timing gear succesfully mounted. had to use various pieces of pipe.

Just realized my Jegs package contained only 1 head gasket! I didn't think they would sell singles, oh well.

I should have some progess before Saturday is done, maybe even some noises aside from my cussing :-)

 

I'm starting to think I should drop a nasty roller cam and valve train in this and find me a 67/68 390 fastback mustang.

The 352 in my 67 is running pretty good...what was I thinking?

 

Much as I like mustangs, there are plenty of fast mustangs around, but not many fast trucks,

 

Good point.

The other thought is to strip down the 69, put the biggest fattest Mickey Thompsons I can find on the back and play with it at the strip.

We'll see. The most probable scenario, the wife finds out how much I've invested in old trucks, leaves me, and all this stuff ends up on EBay :-)

 

I noticed that you have brass core plugs everywhere except the back of the block. That one is a sob when it rusts out... just my 2 cents worth.

 

Moron engine builder strikes again :-(

heads on, went pretty smooth!

Intake manifold on, defeinitely needed cork. I don't think it would have sealed with just the RTV. But, I got it together and felt pretty good about. All lifters installed in previous operating position.


Installed front end, timing cover, water pump (new edelbrock aluminum), finally got harmonic balancer sleeve installed over the keys (again, trouble with the keys on the SCAT crank), balancer installed. 1 queston here, balancer sleeve goes on far enough to reveal the crank slot for the balancer key, but the part where the sleeve steps up doesn't meet with the timing cover seal?? I thought that was there to help it seal? (I did get the oil slinger in this time..that was the remaining part the last time I tore into my old 390 :-)


In any case, I thought I had made some good progress on the top and front, let's install the oil pan! I rotate the engine on the stand and....clank clank clank...lifters falling out of position.

AHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lesson number 486 for the moron engine builder...Install valve train before turning engine upside down :-(

Must..beat ....head against this wall....

 

"All lifters installed in previous operating position."

I am sure I am miss reading this but are you reusing lifters?..With all the "fun" you have been having with this project I can't help but inject this little saying, "Even the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go awry"..Not making fun just thought this fits..Can't wait to hear how this thing runs, good luck..

 

The cam and lifters were only running in my 390 for about 4000 miles. I thought, that not having to break them in would be a good thing.

Anybody ever get them out of order on a reinstall? Did it really cause any problems? Remember this setup only has about 4000 miles on it? I would not think that any lifter/lobe relationships had developed.

 

With the amount of money your wife (LOL) is putting out for this I would have installed a new cam and lifters..I wouldn't have risked this project to used parts..And now that you have mixed up the order of the lifters I would go new..JMO..

 

REPLACE THE LIFTERS

At the minimum,

And yes I'm shouting.



R

 

The lifter/lobe relationship will set up during the initial cam break-in. That's why the cam break-in procedure.

 

Never,never,never,never did I say never?....reuse lifters. You can reuse the cam but if you get one lifter out of place it will wipe out a came lobe and fill your new motor with metal filings...It would be a shame to destroy a new stroker crank.....D44HD

 

And yes I speak from experiance....It really does make a difference....dont mess up like I did....D44HD

 

Allright, allright! I'll replace the lifters. since I have to go back in anyway, and I'm back at work (so it will be wed. before I get to wrenching again).

That being said, what do you think about the cam? It's already installed, wit hall of the front end attached. The cam has about 4000 miles of pretty mild usage on it. I like the way it sounds and it looks good on the Desktop Dyno. And, I know it works well with the rest of my valve train. Although, I now have the Edelbrock heads and valve spring setup.

If a new cam is suggested, throw out some reccomendations. Remember this is not a typical FE or 390 build. There's 446 cubes with a longer stroke than a 428. It's setup for 10.5:1 CR with the Aluminum heads. I may also consider valve train upgrades at this point. What would I need; rocker arms and pushrods, or more?

 

Here is what I'm considering at the moment:

Crane 343801 Cam with lifters
Crane 34645-16 pushrods
Crane 34772-16 rocker arms

Do you think this is a good combination with my stock rocker shafts and the Edelbrock springs?

I realize the cam is a bit big for a truck motor, but I have a bit longer stroke 4.125" SCAT and the truck is a 2WD with 4.10 gears.