it just keeps adding up

so i pulled an engine out of a 74 maverick grabber. it is a 302 and i was really happy about it then. so i decied to do a small refresher on it. i was going to replace a few gaskets and the valve guide seals. but when i pulled off the valve cover it was completly covered with sludge. so i decided i needed to pull the rest of the engine apart to clean it all up. then a guy that lives across the street from my friend came over and said i should really make sure the sludge wasn't up around the rings. then my friend suggested that i should just buy new rings. so i get new rings and to top it all off my dad comes over and looks at my engine tonight and he just touches the timing chain. and it is way too loose. so it's off to auto zone again to get a timing chain and gaskets. the moral of the story is, never think that a job is going to be simple and quick. it always takes 3 times as much effort to do and 5 times as much money. i'm just waiting to see what i have to do next to my 302. but the good thing is i'll have a really good running motor.

 

How true is that! For us, a quick spark plug change ended up costing over 100 bucks, took 5 days, and had to pull the whole top end of the engine apart.

Sometimes stuff just keeps snowballing on ya.

 

might i suggest that you go ahead and pull the crank while you have the rods out and have it "polished or turned". if you put the new "rings" in your compression will go up and you need to make sure your rod and main bearings can hold up...that one size bigger cam i put in mine sure pepped it up :bananaman , also might want to put a set of new lifters in while you have the cam out. new cam bearings will insure good "oil pressure". just a few things you might want to think about...frank...
p.s. new freeze plugs would be a "plus.

 

wasn't we talking about the snwball affect a while back

 

Way to go Frank! Pile up more stuff for him to do.

Of course thats the diffrence between getting it done, and getting it done "right".

 

If your in it that far put a new oil pump in it. Think of it as the heart of your engine!

 

I agree with Frank and all above. Might as well do it right the first time now while the engine is out........a lot easier now then to have to pull it back out later and re do again 'cause something broke. Just my

 

dang if you already have it apart you may as well do it all right....that way it wont have to be torn apart later.... yeah it may cost more but you can do it in stages....

i had my short block and heads done 1-2 months before i yanked the 170 out....and then i got all the little pieces during that last month or so....

you will be morehappy not having to take the block out because you said, :ill worry about that later." and later just happens to be a month down the road


just my $.02

good luck and i hope it all turns out for ya

 

Yes, it's called the snowball effect. When you replace the oil pump, might as well get a finer mesh screen & the beefer oil pump shaft. My mistake when I rebuilt mine. Sucked up a piece of gasket silicone & twisted & broke the stock oil pump shaft. It's a bummer to watch oil pressure go to zero, when you don't have 20 miles on the engine....lesson learned. "Do it right, the first time".

 

Sounds like it's time for a rebuild .

 

bartikus buddy,

you didn't faint on us did you?? hello!! hello!!! ...frank...

 

Hang in there Bartikus!! It's gonna be rough for awhile, but what the guys have said up above really is true. It seems to be such a HUGE problem, and while I'm not saying that it's minor, it will get better. Just back off, take your time, watch ebay, and pick things up little by little. It WILL pay off, I PROMISE!! Good Luck man, and remember that we are all pulling for you!!! Take care.... Preston

 

Good advice, Countrymav! Nothing wrong with the Johnny Cash approach......One piece at a time! I'm doing the same thing, when I get all the pieces I will start putting it together! No reason to do without just to buy engine parts, take your time, do it right and you will be better off in the long run.

 

well the really funny thing is that the engine wouldn't need to have this done, but some one before me didn't repalce the oil on a regular basis. the compression was really even before i tore into it and the rod bearings look pretty good. which i was suprised about. every thing in the engine looks in really good shape exept the timing chain and every thing was dirty. i would be doing a little bit of modifiying it, but i really don't have that much money and i really can't wait that long to get it fixed because by engine in my car is croking.

 

My folks ran Quaker State in their 78 Impala, 350. You could not see the rockers after pulling the valve covers. Changed every 3000-4000 miles.

Needless to say, we don't run QS anymore...