1978 V8 "Hot Rod" Nova #2. Did the engine survive? Transmission swap. Runs and drives now?

I bought a 1978 V8 Nova for $1000. It's been abandoned for 25 years. It runs rough. Can I get it running right? Has the engine suffered a catastrophic failure? What should I do with it? Make a Hot Rod?
In this video I get the engine running better, swap the transmission then do a test rip? How did it turn out?
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[@excalibur72892]

Why not throw that extra 350 you have laying around into the orange Nova? That car is the coolest looking hot rod you have, and certainly deserves a V8. Plus it would make for a great video!!! Keep up the great work man, I love your content

[@Razor6On3]

I love that motto, "rev the shit out of it and if nothing blows we are good"..my kind of guy🤙

[@MyHairyChin]

Looking forward to this one Lee 🤘

[@gazza6348]

G'day mate awesome...fix this one up to flip make some $ instead of leaving it in the yard with all the other finished ones ..all the best mate 👍👍🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@MoparJimmy]

Car is coming along

[@dougduff2755]

I really enjoy watching your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@clunkersandclassics]

Thanks

[@motorcyclemark2889]

My 78 nova has a fresh 327 headers demon carb stall just put in a stage 2 turbo 350 with a lockout and shift kit in mine its a beast

[@clunkersandclassics]

cool

[@santinocappellaro7468]

🏁 LEE absolutely awesome job you gave the novar a second chance !! 🇺🇲🏁🏁🏁😎🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@clunkersandclassics]

Thanks

[@chadjohnson2389]

It's another good video. It amazes me that you always do all that by yourself completely. I thought when you started the wagon you might of bit off more than you could chew. But it's complete and what's this the third or fourth one since that. You're videos are a good watch!😊

[@clunkersandclassics]

Thanks

[@mnanninga4247]

Lee, you are a very good body man, if you look hard you could find the body parts that you need. Not everything is on eBay. If you keep running the motor with no type of exhaust you will have to swap motors, you’re going to burn the valves up. I know you have headers ordered. Ask me how I know.

[@danieldyke1074]

Sme of the attention to detail work your realy on top of.

[@scottbaril8659]

Hey Lee, Enjoy your approach and the way that you handle your Channel. I've been watching you from the beginning, I think I was number 156 subscribe. Stopped by and enjoyed our conversation. Watch alot of KZbin and the wrenching okay, but again enjoy your explanation and insight. The only thing I may do differently is after you restore and are able to drive them for your enjoyment let the cars go to another home and other people to drive, maintain, and show them off. I know you view the as as an investment, but boy o boy the craftsmanship and pride you have would really be showed off. Keep it up.

[@clunkersandclassics]

I would sell some of them but I'm not giving them away.

[@fawkyoufromjones]

He shows them off to us in every one of his videos.

[@danieldyke1074]

I believe you can get good idea the way you did compression test all numbers are so close ! Your work is very nice. MAY CHECK TIMING CHAIN.

[@VATION3RD]

When I was young I put aluminum intake on my Nova and the intake Bolts were about a 1/8" too long and there's four pushrods that aligned with the intake manifold bolts holes and the bolt will go right into the pushrod and break them, when you put the intake back on you need to put washers on those 4 bolt that are in line with the pushrods...

[@JeffChristen-s6s]

your channel is informative yhe big shot tubers just throw parts and cash until they run

[@clunkersandclassics]

Thanks

[@wilenelson1810]

Awesome!🛠🔧🔩🔨🔥🚬🇺🇸

[@toddjohnston4788]

Sounds like a plan 👍

[@debbiebermudez5890]

Mr. B. Here ! 🍩☕️👀😎👍 Too bad, I have seen only one with a factory 400 cid . The young man did not have cute what it takes to maintain the Nova ! It was a one owner , he did not a simple fuse would help get the radio to play ! Good luck Lee on the build 🍩☕️👀😎👍.

[@jerryrichter4904]

thanks

[@danielkoch6815]

Voice of experience - Clean thoroughly around transmission dip stick tube with aerosol brake cleaner or carb cleaner. Then apply grey silicone and allow to dry 24 hours before starting. Works wonders!

[@BudFranks-fu9ye]

It's good. Throw it back together. Tune it up. Let her rip 👍

[@robertrich9053]

Thanks.

[@unchained20000000]

Prefab it up brother, it's only a 78, work a little magic on the places you can't get oem parts for. Get er lookin smoove and flip flop it.

[@clunkersandclassics]

I have a few ideas

[@Darryl603]

From what I can tell so far, I think it's alright! The guy tightened the rockers too tight! I just get the rockers close and with the engine running, back off each rocker, one at a time until it clacks, then tighten slowly until the noise goes away and then a half turn of lifter pre-load. You don't want too much either. Just enough for the lifter to pick up the slack. At first start up, you might have to roughly get them quieted down to be able to isolate and hear each one better.

[@stevepratt7959]

Exhaust being to short will cause bent valves and push rods if over reved

[@danieldyke1074]

Sometimes on chevy heads pressed in rocker studs will push out slightly causing loose rockers. Over size cam or just over rev.

[@motorcyclemark2889]

I ordered the paint for my 78 Nova Hugger Orange

[@clunkersandclassics]

cool, that's what color I painted my 72 with.

[@motorcyclemark2889]

@@clunkersandclassics oh wow really I'll have to go look at that video again that's cool

[@jefferywarburton2116]

For those that don't know about it, There is a way to chemically test the coolant in a car's overflow tank for combustive gasses but that's kind of hard if the car is peeing all over the ground.

[@keithroute8906]

A 307 block was softer metal, the cylinder walls had a higher tendency to wear quicker and that is why people know they typically don’t last as long. A 350 block is solid, GM used outstanding metal in their blocks except the 307 blocks. I don’t know why they did it? A guess would be they tried to test the metal and limit it to one block type to keep track of long term use, probably expected it to work out better. Hard take offs would wear them out quick was the word back in the day at tracks. I always stayed away from those.

[@busybowfin1]

I couldn't tell in the video, but it appears the number one exhaust valve is not opening as much as the rest. It could be just the perspective of the video, not sure. If that is the case, you could be looking a wiped lobe on the camshaft.

[@Jasonlongshot]

Are you going to put more cars under roof? Hate to see your nice cars without at least a roof over them.

[@clunkersandclassics]

maybe some day

[@VATION3RD]

If it's the original factory timing chain then it'll have Teflon on the teeth of camshafts gears...

[@nicksnarski5973]

That mist you are seeing in my opinion is intake valves not sealing should come back after running

[@jefferywarburton2116]

You can bend valves by getting an engine without exhaust good and hot and when you shut it down the in rush of cold air screws them up but, i don't think that's it. It is possible that the 350 someone shoved in there was stuck and someone got hammer happy and hit the rocker arms the right and wrong side to unstuck it.

[@rickloera9468]

I was looking at a brochure I have for a 1978 Nova and a 160 HP 350 turbo fire V-8 was an available option.

[@donpatterson9298]

The dash lights can be dimed or brightened by turning the headlight knob. assuming it is still working mine broke within a few years of owning it.

[@danieldyke1074]

After you get back together keep eng. around 2000 rpm use seafood slowly through carb to clean valves

[@danieldyke1074]

Use seafoam not seafood. Sorry for mistake!

[@unchained20000000]

Make you a mechanic pit! It'll be alot easier werkin under the cars.

[@jefferywarburton2116]

Some 76 77 pontiac ventura sj and phoenix cars had similar things going on w. the window tail light thing.

[@kevinkobayashi]

what if you got rods that were a couple size thicker, maybe weld the "old rod" together you said something about the fan exhaust in front was giving u issues maybe if you worked on that part it would "blend together" as one and work better, when i mentioned thicker rods, i ws thinking in terms just enough to do whats proper so pne it goes up and down enough without abusing etc and last alot longer,

[@Rick-O-Shay60]

I haven't watched the other video on this, although you said you had 0 compression on 2 of the cyl. with the bent pushrods, well think about it, if you have 0 compression on 2 which valves are not opening, either the valves are bent staying open, or, no rings at all on those cyls. I haven't watched this one to the end, although pretty sure I can tell the outcome... you may find just replacing pushrods not going to repair this engine friend.

[@Rick-O-Shay60]

Take another compression test now that you've got it running, if still getting bad readings....

[@danieldyke1074]

From hearing the eng. run now after cleanig valves with seafoam your compression ratio will be 140 too 150 on all.

[@kirkhand9608]

I had an 89/350 in a light 3/4 ton, turned out to be a factory roller cam motor…it ran pretty good. There’s a (k) in the vin number that signifies it as a k motor….

[@tonybaratta8841]

It’s not good to wear up the engine with no exhaust manifolds you can warp the valves because then it’ll suck in cold air and hot exhaust. Not good. You need exhaust manifold at the minimum.

[@glenbo2464]

Im wondering if the timing chain is Bad ? Needs a set of gauges in it ! lol

[@jefferywarburton2116]

You saw it run, I don't think the thing jumped time.

[@DanielGarcia-re1cv]

You should put the 87 van engine on the White Van

[@mikecore1637]

The fuel pump passage is not open or drilled on EFI Chevy blocks .After market electric pump is the easy way out .

[@jeroldlynn1343]

Doing this one on the cheap. Why don't you check and see if the headers that didn't fit on the last car will fit on this car?

[@russellsnyder4221]

Lee I'm not 100% sure but see if the Malibu is the same

[@entrim]

I would swap that engine with the other one. Rebuild that 350 and put it in your white el camino

[@redwinstead7873]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jefferywarburton2116]

I kind of wonder if them dobbers have ever had a party in someone's exhaust ports.

[@clunkersandclassics]

yep or mice

[@guitarsbyatomixcustomguita2789]

Lee, what do you want for the red El Camino?

[@clunkersandclassics]

7500

[@abrdds]

Please check the timing chain … they will cause broken pushrods if they aren’t tight or the chain has jumped due to it being loose and sloppy …🙏🏿

[@VATION3RD]

Those 87 to 95 are call TBI engines...

[@danieldyke1074]

I ment to say seafoam !

[@VATION3RD]

Gear vendor for a turbo 350 and 400 is only $3,000 the gear vendor for the powerglides are $2600

[@clunkersandclassics]

I meant $10k for his engine and about $8k for trans, gear vendor and rear end. He's putting well over 20k into his cars now. What happened to the shoestring budget??

[@danieldyke1074]

Your dis.. will drop in like that because of oil pump drive shaft!

[@JeffChristen-s6s]

cycle the dimmer switch.

[@user-vq3dc2se5d]

Use a stethoscope and find if the engine is solid,

[@randyman828]

Put a 396 in...

[@williamlee8098]

No van?

[@clunkersandclassics]

soon

[@bowtiebum82]

No fuel pump lobe on the t.b.i 350

[@g-man7938]

What's the beef with DD speed shop?

[@clunkersandclassics]

He went from building cars on a shoestring budget to spending $25-30k on drivetrains per car. He sold out.

[@g-man7938]

He's no different than any of the other bigger channels, as the subs. and viewership increases so does the budget. I'm not really a big fan, but I watch occasionally, I say live and let live can't really fault the guy on his success.

[@michalechristian8836]

When u rev it with no manifolds it will suck cold air in when I let off this killing it ask 16 year old me back in the day fact

[@MrJamesfree]

Lee put the v8 in ur other orange nova and fix it up and Hot Rod that 1 just ideal ? wht you all think you wouldn't wasting Ur money

[@clunkersandclassics]

I like the 6 for gas mileage

[@kevinkobayashi]

if you went junk yard digging for the parts, then repainted it then you can sell it $$$$$$

[@clunkersandclassics]

if I knew some where close that had the parts, I'd go.

[@joeblow9548]

No return on investment push it down the road as is,,not worth the work

[@ohiovoodoo5479]

scrap it

[@nickenglezos687]

Someone worked on it...and left the rocker arms loose.the engine ran and the rods shot out of place and bent.peace.....

[@chrismedaris4873]

Was thinking the same thing looks like my brother in law owned it he did stupid shit like that all the time

[@clunkersandclassics]

the threads on the rocker studs were all even, so not loosened

[@BrianLadwig]

Hi Lee you did a nice job with the nova sounds like it's running pretty good now might be worth a cheap paint job like you said if you can find parts, I can check out a wrecking yard that's close to me he might have something he doesn't crush anything has cars from 80s back to the 20s I'll let you know thanks Lee for your videos

[@WilliamM-h9e]

10-4 !!