Thanks Destroked. Yes, I'm aware of the need to bush the dizzy hole. Yeah, I'm at a crossroads with what distributor to go with, aftermarket wise.

 

I'm in the same boat with my 406, hate to pay MSD's price so looking at some lower cost units or maybe put a stock dura spark in.

 

I would think you could still pick up a Duraspark fairly cheap in a bone yard....

 

FE parts are getting hard to find in bone yards, a couple of years ago when scrap was so high everything got crushed. I seen people scrapping some farm equipment that was better than I use.

 

It is like that here, finally found a yard a couple of hours away that has some bumps and dents now. I went to the petronix and used my old points type distributor. It is still in great shape......

 

I'll probably go with petronix also but use their dist, setting the advance curve on an old ford dist is a pain but doable.

 

Lol, all I did was put in some lighter springs, but mine is just a mean sounding machine....a true 360 with cam, intake and headers. I don't drive it daily so it works well for me.....

 

I'm building a 406 tri par to go in my 64 Fairlane and spending too much money on a street cruiser, but I did learn years ago that a proper timing curve helped overall performance and improved mpg also.
Planning on doing some road trips when it's done so better mpg would help.

 

I think I may end up going with a company that does custom curving and throwing a petronix unit in the stock dizzy. More to come with that subject.

Update: picking up my goodies from the shop tomorrow (machined block, balanced crank, "reconditioned" rods, new KB pistons. The C8AE heads arrived and they look very nice. I ended up getting an Edelbrock intake.
Few things left to have done: bringing the old 391 oil pan and pickup to the shop to be washed & taking a set of finned rocker covers to a polisher to clean them up. I'm bringing the oil cover along to see what the polisher will charge to clean that up too.

Took the old 391 rocker arm shaft assemblies apart to start cleaning and checking. Price of aftermarket rocker assemblies has scared me away, yet I am looking at shaft spacers rather than using springs. Any recommendations? Does any know of where to find "rebuild" kits that would have new heavy duty cotter pins and wavy washers? I noticed one of the end rockers wore through a portion of the wavy washer. I assume the numbers on the rockers are meaningless? At first I thought there were specific intake and exhaust rockers. Beside the block, pan, & rods...looks like the 391 rocker assemblies are of re-use too. EDIT: is it normal for the pedestals to have a tight fit? Assembly question: should I freeze the shafts for the pedestals to slide on?

I have almost all components accounted for with exception to minor valve train stuff, the dizzy, new engine mounts, belts, damper. Still yet to look into flex plate and new torque converter....lastly, headers, but those may wait until everything is running and broken in before going down that road. I have a nasty leaking PS box to consider swapping while the old 360 & tranny are out. This is getting expensive!

Should be getting the block mounted on the stand to look at oiling mods this week (thanks Santa), cleaning, paint work. I notice a number of builders tend to paint the interior of the block to facilitate oil drain back. Seems more like internal "bling" to me, worth the trouble? I'd rather pretty up the outside, granted prettiness does nothing for performance.

Getting giddy.

 

Block is back on the stand, looks so small at this point. I've started cleaning up minor stuff that the shop washer didn't remove. I had the shop install all the plugs for me. The water jacket plugs are a press fit, the oil galley plugs were threaded by a PO.

I was looking at the dizzy bushing (391 bush down) and realized I need to size it well to the dizzy's shaft. Ordered a Petronix brand distributor last night. Also ordered some Harland Sharp rocker shaft spacers.

Oil pan and pickup look brand new after going to the parts washer. Valve and timing covers are at the polisher.

Reviewing over any needed oiling mods the next couple of days.

I suppose I need to figure out how to get photos uploaded.

 

Came to decision point that I could use some opinions on. While prepping for the oil pump to filter modification, I realized the "normal" oil dipstick location is through the same pad. Since I'm planning on re-using the old 391 pan that has the stick in the pan, I have a few options. I'm thinking of plugging the "stick" hole in the block, from the outside and using the pan mounted stick. Any thoughts to fitment using the pan mounted stick versus plugging the pan and using the block mounted? I could run two sticks, seems silly.

Any good suggestions on mounting the stick? The fitment is rather "slip" without much of a seal. Use of Permatex to seal it up?

 

With using the 391 pan you need to plug the hole in the block, the 391 block should have already had a plug in it. The front dip stick will not read correctly for the 391 pan.


Permatex #2 makes a good seal and doesn't get hard and crack over time. It is a slip in fit and most FE power trucks I've seen with that pan had a little wet oily spot where the dip stick tube when in the pan but they never really leaked bad enough to drip oil.

 

Thanks again Destroked. Oddly enough, the block doesn't have a plug in it. I don't recall pulling the plug. Maybe the shop that did the machine work for me removed it because I was thinking the same. I started looking at the hole closely while planning on opening up the pump to filter passage. I noticed the stick hole...checked my spare bock and on the 360 and realized it (the spare through hole) was the "normal" dip stick passage.

Thanks for the vote on Permatex.

I picked up the needed bits to drill the pump to filter passage today. I noticed three of the mains need work as well. I'm surprised how "off-center" the main oil passages are.

Picked up a 3/8" freeze plug today as well.

 

The straight hole by the oil pan rail is easy but be careful on the angled hole because a normal two flute drill bit will try to bite the back side and kick out when you start drilling, I've broke a couple of bits drilling that hole. I've gone to using three flute carbide bits and have a lot less trouble.


Be sure to get Permatex #2 as it's non hardening, Permatex #1 gets hard and will crack and leak over time.

 

I finally had a couple of hours to devote to working on this project this evening.

I managed to enlarge the oil pump to filter holes. Destroked was right, drill want to kick a bit. I found a write up on line about doing this mod and I think I save myself by spending the extra bucks to buy drills in 64th increments to not try biting off too much material at once. It also helped to run a center after each pass to keep the bits aligned.

So, oiling mod 1 of 3 complete. Other two: need to oblong three of the main oiling holes (waiting on dykem to arrive) & install a carb jet into the oiling hole in each head.

Also had a moment to quickly run a brake cylinder hone in the lifter bores to clean them up. Nothing crazy, just wanted to knock of some rust and improve the finish a tad.

QUESTION: I need install the dizzy bushing (391 Block). I noticed the bushing has an oblong milled into a size of the bushing and there is a thru hole when looking through the cam thrust plate bolt hole...I've bugged the gent at DSC if the holes are supposed to line up, I haven't looked hard to see if there is an oil feed into the passage to bring oil to the end of the dizzy shaft. Anyone know off the top of their head? EDIT: did a little reading and realized that yes, there is a hole from the first cam bearing that feeds the dizzy. So, yes the holes need to line up between the bushing and block.

Picked up the valve covers today from the polisher and found a polished timing cover...kind of makes me wonder if I should send the intake manifold back for a "endurashine" one....been told it doesn't match polished aluminum well though.