[adantessr]

Originally Posted by Custom10

op's original post


I agree with what everyone's saying here about the crap heads, dog of a cam etc etc but did the machine shop really use re builder pistons with reduced height? op says forged so I doubt it but stanger things have happened. And when they decked the block surely they must have had a clue as to were the piston was going to end up in the hole, hopefully 0 to 0.015 give or take. So with any luck he can swap the cam, heads and intake as mentioned and get his power back.

After sifting through all the information on this thread I'd have to agree with you Custom10 . Cam , heads , and intake will probably get him where he needs to be without starting from square one . And also the least time consuming and most economical and won't have to pull the engine back out . :-)

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by dry

Ok, Thanks everyone for the input and opinions let me start by trying to answer some of the response questions.

(1) Yes it is a close ratio 4 speed winds out in 1st gear about 55 mph with a 3:72 posi.

(2) It is a Zero decked blocked but is not using short decked pistons it is using the actual factory .60 over forged replacement pistons.

(3) The 290H Cam was picked due to its nasty sounding old school street profile along with the fact Cranes profile and tech's assured me i could get some low end grunt with it.

(4) The car pulls real strong from 3k rpm on to about 5500.

(5) the intake is the performer rpm sorry i left that part out.

(6) Timing static is 18 degree BTDC +4 cam advance and the mechanical advance is factory +20.

(7) Advance is active at 850 rpm from off idle ,All in at 3200 rpm for a total of 42 degrees BTDC.

(8) There are no headers just factory logs into a 2.25" magnaflow system true dual from logs out.

(9) This a Non A/C Car so no accessories other than water pump and alternator.

****Anytime you turn the car off you smell gas--NO LEAKS or DRIPS--And you always have to depress gas pedal one time prior to starting cold or hot***

PS---Anybody has a good set of small block heads etc that WILL help my cause i have a bunch of Mk IV BBC I MIGHT be interested in trading some of it--stuff like Ross forged 51cc .60 over Pistons, Trw hyperkin .60 over, Edelbrock 7075 polished with bird catcher top, BBC Dimple rods,1971 factory replacement rectangular port heads bare castings plus manley ss valves and crower springs-plus other stuff was going to build for this car BUT think going to stay SBC....

As cobalt327 predicted that close ratio 4 speed is why it is hard to break traction .

[lmsport]

I repeat my initial thought: Borrow a good double pumper and put it on for a test drive. I have spent hours tuning on a carb with only small improvements only to end up trying a different carb and get a huge improvement with no additional tuning. I keep a couple old non-HP racing 750 carbs around for just this purpose.

[turbolover]

Originally Posted by adantessr

After sifting through all the information on this thread I'd have to agree with you Custom10 . Cam , heads , and intake will probably get him where he needs to be without starting from square one . And also the least time consuming and most economical and won't have to pull the engine back out . :-)

you're talking about at least a grand there... To save what? An unknown short block that is probably in as bad of shape as the top end.

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by turbolover

you're talking about at least a grand there... To save what? An unknown short block that is probably in as bad of shape as the top end.

It doesn't look like an unknown shortblock to me it you look at the original post :Block was line bored .30 over and decked. the rotating assembly was balanced, forged flat tops,

[turbolover]

Originally Posted by adantessr

It doesn't look like an unknown shortblock to me it you look at the original post :Block was line bored .30 over and decked. the rotating assembly was balanced, forged flat tops,

Good call, I forgot that part when I read the rest. I assume the short block will match the top end, but its not always the case...

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by turbolover

Good call, I forgot that part when I read the rest. I assume the short block will match the top end, but its not always the case...

I agree . I think it will all work out for him . It sounds like he's got a good foundation to build on . Better $1000 than $3000

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by dry

PS---Anybody has a good set of small block heads etc that WILL help my cause i have a bunch of Mk IV BBC I MIGHT be interested in trading some of it...

You need to post this in the classified section of the Forum. At the top of the page you will see "Classifieds". Click on that to get started- the open forum is not for dealing parts.

[dry]

[QUOTE=turbolover]Sounds like you pissed a lot of money away on crap. Which is why it is important to be an educated consumer (I hope other can read this example and take it as a lesson learned).

As already stated, your pistons are most likely in the hole .040" or more, you're probably running a .045" gasket, you have some of the worst heads ever produced by chevy, and one of the laziest cams still sold (with WAY too much seat duration). If you tried to sell that engine you could probably only get about $250 for it as there is literally nothing of value in it.
QUOTE]

I am asking for opinions on helpful suggestions, but i think you missed something somewhere !! My short block is fresh from the machine shop and was a sub 60k mile engine when taken apart. I can't imagine a factory GM L82 4 bolt main long block with gm steel crank, pink rods, forged pistons etc would bring $250.00 bucks......Jeezzz

So flame on still needing pump gas street tune knowledge

[turbolover]

Originally Posted by adantessr

I agree . I think it will all work out for him . It sounds like he's got a good foundation to build on . Better $1000 than $3000

With what he has I would swap the cam and heads, as everyone has already stated. I can't believe any decent machinist wouldn't have said something when he was putting all that money into 882 scrap iron. And he probably paid a pretty penny for that cam when he could have gotten a much better one from Elgin, Erson, or Summit for less than $100 for the kit.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by turbolover

I can't believe any decent machinist wouldn't have said something when he was putting all that money into 882 scrap iron.

It is NOT the job of a machinist to tell a customer any such thing. For all the machinist knows, the engine is going back into a #'s matching 'Vette. His "job" is to give the customer what he came there for- and if that's a rebuilt set of 883's- then so be it!

It is the job of the engine's owner to have done his homework BEFORE investing his cash into a less-than-stellar set of heads, IMO.

[123pugsy]

Originally Posted by turbolover

With what he has I would swap the cam and heads, as everyone has already stated. I can't believe any decent machinist wouldn't have said something when he was putting all that money into 882 scrap iron. And he probably paid a pretty penny for that cam when he could have gotten a much better one from Elgin, Erson, or Summit for less than $100 for the kit.

When I knew nothing about engines and went for a rebuild, the machinist "upgraded" me to 882 heads. What a joke.
I know now to do my homework before getting things done.
No more stock heads for me.

[turbolover]

Originally Posted by cobalt327

BS. It is NOT the job of a machinist to tell a customer any such thing. For all the machinist knows, the engine is going back into a #'s matching 'Vette. His "job" is to give the customer what he came there for- and if that's a rebuilt set of 883's- then so be it!

It is the job of the engine's owner to have done his homework BEFORE investing his cash into a less-than-stellar set of heads, IMO.

Where I come from selling something that you know is a bad deal or someone doesn't need is a violation of professional integrity. We lose a LOT of money buy not trying to sell our customers things they don't need, and in return we get a lot more customers coming to us because we run an honest business.

No one is required to have professional integrity, I've come to expect it because it is expected of me, but as Cobalt pointed out no one is required to do more than asked.

BTW "Cobalt327," is that a reference to the color, the mineral, or the car?

[cool rockin daddy]

Three things jump out at me. I would get rid of:

1. 882 heads

2. stock exhaust manifolds

3. 600 cfm carb

Gotta let your engine breathe if you want it to make power. Your choking that thing to death.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by turbolover

Where I come from selling something that you know is a bad deal or someone doesn't need is a violation of professional integrity. We lose a LOT of money buy not trying to sell our customers things they don't need, and in return we get a lot more customers coming to us because we run an honest business.

No one is required to have professional integrity, I've come to expect it because it is expected of me, but as Cobalt pointed out no one is required to do more than asked.

BTW "Cobalt327," is that a reference to the color, the mineral, or the car?

So, by your criteria, it's the job of a machinist to not rebuild any heads below- what? "standard"? Or to only rebuild engines that are deemed "worthy"? Your basis of "Integrity" is flawed to the extreme- there are guys who LIKE the 883 heads- look at any bomber class/ hobby stock dirt track race and you'll see DOZENS of sets of 883's being run.