250 inline head swap

[jonah_cfh]

    I started on my project this weekend.  I'm swapping my integral head for a 70s non integral head. i wanted to clean it up under the hood.  I just did removal and some cleaning.  I didn’t have to label anything or take too much care in some of the removal.  I know in my head what I need to keep and there’s not going to be too much that is going back on the engine.  Almost all of the parts aren’t going to be reused and there’s not a big aftermarket for them, so I didn’t have to pull everything off precisely.
    I had to start off by removing the battery and draining some coolant out. I removed the air cleaner and I then pulled vacuum lines, the wiring harness, and the throttle cable.
    Since I’m going to put on new exhaust, I just cut it off by the manifold.  My goal was to pull the head/intake, the carburetor, and the exhaust manifold all at once.  By doing this I would save the trouble of trying to remove over 10 rusty bolts that would have probably broken off and adding much time to the project.
    I then just cut and pulled all of the smog tubes because the new head doesn’t have/require them.  I pulled all the spark plug wires off after making a diagram of the distributor so I know where they go.  I took off the upper radiator hose and the thermostat housing.
    The valve cover finally comes off to expose the valve train.  I took off each nut off of each rocker arm. I then pulled off each rocker arm and laid them out by which cylinder they go to, and whether they are on the intake or the exhaust side.  I did the same thing for the pushrods, but I stuck them through a piece of cardboard to better organize them. I removed the head bolts and there was nothing else holding the head in place.
    Since the head has been torque on for 27 years, it was stuck. I took the handle of my floor jack and pried under the manifolds to break the seal.  Getting it out was a terrible ordeal.  It probably weighed at least 100 lbs and I’m not that big of a person.  I had to get it off the dowels and turn it 90 degrees.  I tilted it on its sides and picked it up and put it on the core support.  I held in place while I jumped out from under the hood and then strenuously carried it 25’ before I threw it on the ground in front of my shed.  I put it in the shed later, but I had worn out pants on and I ended tearing my pants while trying to move it.  I immediately thought of the Sponge Bob episode.  Removal was now complete.
    I then got my shop vacuum and cleaning supplies and sat on the inner fender while I scrapped, vacuumed, and wiped down the deck and cylinders.  I sat under my hood for an hour doing this while it was 30 degrees out.  When I got it as clean as I could for the time being, I coated the cylinders and the deck with a film of oil to prevent rusting.  I covered it with a trash back and put some bricks on it to hold it in place.
    As i get more parts I'll keep you updated.

























If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

[Jims86tpisub]

 i love straight 6`s. what are your plans overall. any mods...cam? looks like roller rockers from an sbc may work.
I would like to find a regular cab long bed 73 and put in a GMC 302 I6, Or just a 292, put in a cam, headers, roller rockers and an intake from Clifford performance, and then top it off with factory GM TBI.

[jonah_cfh]

right now its just a basic swap. im planning on rebuilding it down the road. its going to have a 1 bbl on it and the only performance part would be the muffler i put on it for now. im trying to max my mpgs. next year id like to put a 5 spd in it

[Layne]

I always wanted a header for mine. Those add some mpgs...

[Jims86tpisub]

So does the throttle body, and its a simple swap.

[jonah_cfh]

   I’ve made some more progress on the engine.  I didn’t do much on it, but what I did made a big difference. I don’t have pictures for some of the steps because my hands were too dirty to touch a camera.
   First thing I did was prep the new head.  I had broken down the head so all the components were out.  I laid them out in order to organize them. I then took a wire brush on the end of a drill and started to take off the carbon deposits.
   I started with the combustion chamber. Then I made the valve seat perfectly clean and clear. Finally, I finished up with the runners.  After I cleared the carbon away, I scraped all gaskets surfaces so they were perfectly smooth. I finished up with running a tap through all the holes to clean the threads before I put the head in the cleaning tank.
   After I scrubbed the head down and left it in solvent, I worked on cleaning the valve train. I cleaned all the parts one at a time and put them back in order on the table. The head and all the parts were dried off with an air gun.
   When everything was dried off I put new valve seals on. I oiled the valves and rocker arms as I was putting back together for lubrication and to prevent rust. I put it in a garbage bag until I was ready to install it.
   When I was cleaning the block, debris got into the lifter housing. I pulled the side covers off the block so I could vacuum out the housing. I made sure all the lifters were moving and put the covers back on with new gaskets.
   I wiped the block clean for the last time and installed the new head gasket.  When I had everything ready, I straddled over top the block and set the new head in place. I had already wire wheeled the head bolts, so they were ready to install. Before I put the bolts in I put sealant on all the threads.  I torque the head in sequence and poured oil over the head so it doesn’t start to rust. I finished up with a plastic bag over it so dust doesn’t get on it.
   With the head bolt on I am now over half way done with the swap. I have to do the manifolds still as well as other modifications dealing with the swap.

[jonah_cfh]

not much more has happened. i adjusted the valves yesterday. im looking for a cheap valve cover now. ive been preoccupied w/ other things lately. just picked up a 77 Nova

[jonah_cfh]

i just bought a used chrome valve cover off ebay for $25 shipped. not too much more to do before its driveable

[jaredts]

Nice nova!  I've never pulled the head off a straight six,  they're not heavy are they?

[jonah_cfh]

Nice nova!  I've never pulled the head off a straight six,  they're not heavy are they?

the non integral one isnt bad. you just have to balance good while standing in the engine compartment. the old head was the problem. i pulled the head/intake, carb, and exhaust manifold all at once. nearly **** myself trying to move it  

[jonah_cfh]

the truck is up and running now. i dont have access to a camera right now to show any pics. runs awesome!!!



its "not" for sale and "dont" pm me if youre interested

[Jims86tpisub]

Awsome, I would like to see some pics when possible. Check your PM`s

[jonah_cfh]

Awsome, I would like to see some pics when possible. Check your PM`s

ill try to get something today

[jonah_cfh]

pic and vid finally!!
Before                                                      After




Click to view video

[Captkaos]

looks good!