I am starting a rebuild on a motor I picked up (thanks again icaneat50eggs) and have a few questions. I'm trying for a streetable build with some pep (I have a mate with a '64 Nova w/283) I'd like to teach a lesson). Plans are .030 overbore, head gasket matched and ported (DIY on that. I have 2 spare drool tube heads). I'm thinking about an Erson 270 cam and have a request in for a longram 2x2 bbl manifold. I'm also planning on running dual 2" exhaust (depending on budget). It'll be running through an A904 with a transgo TF1 kit and (hopefully) 3.23 gears. Now for the Q&A;

The engine has been disassembled and the bottom end looks pristine (to me).
Should I just have the journals inspected and install new bearings?

What is involved in "reconditioning" con rods?

Is the cam a good choice?

I'll be using stock-type pistons. Do new pistons come with pins?

I want to use engnblder's O/S valves. Should I do my porting and polishing before having them installed?

Should I do the block oiling improvements (as per Doc's article) before or after having the block hot tanked?

Thanks in advance. I'll have a ton more questions before this motor is spinning.

Nat

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1970 four-door Dart, 225/A-904/2.45 gears. 0-60 in twenty three minutes!

Send the crank to a good shop to have it measured and polished. Ask them to buy the correct bearings based on their measurments.
A basic recon job will grind some material off the parting faces of the rod / cap, then rehone the "big hole" to make sure it is round and has the correct bearing "crush" needed to hold the bearing in place.
Not enough info. to know.
New pistons should always come with a matching pin, If they do not, I would not buy from that source.
I would have the head cleaned and checked for major damage before starting any porting work. I port the head before having the final valve seats finish ground.
I do this work before hot tanking... as long as I know that I have a good, uncracked block.
DD