What's involved in degreeing the camshaft?
My understanding is that the goal is to get maximum intake valve lift to occur exactly at TDC on the intake stroke? Is this correct?

How do you make small adjustments to the cam timing? Are special sprockets required, or do you need to modify stock ones?

http://www.tavia.com/free_degree_wheel.html
Will a downloadable degree wheel like this work? I have a dial indicator from working on motorcycle and snowmobile engines.

I'm going to check out the '78 engine this weekend. It sounds pretty promising. THe seller says it could use a carb rebuild, but that should be pretty straightforward.

If that falls through, I have another lead on a '74 out of a duster. I have a feeling that that that seller feels his motor is pretty special though.

I picked up the 78 engine this weekend. Unfortunately it has some issues with exposure to the weather. there was water in the intake manifold and several intake valves are rusted.

Can I use the head off the '87 with the solid lifter engine? Obviously I'd need to change to the adjustable rocker arms off the earlier motor, but the rest looks the same at first glance.

Hate to say that water down the intake is a real bad thing for any engine.

Pull the head off as soon as possible and see if they is any rust in the cylinders... even a small amount of rust in a cylinder is a sure sign that the piston rings in that cylinder are now "stuck" in the piston ring grooves.
DD

I did take the head off and there was some rust on one of the cylinder walls. It looks like it may clean up with a hone, and not need to be bored.

If I can use the head from the '87 then maybe i can get something like this and end up with a reasonably fresh engine.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0102365474

Hello Twissty! I live on the other side in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

I am not sure if it still there or not, but I may have a lead on a slant six on the American side if you need it. It was a 78 W-150 in the Hessel area. It was used for a parts truck since it was rusted out, and only had 80,000 miles on it. Even a 2bbl! I would have bought it for my rig, but unemployment/college student=no money.

_________________
Get out your aluminum magnets!

This project is moving along. Everything has been disassembled, cleaned, scrubbed, and recleaned. All the mounts, brackets and pulleys have been degreased, cleaned and painted. Same with the oil pan, timing and valve covers.

I've got a rebuild kit ordered. Standard bearings, 2nd over pistons and rings, OEM spec mechanical cam and lifters, new oil pump and timing set. Once it arrives, the block can go to get bored. I'm going to get the maching shop to put the new pistons onthe rods and install new cam bearings.

I bought a Super six intake and carb on Ebay. Waiting for delivery.
It'll get a rebuild. I assume that the exhaust manifold from the one-barrel setup will work. I'll need to deal with linkage and an air filter setup when it arrives.

I'm going to use the '87 head. I had some concerns,because of the stuck thermostat and overheating, but it checked out ok. I've got the valves out waiting for the gasket set so I can change the seals. THe rockers off the '76 have been disassembled and cleaned.

Will there be any issue using the harmonic balancer from the '87 with the earlier forged crank? The older one is in poor condition.

No problems with the balancer. You will need to make sure the pulley configuration is the same on both for your accys. Its a PITA to find out after you mount the engine that you need a pulley on the back of the balancer.
Frank

_________________
Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

I got the block back from the machine shop. Hot tanked, bored, honed, cam bearings installed and pistons hung on the rods.

My son and I scrubbed it down and began putting things together.

Unfortunately, my master kit had the narrower main bearings for the cast crank.

With the christmas break, it looks like this project is off for a few more weeks. Too bad, because we have a few days off together next week when we could have gotten some shop time in and probably would have got the engine back in the truck.

If anyone's interested, King Bearings part# MB 438AM is for the Narrow Bearing cast crank, and #MB 407AM is the part for Forged Cranks.
http://www.king-bearings.com/cat/panel/pan1147.htm