My '85 MGM, "Maisa"

[gadget73]

I want to say front of one of the heads, and it holds a bracket that supports one of the fuel lines? Probably passenger side, i think the one on the driver's side mounted to the timing cover where the mechanical fuel pump would have gone.

[Tiggie]

Affirmative. Front passenger side.

[Arquemann]

Thanks fellas, I had a hunch it might've been for a fuel line or a thermactor check valve, but didn't happen to get a pick of that to reference.
Dunno if I should have a lower bracket for the driver side fuel line, nothing there.

I'm redoing the engine bay fuel lines since apparently the Esprit type pressure regs don't like vibrations, so they shouldn't be mounted to the engine. Probably going to reuse parts of the pass. side line to feed up to the carb, ditch the old return line and run a new return to the long hard line under the engine. Prolly mounting the reg on the frame rail or so.

[Arquemann]

Long block is done, no surprises or incompatibilities, except for one. The dowel pin on the Exploder rollercam is different to the stock cam, so the mechanical fuel pump eccentric doesn't fit. Not that I need it and the timing cover doesn't even have a hole, but I'd have put it in if it would fit.

The rocker adjustment was kinda confusing tbh. I did them to 30nm/22ftlbs, all got torqued to spec within 3/4 turns from kinda finger tight / kinda zero lash / kinda rotateable pushrods, one at a time turning 90° in firing order. I dunno, I did everything according to the procedure, but it just feels super janky.

Next up gotta clean the intake, install it and paint the engine. Kinda wondering what to do with the china wall gaskets, had poor luck just using RTV last time but the gasket kit provided cork gaskets.

[gadget73]

If you want to do it less janky, it involves a dial indicator to confirm lifter preload, but honestly about 3/4 turn from zero lash to torque should be fine. The official procedure involves the indicator.


use the FelPro Permadry intake gaskets. They have a nice molded silicone end wall that actually seals. the cork pushes out, and its too big of a gap for RTV.

[Arquemann]

If you want to do it less janky, it involves a dial indicator to confirm lifter preload, but honestly about 3/4 turn from zero lash to torque should be fine. The official procedure involves the indicator.

use the FelPro Permadry intake gaskets. They have a nice molded silicone end wall that actually seals. the cork pushes out, and its too big of a gap for RTV.

Seems I should've bought a gasket set for a newer 302, bummer. The one I got came with cork gaskets for valve covers, oil pan and china walls.

[gadget73]

thats the standard engine gasket set, I've never seen the good end wall gaskets in the engine set. So far as I know only the FelPro Permadry gaskets have the rubber bits and those have to be bought separate.

I've had OK luck with the 4 piece oil pan gaskets, but only installed out of the car. Roll the engine over and make sure everything is clean and flat, and put a little dab of RTV in the corners. The valve covers will work for a while, but again only if flat and clean, and properly torqued. Most steel oil pans and valve covers have been over-torqued and the surface is way off-flat. they bend back easy enough with a hammer and a piece of metal on the other side to back it up. Works on transmission pans too.

Never had any luck with the end walls no matter who makes them. GM gave up on them entirely, if you buy an intake gasket set for a Chevy 350 from GM you get two head to intake gaskets and a tube of RTV.

[kishy]

Even then, though, the good ones aren't offered for an 85. And there is one incompatible feature; starting in 86 there's some sort of hole or boss on one of the China walls that the good end piece uses to hold itself in position, and you have to snip the protrusion off the gasket to use it on pre-86, which is why it technically "doesn't fit". I went through this on the wagon.

[Arquemann]

thats the standard engine gasket set, I've never seen the good end wall gaskets in the engine set. So far as I know only the FelPro Permadry gaskets have the rubber bits and those have to be bought separate.

I've had OK luck with the 4 piece oil pan gaskets, but only installed out of the car. Roll the engine over and make sure everything is clean and flat, and put a little dab of RTV in the corners. The valve covers will work for a while, but again only if flat and clean, and properly torqued. Most steel oil pans and valve covers have been over-torqued and the surface is way off-flat. they bend back easy enough with a hammer and a piece of metal on the other side to back it up. Works on transmission pans too.

Never had any luck with the end walls no matter who makes them. GM gave up on them entirely, if you buy an intake gasket set for a Chevy 350 from GM you get two head to intake gaskets and a tube of RTV.

Looked up '87+ mustangs and '96 explorer on RA and it seems most of those gasket kits have the rubber china wall gaskets aswell as the one piece oil pan gasket, oddly enough all the valve cover gaskets seem to be cork even in those kits.
I bought the fancy one piece oil pan gasket separately. My oil pan hasn't been off probably ever, so it was pretty flat. Also got the fancy valve cover gaskets a couple years ago, I'm reusing those.

Even then, though, the good ones aren't offered for an 85. And there is one incompatible feature; starting in 86 there's some sort of hole or boss on one of the China walls that the good end piece uses to hold itself in position, and you have to snip the protrusion off the gasket to use it on pre-86, which is why it technically "doesn't fit". I went through this on the wagon.

Looks like there's a small hole behind the rear china wall in the newer blocks. My block is an '85, so it has the tapped bosses for the lifter spider, but no hole for the china wall gasket. So my block is a one-year only thing?
There's a warehouse clearing sale for a US-parts store on friday, I'll postpone installing the intake manifold for that bit. See if they'll have those fancy rubber china wall gaskets. I could buy new but I'm not spending 40€ for those two little things.

If they don't have them or if they're outrageously priced, I will use the cork gaskets with a bit of RTV. I won't do just RTV, because I hate it. The gap between the china walls and intake is small so the cork should smush well enough.
Also worth mentioning that the plastic helper studs that came with the fancy oil pan gasket are the same thread as the intake bolts. So I have four convenient locating studs for installing the intake, they're wider than the bolts so they locate the intake very snug.

[gadget73]

guessing they added the hole later, maybe it was standard when the roller cam went in? dunno.

The cork may work if you use some gasket adhesive to stick it in place. RTV really isn't for that.

my intake locating bolts are just 4 bolts I had laying around with the right thread that I cut the heads off and used a hacksaw to put a screwdriver slot in. whatever you use, make sure you can get them out after the intake is on.

[Arquemann]

Well, I went to the warehouse clearance sale, did not have the rubber china wall gaskets, or anything else useful that I was looking for. Holley accelerator pump jets were 12€ a piece, no thanks!

But because I'm dumb and don't have much space for stuff, I dragged home a mostly complete '83-'87 Vic header panel for 20€. Bezels, lenses and grille are intact, missing the badge and one headlight bucket. Has all the studs and nuts and weirdly the hood ornament hole is bondo'd shut. I'll probably take the high beams off it and put them on the MGM, clean and reassemble the vic panel and put it as wall art.

Picked up jar of Permatex no.3 sealant, probably the closest thing to a gasket adhesive I can find. With that and the felpro cork gaskets I shall do my best!

[kishy]

That's not dumb, that sounds like a completely reasonable and wise investment to me*.

*: I am not a good source of sound reasoning about this stuff.

[87gtVIC]

Nice. I want to do the same once....I have all the parts for it...I can kinda make an entire car if I wanted...I have all but quarters, roof, a and c pillars. lol

[gadget73]

just need 20 feet of wall to mount all that to if you're doing side profile

hanging the header on the wall, the lights have to work in some fashion. Maybe not actual sealed beam headlights, but something that kinda looks right and will glow.

[Tiggie]

You all are giving me great ideas for the header panel I have stashed. X2 on the working lights.