The block is a "362" casting, 1966/67 Nova specific, my block has a 1966 cast date. Not sure if you know this but NOS means new old stock. Small journal 327's were mfg for the 62-67 Chevy's. Don't recall seeing a date on the crankshaft box, but I bought it in the mid 80's from a GM parts counterman who had stockpiled many NOS parts. I also bought new 327 rods, a 350 horse 327 camshaft and a new aluminum intake manifold for the 66 and 67 L79 engines. My engines' block is the only part that was not new. The carburetor (Holley) is a 1966 dated item that I found at a swap meet years ago. The Holley Custom Shop recolored and rebuilt it many years ago also.
Well been fighting two battles at once. Still working on my C10 and my SBF 260 in my 64 Falcon started acting up and cutting off. Not good at all this close to LSR 17". Anyway been raining a lot over here so I'm waiting for s day that I can push out the truck and see if it will start. Not sure if I will have the time to pull the trans (TH350) and get it rebuilt. One thing for sure is I need to replace the selector shaft on the trans. Any idea if it can be done by dropping the pan or does the whole transmission have to come out? Thanks, Mark
Thanks, I will see if I can find some info or a video on how to do it. I think I read somewhere that one ov the valve body's need to be dropped to allow the clearance for it to slide out.
Well been working weekends and finally got a day off today. Sun was out for a change, been raining a lot out here. Anyway decided to push the truck out into the driveway and give it a go at turning it on. No luck just kept turning over set it a TDC a few times and made sure to re-stab the HEI distributor just to ensure that I wasn't a tooth off. Made sure the rotor was pointed at the No.1 cylinder. Not sure what's going on? Maybe the coil pack, hell I don't know. Anyway to tell if I'm getting fire? Thanks, Mark
get a spark plug, cut off the ground electrode. Pull one of the plug wires off a spark plug, put the test plug on the end of the wire. Lay the plug on the engine, so the metal part is touching something metal. Crank it, see if you get a spark. If it will jump the larger gap from the center to the shell, it should fire the engine. Also check compression, fuel, etc. If you are getting spark, fuel, and compression, try a new set of spark plugs.
Well looks like I might be down for the count. Tore something in my foot while pushing the truck back into the garage by myself. Waiting to see the doctor to see what they say, just been chipping away at anything small while I heal up. Still trying to line things up.
Doctor said I have plantar fascittis, got a steroid shot on the side of my heel. That was fun, anyway trying to get back on it but realized not gonna reach the Roundup in it this year. The depression sits in.....
Got a question regarding setting my timing on my 283, maybe someone can help me out. I have always set my timing by pushing a piece of rag/towel into the number 1 plug hole and turned the engine over until it popped out. Then I would make sure that the balancer is at 0 and the number 1 piston is up as close as cane be to TDC and then I would stab the distributor with the rotor pointing to number 1. Someone has told me to set it to 6 - 8 BTDC to set my timing (statically)? Then stab distributor to number 1. They also said not to try to turn on the engine, just to turn the key to the on position connect a self powered timiming light and rotate the distributor until the timing light lights up, then turn key off and tighten down there and I should be right on the money? Which brings me to if this is correct and my timing tab does not have any numbers on it just A and O. For those of you that don't know its an early (64) block with the dampner, not the usual balancer with degree marks just a groove notched into it. How in the hell will I be able to determine if it's 6 or 8 degrees BTDC? I've also read that not all aftermarket timing tabs are interchangable and I would need to be careful which one I select to bolt on to my timing cover if I want the number degrees. I think one tab is correct at 12 and the other at roughly 2 to determine TDC. What I am wondering if I do this won't the rotor not be pointing at number 1 anymore? It will be passed it right? Spark plug tester reveals spark so I know my coil is firing. I have an HEI distributor that is connected to the fuse block at the Ignition Unused connection so it should be receiving 12 volts. Engine is just turning over and won't fire up even with advancing or de-advancing the distributor. Didn't have near as much trouble as this with my SBC 350 in my 74 Nova when it jumped time and I had to intsall a new timing chain....
Did a little work today on my truck before actually going to my real job. Anyway pulled the driver's side valve cover, bumped the engine until the intake valve was closed and trun the last few degrees by hand to get it at TDC. Got lucky and managed to drop the distributor/rotor pointing to number 1. I was off 180° - So it's all buttoned back up and ready to fire. In the middle of 10 days on with no days off until this Friday so I probably wont be able to fire it up until Sunday. Hope she fires up, then its off to get the exhaust done.
Did you add the HEI, or was it in when you got the truck? Where do you source your power? Do you have 12 volts in the run position? What about the crank position. If you are not running the bypass wire from the starter solenoid I post, you will not get power while cranking. Only in the run position, at the ignition switch. Unless the wiring has been modified
When I bought the truck, it was the front clip was basically off, motor was drppoed in and not mounted down. It came with a about 4 - 5 boxes of parts and in one of them was an old HEI distributor. Since the engine did not have one I assumed it had been converted. I bought a new HEI from Jegs, ran the 10-12 gauge wire to the ign unused junction on the fuse block. Haven't hooked up the ammeter because from what I was told this is a 12 volt source. Spark plug tester reveals spark so hopefully my connection is correct. I have read that I could make a connection at the ignition switch. I don't know diddley about wiring, if I ran it this way will it damage anything. I did notice one time that once when my son left the key on I seen a little smoke coming from the harness. The key had been on for like 10 minutes before it made that little bit of smoke. I did buy and add a new wiring harness that connected at the firewall bulkhead. Here are the connection points.
The yellow 20y wire is the bypass wire that provides the 12 volts to the coil, bypassing the resistor for the stock points ignition while cranking. Its been 15 years or more since my last c10, so i an a bit fuzzy.
That 20Y yellow wire is not connected my c10, since the diagram indicated it went from the + on the coil to the starter I just left it unconnected. I think someone told me on the C10 site that it could be discarded/not connected? The positive junction that says BAT on my HEI distributor is where I ran my 10 - 12 gauge wire from to under the dash into the fuse junction block (ign unused). The only other wire is a brown wire which should be ran into the cab to connect to my Tach once I add it.
All right guys, when it comes to setting my timing on a SBC I don't normally feel overwhelmed but this 283 is killing me. I tried the old long screwdriver and lining up the shaft on the oil pump trick nothing doing. Won't fall in on the mark either before or a little after but not dead on. Tried bumping the engine to get it close to TDC and then meshing the cam/dropping in distributor with the rotor pointing to number one. Then making sure it's not fully seated and then bumping the engine until it drops completely in. No luck best I could get it to do was run a second or two. But it wouldn't stay on. Just would more or less sputter. Spent hours hunched over on the engine bay and I'm about to take a ball peen hammer to it! Any help would be greatly appreciated! -Mark
Just thought of something. What if the cam was not degreed properly? Could that present issues with setting the time? Do know anything about the assembly, I was told the engine had been rebuilt but not much more than that.
Mark you have to hold your mouth right. I takes two or a remote starter. Trying to do this manually ...getting it all to line up is like trying to push a chain. Do this Put the distributor in postion with the pointer where you want it. Hold it there. Have an assistant crank/turn over/bump the starter while you are holding it in position. It should line up and fall into place. It will not fall in by itself you have to hold it with a little downward pressure. It takes a feel and maybe a few tries.
Yes sir, I got a remote and have been getting it to drop in. Done it a boat load of times it's just not lining/firing up. That's why I'm getting frustrated. I"ll keep plugging away at it. Thanks.
OK Try to anticipate the gear and key slack. Think about that rotation and how much you'll have to hold the pointer off so it will mesh drop down in the right spot when the engine is turned. I don"t like to do this but any of the 8 in the clock can be made to be #1. Just move the wires.....It will drive the next mechanic nuts.
If you still need to see a stock balancer and pulley system for a 65' C10, 283 ci. if it will help you at all. I have one in the shop right now, out of the truck and on a cart that I can take pictures of for you, tomorrow. Let me know. X
Got a quick question regarding rocker arm adjustment, probably gonna bore you guys with this but I finally got my 283 running this past Friday. Been a lot of work, mostly by myself but I got it. Anyway I could hear some clattering going on so I pulled both valve covers. I did not assemble the heads on this build. I was told the engine had been rebuilt and was ready to go. Needless to say I have learned the hard way that wasn't exactly true. About 4 of the rocker arms were really loose. So getting back to the rocker arm adjustment, from what I have found on the net has been a little contradicting and confusing for a hydraulic lift cam. From the sound of the engine when it's running, it did not appear to have a radical cam. Maybe a size above stock. There isn't any exhaust on it right now so it is a little loud when running. First to be sure how can I do ensure that I have hydraulic lift and not a solid lift. Is there any way to tell without removing anything like the intake manifold to look at the lifters? Secondly lets say for arguments sake it is a hydraulic lift, I have heard with the engine warm and off to tighten the rocker arms until they won't spin freely and then back off a 1/2 turn? Other info I have found is to tighten an additional 1/4 or 1/2 turn after they won't spin? Another option I have heard is to run the engine and back off the tightening nut until I hear the clatter and then re-tighten the rocker arm nut until the sound goes away. I really don't care which way it is done, I would just like it to be as close as possible/right to avoid any serious issues. As with everything on this build I feel it would be better for me to go through it just to be sure, I have ran into too many issues taking the PO word. -Mark
Anybody know if there is a difference in TH350 cases? My selector shaft was stripped on the linkage in when I bought the truck. Got another one from eBay and the replacement is to wide to fit in the hole. It's identical except for the thicknesses. One with the nut is Original shaft....
I got it installed on Saturday. I ended up tapping it lightly until it went in. Guess my old one was worn out a little and would slide in easily.
The Jalopy Journal
