Yeah the Qjet is lacking in the wow factor compared to the factory dual quads. I'm going to run this set up for a while just to see now it works. I've heard its one of the best running combo on the nailhead. Here is a pic of the tired 401 thats in the company hauler right now. I might have to put the 2-4's on this new motor after I've had it in a while. I like em.
Keep us posted on your take between both manifolds. Good info to know. Wish I had put mine on an engine test stand before installing. I have one but timing was wrong and needed to install in frame before I mounted the 40 pickup cab. Just figured it would be easier for me. Hay, post a video of the new running motor for all to hear.
Wow that motor is a thing of beauty, are the timing cover and water pump aluminium??, if so are they a factory made part or aftermarket as my 364's are cast iron.
Yeah they're aluminum and probably the biggest problem with these motors is finding a good one. They get ate up with electrolysis and corrosion over the years and the 3 inch bolts that hold them on seize up where they pass through the cover. It took me about 3 hours to get this one off the motor it was on without ruining it. Problem 2 is you might spend 3 hours getting it off just too find out its junk. I packed the holes the bolts pass through with anti-seize when I installed it.
I thought I'd throw this short video in here. Here's how I set the intial timing on point type distributors. Get #1 on the compression stroke, line the timing mark up on 10 deg, turn the housing the opposite direction of distributor rotation while watching for the spark. When the points open the plug fires and your set.
It may lack the visual wow, but it definitely has the go factor. The Quadrajet manifold has more go than the stock 2x4. Short of a B262 it's the bomb. And the Gessler ported ones supposedly are way better. I've got a '71 Quadrajet (the big one off the 455) waiting for one.
I'm going to back up a ways here. Heres a short video of pre-oiling the engine on the build stand. Stuck a starter on it and spun it with the plugs out till the oil pressure came up watching for oil to come from all the rocker arms.
I do it differently - get an old distributor shaft and attach it to a drill. Then You force oil pump to rotate without rotating entire rotating assembly dry. When oil comes up the engine - you're good to go. <object height="315" width="420"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/THb0mKNb95c?version=3&hl=pl_PL" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></object> <object height="315" width="420"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-9qFlG20VE8?version=3&hl=pl_PL" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></object>
we are putting a 425 nailhead in our A coupe. It'll be going to Dave50 for the once-over once we're done fitting everything on the chassis. We totally understand the casting flash uglyness! There's just as much casting flash on the exterior! we cleaned it all off and smoothed out the exterior of the engine too; it looks much better now. Because it's going to be going in a hoodless coupe; all the little things matter. Thansk for the thread; definately useful!
I have done it that way too and in conjunction with spinning it with the starter or turning by hand. If you just turn the pump only your not oiling the rod bearings which are only oiled during half of the crank rotation you may also starve the cam bearings, and in the nailheads case, the rocker arms on initial fireup. Plenty of assembly lube is the key.
When I read the threat title, I thought maybe someone was gearing up to cast new 425 blocks and heads. What I found was good, though! I hope I can make it look that easy when I go through my Ford six cylinder.
Ha! Been waiting for the video. Sounds good, Lobucrod. Pretty, too...as most nailheads are. You got 'er put together pretty quick. Thanks for the teck-tips. I've been saving a '66 425 to buid for a project.
Yeah I'm itching to get this in the car. I am going to pull the front end off the car when I do it and finally fill in all the unnecessary holes in the firewall and paint it body color so its going to be a while. The 401 in the car is still running ok, just loose and rear main leaking. I'm going to run this one on the stand enough times to find any leaks. Already have one leak on the pan rail. Pan was pretty rough looking and I had to do some straightening on it. Lots easier to work on out of the car. It's gonna be right before it goes in. Got a family commentment this weekend and going to the ROT motorcycle ralley in Austin next week so its time to take a break from this project.
When I cranked it up my wife came out to the shop to see what all the noise was. Right when I turned it off and was reaching to turn off the camera you can hear her say 'F%$k thats loud!' Didn't register at the time but laughed my ass off when I heard it on the video.
I like the looks of the new valve covers. But I need to find me a set of those Buick script covers you have on your old 401.
I have been cranking the beast up a few times a day putting it through some heat cycles, fixing oil leak in crooked pan, gas leak on carb, no water leaks to date. I ran it a while Saturday AM, turned off the gas and let it run the carb dry. Hell I'll just go to the coffee shop and do some bragging with the croonies (as my wife calls us). Luckily none of them came back with me cause when I went in the shop it saw this: The coil was beltching smoke and spewing oil! You dumbass, you left the switch on! Just my luck too, the engine stopped with the points closed so the coil finally heated up to critical temp. Cut off the switch and grabbed my cell phone for a quick pic. I just gotta share my dumbassedness with the world! I'm just glad I got back when i did. If it had gone on, once the oil was evacuated and air had gotten to the hot winding, there surely would have been a fire. Leason re-learned, no harm no foul. From now on, the battery gets disconnected also!
Damn..you lucked out there buddy, that could have gone way bad!! After all that work your allowed a small mess up Btw...great thread, just finished reading it all. I just scored a nice 64' 465 Wildcat w trans for the up coming roadster build, need all the info I can get...Thanx again!
I rebuilt the 401 in my Riv two years ago, wish I had photo-documented it as well as you did. I didn't do my own machine work, either, just cleaned up the casting slag around the lifter valley the way you did and assembled it. Had a problem with overheating due to oil and water mixing that kept me mystified until I finally replaced a brand new timing chain cover that turned out to have some porosity. Since then, it's been running great. I've swapped a cast finned aluminum lifter valley cover since this photo, painted and polished to match the valve covers.
This is a old post but building my first nailhead 1959 401 but have to ask. Why did you machine all oil plugs down, I dont see nothing hitting them only the bottom one, am I missing something. My engine was taken apart sometime ago so dont remember is there a shim between cam sprocket and engine block.
The Jalopy Journal
