Guest goodwrench952 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 My Auto Technology Class is building a 1965 401. In the process, we lost one valve spring retainer (cap). Does anyone have one they could spare from a junk set of heads? In addition, I noticed one Rocker Shaft Pedestal was cracked. Anyone have on they can donate to the cause? Thanks for any help or advice. Griff Hughes ROA #13598 Automotive Instructor, Livingston High School, NJ. goodwrench2@verizon.net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DualQuadDave Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Hi Griff, I have a rocker pedestal I can donate. I might have the valve spring retainer, also. Let me do a little digging.DQD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky5517 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hey GriffContact me- I live in West Caldwell; maybe we can start up some activity in North Jersey. I bring my car ( 67 Riv, Platinum Mist) to Jim Johnson's on Eisenhower Pkwy on Tuesday nites/ I've seen 2 other Rivs there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest goodwrench952 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hey GriffContact me- I live in West Caldwell; maybe we can start up some activity in North Jersey. I bring my car ( 67 Riv, Platinum Mist) to Jim Johnson's on Eisenhower Pkwy on Tuesday nites/ I've seen 2 other Rivs there.OK, sounds great. I have to get there some Tuesday Night. Griff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest goodwrench952 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Awesome Dave! Let me know how to make the arrangements. I'll gladly pay the shipping. My students don't realize how tough some of the old stuff is to obtain. They relate everything to small block Chevys! lolGriffgoodwrench2@verizon.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Griff,There's a market out there for someone who has the knowledge to rebuild a nailhead who doesn't think "I've built hundreds of Chevies, what could be so different." Lots of things. There are only about three guys (two east coast, one west coast) who are recommended to rebuild nailheads who really know what they're doing. Not to say there aren't others out there who are capable, but there are some nuances that need to be addressed every time one is rebuilt. Hidden oil plugs, clocking of cam bearings, NO hardened seats, and later replacement parts (more modern Buick OEM neoprene instead of rope) to replace the front and rear seals on the crank. Balancing it different, and there are six ways, but only one correct way, to bolt the flex plate to the crank.Good luck and keep those students on their toes.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest goodwrench952 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Griff,There's a market out there for someone who has the knowledge to rebuild a nailhead who doesn't think "I've built hundreds of Chevies, what could be so different." Lots of things. There are only about three guys (two east coast, one west coast) who are recommended to rebuild nailheads who really know what they're doing. Not to say there aren't others out there who are capable, but there are some nuances that need to be addressed every time one is rebuilt. Hidden oil plugs, clocking of cam bearings, NO hardened seats, and later replacement parts (more modern Buick OEM neoprene instead of rope) to replace the front and rear seals on the crank. Balancing it different, and there are six ways, but only one correct way, to bolt the flex plate to the crank.Good luck and keep those students on their toes.EdHi Ed,This is our (my) second rebuild of a Nailhead. The first one is running well in my 63 Riviera and the students built that one with my supervision too. I sponsored that build financially, but had the perk of ending up with the car. I also end up paying for their mistakes with this perk. I have the satisfaction of learning a lot through these projects too, especially the cost difference between Chevy and Buick parts as well as the availability. We have our own Valve shop but didn't mess with the seats due to the research telling us how close they are to the water jackets. put new guides and 16 new valves in it with a 3 angle seat job. I bought the latest nailhead with a Turbo 400 (for that reason) and have been fortunate to have Melling and Federal Mogul donate all of the internal parts. Our problem seems to be in how long these projects take. I have a lot of other units to teach in the curriculum and use these projects as reinforcement and advance projects. So sometimes things disappear into the Devil's Triangle of the auto-zone. Thanks for the advice. By the way, which flex plate has that issue? 63 and back or 64 and up?Griff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 They both do. There are six bolt holes in the flex plate so there are six ways to bolt it on. BUT there's a seventh locating hole that doesn't get a bolt. You have to match that hole in the flex plate with a corresponding hole in the hub of the crank to ensure proper balance. The flex plate and harmonic balancer also need to be attached to the rotating assembly when balancing a nailhead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now