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My engine is a 327, but I agree, I believe the pans are the same. I'll pm you tomorrow, David.

By co-incidence, Gerry posted this today.

I saw that too, Mal, thanks. So I guess I need to get my pan off now to see just what matches. Work was nuts and ran long today so I didn't get a chance to start that process this evening.

Not a lot happening this week, very busy at work and family stuff occupying my mind and time. I did get a few hours in the main shop cleaning up parts removed from the engine bay and getting some paint on them. On the shelf for reinstallation later they go.

I want to finish cleaning up the engine so I can put some paint on it, then reassemble things so I can get it running once the temperature comes up around here. Hard to work on it when there's frost on the block, my little propane heater can warm up the air in my plastic bubble but not the metal parts which are so completely cold-soaked. And I can't really work on cleaning up rust and grime since I can't prime or paint in there, I'd just be setting up things to rust again.

What I'll have to concentrate on is things like the brakes, I have to replace all the lines and master cylinder, and I already have new wheel cylinders ready to install. Then when the time comes I could at least tow the car over to the heated shop at work on a weekend to pressure wash things and otherwise clean and prime. I got my new front suspension rubber seals today so I can put the front end back together when I am done working around the engine, it's pretty easy to get to things without any suspension in the way.

Marking time until the temperature gets up to something a little less arctic. No offense to my Canadian friends, but you can keep your dang air masses.

Having gotten the dirt cleaned off I think my tie rod ends are kind of loose. How tight are they supposed to be. Does anyone have any experience good or bad with any partuclar vendor parts?

After a week of training for work I got home and was able to get in a Saturday working on the car. I got the rear of the car up on stands and took the rear wheels off, those lugs were pretty happy where they'd been for the last 50 years so the impact driver again proved itself. Next will be to locate a puller for the rear drums.

Up front, I removed the water pump, and I will disassemble it to see if I can get by with a rebuild kit or send it to the pros. The harmonic balancer came off and then the timing cover, I still have to pull the gears and chain to get that rear cover plate off to replace that gasket. As much oil as this engine was leaking in the past, no sense leaving any gasket to chance while I'm there. I also scrubbed at the dirt on the block with some parts washer solvent and a scotch brite pad, some more of that and I should be good to paint when it warms up. I need to order a gasket set, cheaper than buying all the individual ones that I need.

I also removed the master cylinder and front brake lines. There was maybe one drop of brake fluid that came out, reinforcing my thought that I'll be replacing all the lines.

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The last thing I did yesterday was start to remove things in the dash area. I started with getting the rotted kickpanels out, like everything else in the interior they'll have to be remade. I'm trying to get the heater core out, but removing the screws from the cover in the engine compartment didn't grant me access. So I removed the heater plenum (surprisingly not rotted away!) and see that there are 4 nuts on the firewall. Ran out of time to get those off but that's all that is holding the assembly in there yet, am I right?

Also, does anyone have the secret method for removing that brass water jacket from the engine? I'm assuming that I should pull it to make sure that it's in good shape and to remove the likely accumulation of scale inside it?

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The 4 inside bolts holding the heater should be all but look carefully on the engine side for any sheetmetal screws in the flange down around the lower air duct & going into the firewall. Some might have been factory but I've seen little tabs welded on some units and others with extra holes drilled in the flange in an attempt to seal the gasket a bit tighter.

One thing to consider. When replacing the entire unit after repair, many leave the two rear sheetmetal screws in the cover off. That way the next time you can just remove those screws on the remaining 3 sides to free the top & access the core.

Don't know of any secrets on the distribution tube. If it is severely trapped with corrosion and junk it can create a real challenge. The service manual has you make a small hook out of stiff wire and grab into one of the closest holes in the tube. If the tube is really stuck all that will do is tear the brass. Some have had luck with a long narrow strip of very thin metal to reach in as far as possible and work it around the tube. Sometimes that will free it up enough that it can pull out.

Screws on the back of the cover, huh? Well that would explain why the top won't come off, thanks for that tip. Those won't go back in on reassembly for sure.

I thought of the "long thin piece of metal" idea too, I pulled on the thing with pliers and it's not budging. I removed the thermostat housing and -surprise! - no thermostat in there! Well, I was going to replace it anyway. I remember in BigKev's blog he talked about the rear portion of that water jacket being clogged up, so I'm just assuming mine would be too. Maybe I can probe it with a long chunk of welding rod to see before I get too worked up.

I took the water pump apart tonight to see if I could get by with a rebuild kit. It looks pretty good really, so I'll order a kit and put it back together. I was worried about the impeller but it looks fine. That will save a few bucks.