Powerrrr!

While all this building has been going on I placed my order for the engine and transmission which have now arrived.

I went for a 350 Chevy from Roadcraft  - rated at 355hp - and a beautiful looking thing it is too!

I also went for the Tremec TKO500 box which I installed with a little help from my neighbor.

The engine shipped with the bell-housing attached, so mistake #1 was to attempt to attach the gearbox to the bell-housing which proved impossible in trying to line up the input shaft with the clutch release bearing and clutch centre. So off with the bell-housing, attache that to the gearbox and present the whole assembly to the engine - easy!

As with all these things there are questions I wish I'd thought of before placing the order. It turns out that the engine I have is certified as a 1978 block so that gets me in the right emissions band.
However, its clear that this engine has not been run in by the builder and the carb has not seen a drop of fuel. I would have thought that the engine would have been run and I'm pretty sure some other builders do this - I never though to ask!

That said, the installation and running in instructions are very informative and I'm not predicting any problems in getting it going. They do go on at length about the running in procedure and its importance and Brian @ Roadcraft did recommend using break-in oil and and using an oil priming tool to circulate oil and check oil pressure before first start so as not to ruin the camshaft. This is mentioned several times in the notes so must be a real worry.

Roadcraft evidently build their engines with flat tappets rather than roller - which is why they are more susceptible to wear. Also on these older engines, you need to be careful when selecting oil as the latest synthetic stuff doesn't contain the high zinc content needed to maintain the wearing surfaces of the cam lobes.

Finally the run in instructions say to run the engine at fast idle for 20 minutes and to make sure there is at least three gallons of fuel in the tank! - wow!

I think on balance I'd have paid extra for the roller cam but too late now and I'm sure with care all will be well.