back to basics?

[Michael]

While pondering the next step in my efforts to make my car "streetable", I've had to make a painful admission: the simple things -like setting the correct timing, tuning the Holley carb, adjusting hydraulic lifters and telling apart noises made from spun rod bearings vs. malfunctioning mechanical fuel pumps - are not at all obvious!

 

So, here is the question: what are folks using by way of a good, basic reference on working with Chevy engines? I don't mean "How to Hot Rod Your Small/Big Block", but something that tells you things like the cylinder head bolt torque settings. The ubiquitous Haynes has a book on rebuilding Chevy V8's, but even that one skips details like this one.

[DavyZ]

Well, you could even try a Haynes manual for very general stuff, just get a Camaro manual or something with the V8 you are using--they're cheap and available at most auto parts stores. Another good book is "How to rebuild your Small Block Chevy" by David Vizard from HP Books. You are so close to finishing you can taste it! Just take your time, get a good understanding from the books, and everything will turn out fine. If you have a friend that knows something about V8's, get help. Otherwise, you could farm out the simple stuff to the local high school auto shop (I'm not kidding) or even a local garage for cheap. Hope this helps!