Overhauling my 348

[huug]

After more than 6 years of ownership and 50.000+ pleasantly driven miles, the time has come for a complete engine overhaul.

I have LOADS of stories and SEVERAL difficulties in this major project, which I will post here, but I'll start with a picture. Just to test this message and my new login.

http://www.348-409.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5659&d=1164107817

Huug

[pauls63409]

Looks good Huug !! Reminds me when I had a 58 convert with a 283 then I put a 348 and it was great then a 396 and finally a 409. I was 16 years old back in 1969. Believe it or not, between the car and the motors I spent about five hundred dollors. Nobody wanted a 58 chevy and the 409 had seen it's day, but I loved both. If I only had that car today, WOW !!!

[huug]

This summer, as every summer, we went with it on vacation, to Germany and Switserland this time. Although I knew the engine wasn't that fresh any more, we just went. We did it without much problems, only a dead battery on occasions (I need to look at my generator too). But when we are in a demand of power, on the highway and in the mountains, the engine didn't sound well. It fired in the exhaust, and the power was limited. Also I didn't got the timing right. Later on I'll explain why. But we made it, and got home with another 2500 miles on the odometer. But the time for a complete engine rebuilt had now definitely come.

Huug

[tripowerguy]

I notice that you show a 58 Impala for your avitar and you are driving a Belair on your trip. Do you have both or is the Belair the only 58 you have? I have a 58 Bel Air that has a 348 and I can say I am very partial to 58's. I bought one new in 58 and I had a 58 station wagon, wished I had them both. I ran into a little financial problem this summer and went to work for a while. I drove my 58 every day to work and back. It got 18 mpg which was a lot better than the others I owned. I attributed that to the 200 4R overdrive transmission. I have to run 91 octane in my 348. Do you have to run high octane fuel in yours? If so what does it cost in the Netherlands? Keep us posted on your progress and if you need any help just ask on this site and some of the best people on earth will help you. This site is absolutely the best there is for information on 348-409 engines. I correct myself, after looking at your avitar again I see it is your Bel Air. My eyes must be going as well as my hearing. Great car. Roy

[skipxt4]

Nice car Huug: My father-in-law had a 58 wagon, same color as your's, when I first started dating my wife. If your car was left unattended in the USA, just like the movie."Gone In 60 seconds".:dunno Good luck with the rebuild. Skip :)

[Ronnie Russell]

Huug, Nice old car. Bet the road trip was fun. Great pictures. Good luck on the rebuild. :)

[huug]

Before dismantling everything I made a series of pictures of how it looked before, and shot a video of the running engine with it's sound. So I can check how everything was assembled, and how it looked "before". Because I haven't done anything this big before all by myself.

So some weeks ago I started the disassembly: removing the hood, draining everything, removing all external engine parts, all hoses, pipes and wires, which is a box full, and the drive shaft. Ready for the cherrypicker.


Roy: My compression was bad, some cylinders read <100 PSI, so I ran normal fuel which is lead free 95 octane here. It peaked at 1,45 euro per liter this summer. But I run a second fuel: LPG (Liqiufied Pretoleum Gas, 0,52 euro/liter). The car runs just as good on it. As the rebuild is done, I will have the original full compression, so I may need some higher octane.