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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 | I think I know the answer to my question.
As I get close to firing this engine for the first time, I am doing some more reading about set up on BluePrint engines and I am on a couple forums.
Seems to be a small percentage of the engines have loose rockers and headbolts from the factory. Do I open this thing up and and TQ everything or simply use the warrantee if there is a problem. After a friend lost a rocker resulting in a taco'd valve it has made my gut tell me to open and tq. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2021 Posts: 6,876 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2021 Posts: 6,876 | Trust your gut.
Nobody knows how to do his own job these days.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 1,291 Moderator for Tons o' Fun , Co-Moderator Driveline Forum | | Moderator for Tons o' Fun , Co-Moderator Driveline Forum Joined: Jul 2014 Posts: 1,291 | Absolutely verify what you can.
Ron - - Dusty53 1954 Chevy 3604In the Gallery Forum "You can't dance with the Devil and then wonder why you're still in Hell."
"They will forget what you've said, and they will forget what you have done but they will never forget the way you made them feel." | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,831 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,831 | What is a "BluePrint" engine? It sounds like they're being assembled by a crew of orangutans who take moonshine breaks instead of coffee breaks! Does their warranty policy include reimbursement for the labor time involved in correcting their shoddy workmanship in case of a failure?
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2016 Posts: 268 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2016 Posts: 268 | Blueprint is a company in Nebraska that builds crate engines that’s probably what he’s referring to.
1949 gmc 1-ton | | | | | Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 | BluePrint is a company in NE. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,256 "Hey! I sound like Darth Vader!! | | "Hey! I sound like Darth Vader!! Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,256 | Dang near accurate assessment, Jerry! | | | | | Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 | Dang near accurate assessment, Jerry! By far they have overwhelmingly positive reviews. Any company is going to have some QC issues now and then. With something like this all you ever hear is the bad, never the happy customer. Knowing my luck the heads are finger tight, the dist gear is stripped, and it really isn't a 383. Probably a 305. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2016 Posts: 1,990 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2016 Posts: 1,990 | It's a pretty simple job to check the rocker adjustment, and as long as you have the valve covers off put a torque wrench on the head bolts, 17 per head! A couple of hours of checking will give you peace of mind and could save you from issues on start-up.
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 | It's a pretty simple job to check the rocker adjustment, and as long as you have the valve covers off put a torque wrench on the head bolts, 17 per head! A couple of hours of checking will give you peace of mind and could save you from issues on start-up. Agreed. Sigh | | | | | Joined: Nov 2020 Posts: 788 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2020 Posts: 788 | “Probably a 305.”
Ohhh , that’s below the belt. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,831 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,831 | Don't give the 305 too much grief- - - - -I outran a bunch of "358" race engines with a slightly warmed over 305, on a circle track where we were restricted to running a small bore Holley 7448 2 barrel carburetor. My sneaky tricks allowed me to gear it lower than everybody else and squeeze out nearly 1K extra RPM over the bigger engines that were choked down by the small carb. My engines sounded like a bumblebee on steroids, and the tech guys were too dumb to catch what I was doing to "stretch" the rule book a little.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
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