Chevy 350 Buildup - S10 V8 Conversion 101: Volume 2

16.All the valve springs were placed onto the valve stems, and keeper and retaining clips were installed.

17.Joe installed the rocker studs and torqued them to proper specifications. The screw-in rocker studs give us more options than older cast-iron heads that have pressed-in studs.

18.Once the heads were assembled, they were ready to bolt onto the block. The head gaskets were lined up with their corresponding drift pins.

19.Next, the heads were aligned with the mounting holes. Assembly lube was used on all the head-bolt mounting holes to assure an accurate torque reading when it's time to tighten the head bolts.

20.Gasket sealer was used on the end of the head-bolt threads as extra insurance against leaks at the water jackets.

21.All the head bolts were then hand-tightened.

22.It's very important that the head bolts are properly torqued to the manufacturer's specifications in spiral-clockwise order, starting with the center of the head to ensure a proper seal. All the bolts were torqued to 35 ft-lb, then 50 ft-lb, and finally 65 ft-lb. This guarantees an even pull across the head and ensures a good seal.

23.All the pushrod ends were coated with assembly lube, then dropped in place.

24.With the pushrods in place, the top of one valve stem was marked to check the length of the pushrod and valvetrain geometry.

25.Next, a rocker arm was installed and the camshaft was turned through one full cycle. The rocker arm was removed to reveal a solid line worn through the mark in the center of the valve stem. This told us that the pushrod was the proper length and the geometry of the valvetrain was correct. This was done before the remaining rocker arms were installed.

26.The centers of the rocker arms were coated with assembly lube.

27.The pivot ball was then placed below the poly lock that will secure the rocker once adjusted.

28.After the ball was placed, the poly locks were screwed to the rocker studs.

29.To adjust the valves, it's important that the camshaft is at "base circle," which means there is no lift at the valve. The poly locks were tightened until the pushrod had zero clearance and the drag could be felt when rotating the push rod. Once you have zero clearance, the poly locks are tightened 1/4-turn more.

30.This is Professional Products' Cyclone Performance Street Intake Manifold with an rpm range from idle to 5,500 rpm.