Yankee Express RestoMod Project

[5.7 hemi]

It’s almost a month and no progress reports, your slipping!!

 

[Budnicks]

 

[Brandy]

LOL!! Yeah, I know...

 

[Hey-O]

Sometimes we just need to sit back for a moment and regroup. Life's full of priorities, some step forward and some step back.

 

[oldbee]

Hmmmm,

 

[Brandy]

No worries fellas, I've not abandoned the project by any means, just seeing to fall/winter prep around the land/ cabin/ barn. Taking the wife out when she feels able. Not so many days that she does any more. Had to move the lone surviving duck from coop out to the small coop in the barn with the old ladies and the handicapped hen. High winds today, fighting the flapping plastic cover over my round hay bales. Trying to keep it from flying into the woods...sealing up drafts since it's 50mph winds and I can feel them today. Found a big one behind my chair, over the new front window. Not the installers fault, hornets made it. It's chock full of sealer now. Should be warmer in here. Need to address the mud room front door. Drafty around the perimeter.. Getting geared up to repel mouse invaders...

 

[Brandy]

Well gents....spring has sprung and I'm back in the garage. Put on the pickup and oil pan. Found TDC and dropped in the oil pump gear. looking at the valley pan/ intake gaskets. I have an issue. The gaskets lower edge hangs down past the mating point of the head/block by 1/2" AND the ends also hang down past the corners.....
I'm I expected to trim the bottom edges and the corners to fit? Or, do I even need these paper gaskets since the valley pan has raised stamped gasket seal areas already on it, crushable I guess? Please advise if I need both or one. Thanks!

 

[YY1]

I've always just run the pan but...

There is an issue with potential leakage- usually on the bottom side somewhere.

Oil wicks out and ends up pooled in the middle of the pan.
Hard to track down.

Most builds I've seen in the past few years show them using those side gaskets.

IDK. I've never used them but it's been several years since I had a B/RB intake off.

 

[RemCharger]

Just the pan. The paper gaskets are for when it's out of whack- bandaids

 

[Brandy]

Gasket maker on both sides of the gasket and in the meeting/parting areas as well. Yes?

 

[Don Frelier]

Randy,

The heads were NOT milled correct?
If they were and the sides were not then depending on how much was removed you can run into trouble.

I've never used the paper gaskets.
Dry fit the metal valley pan first. Take a really dull chisel and make a nice clean bend in the pan where the block rail meets the angle of the head so it sits down nicely.
See how well the holes in the valley are concentric with the bolt holes in the side of the head.
Next set the intake on and do the same thing, try a few bolts with your fingers press down on the intake and see if they are centered pretty well.
If everything looks good then just a small ring of RTV (I use black) around the ports, some people assemble it dry.
But definitely a bead of sealer accross the block rail and in the corners where the valley pan folds upwards.

 

[Brandy]

Not milled, just a cleanup pass. The metal pan fits fine and the intake does as well, the bolt holes line up okay. .

 

[moparedtn]

Answer to the question is: yes, trim the gasket (if you wind up using it, that is. I wouldn't unless absolutely necessary to get the bolt holes lined up on the intake).

Oh, almost forgot - good to see you back on the project!

 

[Budnicks]

No worries fellas, I've not abandoned the project by any means, just seeing to fall/winter prep around the land/ cabin/ barn. Taking the wife out when she feels able. Not so many days that she does any more. Had to move the lone surviving duck from coop out to the small coop in the barn with the old ladies and the handicapped hen. High winds today, fighting the flapping plastic cover over my round hay bales. Trying to keep it from flying into the woods...sealing up drafts since it's 50mph winds and I can feel them today. Found a big one behind my chair, over the new front window. Not the installers fault, hornets made it. It's chock full of sealer now. Should be warmer in here. Need to address the mud room front door. Drafty around the perimeter.. Getting geared up to repel mouse invaders...

Good to see you're back on it...

Life gets in the way sometimes...

 

[Don Frelier]

Good to see you're back on it...

Life gets in the way sometimes...

The weather gets in the way. My stuff has been parked since the first week of November.
We had blizzard conditions just a week ago.
But it looks like we're turning the corner on the cold.

 

[Brandy]

The weather gets in the way. My stuff has been parked since the first week of November.
We had blizzard conditions just a week ago.
But it looks like we're turning the corner on the cold.

Same here.

 

[Brandy]

question. What weight of break in oil is recommended for the 440? Zinc laced oil I mean for first start up of a newly rebuilt and assembled 440. My local parts house has 10/30 & 20/50.

 

[beanhead]

question. What weight of break in oil is recommended for the 440? Zinc laced oil I mean for first start up of a newly rebuilt and assembled 440. My local parts house has 10/30 & 20/50.

No problem using a good proper 10/30 for break-in. Gets everywhere a little quicker with the new tight parts. After that I use the heavier stuff if the clearances are on the loose side (.003" or better on the mains) but still like 10/30 for the initial run-in.
Can't wait to hear that you fired it up!

 

[Budnicks]

I use 30wt 'Brad Penn' Break-In oil
in cooler temps, a 10-30wt would help some but not necessary

Excuse me for my overly ****-ness
you probably already know all this
here's my routine, never had a flat tappet cam go bad on me
in 45+ years

make sure to use a real break-in oil
not just the separate Zink additive stuff
(not worth wiping the cam/lifters)
a real blended break-in oil so you don't take any chances
wiping/flattening/killing
the cam & lifters

make sure it doesn't low idle much (only a high idle like 2200-2500 RPMs)
get the ignition timing close at start up & get on with it
(fine-tune it later)
for the 1st (15 min.s minimum) 20-25 or so min.s
if it's not getting too hot
make sure to vary 'RPM' some every few min.'s
up or down like 300 or so 'RPM'

make sure all the fluids are topped off
so it doesn't get too hot or kill the trans, PS pump etc.

have a hose or jug/s of water ready, it may get a lil' hot
for when &/or after the thermostat opens & fill it back up
& then cap off the radiator

continue with varying the RPMs no low RPMs for the initial break-in
people get impatient & don't do that step correct (use proper blended oil)
Huge reason why 'so many people' wipe/flatten the cams

a big fan in-front of the car, blowing thru/over it helps some too
or do it outside, where air can circulate at min.

after break-in period idle it down to near normal RPMs
& the shut it down, let it cool down/complete the heat cycle,
before you tune it or run at a lower/reg. idle or ever attempt to drive it

1st 500 or so mile vary RPMs when driving, not just one set RPM,
like the open hwy or freeway
stop & go stuff works well to break it in
some guys leave the break-in oil for like 1,500 miles
good for the rings to seat
I have varied it 800 to 1,500 & never had problems
(with a quality Break-in Oil)
drain oil, check the pan for shinny particles
change filter too
cut it open, if you can & look inside,
check for excessive metallic particles & bearing materials

sorry for the short book

I hope it all goes well Randy or whoever is reading this

 

[5.7 hemi]

Of course, if you use a roller cam, most of the above is moot.