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Finally got it running!

1K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  1quik69 
#1 ·
I blew up my old 355 at the end of April and the new 383 is finally in the car without leaks and no apparent problems. I seemed to run into a lot more problems on this build than any other I have done before. I originally thought I could have it back up and running in two months but as it happens it took almost twice that long. I am sad to say that most of the delay is due to my own incompetance but its all worth it in the end to go out and burn the tires off. The following is brief list of things that I hadn't allowed for when I started the project:

- I ended up using 6" h-beam rods and hadn't put much thought into the required clearancing of the block this took a bit of time and an extra trip back to the machine shop for cleaning and cam bearing install
- I was using clevite H series bearings and the clearances were not working out very good so I had to order other sizes and play around to get them where I wanted them, on previous builds I have just dropped them in checked and they were close so I called it good.
- When I was putting the pistons on the rods I installed a couple pistons the wrong way, I then had to order more spiral locks which took about three weeks. The only good news is that this didn't cost much money and the fishing was good in those off weekends.
- I went to drop the pistons in and somehow managed to bend a oil ring (don't ask I don't know how it happened) and had to find a complete set of total seal rings to get the one oil ring out of.
- I finally get it all together drop it in the car and fire it up to see a huge puddle of oil developing under the car. Out it comes and I change the pan gasket to a one piece and drop it back in, fire it up and its still leaking just as bad so I pull it out again and drop in the oil pump primer to see if it leaks under pressure and its pissing out one of the gallery plugs that hadn't been tightened properly, ooops.

Anyway so I dropped it back in did the break in and dropped in the inner valavesprings and took it for a spin last night and pressing that gas pedal makes me forget all about the long wait and numerous screwups. Now to get it to the track to see what it will do!
 
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#3 ·
But three weeks to get spiral locks?

you up in the tundra or what?
I think the pigeon I attached my order to died or something. I ordered them from a local shop who said they could get them in two days and then went on holidays for a week, phoned when I got back and they said "oh, we can't get them and forgot to phone you" so I ordered from Summit which took 10 days, mostly due to the lack of snow for the dogsleigh.
 
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