Customs 57 Chevy Budget 4 door build

The one i broke is labeled #1 in this picture


What’cha got in there, kid?
More than you can handle!

 

No. 1 is for thermovac valve on air cleaner, cap it off, run a small screw in it, it is not really needed. No.2 PCV valve. No. 3 is ported vacuum ( more throttle more vac) for vac advance.

 

so i didn’t need it anyways, cool!


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Yeah it’s definitely an oil pressure gauge line, i looked through my parts, it’s gonna have an old black Stewart warner hooked up to it, will match my sun tach and factory gauges!

I worked a couple more minutes on the motor, trying to figure out how i’m going to run my belts. It had a power steering pump on it which in obviously removed so I’ll probably have to get a new belt. I got the pilot bushing in.

Tomorrow if i’ve recovered from today i’ll put the flywheel and clutch and bell-housing on. I think i’m just gonna put some epoxy on the hole in the carb where the vacuum port was.


What’cha got in there, kid?
More than you can handle!

 

Don't forget to use a clutch alignment tool or the input shaft of the transmission to line up the clutch when tightening the pressure plate bolts or you'll never get the input shaft through the clutch disc and pilot bushing. What ever you use for transmission lube make sure it is yellow metal friendly. Old Wolf seems to forget in the olden days there were not as many detergents and additives in gear lube it actually was straight 50 weight oil or GL1.

Denny

 

While you have easy access to it , permanently paint the timing slot on the balancer white and wipe white paint into the degree numbers on the timing tab,it will make life a lot easier when it's timing time. Even if you plan to time it by "ear" this time, you will appreciate it down the road when you want to really tune the engine properly. Ralphie

 

depending on where it is JB Weld will probably work. Get it real clean, apply, let dry thoroughly and lightly test it for security.

 

I like Q-Jets myself, they're a good carb, unless you have no clue what you're talking about. At the worst you find a local shop to overhaul it, a working choke is nice too.

 

Never liked a Q jet. Never had any success with them. I fix them by beating on them with a BFH. Carter AFB is my preferred 4 BBl carb.

 

I know a guy who only uses them, he can tune them really well so he can get it running really well. Quadrajet will be good for me because it’ll give me good fuel milage, and good low end power on the street.


What’cha got in there, kid?
More than you can handle!

 

I am hit or miss with rebuilding them myself. So I give them to a local shop that does all sorts of carbs. The last one was for a '79 Chevy 350 and ran me $225 at the time due to some sensors or other crap inside them. Yours would be less, but that $225 was 15 years ago. Still one of those things you spend your money ONCE on. Use the stone filter in the inlet and have a steel (not clear plastic) filter inline after the fuel pump.

 

Q-Jets are some of the best oem carbs ever made. They got a bad wrap from guys that take the caveman "jump in and fix it" way. I had one on my 55 F100 with a 300hp 350 SBC that put you back in the seat when you kicked it in every time. The Q-Jet I had on my 455 Buick was not so great, I took it to an old retired GM mechanic that was well known around here as the best carb man in his day. After a few beers he said to bring him a Borg-Warner kit and new floats and he would go through it. I stopped over the next week with another 12 pack and picked up my carb . He told me to put it on the car and bring it over to let him fine tune it. I ended up with a Buick that runs like a raped ape and a new beer drinkin buddy with some great stories. WIN,WIN!!!

 

Always liked Q-jets, can pull the top off while on the motor. Clean the rods off/ check float and go.

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I would never spend more than the cost of a rebuild kit on a stock carb. I have a Quadra jet on my DD 74 Burb and I get it running nice and 3 days later its all screwed up again, I gave up and ditched the entire engine in favor of a much more powerful, better running and more efficient. You can get an Edelbrock or Holley carb that works out of the box for like $150.00-$200.00

 

Went to a couple junkyards looking for rams horns today, did’t expect to find anything but i saw an orange intake laying on the ground. Walked over to it and saw it’s a quadrajet intake with a flat spot for an oil tube! Just needs to be drilled. Ran the numbers, it’s from a 69 350. Didn’t find the rest of that motor anywhere unfortunately


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Could i drill out a hole in the intake or should i take it to a machine shop? It’s not aluminum so i’m not sure a regular drill can do it without cracking it


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Hole saw and cutting oil...cast iron drills pretty easily. If you use a hole saw, go undersized, they have a tendency to wobble a bit. Then finish off the hole with a 1/2 round file, or diegrinder/dremmel, etc.

That fill tube is a pretty tight fit.

 

I'll take it to the machine shop then, that's beyond my abilities. Wish i would have found this intake before i painted the engine and valve covers. oh well.

 

Best call ahead...you'd be surprised in this day and age what making a hole will run you, all the older places around here have either upgraded to CNC machines or closed down, no more manual machines close by...this means the setup time to make one hole cost about 60-70 bucks, plus the hole cost...mercy...anyways...just don't drop it off and say "make hole that will fit this tube".

You know any woodworkers? They generally have a drill press...buy a hole-saw, water will work to keep the saw cool, take it home later and get to filing in it.

 

I’ll check the shop here in town and the one i took the flywheel too. The shop i used for the flywheel was pretty old school so might have luck there.


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Generally an automotive machine shop will still have manual machines...sorry, I was thinking machine shop that does everything else.

 

Anyone have a recommendation on where to get the oil fill tube? I always see them at swap meets for $5 each and now i’m lookin on ebay and they’re like $20.


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And I can do the same with a AFB or Edelbrock. or a 4GC Rochester And they have brass floats that don't get heavy over time from being saturated. And its simple to change the metering rods on a carter. And also there are float bowls on each side of a Carter AFB. So even if you don't open the secondairys the gas stays fresh. with a Holley the gas in the rear float bowl can go stale. any way the cut off date on the Hamb is 1964. A Q junk isn't traditional.

 

I recall chrome ones in Summit, but don't recall the price.

 

tonight i made the journey around the block to my other garage that has a concrete floor and good lighting. I put the flywheel on, i guess i forgot to order bolts for the clutch plate so i had to stop working till tomorrow when the stores open. Had to push the car with my pickup, was a tough job but tomorrow i should have the 283 in!

 

now i’ve really gotta get my ass in gear, this is the garage my mom uses for her car so i’m gonna get evicted if i don’t have this car out within a week. So glad to finally have good lighting and a concrete floor to work on though! Not to mention this garage sits up against the house so if i keep the doors closed jt stays pretty warm.

 

When I first looked at the picture I thought, HE GOT IT RUNNUNG AND DRIVING. Then I read on, but you are not too far off. When you get the engine in you can always wire it to get it running then work out any other electrical gremlins of which there will probably be some. Keep slugging away, sooner or later your home run will come.

 

Made a lot of progress so far today, i did end up snapping off the head of a bellhousing to block bolt, but thankfully these bellhousings have more holes that an auto tranny so i put a long bolt in and all is well. Currently just finishing up the transmission mounts, about to go take some old bolts off the 235 bellhousing and then i’ll be dropping it in before dark most likely!

 

Well done!

Hey, does the '57 side mounts, or front mounts that look like long bolts? Either way I'd put whatever brackets on first to the engine before it goes in, exhaust manifolds too.

 

What size are the bolts thst go through the transmission mounts and into the bellhousing? Thats all thats stopping me now


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