Looking good!

 

It may not run, but it will look good for a few minutes in its life.
When turning the engine over from the front (like cranking on the mounting bolt for the harmonic balancer) which way should it turn? I am asking this as I prepare to install the distributor and want to make sure I get it on the "right" compression stroke. I am guessing it will compress on the exhaust stroke if I am turning the engine the wrong way.

 

The engine rotates the same way as the distributor.
Clockwise.

You can see it in this video: (watch the white printing on the alternator belt at around 1:15)

 

Today, got the engine and transmission back in the truck along with the exhaust system. I was planning to try to put the exhaust in after getting the engine in. Friend suggested getting the exhaust in first. Much better idea.
Had to redo my exhaust studs, again. Realized I was using too large of lock washers (7/16) and not 3/8.
Friend helped with the process of pre-oiling the engine using a drill. I have one leak, so far, and it is a push rod cover. Acquired an new gasket and should resolve that.
Having some trouble with the kick down bracket and rod. It appears that it should work with my stock throttle bracket, but can't figure out if the kickdown bracket can be disassembled.
Still lots of work to go.
Oh, one other near screw up. Forgot to attach the harmonic balancer to the flexplate with 4 nuts and washers. Again my friend, who is a Chevy person noticed my oversight.

 

Do you mean torque converter? The harmonic balancer goes on the other end of the crank.

When you pull your side cover back off to fix your leak, make sure it's flat and has no damage.

 

My mistake on the torque converter. Wrong end of the assembly. Head must have been someplace else.
I will be verifying whether it is the block or the cover prompting the leak. I have a spare pushrod cover ready and painted and a new rubber gasket (don't like the cork ones).

 

The pushrod cover was kind of spread out, looking like I had tightened it down too much. So used the spare cover and the new gasket set and reinstalled last night. Will see if oil is there tonight when I go by and check on it.
I am just tightening down enough to flatten the rubber bolt seals to where they are even with the washer.
Next is to install the remaining bolts for the exhaust system.
May try priming the oil system one more time as well and then start assembling the front to get the radiator support in place.

 

Great build sorry for all the woes. One question if I may. This is a new build right cam bearings and such right? If that is the case did you break the cam in? Generally the engine needs to be run at a specified RPM for about 15 20 minutes or so. Just asking because you did a great job building.

 

Engine has not been started yet. I plan to run it at about 2000 RPM for first 20 minutes.
All new: cam, lifters, crank (from a 300 CID), pistons, etc.
May get to start it this weekend.

 

Sorry saw the video and thought, well hope all goes well with your start and she purrs.

 

Video was from another forum member to show me direction engine turns.
Made a few steps of progress - exhaust system is in place and bolted down;
alternator mounted and mostly hooked up (need radiator support in place to complete);
Starter and ground leads connected;
C4 cooling lines connected at transmission;
hooked up fuel line;
oil pressure sender connected along with cooling system sensor;
reprimed the oil system and finally got rid of leak on push rod cover;
carb installed along with accelerator components.
Realized my alternator belt is too long. Another trip to the store. Can't for the life of me figure out how a kick down bracket provided by another forum member installs. It would need t break apart to work with my existing accelerator bracket. Off to find drawings.
Left to do - install radiator support, hook up both transmission cooler and radiator. Fill transmission and radiator.
Forgot to pull the vacuum line off of the transmission to get another one. It is cut about two inches long and is plugged. Plan to run enough to connect to manifold vacuum.

 

I have a variation, but not the same, of the kickdown linkage illustrated in the attached illustration (7a188 and 7a187) except that mine is a single unit for the portion attached to the manifold. To work with the throttle linkage brackets, it would need to dissasemble. I think mine came from a later model year. It was for a single barrel carb on a 300 six.
Does anyone know where an appropriate unit might be available? I have some ideas on now to make this work, but would be nice to have the correct one.

 

I used a Lokar kickdown cable on a 302/C6 and it worked well. Should be adaptable to a 300.

 

I have the lokar setup as well. Seems to be challenging adapting it to the 1-barrel bracket.

 

Continued to push forward with getting it ready to start - jeez, you guys have built entire cars in the time frame I am taking to just turn the key.
Radiator support "roughly" installed - just four bolts or so;
Modified a radiator hose for the lower (none of the "stock" options would work;
used a flex hose for the top;
started filling radiator and drained it again after leaks at the heater core connection and the heater control valve, repaired those and started refilling again;
put a couple of quarts in the c4 to make sure no leaks show up immediately. Will continue with that this afternoon after work;
went ahead and hooked up power steering lines (nearly forgot the seal on the swivel one that attaches to the pump). Won't have a belt on this as part of the initial startup.
Dislike the drain valve/petcock on the radiator I bought. Grief what a mess it makes trying to drain. If drains down, not out (if that makes sense) so if the opening is pointing up, you get to soak everything else. Spent a lot of time cleaning up that mess.
I believe all I have left to do is - add more ATF, attach voltage regulator, install battery, hook up distributor cap, install hot wire from switch to coil.