Head work... need help from the pros!!!!

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Jul 5, 2011 | 12:12 PM

#31

AbandonedBronco

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From: Boise, Idaho

I personally haven't raised the compression in mine, but from what I've heard, 9.0 is roughly about as high as you want to go if you want to stay off high octane gas. Also, if you bump the compression, be sure to use FelPro's $60-ish head gasket, since it's for more high performance 300s.

What amount needs to be shaved off for a particular compression ratio would also depend on how much port and polishing you've done in the chambers. Might be something you have a specialized shop measure up for you if you want specific numbers.

If you're not going for a lot of extra compression, any material removed is going to bump it a little.

Jul 5, 2011 | 12:16 PM

#32

SideWinder4.9l

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From: Eastern Ky

Out of curiousity....And this may be a DUMB question.....

Can you reuse a headgasket? Not the OEM ones....Just, like if I replace my gasket, and need to pull the head again for whatever reason, if it doesn't have any rips, tears, etc....

Jul 5, 2011 | 12:44 PM

#33

AbandonedBronco

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From: Boise, Idaho

I don't believe you can.

When you torque down a head gasket, they crush and fill every nook and cranny to make a perfect seal. When you remove it, you break that seal, and they won't crush again the next time to seal the same way.

Jul 5, 2011 | 12:50 PM

#34

nstueve

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From: Des Moines, Iowa

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideWinder4.9l

Was that a better answer?

closer...

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideWinder4.9l

I think the layered gaskets you can reuse... I'm not 100% on that though. The wire rims that circle the cylinder might compress the first time you install and not be able to be reused...

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbandonedBronco

I think I am going to clean it up and have it magnafluxed for cracks, and have them determine if it needs to be shaved a little. Then do the P&P work so we can measure the cc size of the cumbustion chamber before having it shaved. From what I hear the 84-86 I6's are only 8.5:1 which doesn't leave alot of room for shaving the head.

I heard F250Restorer talking about using EFI pistions on rebuild... what do the EFI pistons yeild? better burn in cumbustion chamber, higher compression ratio, ????? Just curious.

Either way... And you might agree AB, even thought ther is a ton of room in the engine bay I might pull the engine to do the cam, head, and intake and then stick it all back in there at once...

Tomorrow is my day off so hopefully I have more to report back on Thurs! I'm sure I'll at least have more pics!

Jul 5, 2011 | 06:15 PM

#35

F-250 restorer

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From: Near Los Angeles

SHAVING THE HEAD: My truck is a daily driver. I shaved my block .020 and the head .020. Clifford, IIRC, recommends milling .060 off the head! Whoa. I just wanted a little more hp, but to stay on 87 cheapo gas. I used an 81 head that most likely had had .010 shaved at some point in its life. I was trying to target 9.2:1 cr, with the 519 hyper pistons, which were 8.7:1. If I had to do it over again, I would keep it oem or just shave as much as needed to clean it up. I believe the gain to be minimal with hp. Also, because in the summer, during HOT days over 100*, I have to put in octane booster to stop it from pinging.

I did not need shorter p.rods b/c I had sbc valves installed which were longer than the ford valves. I actually needed 'longer' p.rods when I ran the roller rockers.

HEAD GASKETS: I will always use the Felpro $60 hp one. Never reuse a head gasket unless it is copper.

Don't use the head studs unless the block has been bored and the shop was told before the boring you were going to use studs. Studs and bolts torque differently. You can cause your rings to unseat by changing.

Call Comp Cams and find out what springs you should use with that cam. Then, make sure your shop cks the installed height and the psi @ that height. Diff cams need diff psi at the spring.

Note: I may have been wrong when I stated in a diff thread that the efi pistons had a higher cr. I have since read that during the efi years, b/c of the 'fast burn' shape of the c.chamber, Ford lowered the cr of the pistons. Now I don't know who is right. It's always good to confirm with the manufacturer b/f purchase.

Jul 5, 2011 | 07:36 PM

#36

dustybumpers

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From: In my own world

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideWinder4.9l

NO!!!
If you blew off a wet fart, would you put that soiled set of drawers back on after your shower?

Jul 5, 2011 | 07:40 PM

#37

BaronVonAutomatc

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From: Earth

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustybumpers

NO!!!
If you blew off a wet fart, would you put that soiled set of drawers back on after your shower?

Probably not since college. Does turning something inside-out count as changing?

Jul 5, 2011 | 07:53 PM

#38

dustybumpers

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From: In my own world

only 1 time. hahahahahaha

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Jul 6, 2011 | 10:30 AM

#39

AbandonedBronco

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From: Boise, Idaho

Quote:

Originally Posted by nstueve

Either way... And you might agree AB, even thought ther is a ton of room in the engine bay I might pull the engine to do the cam, head, and intake and then stick it all back in there at once...

I would agree, especially with that work load. There's a lot of room on the sides of the engine, but the cam requires work from the front, and the head is a long way back. I had to get really creative putting the head back on mine, and had a tough time getting my engine back in place after the cam install.

Although, I didn't have an engine lift at the time, which would have undoubtedly made moving the engine easier. I was using floor jacks, which was a nightmare.

Jul 6, 2011 | 02:07 PM

#40

F-250 restorer

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From: Near Los Angeles

I concur, Dr AB: R&R the cam was a lot of fun. I still remember laying on the driveway and trying to torque the v.dampener nut while holding a screwdriver stationary on the flexplate with a foot. Without my Super Powers I'm certain it would have been impossible.

Jul 7, 2011 | 08:34 AM

#41

nstueve

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From: Des Moines, Iowa

Thanks for the help guys... I knew there were reusable head gaskets out there... didn't know it was copper only. Good to know.

I might have already asked this before but is it worth it to put 1.7 rockers on? Or is that a huge pain that will result in needing new rods and a bunch of other mods? Would be nice if there were 1.7 replacements for the factory pedistals I'm planning on using.

Likewise what do sbc valves get you? I forgot my camera today or I would have had pics of the super clean 86 head. I am really really hoping the valves and guides are good! A big machining bill is not what I need to hold me back even longer... Dad's getting impatient to drive his truck this summer!

Jul 7, 2011 | 05:56 PM

#42

F-250 restorer

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From: Near Los Angeles

You need to post a photo of the v.spring side of your head. Are there studs sticking up to hold the rockers, or are there bolts that go through rockers into head?

I found this on Fordsix a while back: <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w

oNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w

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ontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority

9; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]-->A pedestal mount 300 head can use stud mount rockers if you use a pushrod guidplate conversion kit. I have intsalled it on my 90 cyl head and it all works just fine. Crane part number 36655-16 will give you 3/8 studs and guideplate for 5/16 pushrods. If you go this route hardened pushrods are not required becuse the kit has nylon inserts in the guidplates. I had to mix a couple of kits on mine cause I needed 7/16 studs for BBC rockers I already had. It is best for long life of the nylon inserts if you polish the pushrods to make sure there are no burrs on them. This is easy to do in a drill.
This conversion kit will also make your valvtrain adjustable.

Myself: I ran 1.7 big block chevy roller rockers for a while, and will not run them again w/o p.rod guides. The power was great, changing my v. lift from .450 to .485 IIRC. But, I suffered in the mpg area. The power was awesome, but a valve popped loose on the freeway, and it was only by sheer prayer that it did not drop into the cylinder, or the engine would of been scrap.

Having said that, a lot of guys use the rockers off a chevy 250 I6, and those types are more forgiving. If I were you, I would stay as oem as possible. OEM (original equipment manufactured) means dependable. If you p&p the head, install a good cam with 3 angle valve job w. 30* back cut on the intakes, convert to a 4v intake w. carb, and go with the GM 4 pin ignition with an aftermarket coil, you'll be more than impressed and happy. Check out go fast for less dot com.

The sbc valves are larger diameter valves, allowing the engine to breathe easier, to intake more air, and that equals more power. Unless you have $1,000 to spend on the head, don't go that route.

Jul 7, 2011 | 10:21 PM

#43

Amphenol

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Quote:

Originally Posted by F-250 restorer

and go with the GM 4 pin ignition with an aftermarket coil, you'll be more than impressed and happy. Check out go fast for less dot com.

If your running the duraspark ignition and switch to the gm 4 pin will you see an improvement?? Or is this only used if your only converting from EFI to carb?