Looks good. I'd like to go solid roller on my new engine, but I don't have the money. I'll switch down the line though. Mine hasn't moved since June 3rd, 2007 so I have you slightly beat there.

 

Engine is in, totally bolted down. Everything is properly hooked up except the headers (which are in place however) and fuel rail, coil packs and needs fluids!

I have a ton of pics and will post them soon! Things are falling in to place fast!

 

Big Skids here we come ....

Can't wait to hear the final results mate been following this from the start.

cheers

 

Nice build up!

Where in Ontario are you?

 

Thanks.

Nooorth, lol.

 

I got the repaired torque back from Yank and was hoping I can put it behind me and move forward. I get in the engine bay and I think I even made the sign of the cross lol and then lift the torque up to the trans. Plunk, damn near fell right in.

Now here is the story of the motor going in. First off I will mention that during the install process of my valvetrain I had a bit of fun...

First, I set the Cometic headgaskets down and heads on top. I then lubed up the ARP studs and fastened them in and proceeded to torque them as described in the instructions.

Once that was done I drop in the pushrods, put on the shaft pedestals, and then start turning over the engine to install the rocker shafts on the pedestals one cylinder at a time. Well I guess I got ahead of myself and got distracted and managed to break one of the rocker shafts. So I called Crane and they were kind enough to send me a new shaft which should be here in a couple days. Then I notice that I cant even place one of the shafts on the pedestals because one of the pushrods doesnt wanna move no matter now many times I turn the motor over. Unbelievable. I ended up having to unbolt the one head and remove everything I installed and have a look and see. Turns out for some reasone one of the solid lifters didnt wanna go fully down its bore. I pulled it out and slowly started to work it in and out of its bore til it was comfortable in there and would move on its own. At this point I am a little worried and upset over the head removal already. I did however call Cometic and ask them if I needed to replace this headgasket. I was asked if the engine had ran, I mentioned that it was sitting in my living room, haha. He said aslong as it hasnt had any heat cycles and compression on it I was fine and could rebolt the head back on no problems. *phew* Soooo in the meantime I reassembled that head and valvetrain and proceeded to drop the engine into the car and bolt everything else up to it.

The pictures I have are just of the motor already bolted up and engine accessories being bolted to it. However my buddys gf has pictures of us lifting it into the engine bay and trying to shoehorn the thing in. Aswell as she tells me a video of us driving it across the floor in the house on its stand in order to get it back outside..lol

Engine in the car and crank pulley almost all the way on. I did make sure to have the pulley thru the cover before I bolted the cover down.


Heres a closer view of the above (notice the shaft and two rockers missing..)


Valley cover on with the stainless buttonhead bolts I picked up.


Intake and TB on with stainless hardware I replaced the originals with aswell.


Now with waterpump and power steering. (gf's Camaro in the background)


Closer look and alternator on now too.


Me hookin up the booster hose.


A/C, rad, MAF etc all on.


Closer look.


Started to get dark out! Lid/filter on, valvecover spacers on, and painted valvecovers attempted to be put on but....


Passenger side needs to be modified because the baffles hit the new valvetrain. Always somethin', so I'll be cutting those out this weekend I guess.


So all thats left at this point, is the headers need to be fastened to the heads. I got some arp header studs Im gonna try for that, and just got some new GM MLS manifold gaskets. (other than the one rocker shaft I have to replace and install asap.

Then I'll slap the plugs in, TR6's for now. Hoping my plug wires still reach them from the coil packs after the valvecover spacers! (I'll test fit that this weekend too so that way if I do need longer wires I can grab them first thing monday morning. So ya then the coil pack brackets and wires need to be put on and I still have to put the SVO green tops into the new fuel rail and install the fuel rail. Still gotta adjust the IFR table for these injectors too.

From there I will put the VR1 oil in for break in, and dexcool and try to see if this thing will fire! Wish me luck!

 

Great Job! Just did mine last weekend, shitload of work, but worth it for sure!
Did you remember to swap the outside leads on the cam sensor extension harness? We checked mine, and sure as **** they were ***-backwards where it plugs in to the plug at the old cam sensor location next to the oil sender. Good luck getting it fired up,,,,,,,,you're gonna love it!

Jimbo

 

No I didnt check that end, I thought it was the end that connects to sensor on the timing cover. Thanks for that, and I will check it tonight!

 

one of the 1st things I did when I got the extension harness was check the leads at the front cover plug-in and the colors matched. Once we got the body and frame separated last friday night I checked the top plug-in and saw that the colors didn't match, so we just switched the 2 outside leads in the plug. Car fired right up sunday night.

 

Awesome! How was that? I can only imagine as time is now passing so slowly for me lol. Especially since I am on day 2 of 3 before my two weeks of holidays so I can enjoy this thing.

Did you keep an eye on how long it took for you to build oil pressure?

 

Check out this vid: http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...t=418Birth.flv

I removed the fuel pump fuse right before fire-up and cranked the motor for a minute or so before we tried starting it so the oil pressure would come up quickly. Put the fuse back in and it fired right up,,,,took a while to find its idle, but no problems since. Oil pressure started coming up just a few seconds after the engine started. 50 psi cold idle, 38-40 psi after the oil temp reached 200. (Melling ported pump) Dumped the oil and filter yesterday (200 miles) and am gonna do 500 miles this weekend and change it again when I get back.
The torque difference from this motor compared to the 346 is amazing!
SOTP feel is VERY different, sound is alot deeper,,the 70 ci difference is awesome!.

Jimbo

 

OMG nice, hahah. I cant wait. I think I may do the same fuse thing aswell. ****** thing is filthy tho! jk hahaha. I havent washed mine in over a year myself!! Since I drove it last.

I'll try to take a vid of mine next week aswell on first startup.

 

Also forgot to mention the fun I had with the Energy Suspension motor mounts. When I had my old engine out, I noticed how beat the OEM rubber ones were. So I ordered some Energy Suspension ones (3.1116). Well silly me assumed they were direct fit after I installed them into the clamshells.

I called Matt up at Texas Speed and he so graciously helped me out finding some info on what needs to be done to make them fit. I also added 3 washers beside them because they are loose inside the half of the mount that is bolted to the frame. I should of taken pictures but at the time it was the last thing on my mind, I was just trying to figure out how I was going to get this engine that is hoisted over my engine bay into the car ASAP.

Thanks again Matt!

 

FWIW, Don't turn the motor over by the started to build oil pressure. The starter won't turn the motor over fast enough to build any sort of pressure, and will be worthless. Just start up the motor, and keep an eye on the oil pressure, it'll read zero for the first couple seconds, but it'll then jump right up to 60 or so PSI. Run the motor until it comes to temp, then dump the oil and filter, and fill back up with new oil and filter. Run for 500 miles, and then dump the oil again, fill back up, all of this with regular oil, non-synthetic. Run the next oil change for 500 miles again, change the oil, after that, run the next one for 1,000 miles, change once again, and this time start using your favorite synthetic motor oil, and enjoy.

 

Glad to help! She's coming along nicely! Let us know how it goes for start-up and all!!

 

Started up nice and I havent modified the tune and it idles great and sounds good!

All I had to do was adjust the throttle blade a bit and it will stay running around 1100rpm

I may have a video of first start up on my buddy's gf's cellphone and will try and post it when I get a chance.

May also take a video of it in action tomorrow

 

Have you changed the oil and filter yet?

 

No, that is today's order of business.

 

wow.. really neat thread! keep up the awesome picts! Goodluck man!

 

Outstanding, when I first ran mine (427), I bought the cheapest filters, and put in regular 20W50 motor oil. I just kept changing it out to keep break-in metal to a minimum (probably 2 times in the first 500 miles), worked out great =D After 2K miles, swapped it over to Royal Purple 10W30. I'm excited for you! Post up those pics when you get the chance =D