Alright... I have a 1977 400 ford I'm looking to put a hydraulic roller in. Put a new motor in it and wiped out a lobe on the new cam. Done with flat tappets, first one I used. I think they are ****. Rollers have never let me down in the past.

The truck is a daily driver. Nothing radical, 4bl, long tubes, hei. Doesn't see over 5000 rpms. Don't really care how much power it makes, threw this engine together to get me through college reliably, key word reliably.

Lifters:

I don't want to use a spider tray, I don't like their design and favor link bars for multiple reasons (besides the price). I'm looking at the howards (Morel) link bar lifters because they are priced right.

Cam:

Comp 260HR 260/260-206/206-.510/.510-110

I would run a howards cam but their off the shelf stuff is a tad to big. I haven't asked what they charge for a custom grind but I'd assume they are more. Maybe I'm wrong? Don't need anything radical, and I'm trying to avoid machining the heads and having to deal with valve seals issues.


Valve Springs:

I need some help selecting valve springs. The truck is in a friends shop an hour away. I hardly have time to go back on weekends due to the amount of studying I have to do at college. And I'd like to have all the parts in my hands, go up and install them. Rather than install a part, measure this, install a part, measure this. I simply don't have 3 or 4 weekends to do that and I need the truck running. Can I run comp beehives, duals, other?

Anyways what springs do I need to go with so I don't have to machine anything on the heads and I can use the stock umbrella seals (.510 lift cam)?


Will the combination of howards lifters work with the base circle of the comp cam? Can't find the base circle numbers printed to compare the two.


All help is appreciated. Already searched.

 

just had one cut this year for my 400 ford. go to my photos and albums and the cam card has all my spec's. maybe work maybe not but its pretty close to what you are a wanting. its for a 4wd and mild towing and daily driver. it says 351 cleveland on cam card but its for a 400 ford. drop a message if any questions. Mpgheads thundermaker cams. Been using these guys for many years and no complaints.

 

After breaking in a flat tappet cam with a bottle cam break in additive you still need to be putting a ZDDP additive in every oil change, unless you buy a racing oil that still has in it, like Valvoline VR1 or Brad Penn oils, or odds are you will end up with a flat lobe, thats assuming the valve train geometry was set up right.
IMO, I wouldn't run a cam, hydro roller or flat in a 335 with the same profiles on each lobe. Always favor more lift and duration on the exhaust.
You should always run the mfgr's recommended spring at the heights and pressures they recommend.
IMO, I would just save my money and figure out why it went bad in the first place. You are going to have a lot of time and money tied up in something that isn't necessary.

 

the hyd roller I'm running has .520 lift int/exh but the duration is different. 272int. and 280exh if I remember correctly. nice smooth running cam and good vacume and easy on componets. MPGheads cut for me and kinda conservative but can always be upgraded if needed. the cam is designed for towing and mileage mile performance. any questions drop a message. Actual cam card in my albums for actual specs and spring pressures and whatever else needed.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Good looking truck you have there!



I decided to go with the comp 260h cam, 924 valve springs, comp retainers & locks, howards link bar roller lifters.

Will measure for push rods when I get the rest of the parts in. And let you all know how it works.

 

Yeah I used VR1 and I think crane break in oil. Primed it until oil came out of every hole on the rockers. The cam that flattened was a summit racing cam and lifter kit. It was a small cam and edelbrock springs. I had to crank it a few times to get the timing on. The cam shouldn't have flattened a lobe. Everything was perfect.

Does anyone know if howards lifters will work with a reduced base circle cam?

 

Probably 40 miles before it started to tick. Geometry is stock. 17,000 mile motor.

 

Welp got some good news and some bad news.

Started taking the engine apart. Yep, one push rod was loose as I had thought. Bad news was it was because the rocker arm was loose. Yep I feel like a dip **** but when I don't even have time to work on the truck I have to make some assumptions sometimes.

Good news is there's no metal in the oil.

Well I already got all the parts so I'm going on with the hydraulic roller set up.

Heads are at machine shop getting positive seals, springs set up for cam, and .025 milled off them.

Comp 270H is on its way. Talked to TMI and am ordering some Lunati Link Bar lifters and Scorpian roller rockers.

Will update with some pics or video when its done.

 

Here is the rest of the info on my build I got going

Holley 670 CFM Truck Avenger
Top hat K&N
1" 4 Hole Carb Spacer
4BL Edelbrock Intake
Summit Racing HEI Dizzy
DUI Livewires
Flowtech Ceramic Coated headers
2 1/4" True Duals & Flowmasters
Shortblock is 17,000 original mile from grandma's T-bird (overhauled it)
New Melling Oil Pump
Robert Shaw Thermo

Valvetrain
Comp Cams Double Roller Timing Chain (cam is set straing up)
Comp 270hr cam
Lunati Link Bar lifters
Roller Rockers

Heads (rebuilt)
.025" shaved
3 angle valve job
positive seals
set up for .566 lift
comp 921 springs
steel retainers

New fuel pump, water pump, fan clutch, fuel filters, fuel lines and i got a tuff stuff 140A alt coming for it too.

Any ideas on how much power I could expect from this thing? Got a buddy who thinks his 1/2 chevy is gonna pull me... HA.

 

Not sure on your hp you'll be making? But is your truck a long bed or short and what's your buddys? My moneys on you.

 

on the heads did you do any port work? if not your hrspwr is probably in the 340 hrspwr range. if carb tuned correctly,jetting and other stuff. the carb tells the story on power for me. your compression is probably in the high 8.8 to 1 compression. kinda shootin from the hip on hrspwr guestimation. working the heads and smoothing out ports really do wonders for these heads, working the turndowns to valves is a big flow upgrade to making power. how far is the piston down in the cylinder? need to measure for more accurate compression estimation.

 

Heads and ports are stock. I thought about smoothing them out but just don't have the time right now. Truck is in my buddies shop and his lease is up Jan 1st so I'm kinda rushing, especially since i don't even have the heads back from the machine shop yet. But they ought to be back monday.

I should have ran some thinner head gaskets to tighten the quench and pick up a bit more compression. I just couldn't justify the cost of the gaskets for a build this mild. I see i can borrom a magnetic base from me buddy and measure where the pistons sitting at.

I'd love 340HP. I'm gonna pick up some holley parts and get the carb dialed in once she is up and running. There was def room for improvement on it before i tore it down for the new valve train.




My truck is a long bed regular cab. Fairly new 36" iroks. 4.10 gears. No lockers tho.

His truck is a 06 crew cab chevy, 5.3, headers, intake chip, 4.56 gears, tru track rear, 35" toyos on 20's which are about 50% tread. We're gonna do it on concrete, I don't want none of that dirt action since he has that locker.

Anyways he hooked up to a new dodge 1/2 ton a month or two ago and he started hopping and f'ed all kinds of stuff up. Twisted his aluminum driveshaft like a pretzel, ruined his lift blocks and spring perches, transfercase was iffy and he broke a front cv. It was a good deal. I lauged my *** off. Poor lil chevy. I told him I'm the undertaker and I'll be here to finish it off when i roll mine out of the shop. Guess if I break my **** I can always pull my axles out of whitey for a few weeks

 

320-340 was my goal. I'd love that kinda of power in this older clunker.

 

Well got her running this weekend. Got it dialed in today. Man does this thing run great. I couldnt be happier with how it runs.

Good sounding idle, great throttle response and pretty good power. I can def beleive this thing has 320 HP. It pulls pretty good and its got a nice broad curve from the feel of it. Great throttle response, cruises really well. I didnt figure the fuel milage but it didn't seem to bad. Drove it all around town yesterday and almost 70 miles back to school today. Ran like a champ.

I've got a 670 truck avenger on this thing. Alot of ppl bitch about these. Mine worked great. All I had to do was get the timing straight and adjust the idle screws. Runs like a top, if there is more to be had I'd be susprised, but not totally opposed to it

While I had it in the shop I replaced the window weather strip and added dynamat to the floor. Wow, I could now while driving this thing. Love it.

The ole C6 started to slip on me tho. Only sometimes, well see how long it lasts before it totally takes a dump on me hahaha. I've got a real good condition 2wd tranny. Is it very hard to take make this trans work in my truck using the rear shaft from my truck? I would believe I could tackle a rebuild myself but have a good friend with alot of experience in them.


The moral of the story is. $4200 later, I am loving the truck more and more.

 

On the prowl for a power stroke