Hey guys,

I am really depressed. Everytime I find someone to come help me install the roller rockers, oil pump, ditriburoe, and harmonic balancer, they ditch me. I sold a radiatro to some 50+ year old dude on eBay. He said he was coming to vegas and wanted to pick the radiator up. I said yeah and asked  him if he could install those things for me. He rand a racing engine shop, so who better, right? Anywhoo... he neded up ditching me, and never answers my calls (only when I call blocked, then he makes up a BS excuse to call me back and never does). A few local guys with 'over 20 years experiane' had no idea what a roller rocker was. And then my dad's 'friend' never shoes, his friend never calls. And I don't want to play a mechanic shop like $400 to install freaking 4 items that would take 2 maby 3 hours. Now, if it's one thing I've learned throuout this whole thing: 'If you're going to have to get somthing done, do it yourself!' Question is I found a 'how-to' video locally but its liek $30, does anyone else know where I can get one?

 

Thanks guys,

-Louis

p.s. after thinking about it I remember Matt(aftershark) saying something about a really good video (i have no idea how good the local one is)

With the engine out on the stand, none of these is very difficult.

The ballancer is simply pulling the bolt out of the old one, pulling it off with a puller, and sliding the new one on.  Reinstall and torque the bolt.  Done.

Likewise with the oil pump.  It only bolts on one way on the bottom of the engine.  Torque the bolt and install the oil pick up screen.  This is of course before you put the oil pan on.

With the roller rockers, there is a nut in the center of each rocker now on the engine.  5/8 socket.  Remove the nuts.  Lift off the old rockers and piviots under the nuts.   Put the new ones back exactly where the old ones were, make sure they have piviots.  Use assembly lube on the tips, piviots and where the push rods contact the rockers. Be sure the push rods are seated in the new rockers. Lookat some of the recent threads here about adjusting the lifters.  Do the static adjustment.  If you are not sure, you can do a running adjustment when you get it in the car and started.

With all of that done, turn the engine until the timing marks are at the timing you want to start the car.   Perhaps 8 degrees before TDC.  If both intake valves are shut, leave it there.  If not turn the engine one turn, and stop at the timing mark.  Drop the distrubutor into the car with the rotor pointing toward the front, and slightly to the drivers side of the engine.  This is where the number on spark plug wire will go when the cap is on.  You may want to fit the cap and see where this position is located.  When the rotor is close, you can do the final tweaking.  If it's electronic, turn the distributor slightly to line up the points on the pick up.  If it a set of points, turn the dist until the points just BARELY open.  This will put the timing close enough to start the car.  If you do it right you will be within 2 degrees when you fire it up.

Get the books, look at my descriptions, and go do it.  You can handle it. Just take your time.  Look up the torque specs and follow them.  This is really fairly easy with the engine out of the car.

Hey, thanks Ken...

I printed out your post, and showed it to my dad. We are going to attempt tmorrow.... While finishing wire brushing, and painting, and finally getting to use the $150 20gallon parts washer I bought, like 2 months ago....

I'll post how everything went, and take some pics, so you guys can amaze at the things we all here have in common.

 

-Louis

You need a good shop manual from your local auto parts. It shows everything Ken told you with pictures. 

well, aparently guys....

I don't have any money left... not even enough to buy a pack of 25cent gum, let along an instructional video/manual. About 4 people have ditched me on this engien build. My new 'employer' doesn't call me to let me know information for the clientel's websites, so Ic an get money. He never answers my vboicemails. And he told me that when I give Kmart my 2 weeks notice to tell them that sat, sun, and mon he needed me to install some servers, and meet with some clients. I told kmart that, and with that Kmart took my quit notice that day, and I never finsihed out the two weeks, so I missed 2 weeks of apy. ANd got listed as not elgible for re-hire. I've been getting prision screwed a lot layley, and I'm boiling to the point where I want to go out and seriously hurt people. I'm thinking of going back to Kmart and beging Mt HR manager at Kmart for my job back. I didn't leave on bad terms or nuthing. But If I want to get the Vette done on time, and the best way, I need a stable weekly bases of money. And kmart gave me that. My new 'employer' promised me the world, tols me to give kmart my 2 weeks.... and look at that, he screwed me right up the @$$, I'm tired of this world, and the people in it...... I tihnk I need  to just go away.....

  Louis- Hang in there man.....Yes there are alot of people out there who will jerk you around. I know how you feel....My son was working at a detail shop and his paycheck bounced....after TWO weeks of work. Then the guy shut the place down. No one got paid. As Denis Leary says " Life sucks, get a helmet". You will get through this.....No going postal! LOL.

      You're pretty lucky, having your dad working on the car with you with what he can.... I would have loved to have had my dad even interested in cars........ he had no mechanical ability at all. You will look back at this later and smile.......enjoy making the memory.

                                                               Reid '72 T-top

Louis,

 STOP IT, CUT THE BULL$#!@ OUT, AND SUCK IT UP!!!

There, now that I got that out of my system, let's talk...

I can understand your anger, and frustration, as I can still remember being 17, and working a crappy, go-nowhere job. Life is full of tough times, and yes, life is not fair. REMEMBER THIS! 

Lou, first of all, you allready own a Corvette. That's the hardest part. You started to tear her up, and hot rod her without really having too much knowledge or experience. I admire your initiative. That's a good quality in not only an employee, but more importantly, in a person. And, just fire away any question you want here, someone here has the smarts(most likely KEN) to give you an accurate answer. Go ahead, do the engine, if you screw the rockers up the first time, learn what you did, and DO IT AGAIN. I'll admit to you that back in the day, I tanked an engine because I got too far ahead of myself, aand screwed the valves up, but I can guarantee you that I've never made that mistake again.

You are computer smart, you can find volumes of instructions on how to assemble a small block on the internet, even videos. Hell, it took me a year to figure out that you can use the computer for more than just Pam Anderson.

I've been a Police Officer for more than 11 years, I've spoken to countless people your age that are frustrated, and angry, but none of them owned a Vette. I make a decent wage now, but at 17, I was working at a local burger joint, making $3.35 an hour. Now that sucked. What happens is, you always trade up for jobs, not settle for the same. You worked at K-Mart, got screwed by a job promise, NOW QUIT BITCHING, AND GO FIND SOMETHING BETTER! Even if it's just a dime more, it's more than you had. Keep the computer skills growing, and IN TIME the better jobs will present themselves. Things don't happen all at once, and if something sounds too good, too fast, it probably is just BS. I'm sure Vegas has plenty of jobs available for someone your age.

I know some of this sounds harsh, and if anyone is shocked by it, I make no apologies. I've had the experience that this is what needs to be said to you, and I hope you feel better about things soon. Just think, you can be 35, be married with 3 kids, have a mortgage, life insurance, health insurance, AND three cars to insure. Oh, did I mention 3 kids? I've been working on my vette for 4 years now. I started when we had 1 child, and was doing fine. I was working on her daily, had the restoration all planned out, and even had a finish date planned. Guess what?

"Honey, we're going to have a baby."

No more spare cash for toys for a while. I was doing minimum work on the vette the past 3 years, just because the baby took every extra cent. Finally, he's 3 yrs.old, and I can start back to restoring my other baby, guess what?

"Honey, we're going to have a baby."

See where this is going? Yep, you guessed it, No more vette for at least 3 more years now. I used to get upset about not being able to drive my Vette, but now I'm having too much fun with my kids, my 3 yr.old even helps me out now, that makes a Poppa proud.

My point is that you will not be able to get all the toys you want for the Vette, at least not right now, you will need help with her, that's what we're here for, you will get another job, for God's sakes, you're 17, you're life is just starting, not ending, and don't spend too much of what's left of your youth worrying about what really is the small stuff, before you know it, you'll be married with children, and be an Al Bundy like the rest of us, wondering where the hell all those years went. BUT, you'll be able to take your kids for a ride in your Vette.

Good luck, Louis, remember,

We're here, and that's not a bad start.

Alan 

 

Thanks Alan, as harsh as that was, I don't care. It’s what I needed. I was so pissed  in my previous post from that guy I needed to vent a little. But at he same time I was hoping to get some stable, and well- around the block answers like in your post. My dad and I started doing the engine today, and I started cleaning the suspension parts now. We had to go to home depot to get the paint, and I found that they start their cashiers off at $9.00 an hour.... ding ding ding.... I have 9 months of cashier training, and I was the best damn cashier for Kmart in a long time....... I got a lot of that ACID cleaner on my hands (won't touch that crap again (have pics)) I'm going to try my best.... Like Reid said... life sucks, get a helmet... I'd like to tweak that FACT if I may.... Life’s a war, get a helmet. Here are the pics as promised:

http://fattyslims.com/vette/pics/Restoration%20Part%202/engi ne_4-24-05/

My infected hands: http://fattyslims.com/vette/pics/Restoration%20Part%202/engi ne_4-24-05/KODAKLS443_000_0020.jpg http://fattyslims.com/vette/pics/Restoration%20Part%202/engi ne_4-24-05/KODAKLS443_000_0021.jpg

Lou & his baby Intake manifold: http://fattyslims.com/vette/pics/Restoration%20Part%202/engi ne_4-24-05/KODAKLS443_100_0292.jpg

-Louis

Hey Luis, I have been in the Army for 24 years, started when I was 17.  Just remember, Life is a journey, enjoy the ride.  Learn to make the most out of each experience.  If you learn from every mistake and keep on track, you will have fun, both ups and downs, but most of all, you will have confidence in yourself and your abilities.  My "JOB" has taken me all over the world, and even now I am in Afganistan.  You stay focused, motivated and enthusiastic, and nothing can touch you.  I think being a member of this forum is good for all of us.  Friends who stay in touch from everywhere, but all with a common goal of having the best Vette possible.  At least you can work on yours, mine is three continents and an ocean away.  Still, reading about your adventures with your car is motivating the hell out of me to get home and do some work on mine.  You keep on plugging,

StreetShark

 

Hang in there, Louis! We all go thru times of bad things happening, but it all works out in the end. Some restorations take 10-12 years to do. Take your time and do it right the first time, and you will be MUCH happier in the end. Don't get too frustrated, we've all been there.