Quick run down the road, 1-2 shift at full throttle 400 w/th400 spun 4 rod bearings (low <20psi oil pressure--I didn't know what it was supposed to have until after).
Rebuilding your own engine at 16 years old. After numerous calls to the machine shop during assembly to get info that was not in the Chiltons book, everything went great until we tried to start it. We eventually figured out that I had aligned the cam using the Rockwell stamp on the gear instead of the correct timing mark, about 30 degrees off. Did you know a V8 will run (poorly) with the cam this far off if you keep about 1/2 throttle and don't get any sparks near the air fuel popping back out of the carb?
Thank God these old motors aren't interference like most new ones. All it cost me was a new timing gasket set and time to take the radiator back out, pull the cover & gears and put it where it should have been.
The second mistake: buying a camaro in pieces while in college and taking it the rest of the way apart without pictures/notes, figuring I could look at the Firebird if I didn't remember how things went. (I haven't tested this yet; it's been apart for 21 years now.)
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Matt T
Pawtucket RI
Waiting restoration:
1970 Formula 400 owned since I was 16, still runs (I think)
1971 Camaro (in pieces)
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