I'm finally assembling my engine and have a few questions.

1. How far on should the crank timing sprocket go? As close to the block
as possible, or a little farther away?

2. How far in does the cam stay? It looks like when its all the way in, the lobes are not centered in the lifter hole. It looks like it needs a 1/8 - 1/4 out to be centered.

3. How much cam lube needs to be applied to the cam lobes? I made sure there is lube all around the lobe and even some more at the tip of the lobe. But some came off in the installation.

4. What is the best way to position the oil pickup? How far from the bottom of the pan should the pickup be? 1/4" ? The hot-rodding book suggests brazing the pickup in place once that's determined. I guess
its not necessary but highly desired...

Thanks...

 

The crank sprocket should go all the way to the shoulder of the crank.

When the timing chain is installed I believe it will pull the cam out slightly, probobly about the 1/8-1/4" that you mentioned.

As much lube as you can get on it. This is one thing that "more is better"

Most engine builders suggest the pickup to be 1/4-3/8" off the pan floor.
Welding the pickup is always a good idea-- make sure you remove the perssure relief spring before welding & re-install it after you are done. The heat generated is supposed to not be good for the spring.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks.

I presume the pickup will move a bit when driven into the oil pump cover.
Enough to put the pan on and push it down to zero clearance, then move
it down 1/4"

Maybe I should pull the camshaft out and the rest of the packet of lube.
The cam box had two packets, I presume the second one is incase you
need it, or to lube the bottom of the lifters.

Thanks.

 

1- recently put mine on, and recall i drove it on with large socket or pipe and it is limited by friction fit onto crank snout. Like i don't think u can force the gear too far but u should see some clearance from block (front) and need to turn the crank to verify this. But i don't think u can hammer it on too far. And you will later find out if not on far enough. Also the cam gear needs to clear the block (face) and required u verify no interfearence with rotation. Cam gear has some thrust bearing face on block side and this should turn smoothly.

2 - well if your using flat tappet lifters, flat tappets maintain the cam in correct position - not so with a roller cam/lifters. Rollers need a thrust button on the end of cam against the timing cover to maintain cam position.

3 - now the lifters will push excess grease off the lobe when u turn the cam/crank to adj the lifters. Just make shure u give the lobe and bottom of lifter a coating - don't need to be thick.

4 - just installed mine also. Recall 1/4" to 5/8" clearance best. Just use some modling clay from walmart - a few pieces on the oil p/u. Install pan without gasket and add 'bout 1/2 gasket thickness to measurement for approximation. If u want an exact measurement good luck too you.
Measure clearance between oil pmp cover and gear - should be only .001"-.002 ". Measure again after brazing p/u tube to verify no distortion from brazing heat. BTW u need to drive out the pin that holds the press reg vlv and spring in to prevent heat distortion from brazing. Yea it adds a lot of work and 99% eng owners just drive in the tube in with pliers and hammer then run it as is - curved tipped needle nose works great for this. Well i did braze mine so now i can sleep at night.

BTW there are plenty of sb chevy "How To" assembly manuals and it sounds like u should have 1 - i use David Vizard's book.

Hope this helps.
cardo0

 

Be careful about hammering on the sprocket. Hit it too hard and too many times and you can damage the main bearings and journals. It'd be a good idea, if it's a stubborn install, to rent an installation tool and slowly press it in using the crank bolt as the pressure stop and not the bearings.

 

One trick to use is to throw the sprocket in a 250* oven for a few minutes. As the gear gets hot it will expand slightly, allowing it to slide right on the shaft. When it cools it will contract to original size.
We use this method to install bearings on rotor shafts where I work. Even have a specal bearing heater that heats the bearings.

 

Great technique. Wonderful advise for anyone building a new motor.

Also, lube the cam, AND the lifters before you drop them in. Not all the way up to the oil feed holes, but the feet of the lifters

 

Here's a bearing heater simmular to what we use at work. I work on electric motors for a living. Anything from 30- 11,000hp.
We use the bearing heaters every day.

 

Wow...

 

1. use a piece of steel tubing over the crank snout to get it all the way on till it butts up against the crank if you do not heat it first. Look for the bevel on the engine side of the gear. It is designed to clear the radius on the crank. 2x4 with a dead blow hammer in a pinch but drive it on evenly so as not to cause damage to gear or crank. The gear needs to go all the way or the pulleys will not line up right.

2. Cam lobes will not be lined up with the lifter bore so not a problem.

3. Use the molly paste lube on lobes/lifter bottoms and add a bottle of "Engine Oil Suppliment" from the GM dealer to the crank case. Most of the paste will wipe off in seconds as the engine fires up and head straight for the oil filter where it will clog up if you go crazy with it. No need to over do it here.

4. Do this while the engine is being mocked up on the engine stand. Remove the pressure regulating valve from the pump first, then install the pickup in the oil pump then mount the assy to the block. You can rotate the pickup so that it is much lower in the pan than it needs to be. Then dry install the pan and the pickup will be pushed to "zero clearance". Then remove the pan, measure the current distance from the pan rails and carefully adjust the position higher in the pan so it is 3/16" from the bottom of where the pan will be when installed. Then you can remove the pump carefully without disturbing the pickup and braze it to the pump body. Alternately you can tack weld it. I would not skip this step.

Hope this helps,

-Mark.

 

Got the Vizard rebuild book... Didn't say these things.

Will check on a pusher - the gear is on already, just not as far as I think
it needs to be...

Got the oil pump checked and smoothed for flow...

Thanks.

 

Vizard has several books and i use "How to rebuild/restore the small block chevy" for the assembly while his other books disscuss performance improvements more. Soulds like u have "How to build the sb chevy for performance on a buget" as it describes that "smoothed for flow..." of oil pmp. But your right Adam - none of them answers the crank sprocket position or cam under lifters location.

But remember u need to recheck the oil pmp again if u weld or braze as the heat can distort the cover and definatly remove the press reg vlv cup and spring before heating.

I like Rd's brg heater but a for a crank gear 30min in a broiler oven will do the job. I never seen a installation tool for the gear. I do have a dampner installation tool and use that each time for the dampner. But for crank sprocket i just clean and use a drop of oil on the snout. Light tapping on a short piece of exh pipe (new/clean) got it where i wanted.

Your asking some good questions, working out all the details and i expect your engine will work better than what comes out'a most rebuild shops.

Good job. cardo0

 

Do you have a good ring compressor for installing the pistons? A few threads have been started here about a crappy compressor letting a ring catch on the block and snapping it. Take your time in picking out a good compressor and spend the money that's needed.

 

Pistons are in... Borrowed a ring comressor - a band with a racheting coil to tighten it.

The first piston went in clean. Second took a bit. I think I got off easy.

I guess I can measure how farther the gear must go with the timing cover. If its not far enough, I'll probably pull the gear off (with a puller and try heating it up a bit.)

On the books, Ive got three - Vizards's rebuild and the chevy engines on a budget (fantastic engines in there, though the pricing is not realistic). And I've got hot-rodding the SBC...

 

Punch it home. When it stops...it's where it needs to be.