I had one on a 260 Falcon back about 1966 or 7 with the newest carburetor going, a Rochester Quadrajet. First problem, any time you slice a 1/4" high section out of your port it doesn't do wonders for flow, second problem, even with both the Q-jet's small primaries and the small primary runners, you could still get some stumble off idle. Best combination I had on that car, a Ford pre-Muscle Parts tri-power.

The engine wasn't stock, Jahns 10.5:1 pistons, Lunati cam (Hi-Po 289 spec, but hydraulic) Hedman Headers with dual exhaust, Mallory Rev-Pol distributor, Delta Mark-10 CDI system.

 

Gee! So much being said while I'm poking around in oil passages - more of which later. But, let me correct a misunderstanding I've created: I am going with Tim's recommendations:

• Heads: TFS 195 CC
• Pistons: His KB's to make 10.5 CR
• Cam: A custom Comp grind that he'll spec. We've talked about it a bit and he's asking questions re idle quality, exhaust sound, etc. And I'm saying "economy, economy, economy".
• Intake: Tim sells the Weiand but I have an Eddy Performer 400, and from what I've read it and the Weiand are essentially the same. However, I'll let Tim tell me what to use, and if I have to sell the used manifold I'll do it.
• Carb: Not settled, but Tim says he usually goes with an Eddy 1806, which is the Thunder series (AVS for us, Bill) 650 CFM. I'm glad likes that carb as it is my preference as well.

I have a call set up with Tim at 9:00 CDT in the morn, so more to report after that although the next thing I'll do is call the machine shop. And then to the doctor for the eye evaluation. Anyway, I am using Tim's recommendations.

 

Bill sounds like you know your stuff and have a few years on me, I've tuned my far share of performance engines, did it for a living for a while. That said I'm a fan of AMCs but have never personally seen an AMC cross ram.

Intake manifolds are the ultimate example of engine design and tuning where everything must compromise, fit, adjust to other parts, etc. The ultimate intake manifold just doesn't exist, it can't, it's all a compromise. For example if there was no other design considerations all V8 manifolds would be 180 degree, there is no down side to them being 180 degree until you actually try and design one that fits other performance paramters. We could talk forever about carb and manifold design, I'd welcome it, I got plenty of ideas that as far as I know have never been made. But this is Gary's thread and his options are limited to one off the shelf 4bbl and what manifolds he can buy.

I'll toss a little bit extra in here though, what the heck.

I'm not a fan of dual carb cross rams, they aren't 180 degree, often the runners are too long, and the flow turns too much. I think if your willing to give up a 180 degree design and want/need dual quads then a tall tunnel ram is a better choice. The only reason for a cross ram would be to fit it under the hood.

I love crossing weber manifolds with 4 DCOEs but that is a whole other way of tuning.

 

I've done some poking around in the $40 400's oil passages and learned a bit. But, it is one of those "got it, got it, ain't got it!" So, I'm going to need your help understanding this.

Here's the drawings from Tim's site again just for reference:


Now here's a wider view with brushes stuck into the main oil passages. The bottom brush handle is coming out of the outlet of the oil filter adaptor. The top handle is in the passage that shows in Tim's picture, and it intersects the supply out of the oil filter.



Now let's explore where the oil is going. Once it comes in horizontally it then goes vertical and into the gallery shown at the 10:00 position from the cam, which appears to be the main gallery. And that one runs through each of the lifter bores on the driver's side, as you can see with the brush showing in the bores:



And down below the mains have two holes, one large and one small. Here the small one is shown connecting up through the main supply and on up to the cam bearing, and the large one connects directly to the main gallery, which is the lower brush.



And here's where Tim puts the plug and the passage he drills out. The plug closes off the passage from the main gallery to the crank, but drilling out the other passage gets oil much more directly from the main supply.



Thoughts? Advantages? Disadvantages? Concerns?

 

WOW great pics, sorry but I have a few more questions. But to me how large and how off center the main gallery going the length of the block by the lifters is very good news.

To confirm, the other mains 2-6 have a passage that large from the passenger side lifter passage to the main bearing? And a smaller passage from the main to the cam? Cam bearings 2-6 are fed only by the hole from the main bearing?

Drivers side lifters are fed off oil going around the cam bearing?

So far I have to say that I'm not a fan of Tim's pipe plug mod, I think it's an unnecessary complication and risk with very little if any benefit. That is IF the same effect can be had by using the main bearing to block the passage. I can see why he advocates it though, the crank rotation ends up acting as a pump pumping oil out of the passage that he would block and to the passage to the cam. Blocking it prevents that ensuring more oil makes it to the main passage that runs down the passenger side lifter bores and feeds the rest of the engine. But again I think blocking it with the bearing accomplishes the same thing easier and with less risk. The enlargement of the other to 5/16 though is needed if the other is blocked by any means.

I certainly like rotating only the first cam bearing, and think it may be prudent on all of them, rotating the cam bearing has the same effect as the restrictors in the pic below and the added effect of putting the oil wedge in a better location.

The real restriction is the lifters, how big is that bore down the lifters compared to the bore from the 1st main to the lifter bore?

Let's look at your lifters, this may be a good place to make considerations cause you are using a roller cam. This means the lifters don't rotate so in theory a larger grove on the side that faces the passage on those lifters could help a lot. While a smaller or no groove elsewhere will help prevent oil leakage.

I wonder if the machine shop can debur, enlarge, etc that main bore down the lifter bores.

The sixth main has three holes like the pic below right, one from passenger lifter bore, one to the cam, one to the drivers lifter bore? This concerns me more then anything as it takes a lot of oil from the sixth main.

Next step I think is taking a very close look at the lifters and the main bearing options. For example main bearings are rather cheap as engine parts go, how about buying two sets and use only the bottoms so they are solid and drilling them only as big and where you want the passages. Sounds much better to me then pipe plugs.

 

Brute - I'm going to read and re-read that until I understand all of it. And, I'll get answers to your questions, although probably not until Tuesday as tomorrow is busy. But thanks for the analysis. As said, I'll study that bunches.

 

Why not forget the mod and just run a high volume pump? If starvation is the problem then increase the amount of flow. I know it wears the dizzy gears more, but I wouldnt feel comfortable changing up Ford's design on the oil route.

Just my 0.02.

 

Good question. Tim was adamant that I shouldn't run a high volume pump, but I don't know why, although I'll ask him. On the other hand, the George Reid book suggests running one. Who you gonna trust?

As for changing the Ford design, I'm with you. Neither Dad's truck nor Rusty had stellar pressure, but it was adequate - and isn't that all you need?

 

A high volume pump will do nothing if the issue is a restriction, you just have more volume available to the restriction. Really you would just end up bypassing more oil. A high pressure oil pump could help with a restriction but it has other downsides.

His thinking is probably that it's not needed and has to many drawbacks. It's a tough one, a HV pump is a very good thing but Fords have oil pump drive issues and yours are likely made worse by running a roller cam. Most roller cams need bronze distributor gears cause the cam is steal not iron which is softer and bronze gears are of course more prone to wearing out.

Yes all you need is some oil pressure but you need some oil pressure everywhere. Having 50PSI at the front of the block doesn't automatically mean you have any at the #8 rod bearing.

Bottom line for you I don't think a HV or HP pump is worth it but I'm not the 400 expert. I like the bearing mods I suggested, it's not really a redesign, just a tweak of what Ford did based on millions of miles that Ford couldn't test for. Ford didn't use a roller cam either.

 

Fortunately the M-block's oil pressure sensor is at the top-back of the block on the far end of the main gallery. So, is 15 at hot idle and 40 - 45 at 2000 adequate?

 

In that case absolutely, a little more at idle would be a little better but assuming it's measuring the pressure at the back of the lifter galley then yeah sounds good.

I thought it was back there but wanted to make that point.

It's not really oil pressure that keeps the metal parts apart, the pressure just ensures adequate flow. Basically ya just need enough pressure to push some oil against the rotating part(the crank) the oil then sticks to the crank and the rotation of the crank pulls the oil around creating a hydrodynamic wedge of oil. The oil then runs out the side of the bearing creating a flow that also cools the parts.

The issue here is if the front of the other parts use too much oil there isn't enough for the rest. And more important cause of the direction of rotation the crank is taking oil from the supply side and sending it to the cam. From where he puts the plug, to where he has you drill it. Without the plug and if the bearing doesn't restrict it the rotation of the crank would move oil in a kind of circle. From where the plug would go, moved by the crank to where he has you drill it, then up towards the cam. This is cause the pressure at the hole he has you drill is larger then the pressure where the plug would go because of the rotation.


All in all I think now that I have wrapped my head around it I personally have come to the conclusion that I like the idea behind Tim's mod, the cam bearings are great. I just think a bearing could be used instead of the pipe plug and yield as good of results for less risk and hassle.

EDIT, I'm having a hard time finding images I can be sure are actual bearings, but I'm thinking all you'd need is one extra main bearing to replace the original #1 upper main bearing that would have two holes with a bearing with only one.

 

MPO,
Only use a high volume pump if you are running a really 'loose' engine for racing purposes and have warm oil -always-.

Otherwise, there's no need for additional volume and you are putting unnecessary wear on the dizzy & cam gear, extra strain on the pump shaft.

I wouldn't run one on the street.

 

Gary,
you say economy, economy,economy.
The cam does not provide economy.
(given there is not so much overlap you are losing charge out the exhaust)

A well tuned engine is efficient.
The engine is nothing but a positive displacement pump.
The carburetor provides a mixture close to ideal and a little rich under low manifold vacuum.
Ideally the engine burns it all before it escapes out the exhaust.
Power and fuel use are a factor of displacement, cylinder filling and rpms.

 

Did I miss something, he made a cam selection?

 

Oh, Heavens, no, that can't happen for another 35 pages.