350 Head Gasket

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Dave Gantz

Alan:
Could you be more specific as to why you wouldn't advance the cam 6*? I did it using a roller chain from Trick Flow. It adjusts at the crank gear. I didn't use a degree wheeI. I don't like the method of advancing the cam where you drill the cam gear dowel hole and install an offset bushing. Sloppy. It's still on the stand, cover and pan are on. I could change it if need be. I wasn't going to try a cam because I thought at 8500#, anything but the original would give up bottom end. Also, the original chain wasn't really bad, but was defintely retarding.
Main thing is, I need to get this runnning again. I see now, I should've brought this up before I pulled it apart.

Cad: The .028 gasket I'm going to use is a composite. I thought the same thing about a steel gasket. The only reason I pulled the heads is because one was leaking oil at the back. I agree, composite is the way to go.

Rsmith38: I installed a new distributor, the mechanical advance stuff was worn and sloppy. I also limited the mechanical advance, used lighter springs and have an adjustable zacuum can. I never saw much from it. I should fiddle with it more.

If you need to, or gain from, moving a cam 6 degrees, the cam is way wrong. But you're just not going to gain anything from moving the stock cam to 6 degrees advanced. It is already too small to begin with.

I've never used a Trick Flow set. I usually use Cloyes. If there is not obvious heat treating on both sprockets, the sprockets will wear within 5K miles, or less, and you'll be back to slop and slack.

[Dave Gantz]

Thanks Alan.
I wasn't looking at it from a too small perspective, just hoping it might help move the barge.
I wasn't looking for any evidence of heat treating, it looked well made, though.
As I said, it's all buttoned up, so I'll give it a go.

Thanks to all who posted. "Duly noted."