My first engine rebuild

[apttyfn]

I rebuilt a 350 engine for my 1957 chevy that I bought 25 years ago and may finish before I die, I run out of funds for that project, but it came out of a 72 monte carlo that had many miles on it because the timing chain was about to fall off the gear. I had it bored 30 over put in everything new but the rods, oil pan and crank that I had turned. Added new vortec heads edelbrock proformer intake 650 edelbrock carb electronic distributor and crane cam. My son talked me into letting him put in his Camaro to break it in for me until I can finish mine. We started it last week and it runs sweet. Headers uncapped of course. My first rebuild and it runs. I was so happy I could hardly go to sleep that night. Now Im ready to do another one. I have a 283 that was in the 57 so I might try that next. Hope he dont break it.

[dstanbery]

Great story!! My father gave me a 1951 Ford flathead 6cyl. p/u.for my first vehicle. Grandpa had it painted Scarlet Red,not bad for being 15 yrs old,that was the age back in the day for a hardship license,scary huh? Anyways I moved on to a 1964/65 Chevy stepside P/U with the motor built by dad and was given to me as long as I had a job and could pay for my own Ins. It sat in garage for awhile,I got a job,new when my first check was coming up to pay for my ins.! 3days earlier I was in the garage with the truck fired up,given it a little throttle,lettin out the clutch[3speed on the column] and BOOOOOOOOOM.blew the clutch!!! I with no DAMN help pulled the Trany out,installed a new throw out bearing,clutch and pressure plate!Could not imagine kids doing things like this these days!!

[songsmith1950]

Wow for both stories! I have studied engine specs and designs since I was nine but had never really built or rebuilt an engine. Though I knew how they worked I still wasn't sure I could. Never have yet though I have a Honda Prelude I would love to do rings and mains on at 200000 miles.

At any rate my brother Ronnie, straight back from Vietnam in 1970, bought a 59 MGA. It was about forty degrees outside when he drove it home from Atlanta. We stopped for gas and it took a while to figure out it had a starter pedal.

But he loved it so much and wanted the rebuild on the engine and it's correctness verified so much we worked in my Mom's carport at night when it was thirty five degrees to take down the carb and off the head and take a good look.

Then I had to of course put it back together and we did the timing and carb. That car, by Grace of God, ran so perfectly when we were done. No more overheating or backfiring. It was solid. I was so proud and my brother was telling all his friends I was really something.

It was fun, even though I was freezing. To do something like that for your big brother is something you never forget. You thank God to be allowed to try.

And you never forget. I never have. Thank you God

[revilo]

My dad had a '55 or '56 Chevy panel truck with a 235 ci straight six. My friends and I tore the engine down and rebuilt it top to bottom. It ran like a top. That was a cool truck. Starter pedal, manual choke, three on the tree, no power anything. It was an old delivery truck with one seat. Dad painted it white over red with Rustoleum and a brush and used it for a roof painting business. I lettered the back bumper with "I may be slow, but I'm ahead of you". After that I got involved in a modified race team and was able to build quite a few small block Chevy racing engines. We had a cu. in. limit of 321, so we would take apart a 283 and a 327 and mix the parts to make a 305. They ran pretty well, but never enough to win a feature. Best we ever did was second. There is nothing like the thrill of blowing the engine on Friday night and pulling an all-nighter to build a new one for the race on Saturday night.

[apttyfn]

cool stories.