Here you will find all of the recommended clearances and torque specs needed for building most Cadillac 472, 500, 425, and 368 engines. This is not an exhaustive list of every possible combination, just the numbers for the most common stuff. When in doubt, especially if using trick aftermarket parts, use the clearances and torque specs provided with the parts. We have produced a 4 page ‘Engine Builder’s Guide’, which has pretty much all of the info you need to assemble a long block, assuminig you are familiar with engine building in general, which can be downloaded as a printable PDF from the tech section of the site.

Torque Specs

Stock Rods with Stock Bolts: 40 Ft-Lbs
Stock Rods with ARP Bolts: 50 Ft-Lbs (with ARP thread lube)
Aftermarket Rods with ARP Cap Screws:3/8 dia. 65 Ft-Lbs (oiled)7/16 dia. 75 ft-lbs(oiled)
Aftermarket Rods with ARP 2000 Cap Screws: 75 Ft-Lbs (with ARP thread lube)
Main Bolts: 90 Ft-Lbs
ARP Main Studs ( oiled):   110 Ft-Lbs
ARP Head Studs (oiled) 115 ft-lbs

Intake: 30 ft-lbs
Exhaust: 35 Ft-Lbs
Cam Bolts: 25 Ft-Lbs
Stock Rockers: 55 Ft-Lbs see instructions for other than stock
Valve Covers: 10 Ft-Lbs
Flex Plate: 50 Ft-Lbs

Clearances

Ring End Gap : .017″-.024″ (or as specified – WARNING: You must use KB specs with KB pistons)
For ring end gap on KB pistons, download the article from the KB website. The gap chart is toward the bottom.
Rod Side Clearance : .015″ – .035″ high perf, .008″-.016″ OE
Cam Endplay : .015″ min (measured as the distance between fuel pump eccentric and timing cover gasket surface)
Bearings : .002″-.004″ high perf, .0005″-.0028″ OE
Valve/Piston : .120″
Crank Endplay : .002″-.012″ (OE) (we aim for .006″)
Lifter Preload : .020″-.060″

Firing Order

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#1 is the passenger’s side front cylinder.
The Cadillac distributor rotates clockwise.