Mark, I have a little story that will help you feel better!

My brother was born a mechanic. They say from the time he was 2 years old, when he walked ahead of my uncle who was carrying the grease gun and showed him where to put grease into the grease zerks on his tractor, his every breath was mechanical stuff. He started college to get his papers but our dad died and he dropped out of college, went ahead and started working as a mechanic in local garages. Eventually he started his own shop and had no trouble establishing himself as a reliable man to bring your car to. He is totally the reason I became a car nut and he taught me the majority of the mechanical abilities I developed in my young life.

One day when he was likely in his early 40's, (I would be in my early 30's) I stopped in at his shop one evening where he had just finished assembling the 400 short block for his 67 442. It was sitting on the engine stand. He'd had the block bored and as is standard procedure, sent the pistons along so they could be fitted to each cylinder when the block was bored. Each piston gets stamped with the corresponding cylinder # it will be installed in. I stood and looked at the block for a while, studied both banks of cylinders looking at the tops of the pistons and kept looking at him. Finally he walked over to me and I said "If you had the pistons numbered for each cylinder, why are almost all of them in random holes?" He just gave me that blank stare and I think the word "sh*t" might have slipped past his lips as a crazy little smile came over his face! Yup, it all came apart, pistons got pressed onto the rods and back together it went. He had pressed the pistons onto the rods facing the right way, but I think only one or maybe two of the pistons ended up on the correct cylinder # rod if you get my drift.

Point being, you don't do this kind of work all day every day Mark, he did!

hey Mark I`m working on Guelph Line tomorrow so I will come over and pick them up. May know someone that can fix them. I have a 327 they may work in

morning

Hey Mark, back in the eighties when Oldsmobile Diesel cars were popular they were prone to rear main seal leaks. The rope seals still used by Olds at that time couldnt tolerate the increased crankcase pressure of the diesel. Our shop replaced the seal and then enlarged the hole in the crankcase vent to lower the pressure. It was harder on the air filter but solved the main seal leak. Anyway one of these engines when I had the oil pan off had ALL the connecting rods in backwards. It didnt seem to have caused any problems and the car had 100,000 km on it! I guess the factory makes mistakes also.

Paul

picked up pistons yesterday and had a good visit with Mark , 65 coming along great. sent $100 to the site