AMC 360 . . My first Build

[rejeep]

long time Jeeper.. first time V8'er....
been directed here by some friends and see a few familiar screen names from previous boards…

Finally started my 1973 CJ6 build and Just picked my motor up from the machine shop..

AMC 360 Stock rebuild
Bored 30 over, Sealed Power everything, including stock grind cam.
Balanced and assembled..

waiting on a brown box from our hosts with all my nickel plated doo dads etc....

So here lies some of my questions… I have the motor home now, still in shrink, assembled long block..
This is the first AMC V8 I have done any extensive work on.. built several 4.2 engines, but the V8 configuration has me asking some silly newb questions.

I have read a lot of back and forth as to the best sealing method of the intake and valley pan gasket…
Can I get a chime in as to what works best? I will be using an Edelbrock performer intake manifold.

I purchased a distributor gear set form our hosts along with a timing cover…
Is there any issue with cam walk on these motors? If so any tricks?

From work on I6 motors I have grown to love the 1 piece rubber pan gasket.. I haven’t seen anything like that for the 8’s (and I sell auto parts)
Anything I have missed or do they not exist?

Any recommendations from the peanut gallery as to things that are a must do or must avoid…
I have read through some of the forums and found some answers, but they lead to mostly more questions, sorry if this has all been beat to death.. but let’s face it.. AMC’s are not coming out with any new factory product.. so might as well keep on going over the old stuff, right?

[tufcj]

On the manifold. Stock valley pan (I like Fel-Pro). Coat both sides around the intake ports with spray copper, around the water ports with Ultra Gray RTV. End gaskets dry with just a dab of RTV where they touch the valley pan. Make sure you put the tin oil baffle from the bottom of the factory manifold onto the Performer.

Cam walk isn't a problem unless you're running roller lifters, which you're not. Make sure you have the 2 alignment dowels in the front of the block for proper timing cover alignment.

No one piece pan gaskets. Install cork gaskets dry, you can use a dab of Permatex trim adhesive if you need something to hold it in place. NOT a bead, just a few dots. RTV where the cork gasket meets the rubber end gasket. Put the timing cover on first. Don't over tighten.

Pack the oil pump with assembly lube, then bring up oil pressure with a drill and a priming tool before installing the distributor (Bulltear sells them). When you install the dipstick tube, do it after the pan is in place, and with the dipstick in it. It has a very small hole to go thru in the oil pan baffle, and it's easy to miss, and really difficult to remove the dipstick tube once it's in.

Can't think of anything else. Just ask if you think of anything.

Bob
tufcj

[rejeep]

Bob
tufcj

same Tufcj from the old Jeepboard?

[tufcj]

Yep. Been here almost since MC started the board. I still pop in at the Jeepboard, but it's pretty slow there. I also frequent theamcforum.com and amccars.net

Sold my Jeep nearly 3 years ago. Still have the AMX and am working on a very custom 67 Rambler Rogue that I want to have done for the 2015 Power Tour.

Bob
tufcj

[rejeep]

Taking advantage of the last few 40-50 deg days in Rochester…
got engine masked off and painted last night...

waiting for my new timing cover to get started...

the last engine I have done any serious work on was my Series Land Rover and boy do those guys like Hylomar on everything..
I’m assuming like most American Motors (literally and figuratively) all gaskets go on dry or with some gasket adhesive?
No special tricks for sealing up the timing cover with anything additional?

[tufcj]

Hylomar is good stuff, I've used it. RTV is OK in very sparing amounts on paper or steel gaskets. If used on rubber or cork, the RTV makes the gasket slippery. As soon as you torque the bolt, the gasket will slip out of place.

The motor looks good. Got the positioning dowels in the timing cover? They're important for distributor alignment, the tolerance on the bolts alone isn't tight enough.

Bob
tufcj

[rejeep]

I have a new set of dowels for the timing cover when the real one goes on..
I was planning on just using some spray tack with the timing cover and oil pan.. RTV or Hylomar in the corners..

Depending on if my Bulltear package arrives today I may not get that far and just have the intake to do this weekend…

Still looking into valve cover options as well.. can’t seem to find anything I LOVE.

[tufcj]

My favorites are still the finned aluminum Edelbrock covers. I have a set of those that I bought in the 70s and have moved from car to car over the years. My Rogue is getting a set of the Offenhauser aluminum covers, since it has an Offenhauser dual quad manifold. I have some I have a set of A&R covers, a set that Bulltear used to produce, some tall aluminum ones that 4WD Hardware used to produce, a couple of sets of the welded aluminum covers. I guess you could say I have a fetish.

Bob
tufcj

[rejeep]

Is the stock manifold oil baffle an easy fit on the edelbrock or is this something I will have to work at...

[tufcj]

If you bought the Edelbrock new, it should have come with some small rivets. You'll need to grind or drill the rivets from the stock manifold and rivet it to the new one. I didn't have rivets for the Offenhauser, so I tapped the holes to a #8-32 and used some small screws with Locktite.

Bob
tufcj