Did you have the valves tighened down? That can cause a cam to move something like you are describing.

As for making one straight again, I guess, but why? It is not worth the time. For $40 and a core, you can have another one with the Delta grind.

Michael

Well, I had all the "valve lash" nuts/bolt loose. So there shouldnÆt have been much force coming from the valves.

And I had all the rocker arm assembly nuts tightened to spec 16ftlb I think. I didnÆt have the two bolts (closest to the front), on at all. You can see it in the pic. Not sure if that made a difference.

But I guess, maybe I should try it again???

Pull it out and put a straight edge to it? Roll it on the kitchen counter?

I have a hard time thinking a head warped THAT much to bend the cam past its point of elasticity.

Michael

Ya, I did just that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I couldnÆt gut a strait edge on it length wise because the cam lobes get in the way. I did however line up all 3 cams next to each other and laid a strait edge across the part of the cams that sits in the race things. And then rolled all three cams back and forth on the kitchen counter.

They all look the same, so I guess it strait. I installed everything, along with setting the proper valve lash, and it looks good.

It is probably easier to torque the head bolts on the engine stand rather than in the truck... which begs the question of the intake and exhaust. It is nearly impossible to drop the motor in fully loaded with both intake and exhaust (it is possible, but probably requires battery bracket trimming). I've done it several different ways, and recommend assembling the block and head on the engine stand, and doing the rest of the assembly in the chassis.

On another related note, I once changed out a head with the radiator still in the chassis... man was that silly. It takes so little time to pull the radiator, and it increases access soooooooooooo much that it is silly not to.

That's perhaps one of the biggest challenges to wrenching, figuring out the order of assembly, and what to put together before you put it in the chassis... well, that, and being able to identify a shortcut (pulling the radiator) when it seems like NOT removing a part would save effort (damn radiator).


Yup.

Randii

So what kind of pressure should I be seeing when I start this thing up?

Got the oil pressure gauge installed, along with all the wiring.

As you can see in the pic, the oil gauge is kind of hidden behind the tach and the rest of the gauge cluster. But I like it. ThereÆs just enough of the gauge showing to see the pressure.

I had some problems with the fan vibrating on start up, with the fan being held on by those little plastic (through the radiator) bolt things. So I made some brackets for the electric fan.

It looks like the mounts I made will work really well. I made the brackets from some El Cheepo wrenches that I picked up for free (found the free tools on craigs-list).

So all I have to do now is get the valve cover and the few things on top of it installed and IÆm reading to fire it up!

Any advice on proper break-in for the engine?

Any idea what these are? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> They where just hanging there, I didnÆt unplug them.

The one that's the spade and its female counterpart should be the On Board Diagnostics. Hook those together and it puts the computer into diagnostic mode.

Richard <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

what dose that do?