downhill from here as they say. Take your time getting everything back together and try to enjoy the process a bit more.....it waaay more fun than the dis-assembly without a doubt
Cheers,
Tony
Cheers,
Tony
__________________
www.mamomotorsports.com
Tony@MamoMotorsports.com
Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Build it right the first time....its alot cheaper than building it twice!!
www.mamomotorsports.com
Tony@MamoMotorsports.com
Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Build it right the first time....its alot cheaper than building it twice!!