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Just Curious - first engine ?

4004 Views 33 Replies 30 Participants Last post by  cadunkle
What was the first automotive engine you ever totally rebuilt yourself...?

Just curious here as to the vast different models which will show-up.
Especially if it was modified in any way.

Mine was a 170 cubic inch Slant 6 Dodge. Used 392 hemi exhaust valves in the intakes of the 6, Milled that head .090" and had the camshaft reground with Chevrolet V8 "Duntov" #078 F.I. lobes.
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i dont know if any body can top that randy......i'll give it a shot...i overhauled the big as saturn v rocket at nasa one time.... how did i do? ok really it was a 69 351w with bolt ons new bearings rings,hacked ports by yours truly.ran ok comp 282,lost oil press hot,found out rods were egg shape.i was 15 i think.
1970 Ford 302 V8, bored, reground crank and a very very small Speed Pro cam, 4 barrel carburetor etc. The engine is in my '65 Ford and it still runs great.
1941 Willy's Flathead four. Had 4 ring grooves in the pistons, only 3 are used.
'66 390GT. Did it way back in '79. Std bore w/better pistons, small cam and retainers, roller chain, etc (all from Crane Cams). Has had several different heads, intakes, headers on it. Still have it. Needs some work now.
Mine was an iron headed 4V 351-C that I put in my first race car. I never had a hot rod just went straight into bracket racing. It ran 7.30's in the 1/8. I was fortunate enough to live near a guy who did cylinder heads for Bud Moore's Nascar team at the time (late 80's) and got some good deals on parts like titanium valves, springs, and rockers.
mine was a 292 "Y" block ford. did some unusual stuff to it. Used the EBU casting number crank from a 1954 Merc. over bored .185 if I remember properly, used olds oversized pistons with a reground camshaft. Had the 312 big valve heads from an ex police car. I think the candy apple purple paint with all the chrome goodies made the engine faster

sounded like sbc reved like crazy went like stink too.

this was in 1963
i dont know if any body can top that randy......i'll give it a shot...i overhauled the big as saturn v rocket at nasa one time.... how did i do? ok really it was a 69 351w with bolt ons new bearings rings,hacked ports by yours truly.ran ok comp 282,lost oil press hot,found out rods were egg shape.i was 15 i think.
Come on - pretty easy to top a Slant 6, LOL.

It seems that the people here still have their first endeavour into engine rebuilding.
I sold my "Valiant" engine two years later when I installed a 318.
home made 408 stroker. 400 crank,360 rods and 350 pistons. when i was 16 i thought i created something special, until i found out a year later it was an old idea. it had 69 heads with bigger valves and hogged out of course. 10 to 1 comp. victor intake and a big solid roller.

the 5.0 crowd had no idea what hit em:D. only had it for a year, i spent more in gas than i did building it:eek:. and i still miss it.
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1st engine

Ford straight 6 for a open wheel modified. I had to do it twice since I screwed it up the 1st time. Used a Schneider racing cam, a modfied Weiand intake and a Holley 2 barrel carb.

Clay
another willys four. but considering it was in north africa with all the suppliers speaking french morrocan it was no small undertaking. lol. bobn
292 Y-block for my 57 Ford. Built a few Y-blocks after that one.
180,000 mile 327 in my 1965 Elcamino, I was only 15 and had very little money. I remember staring at the Jc Wittney catalog looking at the complete overhaul kits the standerd kit was about $125.00 the premium kit was $175.00 I had to settle for the cheapest one and could not afford any machine work. Boy did it smoke, went through a quart of straight 40 wt in 300 miles,but I drove it with pride all summer of 1978. I sure wish I had that old truck back.
352 in my 66 mercury M350. My old tow rig. Nothing special whatsoever, just stock rebuild.
1942 FORD flathead. 59L block from a bone yard was a gift from my dad on my 15th birthday. We went to the yard together and picked it up from a pile. BTW, that was in 1953, hopped it up (bore, stroke, big valves. port & relieved, heads, cam, ignition, 2 carb manifold with Holley 94's) stuffed it in mt 1940 FORD convertible on Christmas vacation 1954. Quickest car in town...at that time.:)
1978 Chrysler 400 bigblock I had the crank turned, resized rods, bored .030 over keith black pistons then put it all together installed a crane came remember it was in the .511 lift area cant remember the rest of the specs (was 18years ago) put a set of 906 casting heads on it off a 1968 383 aluminum offenhauser intake and a tricked out quadrajet :) was good on fuel and hauled a$$ for what it was
In 1955 I built a 315' flathead and put it in a 34 Ford coupe.It was fast but George Montgomery's Cameno tow truck could outrun me.
It's funny how Randy mentions a Slant 6 engine. I've been doing this sort of work for over 20 years and I've only ever rebuilt ONE Slant 6.
thats cause they were so durable :D
Had a couple of demo cars with them. They did well.
One was a 67 polara w/slant 6, auto(slipping) manual steering and brakes....real handful to demo let me tell you.
My first total rebuild on a engine was a 12hp kohler for our garden tractor when I was 14.The first complete rebuild on a Automotive engine was on a low rise 427 for my 57 Ford. Everything was new (Parts)except the rings.Did'nt have enough money for new ones. I bought the engine w/spun rod bearing. Had the crank turned,and had a valve job done.Ran 12.05 w/single 4 and a 4.57gear w/4 speed back in "72". I sure was proud of me:eek::)
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