January 2010 Project Begins (Raspberry)

[Money pit Beretta]

I checked into it about 15 years ago and they said for a full balance and blueprint it would be close to 10K on a SBC. I can't remember how to take a pressed pin out. We did it in shop class, but that was almost 20 years ago. These engines have a good balance to start with. That's why we don't need a external balancer.
Are you using synthetic? After the break in I'd try that Edge. Hell, I'm thinking about trying it on the next oil change. I have not had good luck with synthetic. I thought the 90GT was all sealed up, but after putting some in it started leaking.

[3X00-Modified]

Royal purple is synthetic, and I'll use that right from the start. Modern engines don't need a specific break in period like the older engines.. Right off the factory a Vette is topped off with Mobil 1 fully Synthetic oil.

Plus all I'm changing is the rod and main bearings... I'm not doing a hone, or rings.

[99GaGT3X00]

Royal Purple FTW i just got 4 cases of it for free. won that drive purple contest.
but last year i used regular castrol oil until i fixed the lack of silicone on the valleys. then she got synthetic and in a few months it will see Royal Purple.

the rest of your bearings still looked brand new. cant blame you for changing them out though, ill be doing the same next year when i swap pistons.

[Barry]

I use walnart supertech 10w30 lol.

I just picked up royal purple for the next change though.

[99GaGT3X00]

i went with regular oil for 2 reasons. one was originally till i was sure everything inside was alright and i wasnt pouring expensive oil down the drain and then it just became till i got the leakage fixed.

[2nejunkie]

nice
should sound real nice when its done.

[Money pit Beretta]

I don't know about that 3X00. I've heard that many times over the years. I still wouldn't take the chance. Those 77's are old style bearings(if there really is that kind of thing, lol). I swear that they do something to those engines at the factory. Some sort of break in. You know, I really don't have any info on this. It's better safe than sorry. I know it's not a total rebuild. Don't make me beg man(lol)! I don't know how many times I've seen people get on a fresh rebuild and have the engine die a quick death. And they would say "you can get on a new car right off the lot, I don't understand why my engine died so soon".
Please, let you bearings have a nice long life.You won't regret it.
Bearings need to wear in too.

[3X00-Modified]

Didn't say I'd get on it right away, just stating I'll be using synthetic from the beginning I did the same on my other motor, and those bearings looked like this at 60k minus the bad cam bearings again... But it's still in my red car and going strong... and just because the bearings are the 77's doesn't mean they are an "old" type... That's just material and name. 9 times out of 10 too, an engine break in period is for a flat tapper cam and new rings and a new hone... None of which I have to worry about.

As noted in some break in procedures... Bearings don't have a break in time since those are supposed to be floating on a cushion of oil and there shouldn't be much metal to metal contact, if any.

[Money pit Beretta]

Buckwheat say: "O-TAY"

[3X00-Modified]

I just put my bottom end together last night (crank only right now) and dropped in my cam bearings... damn that wasn't easy... Since I'm using a 350 install tool and the 350 bearings in a 3400 block, the install die is just ever-so slightly over-sized for the final bearing install diameter (the mains are a bit smaller than a 350 so when installed it compresses the bearing just a little bit more) and I forgot to sand it down before doing the first bearing, so getting the die back out and not causing any damage was a chore... after that I took some 500 grit to it just to bring down the little machine lines on the die and that helped get the rest in... I also had issues with the main support on the install tool, its held in place with a roll pin and that bent and broke after I got the last bearing in... Cheap Ebay cam bearing install tools FTL!!... But in the end with the cam back in I could see the cam journals were 100% supported by bearing now, and not just the middle's. And hopefully these bearings last longer than the sealed power ones did.

Today is piston cleaning at lunch time at work, and then I can hopefully get those in soon so I can then do the cam and lifters and chain, and then be done with the short block and wrap that up... Then I can concentrate on the porting which makes a MESS... That's why I want to get all the parts in the motor that need to stay clean. I did one head already and with all my parts covered I still had to spend a little extra time cleaning them... so Its time to just get them in and out of the mess.

I still have a trans to inspect/freshen after this...

I also just dropped 250 on MLS headgaskets and a crank scraper... MONEY PITS!!! lol

Pics later this week maybe.

[Money pit Beretta]

It just doesn't seem like you to go cheap on a tool. They just make more work in the end. I bought a cheap 1 1/16 inch wrench once to do something(oil pressure sender I think) and the damn thing was really 1 1/8. Went to Sears and got a real 1 1/16 for 25 bucks(ouch).
I bet that's some very fine dust too, hope you have dust mask. Is it porting or just cleaning up the ports?
Damn 3X00, where do you think I got my name from!
You didn't like the Buckwheat?

[3X00-Modified]

The porting doesn't create a dust, it's just aluminum flakes since I'm using a carbide cutter bit.

When I do the polishing on the exhaust ports I'll probably get more of a dust then since I'll need a sanding drum and cross buffers.

[IsaacHayes]

Yeah even a dust mask doesn't keep that crap out. Blowing your nose later and black aluminum dust coming out FTL. Aluminum is not good on the body. When you grind/sand steel, you can taste/smell the iron in it which is not pleasant, however despite the bad smell it won't harm the body really. You need a respirator really.

Jon, I understand the cam journals are wider than the bearings, but is not the block the same width as the bearings? So when using SBC cam bearings, don't they overhang past the spots in the block? If this is the case, I wonder how much good it really does since they won't have any support and what issues could arise from that..

[Money pit Beretta]

Are you going to put the spacers back on the intakes?

Well I think I should have put Buttwheat under the photo. I swear SNL had to use that so they didn't get sued. Boy did I show my age by posting that photo.

[3X00-Modified]

The journals are wide enough to support the full bearing... Its odd that they used narrower bearings but oh well.