Little Big Chief - Part II: Assembling The Long-Block - Pontiac Tech

The crankshaft was gently laid in place and spun by hand to make sure it was fully nested before the main caps were installed. They were tightened first with a ratchet, then to final tension with a torque wrench. The rear cap was torqued to 120 lb-ft and the others to 95 lb-ft

A neoprene B.O.P. rear main seal was used because installation is easier and sealing is better than the rope seal, according to Craig Wise. What can't be seen is the silicone sealant used to fill the holes in the cap that normally secures a rope seal when the final torque is applied. If the holes aren't filled with silicone sealant, there's a very good possibility the rear main seal will leak.

With the main caps fully tightened, a dial indicator was placed on the crank snout to confirm freeplay (0.008-inch)

Craig likes to spray the piston ring package with WD-40 prior to assembly because he feels it's a good lubricant that burns off quickly and leaves no residue. The piston skirts were generously lubricated with the lightweight motor oil as shown to ease installation. Rod bearings were also lubricated.

A tapered piston ring compressor was used to install each slug into its bore.

Rod caps were then tightened to specification (45 lb-ft), and side clearance was checked (0.018)

The mild 218/224-deg Comp cam was well coated with the company's Break-In lubricant before being slid into the block. Bob and Craig Wise went with the basic flat-tappet hydraulic not only for cost reasons, but also because a roller or solid cam is not needed at this power level. This particular grind was chosen because Jason Korb wanted to maintain high idle quality, vacuum, and driveability with a moderate power increase.

New hardware was used to secure the thrust plate for the camshaft and was torqued to 10 lb-ft

With the degree wheel and dial indicator mounted, the camshaft was installed at an intake centerline of 106 degrees-the specification that Comp Cams called for.

Flat-tappet hydraulic Comp Cams valve lifters were lubricated and dropped into the lifter bores.

The fuel pump eccentric was coated with a wheel bearing grease to ensure lubrication on initial start-up, as it takes some time for oil to get there.

So the pickup could be positioned properly, the oil pump was trial-fitted to the block. Since an aftermarket Milodon oil pan was used, Craig measured the height of the pickup from the pan rail. This dimension was then checked on the new oil pan to make sure the pickup would sit in the proper location. It worked out to be 1/4-inch from the bottom, just what was desired. With the oil system preassembled and everything checked, the oil pump was removed and the pickup welded into place. Then the pump was reinstalled and torqued to 45 lb-ft.