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Old 04-01-2020, 02:16 PM
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Default OHC 6 in a '63 Chevy II

So, this has been the quest for the last 18 months or so. I procured a ‘67 230 from a Tempest after several years of searching. It is a ZD block with matching head. At first glance it appeared to be a virgin engine but after tearing it down I found a flattened “C” camshaft. The engine has already been bored .060 over but the crank is standard/standard. All other numbers match a late ‘66 built, ‘67 issued engine. I’m thinking the rebuild was done a very long time ago due to the fact that it still had nothing but shim steel gaskets. The engine will run again without any issues, that I am confident of.

So, why a ‘63 Nova, you ask? It all started in 1971 when my dad bought the car, the first he had ever purchased with his own money. He drove it until the early 80’s when it became the backup. As the years passed it became the backup to the backup, then pushed even further down the chain until it was eventually parked behind one of the auto parts store belonging to the company he worked for. It sat there for 10+ years in a dirt parking lot doing its best to become one with the earth again until I decided that I needed a project. We went to that store and sure enough it was still there being used as a storage rack for pallets and other junk. We came back a short time later with a trailer and I drug it out of its eventual grave. A couple months later “The Bomb” was running and driving again and has been ever since.

Now, why the OHC 6 for this car? When I was a young kid, my dad and I were driving home in “The Bomb” and while turning onto our street the radio quit. We finished the drive and when we pulled in I remember telling my dad “They forgot to finish the song.” He looked at me a little puzzled and laughed. A short time later he replaced the radio and the music returned. The one he found that fit the dash had the name Pontiac on it. Fast forward 25 years when I decided to get the car going again and that Pontiac radio was still speaking to me (although it no longer works). I decided then that I would like to eventually find one of those goofy overhead cam Pontiac engines to replace the ailing Chevy power plant. That brings us to the current.

I’ve heard a lot from people over the years that the OHC engine was basically a modified Chevy... boy were they wrong! I’ve now had to find a way to modify nearly every point that this engine is going to make contact with the Nova. So far, I’ve fabricated motor mount adapter plates, found a ‘69 water pump to bring the overall length of the engine down so it’ll fit in the car, adapted a Chevy 168 tooth flexplate to the back of the crank, made an adapter shim for the starter so it mates up with the new larger ring gear, found a gear reduction starter that will clear the steering linkage and am in the process of trying to modify the oil pan to clear the same linkage. I know there’s more that I’m not thinking of at the moment. In the end, the engine itself was not modified at all, only bolt on adapters so that if anything happens in the future, off the shelf parts will still fit.

I hope y’all get a kick out of this story and I’ll do my best to keep this thread updated as things progress.

A few pics of the progress so far:
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Old 04-01-2020, 05:25 PM
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Here is the car it will go in.
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  #3  
Old 04-01-2020, 08:26 PM
exotec exotec is offline
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Hi 63,

You found the way to the cammer experts!

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serwas
Karl

follow my project on instagram
  #4  
Old 04-02-2020, 06:13 AM
gtospieg gtospieg is offline
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Nice...something different...waiting to see more.

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Old 04-15-2020, 09:32 AM
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Been waiting 18 months to see this...
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  #6  
Old 04-15-2020, 10:54 AM
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Thumbs up GOOD STUFF...

Glad to see it coming along.

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When I die, I want to go peacefully like my grandfather did, in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car.
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Old 04-15-2020, 11:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin View Post
Glad to see it coming along.
Planning on getting the head dropped on tonight as well as some of the accessories. I'm getting close to being able to jerk the 250 out of the Nova..

  #8  
Old 04-15-2020, 12:55 PM
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Was the block zero decked? Looks like you will have good quench!

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Old 04-16-2020, 10:08 AM
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Finally starting to look like something
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  #10  
Old 04-20-2020, 12:27 PM
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Got the oil pan back today. This guy does quality work...
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  #11  
Old 04-20-2020, 01:20 PM
Twinshadows Twinshadows is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 63 bomb View Post
Got the oil pan back today. This guy does quality work...
'bomb' . . . . . looking "sharp" . . . . . good job , one more item done .

later , jim

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Old 04-22-2020, 10:17 AM
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Finally got the HLA's bled and primed and the cam cover torqued down. One of the HLA's gave me hell trying to get it primed but finally got it. Tonight's job will be to install the timing belt and set the tension then start running fuel and vacuum lines. Getting closer!
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  #13  
Old 04-24-2020, 05:07 PM
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Well, it's nearly done. Got the custom oil pick up tube back and installed yesterday. Buttoned up the oil pan, installed the manifolds and started running plumbing for fuel. It's about time to start pulling the engine out of the Nova!
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  #14  
Old 04-24-2020, 05:52 PM
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Looking good, You did remember the seal on the sump tube, right?

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When I die, I want to go peacefully like my grandfather did, in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car.
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Old 04-24-2020, 06:14 PM
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Yes sir, I did. As a matter of fact it was your earlier post about the issue that reminded me to put it in. There was NOT one on there when I pulled the engine apart...

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Looking good, You did remember the seal on the sump tube, right?

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Old 05-02-2020, 12:23 PM
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She's all ready to go... Going to start working on pulling the engine out of the car this weekend, then it's on to cleaning and painting the engine bay. Hopefully in about two weeks or so it'll be all tucked in and ready to purr!
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  #17  
Old 05-03-2020, 07:10 AM
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Thumbs up

Looks tight.

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When I die, I want to go peacefully like my grandfather did, in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car.
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Old 05-07-2020, 11:40 AM
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I guess this is what's called "The Point of No Return"
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  #19  
Old 06-19-2020, 10:21 AM
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After a lot of cuss words and busted knuckles it's finally in the car! Still a lot of work to do to finish the project but it's finally home. More updates to follow...
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Old 06-19-2020, 09:38 PM
gtospieg gtospieg is offline
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Looking good...does it run yet?

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