new member, from Pa. 1958 348cid

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Harvey Thompson

Member
Thanks Dan, @Phil, yeah I've loved 348's/409's since I was a kid, I wrenched for about 35 years, always been a motor head!! just can't do it for a living anymore, my body is too beat up to keep up!!! closed my shop got into a big truck for a living and kept a lift and all my tool's, now it's kind of fun again to "play", [hence "the bug"] with my toy's.
 
k9hotrodder409

k9hotrodder409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 15
Welcome to the site Harvey .:clap Great group here:hug and lots of info on the "W" engine. Enjoy the ride.

:crazy:dance:cheers
 
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Harvey Thompson

Member
I am building a project with a 1958 348cid {it's going to be a nostalgic driver with the WOW! factor}and I'm having some valve train issues with a newly rebuild. I have built one of these before and didn't have to address any of these issues. Let me give you some history on the motor I have, I found it in a trailer in a guy's yard. he said it was sitting there for about 21 years! It was covered with a pick-up cap, and was all assembled. Bought it and took it home, I had it freed up in about 20 minutes, I was so surprised!!! Opened it up to check all the casting #'s and it seems to be a virgin motor! Stock bore, no ridge/wear, very little to no rust, all factory parts and #'s. took it to the machine shop and had it cleaned to get started rebuilding it.
 
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Harvey Thompson

Member
ok, thanks everyone, I'll be back on a little later, just got my new push rods from Show Cars and want to go assemble this and see if I can get it running to move it to the other bay and off my lift, later
 
348stroker

348stroker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Welcome Harvey, this site has a great group of guys. I'm not far from you, over near Alburtis.
 
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Harvey Thompson

Member
can anyone give me some input on the hydraulic valve train on my 1958 348? had tore it down about 3-4 years ago and rebuilt this motor. had some domestic issues to deal with and now got back to it. I put an isky cam, lifters, valve springs and push rods in it, when I ordered the parts the tech told me it's a mild cam, which is all I wanted. he also told me everything should be "matched up" to work well together with all stock components ... heads, intake, ect. with no machining, I think it was a kit I had gotten. I had went out and primed the oiling system on and off over the years but never stated it up. I have an electronic (small dist cap) distributer (for a 348/409 for oiling issues), new timing chain and gears from show cars. motor is all basically stock. when I had the heads done I'm almost positive I had them put new valve guides in and installed the new valve springs when they cleaned and did the valve job. I finally got it running this week, sounded great when I first started it for about 20 min, to break the cam in. shut it down, checked for leaks ect. it had about 30-40psi oil pressure. went to restart it, it started and all at once it started popping through the carb. I shut it down, pulled the valve covers off and on the right bank, 4-5 rockers had hopped off? further checking lead me to the pressed in studs were pulling up? called isky about the cam again and they said the lift on this cam should not of done that? I installed screw in studs on that side, by the way the left side was fine. I know the exhaust push rods are the longer ones and they were all right. had it running again, sounded great! took it to about 2000-2500 to check total advance on the timing, started popping again? pulled the rocker boxes off again, bent push rods? ordered new push rods, installed them. same thing all over again, but now it looks like the nuts on the rockers are backing off on me. going to order new rockers, pivots and nuts I found @ summit racing that I like. I think after that, the valve train should be a lot more reliable .. just not sure. I also discovered the cam shaft seems to "walk" way too much. is there a thrust plate or shim available to eliminate the excesses travel? it seems to be a lot, when I look in the tappet valley the lifters were only riding on about 3/4's of the lobe? I put a pri-bar on it and it moved to where it looks like it should be, but that's a lot of travel! a lot of bs, but a labor of love for these motors, I don't give up that easy!!! thks
 
Ronnie Russell

Ronnie Russell

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Harvey, Have you got the specs. on the cam? The stock pistons will not accept much cam duration. You could possibly have valves hitting the pistons.
 
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