This damage can be prevented by loosening the generator brace and rotating the generator inboard against the engine.

348 V-8 Engine

For spark plug temperature control and more uniform heat distribution throughout the cylinder heads and block, cooling passages around the spark plugs have been cast into the heads.

At the base of each spark plug recess, the outer deck of the cylinder head is enlarged to accommodate the coolant jacket. A hole drilled into the head adjacent to each lug location registers with corresponding holes in the head gasket and water jacket in the block.

Service cylinder heads produced in 1959 will have the cored passage around the plug but will have only drill spots on the bottom of the head to locate the water hole through the head. These heads may be used on 1958 engines as is, however, for 1959 engines the drill spots must be opened up into the head water jacket

using a 1/4" drill.

Spark plugs are of the long-reach type, made necessary by the new cooling feature. Do not attempt to use standard reach plugs. Spark plug gaskets must be used with this new long reach plugs.

The distributor advance vacuum for all 348 cubic inch engines is now connected to the intake manifold instead of to the carburetor throttle body.

The special 348 V-8 for high performance is the same as introduced in mid 1958. This option is available with either 4-barrel or 3 x 2 carburetion. Variations from the production 348 engine are as follows:

The pistons are modified for the increased compression ratio of 11.0:1 by eliminating the gabled roof of the piston. A small notch in the piston for exhaust valve clearance are added. There are only two different pistons used, therefore piston pin offset in both banks is toward center of engine. Cast iron oil rings are used to minimize high speed bore scuffing.

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