sharkthehunter77

I'm taken her down to the auto hobby shop on Saturday to put in the edelbrock cam that goes with the performer manifold that was on the car when i bought it. I know alot of you guys have done this before. I have both the Chiltons and that other maintenaince/repair book for the 77. yet, i like to get info from as many experienced people/sources as possible so as to make the job as quick and easy as a job this big cam be. Thanks in advance

The Dude

Well, pull out the radiator for clearance. You might need to pull the hood.
You might want to consider a new timing set while you're in there.
Have new timing cover and intake gaskets on hand.
Use a 1/4" bead of RTV on the block's end seals instead of the cork things that come with the intake gasket.
Have a new oil pan front seal (at least) on-hand because you're going to have to loosen the front of the pan to get the timing cover off.
Cover your lifter valley with a towel to avoid getting gasket scrapage down there.
Plug your intake ports with paper towels or rags to avoid getting gasket scrapage down there.
Make sure it's all clean before you button it back up.
Have some laquer thinner or acetone to put a final clean on the gasket mating surfaces.
Put your distributor back with a new gasket (supplied with the intake gasket).
That's it off the top of my head. If you've never done this before and you're working by yourself, plan on taking about 24 hours total, I guess. Have fun, work slowly and good luck....
:thumbs:

By the way, I liven in Aiea for a couple of years back in the early-mid 1970s. Navy Brat--McGrew Point. Where are you in relation to there and/or Aiea High School?


[Modified by The Dude, 6:11 PM 3/4/2003]

cardo0

Take it slow to do it right. Be ready to replace a lot of old broken parts. Look at radiator, shroud & seals as this is the time to fix. Definetly the time for new hoses.
Use a dampner puller and don't pry it off.
I don't see how you can remove the timing cover with out dropping the oil pan! To loosen the front and bend it to let the timing cover clear the front lip is just asking for leaks! The pan gasket will at a minimum crack where you won't see it and may bend the flange ruining the oil pan. :nono:
Good news is that Felpro (gasket maker) sells a one piece gasket for the oil pan. Should help keep some sealer out of your hair but you still should use sealer. :lol:
To get the pan off requires the starter and the steering linkage (I forgot what its called) are dropped too. :yesnod:
You need nearly a full gasket set: oil pan, timing cover, water pump, valve covers, intake and maybe carburetor too. Do the timing set now or you'll be right back there again - Murphy's law. :rolleyes:
Don't be surprised if Bubba's been in there before and replace original parts with meteric Mazda close enough stuff. :lolg:
Remember to break the cam in @ >2,000 rpm for 20 minutes mininum or the lifters will eat that brand new cam. :thumbs:

sharkthehunter77

I planned on a new timing set, but whats a good one to use? What is RTV, is that a sealant thingy? people who use words like thingy have no mechanical skills! I want new pushrods as well, any brand suggestions?So the distributor gasket will just be encluded with the gasket for my intake manny??? Oil pan has a front and back gasket? I will make sure to not damage the oil pan but another dude named Terry with a black 77 who lives in Cali did just sort of loosen his and got his cover off. I should probably geta two piece timing chain cover just incase. Also, since i am approaching 100,000 miles i am replacing both the fuel and water pumps. So thats complete gasket set, new water/fuel pumps, pushrods, 2-piece timeing cover and timing chain set. what am i forgetting!?!?
Anyways, Aiea high school is down the road( i live on Moana Loa) and up a few blocks towards the mountains ( makau). I live in a high rise built in the mid-late seventies behind a drive-in movie theater (recently closed) next to Pearl Ridge Mall!

The Dude

Kam Drive-in is gone? Too bad. As young teens we used to walk up there and watch "R"-rated movies from the outside. You could hear the soundtrack because everyone would have their speakers going. At intermission we'd book down the trail there and hit Zippy's--or whatever the fast food place was/is--for a chili size or saimin. Eating fast food in Hawaii will definitely let a person acquire a taste for SPAM. LOL. We lived there as The Pearl Ridge Mall was being built. Is the watercress farm still there?

EDIT: "RTV" is a type of silicone sealant made by Permatex. Just ask the parts man for some "Gray RTV" and you'll be fine (Different colors are designed for different temps and applications, but you could use gray, black, red, blue or whatever for your end seals.) And yes, a new distributor gasket will come with your intake set, at least if you get Fel-Pro. It's just a little ring about 2" in diameter or so. Use a teeny little bit of your RTV to stick the gasket to the distributor but don't use any on the surface that mates with your manifold. And an earlier poster is right--SOMETIMES you can do the timing cover by just loosening the front of the oil pan. It is better to remove it completely and replace the gaskets. I've never had to remove the starter to drop my oil pan, but different cars are, well...different. Dropping the steering linkage is no big deal--remove a cotter pin and a castle nut and it'll drop far enough for you.


[Modified by The Dude, 10:25 AM 3/5/2003]

ukvette72

Hi
at the risk of covering the obvious i will bring it up anyway as i don't think the other posts mentioned it. You will need new lifters......there said it. Don't be tempted to use the old ones with a new cam. They will destroy it.

good luck

David :)

sharkthehunter77

I bought the entire cam set for the edelbrock cam so i got the lifters, did you know that the cam for the performer is advertised 278/288 in duration. Is that really lopey, i really think i will enjoy that cam in my car call me crazy. There are planty of certified machanical types at the suto hobby shop and several vettes so i think everything will be cool.
Kam drive-in is closed as a drive-in but used as a flee-market on Wed and weekends. All the traffic creates havoc with me puuling out of my drive way from my apartment and once the loooong nose of the vette was almost clipped! It was less of a pain when stationed at Pearl Harbor but now that i have to drive to Kaneohe to the USMC base time is of the essence and treaffic sucks. The water crest field still exist....it still smells. I rarely eat at zippys but there breakfast is good...and good for a heart attack! Sounds like not much has changed, still great weather, still beatifull ( scenary and women) but much much much more crowded! I will have the wife pick up the fel pro gaskets for me , thanks for all!