John S

Narrow is good won’t be so tight up against my console.

Thanks they look like they provide more support.

Same question, where did those seats come from? John S

Thanks

One last question which seal is better, the rubber or silicone? John S

That’s what I’m talking about the lip type of seal. I’ve seen now that many people stagger the halves whereas years ago they did not. It’s a little bit of work to get one in especially laying on your back, but no one wants to do the job twice.

From what I remember the ones I replaced were not rope. They were the two piece seals. I know it’s tricky at times where the seals meet together to stop leaks there. I couldn’t remember if sealer went on the seal or just on the cap or are they rotating the seals in the seal bore. The only rope seals I remembered with on Pontiacs. Some of the old-timers I worked with many years ago, now I’m an old timer, used to dip the seals in oil to help them slide in easier. I don’t know if that is the way to still do it.

I’ll try not to drag this out. Looks like I have to replace the rear main seal L 48, 350 two piece rear main seal. Been close to 30 years since I replaced one, I replaced a total of four, had good results with three of them. Years ago I would dip the upper seal in oil. Use the provided little plastic tool, roll the seal into the block so the ends were flush with the block. Installed the seal in the cap wipe off the oil and put a little bit of sealant on the bearing cap and torque down. I have seen some videos where the upper seal is rolled into the block, and the ends are not flush, they are uneven. One protrudes below the block, and the other end is in the block. When installed on the bearing cap, it matches the upper seal and the seams of the seal are uneven inside the block and cap. Is this the new way to do it? Is any sealer used on the seal and the bearing cap? Correct me if I’m wrong but years ago I remember there being some glue or something on the ends of the seal that you did not want to clean off, and when they mated together, that was supposed to form a seal. I’m sure some of you guys have done these recently. Please let me know what the best way to do this is. John S

No, I knew you spelled it right the first time I don’t know how that other word got in there guess now that I’m retired I should take a computer course.

Swage lok Swagelok fittings, used them exclusively at the compressor station and on the pipeline. Best fittings made. Once in a while I’ll see them used on automotive engines, but not often.

I grew up in Stevens Point Wisconsin looking at your window I noticed a Hi Rev speed shop sticker. I haven’t seen one of them since the late 1970s.

I do not have a build sheet either, but I went by the engine VIN and code. The last six numbers of the engine Vin match the last six numbers of the vehicle Vin on my car so that means original engine. The engine code the last three letters.CNJ. Those letters decode to 300 hp 350 AFX body, and manual transmission so mine is an original four-speed. The transmission was replaced by previous owner. It was replaced with the correct M20 4 speed but it is from 1968 serial number P8C11 and the Vin number showed it came out of an Oldsmobile but that doesn’t change the fact that it is an original four-speed.

Three years and a little over 8000 miles.

Three years little over 8000 mi

According to the 1970 chassis service manual on the engine, electrical Chapter it states you can adjust the regulator voltage. I don’t know if replacement regulators have this option or not but I’m looking at it in the book.

None at all the exhaust pipes are clean at the exhaust tips. Those are R43S spark plugs, a colder spark plug than what is called for. I was curious what some of the people on this forum who are more knowledgeable on engines than myself would think.

These are a couple pictures of the spark plugs. I pulled out of my 350. Just curious to hear some of your thoughts are on how it’s burning. I personally think it’s fine, better than most. John S

OK thanks in regards to the back drive rod. Did you just rotate the steering column so you could turn the key and remove it?

I am considering this also. But since you have done it, I have two questions for you. Number one some videos I have watched show adjustable dowel pins and lining up the transmission with the crankshaft. Was that necessary? Number two what did you do with the back drive rod that turns the steering column to lock the ignition? I know the transmission has a reverse light set up in it. Curious to know what you did with the steering column. Thank you. John S

I have mine 2 inches out past the bumper. And I still periodically have to make sure that I clean the bumper to get exhaust film off of it. Just make sure you clean the rear bumper. Otherwise it will corrode faster. I learned that from experience. John S

Can anyone tell me if there is a partial Vin number stamped on the outside of the firewall under the heater fan cover? John S

Thanks for the responses. I was able to remove most of it with a lot of polishing. Never used the clay bar before but I’ll figure it out. Right now I plan on doing it myself. I do not want to take it to a shop or a detailer for fear that they may go through the clearcoat and then I will have to hear another apology at which point I will probably lose what is left of my sanity. Also going to have to figure out a way to get it off the vinyl top. Again, thank you for the responses. I’ll figure it out. John S

Took the Monte out for a ride little over a week ago, parked at a place and stayed there for roughly about an hour l. When I came back there was overspray all over the car. There were no signs of any painting, going on did not see a painting crew evidently they were blocked out by the other side of the building, trying to figure out a way to get it off without buffing through the clearcoat, which I do not know how thick it is. As you could probably guess I’m not too thrilled about it. Had a talk with the business owner. All they do is apologize that’s what we’ve turned into is a bunch of apologists. Don’t solve problems anymore but we know how to apologize. Painting crew takes no responsibility because they do not speak English. John S

I’ll try not to drag this out too long this may or may not apply to vehicles but I can tell you of an experience I had with cooling in the business I worked in. Before I retired I spent 29 years working for two natural gas pipeline companies working at compressor stations on their large engines. These engines have two separate cooling systems one is for the lubricating oil and the other is for the jacket water to cool the engine. Many years ago at one of our stations, the engines were running hot and these engines were cooled by auxiliary motors that pump water through the engines. This station always operated both cooling water pumps at the same time. One old foreman came in one day and asked them why they were running both pumps they said that’s the way it always has been. He told them to shut off one pump and when they did, the temperatures dropped back into the normal range. Evidently what was happening is the water was flowing too fast through the engines and there was not a proper heat transfer. The reason I stated that is when I was younger back in the late 70s and early 1980s , a number of my friends who were into hot rodding, like myself seem to fall in love with these high volume and high-pressure water pumps or they would change the diameter of the water pump pulley. Kind of going back to what I refer to as More’s law, if enough is good, more is better and too much is just right. Again, I may be incorrect, and this may be the rumblings of a has been, but I do wonder if some of these aftermarket water pumps, and I do not know if you have one, do not perform the way the OEM ones do. Sorry for dragging this out for a while but that was the best way I could explain it.

Sorry to hear you’re going through this. Cooling issues can be a pain. I had them years ago on a 79Z 28 Camaro with air conditioning and a four-speed. Back Then I was younger, more ambitious and willing to tackle almost anything and I still never got it quite right. It always crept up in traffic. my Monte has nothing on it. No air conditioning no extra parasitic loads on the engine that could very well be why I don’t have the issues you do. What I did though to verify was use a laser heat gun to check temperatures at different points on the engine and on the radiator , one thing I did notice is the temperature was always higher where the sender was between number one and number three cylinder on the head compared to the thermostat housing where it was always a little lower.