dejh22

A couple more pics.....more to come as we add new "stuff"

Picked this up from a member in Califonia a couple months ago.

That is what happens with mine. After sitting for a couple weeks it starts to "leak" again.

I have run into this on my 71 with a 350 and my son's 72 with a 350 turbo. After the cars sit for a week or three I would notice a leak on both cars. At first I thought it was the pan leaking from the front. I changed the gasket a few times and it would always end up leaking again. Then I thought maybe it was the front seal on the transmission. After further investigation it looked like it was coming from around the dip stick tube. So new O ring was installed. Still after awhile it would leak again. Now it appeared it was coming from around the detent cable. I started doing research online and found this is a common problem. What happens is after the car sits for a long period of time the fluid in the torque converter leaks back in to the pan. All the extra fluid in the pan has to go some were. So it leaks out were it can. What I have done to fix it is 1. Start the car once a week. or 2. Put a bowl under the car to catch the fluid.

What is the old saying? A chain is only as stong as it's weakest link. If it were me I would go thru the whole engine. Are you doing all the work yourself? If not, you could end up paying a lot on labor having to pull the engine twice.

Thanks for posting the pixs. I really don't see any retainer or anti rotators. Mind you the hole I'm looking thru the head is small. I guess I just need to take the intake off and see what is in there.

After doing some online investigation. I find they made hydraulic roller lifters with no link bars. Maybe that is what is in this engine? I also found this write up Gen 6: GM recognized that it did not make any friends when it designed the Gen 5, and so they chose to revise the coolant passages again when designing the Gen 6, allowing the older heads to be used without coolant seepage problems. The boss for the clutch bracket returned, but was generally not drilled and tapped. The non-adjustable valvetrain remained, as did the one-piece rear main seal. Some but not all Gen 6 454 (and not 502) blocks regained a mechanical fuel pump provision. Production engines installed in pickup trucks got a high-efficiency cylinder head, still canted-valve, but with a modern heart-shaped combustion chamber of about 100cc. The intake port has a "ski jump" cast into it to promote swirling of the intake air flow. All production vehicles with a Gen 6 used a 454 version, but over-the-counter 502s are available. The Gen 6 is sometimes referred to as the "Gen Fix" because it fixed a number of issues that disappointed enthusiasts when the Gen 5 was released. As an added bonus, most if not all Gen 6 engines use hydraulic roller lifters.

Thanks Tim. When I took the valve cover off I could see that it did not have retainers or spiders. The rockers are stamped steel with a bolt and not a nut. Unless I don't know what I'm looking at (which is very possible) it appears to me that it has "regular" lifters. I just went out and looked again. If it had retains would ther not be a bolt or screw to hold them in place? I do not see anything like that. I think what I would like to do is rebuild the top end as like the 454 H.O., but with aluminum heads. Dale

Just picked up a 71 Monte from a member on here. It has a 454 create engine. The casting number is 12550313. Looked it up and this is what it says, 12550313...454.......91-up...4-bolt, Gen.V crate motor, Gen. VI 4.25" bare block, fuel pump boss It does have the fuel pump boss and 6 bolt timing chain cover. So that makes it a Gen 6. It has casting number 10114156 iron heads. It also has an iron intake. I think also it has non adjustable rockers on it. Someone told me it should be a roller cam. I don't think it is because when I pulled the Valve cover I could see down in the lifter valley and it looked to me like regular lifters. My question is it a roller cam? Has any one built a Gen 6 454 and what parts did you use? I want to lighten it up by using aluminum heads and intake. I figure if I go that far why not go all out with a roller cam. Only problem is I have very little knowledge with BBC's engines, let alone all the newer parts as in roller cams and such. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Dale!

I tried to gravity bleed mine. I opened all the bleeders. It sat all day and nothing! It might of been because I did not bleed the master? From what I have read you open all bleeders and wait and wait a long time.

If you were in my zip code. I would give you a hand! lol

I think what you are asking about is the proportioning valve. http://www.getdiscbrakes.com/knowledge-base/GM_Classic_Car_Valve_Configurations

Good luck. Just make sure you keep the master full of fluid. Which I'm sure you already know.

I have done it many times with a new master. Never bench bled. Maybe if I had, it would of been easier. Dale

I did buy this but did not use it. I bought it just incase I had issues bleeding the system. I happy to say I did not. http://www.ebay.com/itm/231887233843?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Dale

I just put new brake lines and porpotioning valve on my 71. The master cylinder and the whole system was bone dry. I filled the master and had a helper pump the brakes 5 times and hold it. I opened the bleeder starting on the right rear. I would close the bleeder and tell my helper to let up on the pedal. Then pump 5 more times and repeat. I did this until I got a straight stream of brake fluid. Then I moved on to the left rear, then the right front and then the left front. I would make sure the master stayed full of fluid. The brake pedal is firm, brakes work good. I did not bench bleed the master. Had I bench bled the master I would of save some fluid. Dale

Well, the new lines are on. I'm glad I went with the pre bent lines. Had some trouble with the rear line where it connects in the back above the axle. I could not get it to line up. After saying (yelling) some choice words I did get it to screw together. I still have to bleed the system. I'm hoping that goes smooth. But I have this "funny" feeling.

Could be. I was having the same issue on a 383. We were figuring it was at about 9.5 -1 compression. Started using premium gas and the pinging went away. Dale