for this application my crank grinder said he set up crank to fit tight. mains are set up on the tight side of specs. We decided to go with touching up crank for this applicaiton, won't take much to achieve the results I need. Gonna work my combustion chamber problem this week is a bigger task. catch you later.

 

R, did you build you some custom dowel's yet? and move your heads!
laid the crank in mine today, not entirely happy, still playing with clearance.

i wonder about purple people trucks?

 

got the block decked friday. took .010 off deck so I'm setting about .034 down in the hole. my compression with .041 head gasket is at 9.9 to 10.0 compression. on the dowels still haven't totally figured out what I want to do. My head studs from arp don't give me much to play with. So gonna try several things maybe even go without guides and center and then mark the block so I can duplicate alignment?? but when doing these kinda bandaids your intake valve comes into play. clearance of intake valve to block opening. I'm running a 2.190 int vlve and this could be a issue. spoke with my mpghead guy scott on this situation and this was his main concern. This is a new problem for me and will figure out something. Spoke with some guys at another site and showed me some custom one off block dowels but nothing to purchase off the shelf. adios amigo.

 

i have seen the dowl set up before, but with those big valves you do tend to run out of room, you might sqeeze a little more room with headbolts
versus the studs. just talking out loud here, be sure and verify you angles also on the pushrod side, but you know all that,
and just to comfort you, cast crank at 5,500 rpm moves and wiggles around alot, and it is not straight....
so if you need to ditch some of these parts..... bring'em by the shop..

have a good week and don't get stuck

 

work has been a little busy lately, good problem. But today got to mock up crank today after my crank guy touching up on mains. dropped in and holding around .0021 on all mains and .004 on thrust. Crank spins great and gonna leave my clearance where it is. All numbers are very even and could probably get a little more but don't think worth the trouble in my applicaiton. my crank guy says he has set them up tighter and ran well. Factory spec is .001 to .0025 for street and if serious performance take it on out to .0025 to .003. Running a clevite full groove bearing for my applicaiton. told him to clean up block and then install cam bearings I purchased from Tim meyer. groove on back side of cam bearing is a great idea. never ran before and hoping for excellent oil pressure and stabilize around 45 psi at normal operating temp. also once block clean and cam bearings installed will mic the cam to cam bearing and document the clearance so I will understand my oil psi situation if their is a oil pressure situation.

 

well heads are about done and will be soon finishing my epoxy ported heads. Ordered springs today and 10 degree retainers. Once all parts here at end of week will finish up the intake runners to spacer plate to air gap intake. this will be to match up and help the port flow and velocity once all completed. once I finish up the valvetrain the heads will go to guy in billings montana to flow and make sure everything is even on flow the best we can. should be a nice motor and have great expectations for this build with OEM parts and a few modern upgrades.

 

On the factory ford connecting rods for 400. polished beams and my machine shop will shotpeen rods for me. Polishing beams helps with shredding oil off rotating assembly. If a rough casting on rod on edge it will help prevent the potential of creating a stress spot and potentially break. Never seen a broken 400 rod but never know. Seem to be a pretty tough rod! Seen twisted rod but never broken, but never know. Normally not a issues but looking to free up horspwr any place i can and will work the crank also for some small issues and and smoothing out any possible rough spots. shredding oil is my main concern because of the steep angles I run sometimes. Gonna get sent off to balance next week. Been busy and project got delayed due to work. work is killin my toy time. catch you later guys and will get you updated as things progress.

 

mocked up intake with spacer plates today. another small problem but easily fixed. the air gap intake is for a 351 cleveland and have price motorsports spacer plates to compensate for the 400 taller deck height. but got everything bolted up with head gaskets under heads and intakes gskt in place. bolted up to head no problem but once intake in place the holes didn't line up perfect so gonna have to mill heads/intake side about .020. Having to compensate for the decking of block and milling of heads and should have proper intake bolts alignment. Been an interesting build and can't assume nothing in this application. actually having fun with this build and have time to get things done. my machinist is learning the setup on this paticular build also and he's very curious also, ford guy. Not a difficult build but leave no stone unturned in this build. catch you later and getting closer.

 

very interested in how that air gap goes. I would like to do something similiar

 

Did you drop the distributor when you mocked it up? Curious if there are clearance issues...I will have to deal with as well...

 

On the distributor I have two distributors to play with a big cap MSD and a accel small cap. also Price motorsports has a distributor extension just for this application also. Haven't got their yet but I know I have simple bolt in options. Been a interesting build and fun. Assume nothing and check everything is all I can say!!!! leave no stone unturned!!!!

 

The plate are pretty simple to do. But when installing to head their are some kinda flat headed bolts that kinda align the plate to the head with a 4v intake. Once this part is installed with gskts supplied with kit. Install valley plate first then intake plates. then set air gap intake. Be sure to look at hole alignment at all holes. the kit requires you to use a smaller bolt for intake to spacer plate bolts. the instructions give very specific instructions on this. the plate are machined very well. Gonna have to do some minor port matching but nothing dramatic.

 

the air gap intake is gonna need some intake work smoothing. the intake ports are decent but once you look up into ports. You see some transitions that need some work and will be working these areas. Its the ports on lower ports that come from the lower half of the intake. Had to do this with my 460 but wasnt as bad. cleveland intake needs some smoothing. Nice intake but if you buy one you will see. Top of intake, carb mount area, to top of head at valvecover area is 4" so its raised things up some. Really looks good and have great expectations for the 400 build.

 

9.9 is my calculated ratio. 73cc heads adn .033 deck height. cleveland flat top pistion 1 valve relief, 3cc. .051 cometic head gskt and 4.1 head gskt bore. hyd roller cam MPG heads, intake valve closing 33 degrees. 4.030 bore and 4" stroke. gonna be interesting and should be very stout at 2500 to 4500 rpm range. No more machineing to block or heads. well gonna have to shave .020 off intake for proper intake bolt alignment. now its time to finish my intake epoxy modifictions for transitioning to intake. rotating assembly being balanced. ordered a flexplate to go with just in case I go automatic down the road and will already be done and just bolt up. running a 5speed tranny ZF-42 4wd 460. Now its time for the little things and fitting up the intake area is my biggest area of attention. on my calculated ratio for being higher is because of the elevation I live at I can cheat a little and get away with. I live at 4000' and play even higher. often at 5000' to 7000' all the time. For me to make a 400hrspwr engine I have to build close to a 500 hrspwr engine because of the effects of elevation stealing horspwr. usually around 12psi air pressure or less not sea level. some days good air and somedays not so good. gonna get some photos soon!

 

Got intakes milled last week. .020 and intake now fits properly. might have gone a little more but this will get my intake holes lined up. Did a mock up and everything worked. awesome.