Refresh , Rebuild Or Replace That Engine Questions

Grumpy · Jun 27, 2020

I've got a 350 in one of my cars that i bought locally.i took a chance on it and heard it run but it didn't have an oil pressure gage .it ran very good and it had a tag saying that it was a gm replacement eng,i had to put a rear sump pan and pickup on it and it looked good inside but we never looked at the bearings.at startup, it goes to about 45-50 but starts dropping untill it settles at about 4 or 5 at idle.it doesn't make any noise but lying under it i "think" i may hear loose bearings.
my question is can i order bearings ahead of time so i can swap them in right away without waiting or is there a good possibility that the journals may be undersize?is it usually just the mains or do the rods usually need to be replaced at the same time. where I'm doing this at I need to rent the space thats why i would like to complete it all in one or 2 days.

BUY A FEW BOOKS ON ENGINE REBUILDING AND PROPER ENGINE ASSEMBLY
AND READ THROUGH THEM CAREFULLY,
ITS MONEY VERY WELL SPENT!

this is always a cost vs benefits, downtime required vs money spent related question,
with the option to increase performance significantly at an increased cost.
If the main bearings are worn the rod bearings and lifters and cam lobes will generally also show wear and in some cases some or all should also be replaced,
this will frequently require the crank be machined so total engine disassembly and inspection is likely mandated, in the process.
when doing the bearing in an engine rebuild ,
DON,T FORGET TO REPLACE THE CAM BEARINGS,
and check ring to bore wall wear.
and you should carefully inspect rings and the valve train components like lifters cam lobes, valve guides valves springs rockers etc.
you have no idea of the extent of wear or journal conditions without careful inspection and accurate measurement
(especially on a previously rebuilt engine)
do yourself a favor, pull it down carefully inspect and accurately measure it and replace worn parts as required,
if the crank requires replacement , and/or the bores and rings/pistons are worn,
and also need to be be replaced you may want to consider a 383 stroker kit,
as they don,t cost a great deal more than a 350 kit will.
IF your goal is simply to get back into a driveable transportation car ,
you might also consider a crate engine as it will generally be faster and not cost all that much more,
than the total of the parts and machine shop costs in an engine rebuild
with a buddy to help most guys could pull out the old engine
,install the new long block and swap the required parts back,
and be driving in a weekend rather easily
https://sdparts.com/i-19928423-gm-e...MIuIDFn6ei6gIVCr3ACh2V_Q5cEAQYAyABEgI2v_D_BwE

1500 lb. Capacity Gear-Driven Rotating Engine Stand

Amazing deals on this 1500Lb Gear Drive Rotating Engine Stand at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

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having a decent engine stand certainly helps

A Few Basic Precision Tools

Hey GRUMPY, I need a few basic tools to measure bearing clearances and tools for installing a cam, etc, and suggestions? (and yeah, I'm not swimming in cash, so please take that into account!) keep in mind there's a long list of more expensive tools, like mills, lathes, various types of...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

TBucket Engine Project (Dart SHP)

It's time to get this party started! Last night I picked up some of my parts, the only thing left to come in, is the Mahle piston and rings. This is just the first order, mostly the things I need right now to get started. It's been over ten years since I've driven this car and I am SOOO ready to...

garage.grumpysperformance.com

Refresh , Rebuild Or Replace That Engine Questions

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.

1500 lb. Capacity Gear-Driven Rotating Engine Stand

A Few Basic Precision Tools

TBucket Engine Project (Dart SHP)