ripleydale

What are you driving Matt?

Sam's right, it's not easy to do with the oil pan on. It's hard to compress the rubber gasket on the oil pan enough to slip it over the pins in the block. However it can be done as I needed to do this and wasn't about to take the block out of my car. Here is a cut and paste from a conversation I was having with a nice fellow named Bill from the chevelle.com site. Motor is a big block, not sure if small block is exactly the same. I assume that you have already removed the timing chain cover, correct? You can reuse the rubber cross seal however if you have already attempted to get the cover back on you'll note that it is very tricky. That seal is hard to compress and makes for a real battle getting the cover back inplace. What most guys do when replacing the cover with the engine in the car is either grind about 1/2 the trailing lip of the seal groove off ( the edge that will be inside the engine) which lets the cover get over the seal with out displacing the seal itself.There is still plenty of "groove" to hold the seal in place. Another " Preferred" method is to get the cover as close to installed ( On one locating pin ) and then take a slim "drift" and put it through one of the holes in the cover, on the other side of the cover, and get the small end of the drift into the corresponding hole in the block and pry down on the cover until you get the cover on the other locating pin. Equally as difficult. It's tough to put that cover back on with the oil pan in place. There is nothing easy about doing that in car. If you have the engine out of the car I would remove the pan, install the cover and replace the pan. That's easy. Finally I ALWAYS put some silicone on the mating surfaces between the cover and the block. I also put silicone on the mating surfaces between the block and the oil pan. ALWAYS! Just work it into the mating area with a finger. Ok, cut and paste is over. I used method 2 with the drifts prying down on the cover. I cut off the two nipples off the rubber seal at the edges, and found I needed to be able to push the cover in when I'd lined up the second pin. I used a little piece of wood I could get on the cover by the pin, and then just hit it a bit with a rubber hammer. I also did about 8 dry runs without any goo until I got the hang of it.

I'm with Murphy. When I did a conversion from a Turbo 350 to a Muncie about 30 years ago, I'm sure I used the same drive shaft with no changes.

I wondered where the name on that award came from.

I had an El Camino in mine.

It fit on my 71 with a 454. I haven't tried the stock air cleaner though. I have one of those open element air cleaners from Edelbrock.

Reach out to Lostnfound (Larry). He can find anything. He's also in Ontario.

Based on my 2 1971 Montes, one with a 402, and one with a 454 (the SS), the SS had larger diameter u-joints.

No problem Doug. We'll mail you back. Aaron needs a 72 for his collection anyway.

I remember having a 4 speed with a 2:73 rear end in a Monte. You have to ride the clutch a bit to get it moving but then it's all right. I remember enjoying going to 3rd on the highway to pass everyone very quickly. No question a lower ratio would be easier on the transmission and more fun out of the hole. Not sure I recommend a Saginaw though. I don't think they're meant to live behind a 350, although if you've left your 2 barrel motor alone it might be fine. I was very gentle with one in my Camaro with a 350 and it only lasted a few years. Something to think about anyway. One thing I'm sure of, the Monte will be a lot more fun with a 4 speed. JMO.

I also have a big block with a Comp Cam roller setup. I too had nothing but problems out of my Comp Cam lifters. One lifter collapsed, one wouldn't pump up at all, and one would pump up, then lose it, then pump up again. You couldn't pay me to use those lifters again. I'm kind of like Sam now, they're all working, sounds like a sewing machine, and I'm just going to drive the crap out of it and see what happens. Good luck Terry.