🔧 BUILD Taws697's 1963 Biscayne Build! the anti-swap. Engine updates on page 5

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After reading the thread on user participation, I decided to start a build thread. I got the car back in 2018 but never made a thread because 1, it’s not a turbo LS or blown coyote and 2, because I move so slowly on it. I may fail miserably, but here we go.......

1963 Chevy Biscayne 2dr post. Laurel green with a fawn interior. Straight 6 with a 3 on the tree. 40,000 mile car completely untouched with plastic covers on the seats. This thing is bare bones. It has 1 option which is a push button radio, nothing else. No side mirrors, single speed wipers, no reverse lights, manual steering and brakes. The original owner down in Kentucky passed and his buddy sold it to me out of the estate. I got the original owners manual, accessory book, dealer ice scraper and even the statement of origin. These are pictures of when I picked it up.

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taws697

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To be honest, the novelty of driving the car around with the straight 6 and 3 speed is starting to wear off. I knew it would, just wasn’t sure how long it would take. So, I’m going to focus on the Powertrain. I ordered up some gaskets, hardware, etc. I matched up a set of Fel-Pro 1205’s to the intake manifold and started gasket matching. I also ground off the Edelbrock Performer RPM letters. I’m hoping to use a needle scaler to re-texturize the aluminum. Has anyone done this before?
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Eagle

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I’ve had millions of powertrain ideas, but my budget won’t let me get real fancy. I decided on a small block, 4 speed, and 9 inch. I came across a 327 out of a 65 Vette. It’s has the factory small journal forged crank, “Pink” LT-1 rods, and .030 over forged flat top pistons with reliefs. Best part is that it was super cheap. I plan to dress it up like a factory 300hp 327, but hope that it makes around 400hp.
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These are the heads that I picked up for it. They are trick flow aluminum “Double Hump” castings. Once painted, I don’t think anyone will know the difference but they should flow pretty well.
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I’m going to run an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold. I plan to grind off the edelbrock lettering and have a hole milled in the front for the oil fill tube.
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:h5:
 

taws697

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My pops has a 64 Vette with an recently rebuilt, original spec solid lifter 327/365, and that engine is a little screamer. Surprised the hell out of me. Lumpy idle, and it rips at high rpm. He takes it higher than my LS auto :rofl:

I believe it. I’ve read a lot about small journal solid lifter 327’s recently. Apparently they held quite the reputation back in the day. I’m going to run a decent sized Lunati Voodoo solid lifter cam. Should be fun with 4.11’s.
 

taws697

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So, here are the results on the intake manifold.
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I was able to re-texturize the aluminum by flipping over 24/36 grit sandpaper and hammering it into the aluminum. It’s not perfect, but hopefully it won’t be noticeable after paint. I also had the machine shop bead blast it after they bored the hole for the oil fill tube. I also picked up a repro fill tube and an NOS ACDelco fill cap.



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I made some progress on the bottom end as well. I decided to install ARP main studs because I wanted to run a vette windage tray. While I was doing that, I decided to plastigauge the main bearings. From what I can tell, the clearances look decent. Maybe even on the tight side for a used shortblock? I’m a newb at this though.

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I also replaced the rear main seal and installed a new melling oil pump.

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At this point I threw in the cam and timing set. I bought a kit from Lunati. Cam, lifters, timing set, valve springs. Ive read that valve spring choice was critical on solid flat tappet cams, so I figured the kit was a safe bet. Here’s the cam specs:

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And the timing set in:

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After that I threw on the timing cover and oil pan. I purchased a fel-pro oil pan gasket without realizing it is universal as far as dipstick location. The extra nub is annoying and I’d like to cut it off. Not sure it’s a good idea though?

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taws697

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I’ve also been accumulating more stuff for the V8/4 speed swap. I originally wanted to run at least an M22 Muncie but dreamed of an M23 Autogear built Muncie. Unfortunately, I didn’t see either one fitting the budget anytime soon. So I picked up this M21 locally. The guy threw in a Hurst Comp plus shifter with it. I opened up the side cover and everything looks pretty good so hopefully I can run it for a while. M21’s are close ratio which should be a decent combo for my planned 4.11’s. Unfortunately they aren’t known for taking a whole lot of beating though.

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While camping out in Amboy last weekend, I stopped at my storage units and grabbed a spare center section for an X-frame rearend.

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I originally thought I would put a 9in. in the car, but it seems like it’s kind of tricky to get pinion angles decent. Plus, I think a 9in will rob a decent amount of power from my little small block. So now I’m going down the path of figuring out how to beef up my stock rear. On 59-64 chevys, only 409 cars had 2 rear upper control arms. So I have to purchase the kit to install the 2nd arm on mine. I’ve also found a replacement posi differential that has 30 spline spiders. 30 spline axles would be quite the upgrade from the stock 17 splines. It was also recommended that I use these bearing girdle caps:

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taws697

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I started working on the heads for the 327. I pulled off the valve springs and opened the valves. Sprayed some dry-chem on the intake ports and traced out the gaskets. Spent a lot of time grinding out aluminum. Hopefully when I bolt on the intake manifold, the ports line up nicely.
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The valve springs that came on the heads had an advertised spring seat height of 1.800”. I measured them at 1.785” which is within spec of +-.020”. The dual valve springs I’m supposed to run called for 1.850” installed seat height. I learned that there’s a such thing as +.050” retainer locks, so I purchased those from Comp. That put me at 1.835”, which should work. (I only installed the outer springs per Lunatis recommendation for solid flat tappet break-in.) Here’s a pic of the different installed heights.
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At this point, I moved onto installing the head. I used a Felpro 1094 head gasket which is a super thin .015” steel shim gasket with a thin rubber coating on it. I used it because my pistons are .025” in the hole and I’m trying to achieve a decent quench around .040”. The problem is these gaskets are not forgiving and require a super smooth block deck which I do not have. So, I coated the gasket with copper spray and I’m hoping for the best. I wanted to check PTV clearance on at least one bank, so I put some modeling clay on cylinder 1 piston and temporarily installed that head.

At that point I needed to measure for pushrod length. I installed a rocker and used the measuring tool I bought. It started out at 7.800 and I wound up unscrewing it 2 turns/.100”. That seemed to get the roller tip contacting the center of the valve stem with an .080” sweep. (The paperwork that came with the Trickflow heads recommended that.)
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After that, I pulled the head to measure the clay. It had gotten kind of messed up because it stuck to the intake valve. The exhaust piece showed that I had plenty of clearance though. The exhaust lobe has more lift on my cam, so I assume the intake should be fine. Plus I think they say .080 on intake and .100 on exhaust. At that point I permanently installed the head, all of the rocker studs, and the pushrod guide plates. Now I’m waiting on some 7.900 pushrods. I have to say, I’m happy that it’s finally looking like an engine. I almost feel bad that I’m painting the heads and intake manifold.
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taws697

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Great work! What’s your process on gasket matching, I am interested in the tools you are using. I’ve never heard of Dry Chem, what exactly is that?
Thanks! I’m not sure that the process I’m using is the most accurate. I just looked at the cab and it’s actually called Dykem, so my bad lol. It’s a tinted layout fluid that I sprayed around the intake ports on the heads and intake manifold. Then I used bolts to clamp the intake manifold gasket to the head. I did my best to center the threaded holes in the gaskets holes. (The gaskets holes were slightly larger.) Then I used a pick to trace the larger gasket ports onto the head. I mainly used a dremel with the little sanding drums. It was tedious for sure. I did the exact same thing on the intake manifold. I’m hoping when I go to install the intake, I can fish a snake camera down in the ports to check alignment
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greasy

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Thanks! I’m not sure that the process I’m using is the most accurate. I just looked at the cab and it’s actually called Dykem, so my bad lol. It’s a tinted layout fluid that I sprayed around the intake ports on the heads and intake manifold. Then I used bolts to clamp the intake manifold gasket to the head. I did my best to center the threaded holes in the gaskets holes. (The gaskets holes were slightly larger.) Then I used a pick to trace the larger gasket ports onto the head. I mainly used a dremel with the little sanding drums. It was tedious for sure. I did the exact same thing on the intake manifold. I’m hoping when I go to install the intake, I can fish a snake camera down in the ports to check alignment View attachment 62689

Great dude! I wish I would have done this on the Hellcat when I had the car apart, maybe it will be a project for me when the winter hits. If you don't have a snake camera they make some pretty inexpensive ones that work with your phone for like $40 off of Amazon. The one I bought works really well.
 
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taws697

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Great dude! I wish I would have done this on the Hellcat when I had the car apart, maybe it will be a project for me when the winter hits. If you don't have a snake camera they make some pretty inexpensive ones that work with your phone for like $40 off of Amazon. The one I bought works really well.
Do you happen to remember which camera you bought?
 

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