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[legopnuematic]

You can cut the flange, it might help, depending on how much twist/stress there is.

Looks like you are running a thin header gasket? I’d ditch those and go with either a Remflex graphite gasket or a dead soft aluminum layer gasket. I’ve had good success with both.

 

[hey mister]

I must of missed something, somewhere....or I was lied to...
Everything I ever looked up for this engine said that it had no contacting points in the dizzy...i.e. nothing to replace unless the brain blew up.
Because, when I got the truck, I did, plugs, wires and was gonna do the dizzy cap & guts. Everybody said nothing to replace...it's non contact....even Summit.
If the coil pack is good and the module is good, leave it alone.....Aarrgghhh!

Oh yea...what's with the condenser?....geeze!

Oh well...add it to the list...

 

[legopnuematic]

Yes an HEI distributor doesn’t have any breaker points, rather a magnetic pickup.

Cap and rotor, along with the carbon element are all still consumables/wear items like a points distributor.

Coil, condenser, module, and pickup are still service items, but quality parts (OE, or quality aftermarket) should have a long service life.

From the 79 service manual, 22.5k mile intervals to check the distributor.

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[Sad Sack]

So, I have a question for those who have been there-done this....
The header motor flange is 3/8" SS. As you can see in the picture, cyl 4&6 are leaking. And reardless of the bolts used, the flange gets hot and expands away from the motor....of course it would. And I had been told this is usually an issue.
So here's my ???
If I cut thru the thinner web area between the exhaust ports...i.e. (see red line)... between #2 and #4...and #6 and #8, is those now "free floating" 3 pieces going to behave them selves or twist up even worse?

Thanks.

Wow, never had that problem but I use the OE manifold gaskets or Cometics instead of those paper ones

 

[Hilllbilly]

Look like you got-a big vacuum leak

in the rotor picture

 

[Grit dog]

So, I have a question for those who have been there-done this....
The header motor flange is 3/8" SS. As you can see in the picture, cyl 4&6 are leaking. And reardless of the bolts used, the flange gets hot and expands away from the motor....of course it would. And I had been told this is usually an issue.
So here's my ???
If I cut thru the thinner web area between the exhaust ports...i.e. (see red line)... between #2 and #4...and #6 and #8, is those now "free floating" 3 pieces going to behave them selves or twist up even worse?

Thanks.

I’d say depends what you’ve tried to remedy the issue already. Looks like a little gasket leak that could have been fixed with a new gasket (and better gasket) in about 29 minutes when it started leaking.
You’re also neglecting that your heads have a similar coefficient of thermal expansion and while stainless is slightly more than cast, I don’t think the difference of approximately 1 e-6 between steel and cast iron is causing the issue.
Next time fix it before it turns your valve cover black. They’re headers. They require a little attention sometimes, just like HEI ignitions. They aren’t maintenance free either.

 

[hey mister]

Look like you got-a big vacuum leak

in the rotor picture

Vacuum leaks occur when dismantling...
I think the bigger one is the carb missing....lol

 

[hey mister]

And this just cracks me up....
Ground strap from motor to pass side firewall...
Held on by a 10mm bolt...freaking metric....

It shouldn't surprise me...I had a ford f150 and the bumper bolts were imperial. In fact, most of the frame bolts were imperial. Inside door sticker said made in canada...

 

[Catbox]

go with Remflex

We run these and they work like champs on all the vehicles in the squad.

 

[hey mister]

Ok...
Motor is out and I did it with no help (other than wife mentioned previously).
All by me lonesome I did...
And no bruises or bloody spots.....a tad sore.
I don't even know where to start with the tens unit.

The biggest hang up was the motor mounts. Not because of rust, but because I wasn't sure which mount to take off.
I started at the 1 long bolt, but that required a very high lift to get clear enuf to bring the engine foreward, and off the bell.....fail.
Then I started to unbolt the clam shell, but the 1 bolt was too tough for me to get a wrench on.
So then I said screw-it and took it off at the frame.
Took up the chain tension and made a couple adjustments to the leveler and gave a little tug...out she came.
Fortunately, I had measured the distance I needed to raise the motor clear of the core support. Had 10" to spare.
So with a bit of cipher'n... i started working on it at around 5 pm yesterday and quit at around 8:30. That's 3-1/2°. Started at around 9 this morning and the motor was out by 5:30ish. That's 8-1/2° including lunch and a few breaks and I was in no rush. Took my sweet time. Total is 12°. I don't think that's too bad for a first time, solo yank with a gimp hand. (had major hand sx 14 weeks ago)
Yes, things are better but it's still only about 50% strength. But coming along.
Fred (that's the name I gave it) (Fred Gwynne) stitches reminded me of Herman Munster.

Anywho. None of the bolts have any signs of rust. Zero.
The motor mounts are mush.
The dizzy shaft has a bit of shaft play. Not the end to end play...diameter to diameter fit play. So I'm thinking a total replacement.
The power steering pump I suspect is original. It works fine and I can clean it up and give it a krylon rebuild.
The hoses will be replaced...the ends are all cracked. Alt was new last fall.
So other than gaskets and seals, that should be about it....
Oh...timing chain set....
Speaking of which...I picked up a nice Edelbrock timing cover. But it has no timing marks. What is a po-boy to do? Looks nice anyway..lol

 

[hey mister]

Took a good 8 hours of degreasing to get it clean enuf to approach and not get schmutzed.
Surprisingly there is some factory blue left on the majority of it.
A budfy of mine came over and confirmed my hunch that the intake is leaking oil at the back.
I know one thing, I sure am glad I pulled the motor.
I can't even imagine cleaning that motor while in the truck...or scraping gasket material from the fuel pump mount, timing cover and then the oil pan and intake.
Gads, I would be hating that truck....and being over 65, hating life.
Knowing what I know now, I would gladly buy a brand new engine stand.
Climbing in an engine bay is for the young bucks ..lol

 

[hey mister]

Didn't get much done yesterday...spent time with friends...
But I did find out that my valve stem seals are □ o-rings...there were 3 options.
Took SR 3 tries to get the right ones.
And oh, those are so much fun....
47vyear old O-rings petrified years ago.

 

[Catbox]

Way to go!
I knew you would be able too.

 

[DoubleDingo]

And this just cracks me up....
Ground strap from motor to pass side firewall...
Held on by a 10mm bolt...freaking metric....

It shouldn't surprise me...I had a ford f150 and the bumper bolts were imperial. In fact, most of the frame bolts were imperial. Inside door sticker said made in canada...

My '81 is blend of metric and American sizes.

 

[DoubleDingo]

In 2014, I had done what you did, took the engine out to clean it up and do a re-seal. Rented the cherry-picker and got the engine up high enough to clear the radiator support when it began dropping down. WTH! Luckily I was able to get the engine back down on the frame without breaking anything inside engine compartment. There was no controlling it, it was going down. The jack blew a seal. This was right before the place was going to close for the day. I tried calling them, phone line was busy. Tried again, same. I was furious! Had to grab all the tools without cleaning them, and toss them in the house, hook up the hoist to the hitch and haul butt to the rental place before they closed. The let me take their other one, and didn't charge me, and also let me keep it for two extra days even though I didn't need it that long.