Back Yard 440 Build On A Budget (Hopefully)

[bobs66440]

I've decided to document all the ups and downs and ins n' outs of my first engine build so those of you thinking about doing this may avoid the mistakes I have, and will, make.

While the current 440 runs ok (albeit very tired) it uses a remarkable amount of oil; 1 qt. per 200 miles. I tried changing the valve seals and intake gaskets, both of which were doing nothing to contain oil in the engine. No difference whatsoever. Must be the rings I figured.


So the next plan was to try to rebuild the engine. Or more accurately, have the engine rebuilt on a budget by a local builder. He assured me that I could get mine running like new for around $3000-$3500, but that would be a basically stock 440. The good news is that he had a dyno and he would break it in and dyno it for me for an additional fee. This was music to my ears as hearing all the horror stories about engine break-in terrified me. 

Then, one day I was looking through Craigslist and found an ad for a "fresh" rebuilt 440 for sale nearby for $1800! Carb to pan! Wow, this is a miracle! When I went to look at it, the owner (for my purposes, I like to refer to him as the perpetrator) assured me that this was a 400hp drop-in-and-go affair. We struck a deal and loaded the beast into the back of my truck. I drove home giggling like a giddy school girl. Nice huh?




Since this is an attempted budget build, I will try to keep a running tally.

Spent so far  $1800.

[bobs66440]

The next few days were the beginning of my enlightenment. First, I found no matter how smart you think you are, you are never too old to be fooled by a good salesman. And every cliche along the lines of "If it sounds too good to be true..." came rushing to the surface and smacked me in the face. In other words, with some help from members on Moparts, DC.com and here, I quickly learned that this motor was, at best, a good rebuilt bottom end with heads taken directly from the scrap heap and installed in haste as to feign a run-ready motor. Most of the valve train and hardware was scrap also. I tried calling the perpetrator to ask why he sold me a bill of goods but he did not answer his phone (shocker). As I dug deeper though, it was apparent that the bottom end was put together with care and seemed to be done well. After speaking to some of my more knowledgeable buddys, it seemed that while I may have been duped, I could still sell some parts off the motor and end up with a pretty nice short block with all new parts for less than the machine work alone would have cost on the original engine. And I would still have my running engine in case anything went wrong.


Spent so far (after selling spare parts)  $1400.

[bobs66440]

It turned out the 906 heads were basically good for cores only.



There was way too much preload on the lifters because the valves were sunk way into the seats ("the heads have only one year on them" yeah right...). It probably wouldn't have even run the way it was.



There was a huge difference in the valve stem heights.



Good thing I took it apart. This big nut was sitting right there waiting to drop into the works and tear up my new motor.

[bobs66440]

I took the engine almost completely apart and checked clearances, bolt torques and basically checked it all over. Everything checked out good.


I decided to degree the cam and double check all the specs. I fabricated a piston stop out of aluminum angle and a lifter extension for the dial indicator out of an old brake line and washer.





Here's the specs...


This is what I came up with:
Int open - 1* BTDC = 2* retarded
Int close - 41* ABDC = ON SPEC

Exh open - 54* BBDC =  2* retarded
Exh close - 2* BTDC = ON SPEC

Lobe centerline - Int 109* ATDC = ON SPEC
Lobe centerline - Exh 120* BTDC = 1* advanced

I decided with some trusted advice that it was close enough for my purposes. Though the crank sprocket has provisions for 4 degree advance or retard. I may do some more research to see if advancing the cam will be a benefit.

[bobs66440]

The main issue with this engine build, as I would eventually understand it, is that he used flat top pistons on a stock deck height block. The problem is that the pistons are .085" in the hole (below deck) at TDC and therefore can not take advantage of quench (getting the top of the piston to within .040" of the head surface, which creates turbulence (good burn) and allows the use of pump gas in a high compression engine.


The other issue is the cam. It's a good low end torque grind, but the spec calls for a minimum of 9.5:1 compression. I gathered all the info regarding combustion chamber volume on different heads, 906/516/452, and ran them through the compression ratio calculator. The 906 heads that were on the motor have 79cc heads, which will get me in the ballpark, but they were in need of a complete rebuild which would cost $600-$700 locally. This was above the price range of new cast iron Aeroheads which are rebuilt castings, but with the bigger valves. So, might as well do that huh? Well, the price on those heads had since gone up and to get them to me would be close to $1000! About the same price as 440 Source aluminum Stealth heads.

[bobs66440]

So, after some soul searching, yes, I decided that the Stealth heads would give me the best bang for the buck. I had to get new head bolts also. The bill with shipping was about $1150. A little pricey for a budget build, but I figured that it wasn't too bad considering what I was getting.






They are actually pretty nice for the money. Stainless steel valves, Comp valve locks. 130 lb. springs. Perfect for my cam.

They are advertised as having 80cc chambers, so that would put me on the money with the compression ratio (9.6:1)I was looking for if I used the .020" steel shim head gaskets I have hanging on my wall. And because the gaskets came with the car, they're free! Life is good!

Spent so far -  $2250

[bobs66440]

Well, it was good until I found out you can't use steel shim gaskets with aluminum heads.  I have to use the .040 composite gaskets. That knocked the compression ratio down to 9.25:1. Not great, but do-able.

Then I decided to cc the heads just for fun. Much to my dismay, they aren't 80cc, they are 82cc! 

Well, that drops it to 9.1:1! Not good.

Then I found out about a company named Cometic that makes multi-layer stainless steel gaskets that can be used with aluminum heads. And they are offered in .027". .That bumps it back up to 9.35:1. Still not optimal, but much better. I was assured that there will be no significant difference between 9.35:1 and 9.5:1. The bad news is they are $170/pair! 

Spent so far - $2420.

[bobs66440]

Another innovative trick that was apparently left out of the engine building handbook is to use a shock washer in place of the correct cam bolt washer. I ordered the correct bolt & washer.

I'll say it again...good thing I took it apart   



Spent so far $2448

[bobs66440]

Unfortunately, after looking closely at the rockers, it was apparent they were also scrap. I mean, the holes that the shaft goes through aren't even round anymore lol! There was about 1/8" slop. Really bad.


Fortunately I was able to scare up a really nice set of used ones from my buddy...FREE!! I like that price! It adds nothing to the tally!    

[bobs66440]

I got my headers in the other day. Hedman Shortys. They look pretty nice though I'll have to strip and paint them with hi-temp paint



I bolted them to the heads to check the spark plug clearance as I've seen so many that make access to the plugs a nightmare. For the exception of one, there seems to be plenty of room compared to others I've seen. I called Hedman and asked if dimpling the one tube for clearance will affect anything. He said as long as it's not like half collapsed, it will be fine.





This one I may have to clearance a bit.

[bobs66440]

I mocked the head & header up to get a feel for the clearance as discussed. They really do tuck under quite nicely.





At first I couldn't understand why they require a change to a mini starter, but now I see. It might be wise to get a heat shield.

[bobs66440]

I got the new Cometic .027" thick head gaskets. They are just 3 layers of very thin coated stainless gaskets riveted together. Hopefully they work well. They've gotten good reviews, so we'll see.

[bobs66440]

I was disassembling and checking the lifters and I found that some are different. The short one measures 1.850" and the tall one measures 1.90". As you can see, they are completely different looking from the side. I looked at the ones on Summit and they don't give a height spec, only diameter (.904"). I measured the plunger height and they are exactly the same measurement from the base of the lifter to where the push rod sits.  The oil hole height is .050" different, but since it goes up and down in the bore, it shouldn't matter. The tall one is stamped "Johnson HT 2011" which I found on Summit and application is for this (and many other) motors and are sold separately. Maybe he was missing a few and just got replacements.

In the end, I decided to just get new ones from Comp. Just to be safe... 

[bobs66440]

After all the bad stuff I am finding with this motor, I decided to check all the main & rod bearing clearances with plastigage. It isn't as accurate as a micrometer/bore gauge, but it's supposedly within .0005", so that's close enough to get an idea of how it was put together.

This is what I came up with:

Mains
.0020
.0019
.0017
.0019
.0018

Rods
.0017
.0018
.0020
.0020
.0018
.0021
.0020

It's a little difficult to get an exact (to the ten-thousandths) reading because the lines on the paper aren't broken down that far, so it's really a best guess. I did it with the red and green and the red tended to read the same or a little higher than the green. For instance, I did one with the green and it read .0016. I double checked it with the red and it read .0020. So, who knows which is accurate.

These are a little tight compared to what I have read is optimal (.0025-.0027) but I understand that the plastigage tends to read a little on the low side compared to a micrometer/bore gauge. I called Clevite tech and he said it's well within the spec window. For the 440, he showed a huge acceptable range, for example, one I remember is for the mains which was .0008-.0030!

So, this is good news and I can move on to the valve train.

[Chryco Psycho]

Cometic is the best gasket to use with alum heads .They work great & allow for the different expansion rates of the iron & alum .
Good thing you tore the engine down !!

[bobs66440]

Cometic is the best gasket to use with alum heads .They work great & allow for the different expansion rates of the iron & alum .
Good thing you tore the engine down !!

You betcha!

[bobs66440]

I sandblasted then painted the headers. Hopefully they will hold up.





...and installed the new rear main seal...

[bobs66440]

I scored a nice 402 oil pan from ebay. Really nice shape with a perfect original pickup tube and windage tray.




I installed the pickup in the motor and adjusted it so it just touches the bottom of the pan as the FSM calls for.

[bobs66440]

I bought a new Std volume oil pump from Autozone. I went to install it today and there was no gasket or o-ring. And, of course there wasn't one in the gasket kit!! It turns out that no-one includes this in the gasket kits. Why??? Makes no sense!

[bobs66440]

I installed the new rear main seal using this set up from the FelPro gasket kit for the side seals. It consists of two pipe cleaners that you are supposed to dip in water. First, you fill the side cavities of the retainer with silicone, then push the wet pipe cleaners into the slot. It's supposed to cure the silicone since it requires moisture (never knew this). The first time I installed this, I just filled the cavities with silicone and nothing else. A week later, it was still as wet as the day I did it. So, maybe they know what they're talking about? I hope so, I don't want to pull it apart again...especially when it's in the car...   

[bobs66440]

I recently learned about cam operation and static compression ratio (SCR) as opposed to dynamic compression ratio (DCR).

At first I was using the specs from my engine on this calculator which uses the @.050 specs:
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/comprAdvHD.htm
and I was coming up with a surprisingly high 8.53:1 (considering my lowish SCR and cam)which is borderline for comfortably running on pump gas.
But there was a lot of contention on Moparts about whether to use the @.050 specs or the seat to seat specs.

Then I used the one listed "DCR Calculator with VB6 Runtime" files at the bottom of the page on this site.
http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/DynamicCR.html

It calculates dynamic stroke length, cam timing / overlap and static and dynamic compression, but it uses seat to seat (advertised) timing and I think it's more in line with reality. There, I came up with a more believable 7.13:1 which will be more pump gas friendly.

Frankly, I'm not 100% sure which is accurate, but in any case I should be ok on pump gas.


Engine Specs:

Heads 82cc
bore 4.35
deck .085
piston (flat top) 0cc
stroke 3.75
gasket .027
gasket bore 4.38
Static CR 9.35:1




Here's the actual info after degreeing the cam:

Int open - 1* BTDC
Int close - 41* ABDC

Exh open - 54* BBDC
Exh close - 2* BTDC

Lobe centerline - Int 109* ATDC
Lobe centerline - Exh 120* BTD

[justcruisin]

Using your second choice - the Pat Kelly DCR formula my 440 works out to 8.14, the engine runs fine on 91.

[Musicman]

  It's time for your reality check again. 

[Chryco Psycho]

Well that is weird or new , every FelPro gasket kit I have purchased has had the oil pump oil ring & gasket & the pump usually does as well so I end up with extras .
I do not understand what was wrong with the fiber inserts for the sides of the rear main seal , I far prefered that to these pipe cleaner pieces .
Are you going to dimple the #5 pipe near the spark plug it looks close .

[Challenger340]

Oil Pump O-Ring and Gasket should be WITH the new Pump, and in the Fel-Pro Gasket Set like Neil said...very weird !

Pipe Cleaners for side seals
I just silicone them and leave them empty ?

[bobs66440]

Pipe Cleaners for side seals
I just silicone them and leave them empty ?

I thought it was very strange also. But after doing some research, it turns out that many people have done it with good results.  


I spent the better part of a day trying to figure out what length push rods I need. What a tedious and time consuming job.

With the rocker shafts all torqued down, I ended up with .113" preload on the lifters with the stock 9.31" pushrods, which is way too much. It should be between .020-.060". I don't know why it's so far off. The Stealth heads are supposed to be stock dimensions and the deck has not been cut. I measured two different ways to double check myself but it always comes out the same. I am using thinner than normal (.027") head gaskets, but that only accounts for .013" or so.

I'll be on the phone with Smith Bros. to order up some custom length rods. 9.23" long should get me around .033" preload. The next build will have adjustable rocker arms. Much less hassle

[bobs66440]

Well, I got the custom pushrods from Smith Bros and they look nice. I put it all together and the preload was still a little too much but not bad. It ranged from .053-.075". Comp calls for .040-.060". They said I can use some shims under the rocker shafts, so I ordered some .015" ones from Mancini to get me right in the ballpark. I was just going to slap it together without going through the measurement process, but I figured I'd better just in case. Good thing I did. Now it has zero preload! I don't get it. I carefully measured for the pushrod length and it was still too much, and now the .015 shims somehow negates over .050" preload? So I took them out and measured again and now they are in spec...all the ones I measured were around .053" so screw it, I put it together. Done. I used exactly the same procedure to measure, but somehow it's inconsistent.

The Mopar rocker shaft setup is generally a good design, but with non-adjustable rocker arms, it's a major pita! The stock Chevy design is much better IMO. Turn the nut to zero lash, crank 3/4 turn down and go on with your life.




I learned this trick from my buddy. Put a piece of coat hanger across the head to hold the pushrods in place until you get the rocker arms installed.

[bobs66440]

I was warned that there may be a pushrod clearance issue around the intake ports with the Stealth heads, but mine were a-ok.

[bobs66440]

Time for a budget update

Last update: $2448 (incl headers, gasket set, head gaskets etc.)

Items purchased since:
Spark Plugs - $17
Std Volume Oil Pump - $35
Oil Pan - $90
Starter - $75
Lifters - $100
Pushrods - $128
Fuel Pump - $30
Power Steering Bracket - $60
18" Fan - $25
Rocker Shaft Shims - $13
Misc Oil, Paint, Sealers, etc. - $150

Total so far: $3171

Barring any major catastrophes, that should be about it. I should have just about everything else to finish. The only thing I may have to change is the pulley setup. I'm not sure at this point. If I do, I will need a deep water pump pulley. We'll see.

It's definitely costing more than I had hoped, but I don't think it's too bad considering what I will (hopefully) end up with. 

[bobs66440]

I have the car up in the air and the motor ready to pull out. I just have to unbolt the engine and trans mounts and she's outta there.



Since there was no safe place to store the hood in the garage, the wife let me use the pool table as a temporary prop. lol.


I drilled some holes in the windage tray to help the oil drain back better and installed the oil pan.



Also installed the timing cover, oil pump & water pump. It's just about ready to paint now. I just have to prime the aluminum heads with self etching primer. I'm going to be a little different and use Chrysler red. You can see the shade on the water pump, which I painted before I installed it.

What do you think of my new valve covers? Just the right amount of tackiness with that GOT-EM-FOR-A-BUCK-AT-A-YARD-SALE look, don't you think?


LOL! KIDDING! I got those with the car. I'm going to use them to cover the valve train while painting.
Tacky!

[bobs66440]

My buddy came to help pull the engine. We were able to take the engine & trans all in one shot pretty easily, which is the way I prefer to do it. I used one of those load levelers and it worked ok, but it was a bear to turn the handle when the load was on it. I greased it up then it worked great!

[bobs66440]

I plan to replace the clutch and was hoping to be able to resurface the flywheel, but I found a crack.



I took a chance and dropped the flywheel off to get resurfaced and it came out beautiful! No more cracks at all...and it was only $37.

I also brought the transmission to a trusted shop to get rebuilt. It would always drop out of first gear and get stuck between 1st and 2nd.  Very inconvenient when you're sitting in traffic at a light and you can't pull away. The bad news is it will be about $800 to go though it. THAT was not in the budget.

[bobs66440]

I installed the intake. There's a lot of red, but I think once I get all the accessories installed, it should tone it down a bit.

[bobs66440]

My car was converted at some point from a 318/auto to a 440/4speed. When they did it, they decided to bolt the z-bar mount to the inner fender well instead of welding in the proper bracket. As a result, the clutch didn't work properly and eventually the mount broke. I figured there's no better time to do it than now while the engine is out.

I had the wire speed on the welder too fast at first so it was too cold. I had it set better for the second half. Not my prettiest welding job but it will hold up.

[bobs66440]

I also got the new Centerforce clutch in. This should work much better than the stock-type unit. I'm just waiting for the trans to be rebuilt and the throwout bearing to arrive.



I had the trans rebuilt an I had to order a new throw-out bearing.

I ended up ordering a new (reman) steering box too. Mine was leaking pretty bad and it turned out to be an internal o-ring. I started to take it apart, but quickly learned that I was getting in a little too deep and just bolting in a new one would be a better idea (I have learned which battles to fight and which ones to run away from lol). That should be here Tuesday. In the meantime I'm going to paint the engine compartment (already degreased it) and get all the wiring and plumbing neatened up.

[bobs66440]

I got the engine compartment cleaned up and the new steering box installed. Ready to receive the new engine.

[bobs66440]

I was also able to get the clutch, transmission, headers & starter installed, so she's ready to drop in tomorrow. My buddy is coming over to help. hopefully, it will go smoothly.





The starter fits very well and there seems to be plenty of room for the exhaust. Hopefully, it will clear the steering box.

[bobs66440]

We got the engine installed today. It took a little longer than I had hoped because one of the motor mounts was giving us trouble and there was a clearance issue with the driver's side header to the steering box and steering column.






It wasn't actually touching, but it was so close that I felt it necessary to dimple the header in those places. Now there's plenty of clearance.




The Z-bar bracket I welded in was perfectly placed and the Z-bar lined up great. Big relief! The clutch adjusted very easily and is real easy to push. Gotta love the Centerforce!


Plenty of room on the passenger's side to get to the plugs, etc.


Sitting pretty. can't wait to get it started. I need to hook up the exhaust and all the accessories next.

[bobs66440]

It should be ready for blast off soon. I hooked up the exhaust, starter, filled the trans fluid and installed the alternator. I still have to install the carbs, radiator, battery and throttle bracket, then it should ready to fire (after priming the oil pump one more time). I'm not going to install the power steering pump, shifter or the drive shaft yet just in case it all goes bad.

I am very excited...and scared to death. The break-in has me pretty spooked. I triple checked everything but I'm afraid it may explode on the launch pad. I took every precaution and analyzed the whole procedure to death. Hopefully it will go off without a hitch. I REALLY don't want to do this a second time...with this engine anyway.

I'm using the Brad Penn 30wt break-in oil with a bottle of the Comp Cams break-in lube additive. The heads have single valve springs (with damper) 130lb closed seat pressure / 330lbs open @ .600. 440 Source says that most of the springs actually measure less. I called Summit Tech and asked about my cam  (.465/.488) with those springs and they said it will be fine...but I'm not so sure. I've read about wiped lobes with that seat pressure.

[bobs66440]

  

The cam break in went perfectly! It started right up after cranking a few times and immediately ran it up to 1800-2200rpm and kept it there, varying it up and down for about 30 minutes (that was a LONG 30 minutes!). I was shocked how smooth it ran immediately and didn't skip a beat the whole time. I set the total timing at about 34* and initial is 10-12*. I ran it with straight water and no thermostat. I also had a box fan blowing into the grill. The temp stayed very cool for about the first 15 minutes, then it slowly creeped up to 195, almost 200. At that point I misted the rad with a garden hose and that brought it right down.  The oil pressure stayed at 50 cold and 45 hot.

I let it cool, pulled all the spark plugs and they looked real good. Then changed the oil and filter, double checked everything and ran it a little more...idle, mid-range, blipping. It seems very responsive and sounds great out of the exhaust.

The amazing thing is that there are NO leaks at all! Even the valve covers were dry! Amazing!

The cam sounds a bit choppy but not real radical. I can't wait to road test it. I have to drain the water and add coolant & thermostat, connect the drive shaft, tighten the steering linkage and steering column, install power steering pump and get all the plug wires & hoses routed neatly. Also install the shifter.



The mechanical auxiliary gauges I had tie wrapped to the antenna lol.

[bobs66440]

I took the car out for the first test drive. It ran perfect! I drove it for about a half hour and it stayed cool the whole time, around 180-185. Oil pressure was good also. No bad noises or leaks. The clutch worked very well, but grabs very high in the pedal travel. I think that's normal for a Centerforce. I seem to remember that in my Vette.

The only issues I have are the shifter (Hurst Comp Plus) and the alternator belt squealing. It took about 2 hours of cursing and swearing to get the stupid shifter to shift smoothly. I thought I had it, then during the drive, I slowly lost the ability to shift to 1st, 3rd and reverse. I'm not sure if the shifter is bad (it's fairly new, but never really worked well) or the linkage is screwed up or what. I have new bushings in there so I know that's not it. I think the rectangular holes in the arms that bolt to the trans are worn and loosen up and move around.

Also, I have been chasing this nasty alternator belt squeal ever since I got the car. I put new belts on, tightened them properly, used belt dressing, scuffed up the pulley, checked alignment and where the belt rides in the pulley...nothing works. It just squeals like mad above 2500 rpm no matter what I do. The belt dressing quiets it down between 2500-3000rpm for a bit, but then just comes right back after a few minutes. Very annoying. Next step is to replace the alternator.

Also, I really don't like the way the new steering box feels. It's a little vague, especially turning right just off center. And the steering wheel is not centered any more, so I have to adjust the tie rods.

Other than that, all in all, I would say it was a success (so far).

[bobs66440]

I ordered a new shifter from Brewer's and installed it. It works perfectly! What a relief!

I went to Autozone to get a new alternator yesterday. While I was there, I drove the poor kid behind the counter crazy looking at all kinds of belts. I found one slightly narrower than the one I had and installed it with the old alternator. The squealing seems to be fixed. I ran it for quite a while yesterday with no noise. Hopefully it will stay that way. We'll see.

[bobs66440]

Are you going to dimple the #5 pipe near the spark plug it looks close .

I decided not to. It is very close with the boot installed, but I've driven the car about 100 miles and so far no problems. I'm using the silicone MSD wires though, which are pretty resilient to heat. A cheaper wire may have a problem.

[Chryco Psycho]

The rocker shaft shims lift the whole shaft so there is extra clearance on both the valve tip & the pushrod side , a small shim adds up to more then the thickness of the shim .
Obviously you did all this over a few months & are just posting all at once or you have the fastest parts delivery connection on the planet !!
I have not had good results with C force clutches , They have a weird feel to them ,nothing for a long while then a rapid engagement , & I have seen too many come apart to use them , I hope you have decent results with yours . I use Mcleod clutches & not diaphragm style in all my builds .
Enjoy  

[440]

My clutch also engages near the top of the pedal travel which is annoying. I think it is a centerforce as well.

[GPULLER]

Felt like I was caught in a time warp for a second! 

[mopar0166]

what is the intake you used, i have only seen a eddy performer dual quad.  i guess they dont make a eddy performer rpm

[Troy]

Thanks for the write-up. I would like to tackle my own engines (at least one) but wondered what sort of specialty tools I'd need. All those little things sure do add up don't they?

Troy

[Cooter]

what is the intake you used, i have only seen a eddy performer dual quad.  i guess they dont make a eddy performer rpm

Appears to be an old skool Offy intake.

[bobs66440]

The rocker shaft shims lift the whole shaft so there is extra clearance on both the valve tip & the pushrod side , a small shim adds up to more then the thickness of the shim .
Obviously you did all this over a few months & are just posting all at once or you have the fastest parts delivery connection on the planet !!
I have not had good results with C force clutches , They have a weird feel to them ,nothing for a long while then a rapid engagement , & I have seen too many come apart to use them , I hope you have decent results with yours . I use Mcleod clutches & not diaphragm style in all my builds .
Enjoy  

Yes, I found out about the shims the hard way. After thinking about it afterwards it made sense.

I began the build in January and finished a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not crazy about the feel of the clutch, but I'm getting used to it. 

[bobs66440]

Thanks for the write-up. I would like to tackle my own engines (at least one) but wondered what sort of specialty tools I'd need. All those little things sure do add up don't they?

Troy

It was a good experience. You can definitely do it with help from knowledgeable people like I did....and some borrowed tools  

I already own most of the tools used. I had to borrow a dial indicator, valve spring compressor and a home-made tool made from a oil pump drive shaft to prime the oil pump. And you need a good torque wrench. Other than that, most of it is done with basic hand tools. 

[bobs66440]

what is the intake you used, i have only seen a eddy performer dual quad.  i guess they dont make a eddy performer rpm

Appears to be an old skool Offy intake.

You would be correct!

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/OFY-5186/?rtype=10