Starting my new rebuild.

[rexs73gto]

I went & picked up my block at the machine shop yesterday & now starts the long process to put it all back together. It looks great & the balance came out to a very small amount of 1.38 grams. This thing should spin over so sweet you may not even feel it. I don't remember ever having an engine that I had balanced that close before. The Ross pistons only weighed a wopping 483 grams too. LOL. I know thats not a true race piston weight but it's really light compared to the Jahn's forged, & those TRW pistons that are in my 400 .60 over engine. It runs great & has those heavy pistons in it so these are like 1/2 the weight of those. I can't use the Jahn's pistons any more as they are std bore for a 400. If any one can use them let me know as I can pass them on for the not a lot of $$. They are forged dished for use with a higher comp. head . I used them with my # 48's & they were great to use with 87 oct. I hope to have it together in a month or so but I'm going to be taking my time on this one as I won't be putting it in until this fall. I'm buying all new part for it like a new oil pan , valley pan Timing chain cover , all the attaching parts so it will be almost a new engine. I hope this will be the last one ever going in the 73 GTO. I hope. !! I'm going to take some pics this time to be able to look back on it . If I can figure out how to post them here I'll put some on line.

[ta man]

Awesome,I'm also in the process of a rebuild..new shortblock..and you know how it goes replace this,upgrade that...my shop looks like Summit Racing and a Cpl Pontiac shops exploded.

Feels good though..I had great deals on both shortblock work and topend end work by the finest out there..so to complement their work ,I'm making sure the rest of the build is up to the task.

[rexs73gto]

I was out in the garage tonight for a long time getting some other work done but I went to look for my main bearings & can't find them. I am pretty sure I took them over to the shop with the block & I thought they must have been put back in one of the boxes but I looked in all the boxes & no mains. Now I can't go any further as I have to start with making the needed improvements to the mains before I can go any further. I need to drill the mains so they will oil better, but now I have to wait until monday to find out where my mains are. I hope this isn't a hint as to what I'm going to go through with this build. I have 2 sets of rod bearings but no mains. I know I got them from Butlers whenI started this build, which was mid last year. I'll call Butlers to to make sure they sent me mains & not 2 sets of rod bearings. Either way I know they will take them back & get me my mains. But Now I have to again wait until monday to check with them to.

[Gach]

That sucks ! It's always something.

[rexs73gto]

I will call the shop in the morning to see if they have them or possibly Butler sent me 2 sets of rod bearings as i have to sets that are the same things. ! Clivite 77's & a speed Pro set. Both are 10 over, so I'm guessing that maybe Butlers sent me 2 sets of rod bearings & no mains. I'll know tomorrow for sure.

[rexs73gto]

Well I guess I didn't order the mains as i thought I had , so i ordered a main set yesterday & they should be here in a few days.Once I get them I can start to put the bottom end together. The crank is 10-10 so I lucked out on that as I thought the crank may have had to go 20-20 from what my eyes saw. But the crank got ground & balanced which got it so very close I couldn't believe. As mentioned before this engine should be a sweet turning engine.

[JSPONT]

I am building mine right now too. Make sure you have a dial bore gauge and check every bearing clearance. Some bearings can be off. I bought 2 sets and use the ones that are the best. My steel eagle crank the last wide journal is a little bigger than the rest. By a half a thousands. It would have been to hard to cut that little off, so I made sure the line bore was where it had to be. Work close with the machine shop. I think my machine shop hates me now!!
Unless you get king bearings which everyone tells me they are on the money.

[rexs73gto]

King bearings are now back on the market for a lot of things but I at this point don't want to use them. I still believe in the Clevite 77 bearing are my choice for bearings & my shop is very good at making sure all the fillets are correct before they give me anything back. They cost a little more but they are worth every $$ I spend with them. As I mentioned before my engine is only 1.38 grams out & thats very good. All the oil surfaces are set at the amount I wanted to run. It takes them a bit longer to do it correct but again it's worth it. I'll be putting the mains in when I get them on friday & if they are off I'll take them back to my shop & they will make any & all corrections needed for me at no extra charge. But I'll bet that all is spot on when I check it.

[JSPONT]

Good deal, it feels like it takes forever to get a new build together!!

[rexs73gto]

Well got my main today & in the next few days if the weather gets better I'll roll the block out in the driveway & clean it real good & use my brushes in all the oil holes & passages & clean up the crank to as it is a lot oily & has a tag on it that says wash me before you put me in. The guys at the shop I use are a bunch of crack ups. But the work they do is great. It was nice here for the last week or so & now when I need to get the block out so I can clean it up it gets cold & rainy. But Tue. is suppose to get warm again so that will probably be the day to clean & set the crank. That is if I can get some help to put it in place . I'm using the 1 piece main seal again & it goes in so much easier with 2 people . You don't take the chance of nicking the crank or doing any other damage to it while it goes in. Having to get the seal in the correct spot & lift that big ass crank is a pain but I like the 1 piece seal. I've used both the 1 & 2 piece seal from Butler & the 1 piece to me is the better choice. Just 1 extra spot not to worry about leaking.