what are some tips on the tear down process of a 302/351W.

tomorrow im beginning the tearing down of my 84 351W H.O. that i just bought last friday to build to put in my flareside. and i was just wanting to know if there are any tips yall could give?

 

Large ziploc freezer bags so you can bag and label all the bolts and brackets as you take it apart. Take pictures before removing any parts also.

 

im gonna buy all new bolts for the engine. but i may label them anyways just in case cause ya never know.

 

It is always handy to have the old stuff tagged so that you can match up the new stuff.

 

good point.

any tips on removing the heads?

 

If you have it on an engine stand it is all very easy to do. Taking it apart is no big deal,putting it back is the attention to detail part. The torque sequence and torque increments are the critical parts. You do not start at one end and move down the line torquing bolts. Follow the guidelines in the manual or that come with the new parts.

A short piece of pipe that slides over your ratchet or breaker bar can be your best friend.

 

ok. thats what i figured.

I know i can do this but first time gitters are getting to me.

and torque sequence is a obvious thing to do. thats one of the most important parts.

and cheater bar FTMFW!!!!

 

If the rod and main bearing caps are not already marked, get some number stamps and mark them according to orientation and correct cylinder number. If any of these caps are mixed up you will have problems.
When removing/installing the heads, rotate the engine stand so the head is straight up, less chance of it sliding off when you aren't looking. Remove all head bolts except for 2, just back them out a fair amount. Then use a breaker bar handle into an exhaust port as leverage to loosen the head. Be carefull not to contact the valve stem. The 2 remaining loose bolts will prevent the head from falling off unexpectedly.
Use short lenghts of rubber hose to go over the rod bolts as you tap the rod/pistons away from the crank. This will protect the crank from getting scratched by the bolt threads.
Pay special attention to the orientation and length of the water pump bolts. I don't think any 2 are the same. Draw a diagram as you remove them if you need to.
To remove the freeze plugs use a punch and a hammer to drive one side in, then either thread a bolt into the hole in the freeze plug (or grab the lip if it tilts in) and use a pair of channel lock plyers to leverage them out.
Don't wedge anything between any mating gasket surfaces to pry them apart, it will gouge the metal and cause a leak.