Another beautiful day! It actually hit 80 so I had to work in the shade to keep from getting a sunburn, and it looks like one more day of unseasonably warm weather before winter returns.
The sticking rocker shaft soaked all last night in penetrating oil and with a shot of carb cleaner today it finally broke free, so the heads are ready to take to the machine shop. I had planned on doing some mild porting and cleanup, but decided it wasn't worth the effort with so many other things to do. The rumors still persist that an aluminum head is in the design stage, so if that happens I'll get a set.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning the exterior of the block. After removing a half-inch of oily dirt, it appears that the pan has never been removed as the edge of the gasket shows the original orange paint. The timing chain cover looks as if it has been off, as sealer has oozed out around gasket, so the timing chain has probably been replaced. That suggests the engine likely has seen 100k plus miles, if previous experience with typical wear items on A and LA engines serves me.
Sure wish the car had come with the stock motor mounts so it would be easier to decide the proper location for later model mounts. As best as I can determine, the oversize three-groove pulley is not going to fit without raising the engine at least an inch higher than the stock location, and that likely places the distributor very close to the firewall. I think I'll build a full-size engine and transmission mockup to check clearances before installing the spool mount saddles and transmission cross member.
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