The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 350 rebuild

Can anyone tell me where to find a step-by-step repair manual for a 350. The engine runs great, but is losing/using about 1 quart of oil every 60 miles. I have climbed over and under looking for the leak, looks like the rear seal is the likely suspect, lots of fresh oil in this area. I also have noticed burnt oil splatters on the ground that is coming from the exhaust pipe, even though the truck smokes only a little during warm-up. Also, can the rebuild be done with the engine still in the truck or is this an out-of-the-truck job.

I have both a haynes and chilton that I have been able to find at any auto parts stores that carry either books...

Solo, I did see a Haynes manual in one of the parts stores but it was for '67-'87 trucks. Mine is a '70, was wondering if there is a manual that is a little closer to my year model, like '67-'72.

I would recommend getting a factory shop manual for your year, they have better instructions. Try the on-line parts houses such as Carters, also e-bay usually has some.

Thanks for the advice Solo and Fred T. I hadn't thought about ebay. Think I will check it out. I would like to find a Chilton book, have used one as a guide for rebuilding the 2.5 liter, 4 cyl. in my '86 S10 and found it to be very helpful.

the manuals I'm talking about are for SBC's, and not for a specific vehicle...

the shop manuals are great, but they are also some $$$$

Big a smallblock chevy is about the only motor i think i would not bother to rebuild.If it runs some one will give yah 100-250 for it.Then you can go to the chevy dealer and buy a brand new one with a 36,000 mile ,3years gaurantee for about 1275. Have the thing in your truck and running in about a 8 hour day(that includes removing the old,and have done it in 6hours). I bet if the motor needs any kind of head work or crank turning you will have spent way over that(i am sure some one will let me know they did one for 500 bucks but that aint a rebuild its a spray paint job )Even if its 200 bucks more you will have saved money in the end buying new.If it scews up its chevys problem.Just my .02 worth.

[ 11-05-2001: Message edited by: Phat ]

well I am thinking for my AD I will either put in the 350 in you are talking about, or do an inline six...

if I do a 350 I'll do that exact engine... I gotta go get that 235, and get it torn down enough to see what kinda shape it is in...

Phat,
At the risk of stirring the pot (Which I would never do), I just did a 350 last year and had a total of $545 in it. The kit I bought was the better of the 2 that my machinist offered and included pistons, rings, bearings, cam and cam bearings, oil pump and lifters. I had the machinist bore the cylinders but all he had to do was polish the crank. He ground the valves, installed the cam and pressed the wrist pins to the pistons. Now I think that was a heck of a lot more than a paint job.

Dave

Check with the local rebuilders I got a 350 long block ready to put the valve covers & intake on for $600. It came with a 12 month warrenty. Most will either give you one off the shelf or rebuild yours in 3-4 days. For me time was more important than assembling it, and I got a warrenty too.
Thats my $600 and .02 worth
Brad

Dave not much more. I guess your guy works for free I consider a rebuild, resizing the rods, boiling the block,brushing out all oil holes in crank and rods,turning the crank,checking for straightness,cutting the deck,cutting the head surfaces,cutting the intake surface,new freeze plugs,new valves,new springs,checking and shiming valve springs to correct height,new timing chain(not the ones in the kits). Heck the cheapest 350 engine kit i would use is @ 400 bucks.(I dont use the cheap PAW stuff cause i have to gaurantee it) Around here boil the block and cam bearings is 90-125 bucks.Bore 8 cyl is 150 -180. Then i think you may have had to put it together. How many hours? For my money 400-500 bucks more its gauranted,NEW,and a 1 day job. As far a local rebuilt stuff you have to go by who your comfortable with.I know a guy cant make money at 600 bucks on a good rebuild(unless your guy is wealthy i think he needs to make a proffit) so.....yah gets what yah pay for. As far as the chain store rebuilts,dont have a problem you will get a run around.I have seen 2 cyl bored .040 over and the rest standard. Valve stem heights that are so far off its laughable and on and on. I think what i am saying is yah get what you pay for and you just cant beat a NEW chevy 350 from GM.Rebuilt or rebored aint NEW (all new not just a couple of parts).

The last time I built a SBC, it was a large journal 327. It was .040 over with forged pistons and I bought it from a guy who had reassembled it. That cost me $600. It didn't run right, so I pulled it out (more time) and tore it down. Like Phat says, lots of out of tolerance stuff and shoddy machine work, so I started from scratch with another shop. It cost $2200 for everything, then I had to assemble it (I don't mind, I like engine building) and that was 8 hrs. start to finish. So I wasted $2800 and 3 weeks of my time for a stupid 327, when I could have picked up a new GM 350, put my hot rod stuff on it and been done with it for a lot less; both time and $$ wise. Oh well, live and learn :rolleyes: .

SHEESH!!!!!!!
n some people just have no determination.I rebuilt a 350 engine for around $1900 installed.new forged pistons new stainless valves,new (quality) rings ,rods,mains ,cam and lifters.reground crank, re-sized rods.Had hardened valveseats installed,heads milled bored .030 over.had it balanced and align-bored and hot tanked.
I like to know WHAT is in my engine i am installing. I have found/heard too many horror stories about what people get with a rebuilt engine.A previous employer had to have the engine re-done three times by the same place(you would think he would learn)He asked what I thought, I said mine still runs!
As for the new engine from a GM dealer, They can be great,but you are dealing with new metal and it is not DE-STRESSED.WHere are these new engines made anyway??? does it have something to do with NAFTA?(Not A F***ing Thing American)
Do not get me wrong, it is not the PEOPLE doing the work I blame, it is the quality of materials they are given and the way they are treated/payed to do the job.

Mechainiac de-stressed and seasoned is just a silly hot rod mag term.We build race motors out of brand new blocks(de-stressed seasoned blocks have a lot of cracks in the bolt holes and around the main caps,allready have rust and stuff you dont see).If you use torque plates and such NO problems. I hate to tell yah but all those parts you put in your motor about half are from a diff country.No getting around it anymore.Other than your cam i bet most of the engine is made in another country.Over 35 of these GM motors out right now NO problems(not the case about 10 years ago,they were JUNK). You sound like me,i like to build them and tinker so.....i do build the ones in my own stuff.But i have 15 years worth of left over racin parts to draw from.I just dont see a rebuilt at 600 bucks.(we call them spray paint jobs)If you need it quick and you want it warranted,1 day job hard to beat a NEW one.Plus i dont get very dirty doing it. The new ram jet motor is something else,power and fuel milage(4300 bucks new,but comes with the computer for the injection)to rich for my blood.Think i will keep the 235.

If you ar only loosing oil out the main find out if it uses a one piece or 2 piece main seal, the two piece can be changed by removing the oil pan only. also check the O-ring on the distributer, seen many leak there.

Mechainiac, I don't want to assume what you meant by "determination". If it was in reference to my comments, then you may have misunderstood. It was money well spent if I learned something from the experience. "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" .
Every engine I have built in the last 10 years is still running, even an old 283 that is bored .060 over and has an L82 camshaft in it.
After what I have been through this year (most of you know what I mean), don't tell me about determination. I think I know better than most the true value of life and if it wasn't for "determination", I would have been a dead man.

My 350 runs about 400 miles a week and starts EVERY day, No more oil leaks, smoking, and with plenty of power. NOTE it is bored .040. this week makes 2 years since it was installed. So I believe I got a good deal for my everyday driver!

This is the second rebuild on that block the first was at 100k and this one had 225k since the first rebuild. as of tonight I can confirm at least 360,000 total on the block and it is still only punched .040 over. I had ordered a new carb right after the first rebuild and have NEVER pulled the top off.
There is a known 250,000 on the carb and it passes current emissions requirments for Texas. Less than 220 ppm in hydrocarbon & less than 1.2% CO. Same as 2002 model year requirments and the whole setup is a 1977 model.

[ 11-08-2001: Message edited by: brsdb ]

I have been away for a couple of days and was surprised to see the # of replies to this topic. Seems to be 2 different roads of thought on the subject, but I am going with the rebuild. I will be doing most of the work myself, since I can't afford to hire it out. Besides, I enjoy doing my own, it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that I did it myself. I never really considered buying a new 350 simply because of the cost. I like the idea of keeping the original engine if at all possible. Like I said in the beginning, the engine runs fine, just losing a lot of oil. As long as I can solve this problem, I am ok with it.

Phat,
I guess I will be doing a "spray paint job" because I plan to do it for about $500-$600. I know this isn't a "real" rebuild, but it is what I can afford.

BigBassman,

I have been real happy with my $545 rebuild. It pulls my 74 2T great, and I am real satisfied with the performance. It may not be a race engine but that isn't what I wanted in the first place. My machinist has 20 years of experience, the first 15 with NAPA and the last 5 on his own. Maybe here in rural West Tennessee, he figures he is making a good living doing right by the people. I also enjoyed putting my engine together and I will do the same thing on the 350 that I am putting in my '56.

Dave

Hey Phat,
I do not think you saw the price I stated on this engine job.I had this block thoroughly checked for cracks as well as the heads.


gmc248,
I have not forgot who you are.I think you should be an inspiration to us all!!!
You have done what few have done or will do.
I was not referring to you when In my previous post.I KNOW you have determination!!

[ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: Mechainiac ]

Nothing wrong with a 500-600 buck patch job(done them myself)But it aint a rebuilt.Mech and gmc248 are closer to the real price of a rebuilt.(thats why i say 1275 is a good deal for new) A good machinist could probably have 20 hours in doing a halfa$$ rering job with out checking and magnafluxing anything(which is part of a rebuild)Thats ordering parts checking clearances hit or miss valve job and no parts @ 30 bucks and hour(and if he is that cheap its a backyard deal) so 600 bucks is a litle hard to do if you want to eat, Valves and springs should be trown away along with oil pumps. Cranks turned and checked for straightness and on an on. Heck bigbass why not just rering it in the truck,no need to pull it.Now your talkin 400-500 bucks(buy one of those cheap paw or engine kits).Dave i hate to tell yah even if he got the parts dirt cheap he did not rebuild it,but if your happy thats all that counts.But please dont tell me he rebuilt it cause i have been doing these for 30+ years and it cant be done(even at 10 bucks and hour) I will change my thought from spraypaint to refreshin(thats how most hackers get away with not calling it a rebuilt)Hell i did it 3 times on the 235(in the truck) and got 355,000 miles out of it so i know were your coming from. Some times the money just aint there

Big, before you start throwing money at it - go down to the parts store and get some oil leak detection fluid that you put in your oil. It will become flourescent under black light. It will tell you EXACTLY where your leak is coming from. After all, you would feel pretty stupid to rebuild an engine when it was just a leaking valve cover or an oil pressure sensor.