TWO LANE BLACK TOP

The intake manifold is designed that way...

It is not an issue....

What you are seeing is just the unfinished excess flashing left over from the casting process making it look rough and ragged....Along with years of crap built up in that portion of the manifold.... 

I realize that this answer has nothing to do with painting the engine...

Stock type cam or performance...?? When Changing the Camshaft and Lifters....(For what it's worth) I would very highly recommend that you replace the stock Valve Springs/Locks/retainers...With the correct parts that are specifically matched for the new cam...Or at the very least pull the valve covers and pull the engine through by hand and Physically look to make sure the existing valve springs are not coil binding before starting the engine...

It is cheap insurance...

The valve springs/locks/retainers along with the valve seals CAN be Swapped out without removing the cylinder heads... It can be a pain in the ass to do so...Getting the spring heights (very important) to the correct specs can also can be very hard too do with the cylinder heads still on the engine...But It can be done....If you don't want to remove the cylinder heads...

Just my 2 cents...

TLBT...

 

 

 

Weather here today Bright sunshine.... 55 degrees with  steady 30 MPH wind...So is actually quite chilly/Brisk...The pic of the 455 Pontiac engine is out of order....Belongs to the 1965 Lemans...Snow what's that...?? Haven't had any significant snow here in 3 years...🙂🙂

March cruise in...Midway N.C

 

 

Bonne61...

What method did you use to set the valve lash when the engine was reassembled...??

Screw in studs can be a good upgrade...And should work with your existing valve train...Just be sure to use new hardware..lock nuts...Etc.

Roller Rockers can be hard to maintain a consistent valve lash adjustment on engines with hydraulic lifters...And they probably won't Fit under the stock valve covers...And I personally (I'm sure others will disagree) don't see any real advantage to using them with your engine combination... Unless you're planning to spin the engine at High RPMS for extended periods of time...

Something else I think may be worth mentioning..

Did you reuse the old Damper/balancer...When the engine was redone...??  If so you need to be aware that the outer ring on old high mileage dampers tend to slip around the inner hub and will render the timing mark completely inaccurate...

 Happy to answer questions as best/accurately as I can...

TLBT.. 

I remember those days in the early 80s...Drank 100s of gallons of "Bilge Water" (San miguel) beer along with a local Concoction of spirits called Mojo..While Eating Lumpia....Balut's and all kinds of other local foul shit that I'm not really sure off...That my 3 Filipina girlfriends fed me...While Home ported for Six Monthes at (Olongapo City) Subic Bay in the P.I. Was18 yrs old and had a blast...

 

 

WAIR...1340 am was the rockinist station...in this area..."Dadio on the patio" was the coolest DJ on Satuday night...The station moved to FM broadcast...And became WSEZ..(Z-93) North Carolina's Best Rock..Back in the mid to late 1970s...Of course the very first thing I did was go to Radio Shack and get a FM Converter like the one shown in 63grand prix's photo...along with a Kraco 8 track player with "Mind Blower" speakers from Kmart...So I could play my Lynyrd Skynrd and Ted Nugent's Double Live Gonzo tapes... Or listening to Z 93 or sometimes 95 Q out of Charlotte if the atmospheric  conditions were right...While driving my first car...1969 Buick Skylark...Damn I'm feeling old today...🤨🤨🤨...

Boxes of beer...?? That's an Interesting concept... I thought only the Best of Best top shelf premium Wine came in a box....

The FM reciever is not factory/dealer installed...it is an Aftermarket unit...The Realistic brand name is From Radio Shack... (Remember them...??)....Probably from the late 1970s early 1980s...

No hate here...

455 CID Buick engine = 4.312 bore...3.90 stroke...With the correct combination of mostly Factory parts can easily make one horsepower per cubic inch...and 500 ft lbs of torque...And have high quality Forged internal parts (crankshaft/rods/pistons) From the Factory...For reasons unbeknownst  to me...They are the most overlooked/underrated of all the GM 455 engines...

Due to the thin wall casting technology... They also weigh 150 lbs. Less than a 454 Chevrolet engine...

Fitzy..

Have been watching your progress since the beginning...For what it's worth...I think that you have come too far to turn back now...I know that is easy for me say because I'm not the one actually dealing with it on a daily basis ...Believe me I can Identify with your Frustrations...That is just my 2 Cents...

With that being said...The most accurate way to check the alternator output...

With the engine running...Use your volt meter...( DC voltage setting)Take the positive lead and put it on the stud on the back of the alternator where the Heavy Guage (battery) Wire is...Then take the ground (earth) lead and ground it directly to the outer case of the alternator...Doing it like that isolates the alternator from the rest of the electrical system...And will give you an Accurate/true reading of what voltage the alternator itself is actually putting out...

The alternator should be putting out around 13.5 to 14.5 volts...If it is not within that range... that indicates that the voltage regulator needs to be adjusted... 

TLBT...

Just adjust the air/fuel mixture first...Then go from there...

Was out with Girl earlier and ran across this today...

Rare 1995 Firebird convertible..

Medium Dark Metallic Purple...(05U)

3.4 (L32) engine...140 produced...

As has been indicated...

Use lots of penetrating  oil...Starting a couple of days before attempting to loosen the nuts/bolts...If you're going to replace the entire exhaust system from the exhaust manifolds back...I would highly suggest that you Cut the head pipes off as close to the manifolds as possible....To get them out the way...Allowing you to have more clearance and a straight shot to use the tools sockets/extensions..And or wrenches/tools that you intend to use...So the tools will fit flush (not on an angle) on the fasteners...Also be Sure to use (important) 6 point box end wrenches And or sockets...

If the manifolds have one stud/nut and one Nut/Bolt at the flanges....If the nut and bolt are frozen....just go ahead and cut or ring off the bolt and be done with it...If the nut is frozen on the stud try slowly working the nut back and forth (It may help it loosen it) Sometimes the stud itself may loosen in the manifold with the nut frozen on it and come out together which is good...If not heat the just the nut until it is red hot...Then using a squirt bottle with cold water in it...aim the cold water stream at the stud once the nut is hot...The cold water concentrated on the hot stud will cause it to shrink....Thereby allowing the hot expanded nut to easily come off Hopefully without breaking/galling the threads on the stud...

If you do wind up having to replace the stud...I highly recommend that you Do not use a hardened stud to replace it...Because hardened studs in that particular application are very prone to breakage Due to all of heating/cooling cycles they are exposed too...(changes the molecular properties of the steel making them very brittle over time)... If/when the hardened stud ever breaks...It will nearly impossible to remove/drill out...Compared to soft studs...

TLBT..

Welcome...

I see that you're in High Point... Not too far from me...

Happy to see another North Carolinian here...

There are a lot of photophiles here....We do love pics...

Was out and about a little while ago....

This car has been sitting umoved in this exact same place for at least 25 years...

1989/90...?? Cutlass Supreme...Quad 4 with 5 speed manual transmission

Frosty..

Work has slacked off significantly....So have been sort of focusing on my other hobby of girls...As of late...🙂🙂

She is a MOPAR girl and has a really nice all original 64 Dodge Polara...Equipped with a Polyspherical 318 CID engine and a push button shifted Torque Flight transmission...

I'm going to Refresh the engine (stock specifications) I will pay extra attention on balancing the rotating assembly...So that it will run sewing machine Smooth for her when I'm done with it...