"Plain Jane" 1970 Nova Build

[Xplantdad]

Amazingly cool!

[Arrowsmith]

Originally Posted by Xplantdad

Amazingly cool!

Thanks Bruce. For an engine like this, it takes a long time to get it all right, and for me it’s often a matter of checking things three and four times over…

[BJCHEV396]

Originally Posted by BJCHEV396

Any more updates Wayne? We need our "fix"! Lol.

Thanks Wayne...I feel better bud!

[Arrowsmith]

Originally Posted by bjchev396

thanks wayne...i feel better bud!

I’m glad

[big gear head]

I've got those "Made For You" spark plug wire looms on my 427. The valve covers always leaked because I couldn't tighten the bolts enough because of the plastic posts. I made new ones from aluminum and no more leaks.

[Arrowsmith]

Originally Posted by big gear head

I've got those "Made For You" spark plug wire looms on my 427. The valve covers always leaked because I couldn't tighten the bolts enough because of the plastic posts. I made new ones from aluminum and no more leaks.

Very nice job of machining! Mine don’t seem to leak though. Could be a difference in valve covers, valve cover rails on the heads, and/or gaskets. The Brodix heads I use have a taller rail. I use Mahle or Fel Pro vc gaskets (I don’t have a preference) and glue them to the valve cover.

[big gear head]

That's great, and I hope you don't have any problems with them. Every time I would tighten mine the bolts would sink farther into the plastic, so I had to do something different.

[Arrowsmith]

I've had some "distractions", but back to the engine build...

This is the almost complete short block assembly. I like to use ATI dampers (balancers), simply because they flat out work. Yes, there are cheaper options...The timing pointer is a billet job while the timing chain cover is from Milodon. Just about every fastener is from ARP. The truth is, the only OEM Chevy parts in this entire engine are the distributor body and the thermostat housing.



This is a side view. Originally, I assembled the engine with a discontinued Holley off-shore Marine fuel pump (driven by way of a composite fuel pushrod). Since then, I've replaced the engine fuel system with a Weldon pump and regulator (-10AN to the front and then -8 AN at the carb and return). The water pump is from Edelbrock.



Here's another look at the damper/timing pointer and a bit of the pump. Pulleys are basic 396-375 jobs.



Inside, I had the block machined to accept a large Hemi diameter roller lifter (0.903-inch) from Jesel. They're considerably larger than a stock Chevy lifter @ 0.842. The increase in size allows for a larger roller wheel which in turn helps with reliability (and Jesel recommends it if possible). The cam was ground with the Hemi size lifter taken into consideration. The Jesel roller lifters are probably the most robust (and finest) tie-bar examples you can buy.



Years ago, I used to paint everything inside the block with electric motor case paint. Then a couple of folks, including the late John Lingenfelter asked me "why". I really couldn't come up with a valid reason other than "sealing the block surface". So....I quit painting them..L-O-L. Here's another look at the Jesel rollers:



Upstairs, I'm using Jesel steel roller rockers. Like everything else Jesel builds, these pieces are fabulous. You can probably guess, I went out of my way to use reliable pieces. As you can see, I'm using a 1.625-inch diameter spring (its from PAC) with titanium retainers.



Here's a comparison of the Jesel steel rocker versus a Jesel Sportsman rocker. There's not that much difference in weight, but the steel rocker is ultimately stronger and more compact. With a Jesel shaft, there's zero need for any sort of stud girdle (if you've ever used a stud girdle, you'll know what a pain in the ass it is). The Jesel shaft rocker is a great setup.



Heads are from Brodix. I've been a regular "user" of Brodix products for years and I'm a believer...L-O-L. Some of the nicest castings in the biz and flow numbers versus port volume are fabulous (they don't play games like some companies). I'm particularly fond of the BB-3Xtra lineup. The heads I'm using for Jane are 345-cc jobs. For more info, check out this video on my You Tube Channel:

https://youtu.be/I7PclURsmO4

Here's one head:



Obviously, pushrods are needed. I wanted a double tapered setup because of the strength. The Jesel shaft setup doesn't need conventional rocker studs and it doesn't need pushrod guide plates. But to get there, I had to measure the pushrod length. I have a few different checking tools, but this one from Trick Flow is easy to use (you need two for a BBC because the pushrods are different lengths). I double check it with a dial caliper:



With the length determined, I could order pushrods. These came from Trend. They taper from 3/8-inch to 7/16-inch back to 3/8-inch. It took a long time to get them, but I think it was worth the wait. They're also awesome pieces....



Here's a look at the tip (FYI, I double checked the clearance in the head with these pushrods. Sometimes they mandate a bit of grinding in the head):



On the bottom end, I used a Melling billet pump with a bottom pickup. Years ago, I had a brazed pickup fall off a race engine. The braze job failed. It cost me an engine. That's why I really appreciate these Melling pieces. It's a standard volume example (but adjustable with a spring swap). By the way, that's a Melling pump drive.



Here's a look at the bottom pickup:



The oil pan is another work of art from Stef's. They make a special "Camaro Notch" pan, which obviously fits the Nova subframe. The way it's built, you gain max possible room under the crank at the stock engine cradle. Installed with the correct mix of mounts and frame stands, you can slide a piece of paper under the pan and the front crossmember...



The pan is incredibly well baffled too. Note the screen on the passenger side. That helps to strip oil off the crank and force it back into the sump. Joe and company know their way around oiling systems. I'm a huge fan of the company. It's just a stellar piece of fabrication...and it fits!
In case you're wondering, Jane has wonderful, stable oil pressure!



Here are a couple of pix of the finished engine. I broke it in with Wix filters, but for regular use, I'm switching it to Baldwin filters (Moroso sells them). It's my understanding Baldwin made the original (way back when) AC PF35's. I might get some disagreement over this, but....If you cut a bunch of filters apart, you'll understand why..... There are Huge differences in oil filters and the only way to see it is to slice and dice them.





Down the road, I'll show you the intake swap I did and I'll also show you the distributor I built to trigger the MSD 7. Stay tuned....

[Xplantdad]

Thanks Wayne....it's Engine jewelry!

[Arrowsmith]

Originally Posted by Xplantdad

Thanks Wayne....it's Engine jewelry!

Thanks Bruce...

There's a huge number of hidden "things" in this build that would otherwise go unnoticed. Happy I get to share some of it...