Upon hearing about the plight of Octavio Sanchez and his ailing 1962 Impala, WyoTech Technical School students and faculty members were moved beyond belief, and immediately offered their time and efforts to help restore his car. During his service in Iraq, Sanchez, a 29-year-old Marine Staff Sergeant, was the unfortunate victim of a roadside bomb. The explosion yielded tragic injuries for the young Marine, costing him the use of his left hand, the loss of his right hand altogether, and third-degree burns over 70% of his body. Utilizing the help of the Edelbrock Corporation and Fatsco Transmission Parts, the students and faculty at the WyoTech-Long Beach campus completely rebuilt and restored the small-block Chevrolet engine and transmission to better-than-stock condition. This build up was a little way to say "thank you" to Octavio Sanchez for the sacrifices he has made for our country. Make sure to look out for the grand debut of the finished '62 in an upcoming issue, but for now, follow along as the students and staff of WyoTech work around the clock to help refurbish the engine in this American classic. WyoTech was ready to take on the challenge of rebuilding the motor on this deuce. A simple diagnosis was performed on the motor before tearing into the engine, as the car had been sitting for over 5 years.A simple diagnosis was performed on the motor before tearing into the engine, as the car h The first service done on the engine was to check its compression, allowing us to see if there would be major obstacles when building the motor.The first service done on the engine was to check its compression, allowing us to see if t All of the engine accessories were removed to allow the motor to come out freely. After an hour of loosening all the right bolts, the motor came out without any major obstacles.After an hour of loosening all the right bolts, the motor came out without any major obsta The stock 327 engine was torn down and was prepared for the rebuild. The parts that were removed from the engine were going to be cleaned and painted. With the engine out, the engine bay was going to get a degreasing, in order to get rid of all the grime that the car had accumulated from the past.With the engine out, the engine bay was going to get a degreasing, in order to get rid of The engine compartment was ready to receive the engine. The cast iron transmission was torn down and cleaned in the hot wash tank. The transmission housing was about to receive all new internal parts to make sure that it could hold up to the power it was going to be receiving.The transmission housing was about to receive all new internal parts to make sure that it All of the parts were inspected before the transmission was reassembled. The transmission came together smoothly. This cast iron transmission was ready to be installed. The WyoTech team carefully installed the overhauled motor back into the car. The engine had the flywheel lined up and was ready to marry the torque converter and transmission.The engine had the flywheel lined up and was ready to marry the torque converter and trans With a little persuasion, the transmission was installed without any problems. With the entire WyoTech crew behind the build, the engine was almost wrapped up, needing only minor tuning work before it would be ultimately revealed less than one week from this day.With the entire WyoTech crew behind the build, the engine was almost wrapped up, needing o SOURCE Edelbrock 2700 California St. Torrance CA 90503 310-781-2222 www.edelbrock.com WyoTech (Long Beach Campus) 2161 Technology Place Long Beach CA 90810 562-624-9530 www.wyotech.edu/campus/long_beach By Saul Vargas Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
