The Chevy 350 Build Up
To
aid in the removal of the motor I reinforced the ceiling of my garage
and added a chain hoist.
Here is the motor coming home from Virginia Beach.
With
and without spaghetti.
Here's were the problems start. Utilizing Desktop Dyno I proceeded to spec out how I was going to get the most out of my new power plant. Once I figured out what I wanted, I started looking for a machine shop. I started getting estimates from the local machine shops. I finally chose to use the auto shop on base. After all their prices were low and they talked a good game, so I dropped the motor off and gave them my requirements. My requirements were quite simple: Flat top pistons and shave the heads to make as close to 10:1 compression as possible without going over. In the interest of saving me (and my engine) from myself what they returned to me 6 weeks later was stock replacement pistons for a 91 Z71, shaved heads one ate 59CC and the other at 63CC. The heads with had different valve heights and seat pressures. factoring in the pistons they gave me and the 63CC head using the calculator at http://www.kb-silvolite.com/calc.php?action=comp i would have had 8.9:1 compression and using the 59CC head I would have had 9.3:1. Neither of which was anywhere near the compression I wanted to be at. On top of everything else they knocked one of the old freeze plugs in the cooling jacket and left it there. I removed the freeze plug in 20 minutes when they claimed they worked on getting it out for 2 hours. When I spoke to them about my dissatisfaction about the pistons and the freeze plug (I was unaware of the heads yet) I was told that it would be impossible to run my desired compression on pump gas and that any one who told me I could was lying, and yes get this the fast burn design of a Vortec has nothing to do with an engines tolerance to detonation. Their remark about the freeze plug was even better... "ooh you must be better at this than us" I let this go I figured what that the freeze plug ran me $1.50 and 20 min. and after all they were the pro's so maybe once they finished the heads the compression would be at an acceptable compression, so I hoped. After all they were the professionals... After I picked up the heads that's when I found out about the rest of the follies. I promptly called the shop manager and explained to him that I just CC'd the heads and what the differences were. First he gave me a song and dance about how since they were different casting numbers they had different metal contents and that attributed to the variance in chamber sizes between the two, and they would work just fine. Note I didn't know about the seat pressure problem yet. He could tell I wasn't buying that excuse for poor machine work. Had they done what any good machine shop would have and check before machining them they could have compensated for the differences in castings (if there was any to start with). They could have also set the valve height the same when they did the valve job. I was told by the shop manager that if I wrote specifically what I wanted them to do they would make it right. No mention of a refund or anything. I told him I would think about his offer and get back to him after I got a second opinion on the heads. So off to Edge Brothers Machine Service I go. They charged me $50.00 for a second opinion. First thing the informed me of is to check to see what compression ratio cam would require to work properly. Come to find out according to Comp Cams I should be running at a minimum 9.5:1 compression 11:1 for optimal performance. Second thing Edge bros reported was some of the valve stems were pitted which could lead to premature breaking off of the valve head. Third they pointed out the inadequate seat pressures for a roller cam. Their recommendations were to order new heads from Scoggin Dickey parts center instead of paying them the same amount to try to fix my existing heads, or running the risk of the other shop completely ruining them. So this is where I stand today. The pistons are back out of the block and going to Edge Brothers to have a set of flat top coated pistons pressed on. The new heads from Scoggin Dickey should be here tomorrow. This combo should put me at 9.78:1 compression right where I wanted to be. I give a lot of credit to Edge Brothers for telling me to go spend over $700 dollars with another company instead of them because it was the right thing to do. I will not recommend or use any other machine shop but them anymore.
Here
are the pics of the motor when I put the pistons in to find that they
sit too far down in the bore.
Here are some pics of the old motor coming out and the new motor going in. Of course pictures of my assistant Abby also :-)
Click the link below of a video of the trucks first race since the motor swap.