1970s 1975 Eldorado Re-assembly

[shadetree39]

Perhaps you've already installed the hub but if not AutoZone has the correct tool available. You have to by the whole kit at about $40 use the tool and return it in good shape for a full refund.

[scottsdaleaz]

I installed the harmonic balancer tonight. Please confirm it appears to be fully seated. The oil slinger seems firmly jammed in place. The machine shop removed it, not me, so i don't know if the gap on the nose is normal.

[scottsdaleaz]

I alse have a follow up question as I start to button up the oil pan.

I used an o ring on the oil pickup tube expecting it to be the perfect seal but i see its squeezed out. Should that be a gasket here?  Any part number or make one from material?

Thanks!!!!

[scottsdaleaz]

A colleague insisted i should have the oil pickup o ring inside the master gasket set box. And there is was. Along with the distributor gasket i was shopping for. 

This oring seems more correct . I had a fatter rubber of the same diameter.

So what is the other smaller o ring for?

[shadetree39]

Mine measured .31" from end of the crank. Some insight may be available on a face book site called Cadillac 472/500.

[scottsdaleaz]

Life has been getting in the way. Back to assembling the engine.

Those large block holes have me wondering if i have the correct gasket. Should I be concerned?

[81 BENY Biarritz]

Have you seen this series of videos yet.  I stumbled across them and found them very interesting regarding rebuilding a big block Caddy motor. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS1-Aw-uaSQ

Hope they may be of some interest or help.

Dave

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Those holes are normal.   As long as the gasket covers the outside of the holes, it will be good.

These holes could be there for machining locating, or allowing machining deeper into the block.

Bruce.

[scottsdaleaz]

Hi all, Happy new Year.

When i had the pan open and I was placing the gaskets the rear rubber seal seemed to only go in one way in order for the "keys" to match up to the cork gasket.  Now that it's installed I have a doubt if I got it right since there so much exposed.

Does anyone know for certain if i should pull the pan and reverse that rear rubber seal?

Thanks!




Editing.. - i see this youtube and pretty sure i have it the same as he does:

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Looks to me like you have the neoprene seal back to front.

There shouldn't be that much poking out.

Bruce.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

The tabs are offset which makes it fit only one way.this appears correct.
Greg Surfas

[scottsdaleaz]

Thanks all...  i searched in shop manual no detailed photos.  I see another youtube video and that seems to match my results.  I wonder if the exposed ribs help with some shielding when mounting up the transmission.

I also reached out to Fel Pro support.

I went back and did forensics on my earlier pictures. The shot below gives me "warm fuzzy"  the seal is in correct based on seeing the photo with the key location and the mating surfaces make sense for my results.

My new years resolution is to get this car back on the road .

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Henry,

I think you might have just solved the problem.   There are a lot of little surprises when viewing stuff that one never sees.

Next time I am under my '72, I will take notice of what is there, and take a picture, or three.

Bruce.

[V63]

The Cadillac factory engine blue thru 1976 was a dark navy.

'Old ford blue' is kinda close and more readily available in Duplicolor spray cans in local parts stores.

One of the images provided has a more correct blue. See image

[Richf1966]

https://por15.com/products/engine-enamel

[scottsdaleaz]

https://por15.com/products/engine-enamel

Understood. I did the original darker blue on some starting components and reconsidered and swapped out for what is more appealing to me - the lighter baby blue. Its not the oem color but i prefer it.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Just as an aside, that lighter blue is essentially the same color they used on the later 425 Motors
Greg Surfas

[scottsdaleaz]

Hi all - continuing on my slow re-assembly.

For the intake manifold and the tin metal gasket pan.  The shop manual states to :

1:  Place rubber seals front and rear of cylinder block.

2: "Cement sheet metal gasket and shield on engine."

3: Position manifold w/ 10 screws and 2 studs to 30 ft lbs.


On step 2, a Youtuber recommended Permatex Aviation Form A Gasket Sealer.  i have that an am ready to go.   

For this step - is it critical to get every touch point of that metal pan contact points to be coated with sealer even over the rubber end seals or is the goal to be certain the area where the  intake ports mate is well sealed.

And before step 3..  does the top side of the metal gasket stay dry or do you need to apply sealer on there too? And if so generous on all contact points or primarily where the ports mate? 

Also can you please tell me where the two screw studs go vs bolts.  I didn't disassemble it so I do not recall.






 

THANK YOU!

[TJ Hopland]

Its been a while and the memory aint what it used to be but I think I just did a little RTV at the corners of the rubber gasket and the rest didn't get anything.  Around the intake ports has a little bead rolled into the metal?  That that basically gets crushed to form fit to any irregularities.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

On my '72 500, the two bolts with the threads coming out of the hex head are shown in the picture.

From what I can gather with this engine, it was untouched, going on the things that I found whilst stripping it down for rebuilding.

One is two bolts back from the right front, and the other at the rear left end.

It looks like they have never been used, but when I put the engine back together, they went at the rear on both sides.

Bruce.