Engine running like crap with easily heard exhaust pops near the front right - at first I guessed cracked exhaust manifold but found a stud backed out and a loose bolt, both at #1. Still noisy after tightening so I am thinking the gasket is toast. Decided to run a compression test to be sure nothing else was going on; came up all six being 190-195! Always knew this motor ran well, given the condition of the labels on the valve cover I am almost believing the odo which claims just under 100,000 miles. As long as I am faced with the exhaust manifold gasket fix, may as well hang on the EFI manifolds and Offy intake gathering dust in the corner. One real silly question - since the valve cover labels do look pretty good, what is recommended for painting around them? The engine, especially the valve cover, is in definite need of paint, but I hate to screw up such nicely readable factory labels - I have always lost readability when masking with tape which peels up some of the factory label's print. What to use - Vaseline over the label? Anyone have a good solution? (I know, a GOOD problem to have...)

 

Many use Vaseline on the block freeze plugs when they don't want to paint. My suggestion would be to test it first on scrap metal. Maybe use masking tape around the outside of the label, then apply Vaseline inside your masking tape rectangle - to keep the Vaseline contained and have crisp edges. Then remove the masking tape and spray bomb the cover. Haven't tried it, but if it tests good, this would be my approach.

 

That matches the best I could come up with... was hoping someone had a gee-whiz infallible solution but this sounds like it. Thanks!

 

How about a light layer of clear coat first?

 

also good, thanks.

 

quick update, after soaking all the bolts with penetrant, every bolt came out painlessly. Matter of fact, EVERY stud did too. Now getting the big washers off them may be a bit of a trick, but for now things are progressing albeit slowly. It's a third vehicle, so I can choose whether or not to work on it as I get time and the inclination. Going to try to do a thoroughoy cleaning and repainting the engine before I reassemble, too.

 

I'm in the middle of a 3/4 assed frame up. My engine was viciously loud, could hear it inside, rattled the walls in the house 60' away. Finally noticed an exhaust leak while doing other work. Had new gaskets, so pulled the manifolds to replace them and I basically had a blowout in the exhaust manifold around cylinder 5. Would have been impossible to see without an inspection mirror. Material separated and bulged out like a dry rotted tire. I'm assuming/hoping that was the reason mine was so loud.

 

got sidetracked a bit by work and home stuff... have painted much of the motor - black block, lighter Ford blue for the oil pan, valve cover, pushrod cover. Rattlecan but a major improvement. Started doing manifolds, the rear exhaust EFI is a booger to get in - nothing to hang it on, just have to hold it in place somehow and get bolts/washers to hold it. I converted to grade 8 studs, but nothing on that manifold actually hangs on a stud; just sits adjacent to them. How you guys who did not convert to studs can juggle manifold, bolts, etc. is beyond me, unless you installed it out of the truck. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Big question - since the engine has been down a month - I assume the lifters are probably drained by now. When the Chevy rockers are installed, do the same "turn pushrod till resistance is felt and then 1/2 turn more and torque to 25 lbs" - should I only turn 1/4 turn more to allow for lifter expansion? Just turn till resistance is felt? Even back off a tad after resistance is felt to allow lifter expansion with oil?

 

Is the top of the rocker stud 5/16" or 3/8" thread?
The 5/16" thread studs are positive stop.

You can make an "L" clip that keeps the manifold from slipping down even after they are installed.

 

Throwing the calipers on the top of the studs gives me .3025, so 5/16". As I understand it, there is no adjustment possible except by swapping to shorter or longer pushrods. My goal on this is just to make it breathe better - I rarely have a lead foot and the whole EFI manifold/Edelbrock/4 barrel conversion is to improve performance and mileage ... do I need to give up on the Chevy rocker arms? Swap all the rocker studs to the 3/8 studs?

If you have a drawing or description of said L-clip, that would be appreciated. I was thinking due to lack of assistance I would need to baling-wire the manifold approximately in place and then start tying it down with the
washers and nuts. I did manage to salvage all the original large washers.

 

With all the EFI exhaust manifold conversions taking place I see the need for somebody to market a kit with this much needed part, maybe with the attendant replacement studs too. I see a clear profit potential here for some CNC-versed entrepreneur with open machine time.
Anybody?

 

Adjusting the rockers is easier with the side cover off so you can see the lifters.
You are correct, there is no adjustment with the 5/16 nut.
When the lifter is down on the heel of the cam lobe the pushrod should push the center lifter plunger down a little from the retaining clip.
If you tighten the rocker nut down and there is still pushrod play then you can use washers under the rocker nuts to adjust the lifter preload.
This should not happen but if there is too much preload then you would need shorter pushrods.

Here is the link to exhaust manifold clips.
https://fordsix.com/viewtopic.php?p=609356#p609356

 

Excellent material in that linked post... but it tells me I do not have the required permissions to view the linked attachment. I registered, which I am hoping will solve that. I think I get the idea - can take a simple piece of steel strap, bend about 1/4" or so of it at 90 degrees to make an L, measure where I want to drill the hole for the stud on the long arm of the L to hang the manifold in the right place. Even if it is not perfectly aligned, it will get me close enough, and a couple of those clips on each manifold will keep things from shifting around too much.

I saw one poster bought 1.25" washers... I noticed there was not a lot of manifold 'meat' being captured with the Ford washers. That sounds like a reasonable idea. Starting to feel like I should have put in longer studs to accommodate all this added hardware!

Followup - when I registered for the other forum it allowed me to see the clips; thank you. And vaselining worked great on the labels.

 

Few days later update...found that as someone said on the fordsix forum, when in position the manifolds lock together such that for normal (non-racing) purposes there is no need for the L shaped clips past installation - you would have to have severely broken manifolds for slippage to be a problem. That being said, some observations:
1) This goes together like a Chinese puzzle, which NO ONE ever says. Can't put in the Y pipe after the manifolds are installed, and it is easiest to install the front EFI manifold first, then brace the rear EFI manifold in
place, then install the intake and start tightening down. (I of course got the manifolds in before making the Y-pipe discovery, so had to drop the manifolds off AGAIN.)
2) On another forum someone suggested buying 1 1/4" washers to increase the contact area on the manifolds' ears . There are 7 studs on top and 6 on the bottom; on mine I found the washers would go on the top
studs OK but will not go on the bottom as they run into the intake manifold runners. You can either stick with the standard Ford 1" washers or trim a radius off the 1 1/4" washers to fit. I have the big washers on the
center 5 studs, just the standard 1" Ford washers on the outermost studs where the intake has a full ring mount, and plan to just use the 1" washers on the bottom since the tops have the big washers.
3) Never again would I buy the Walker pipe.... at least on mine, the lower bend where the pipe starts its horizontal bend is off and it forces the rear manifold about 1/2" too high to mate up with the studs. It is
hitting on the frame, so I am going to have work on that front bend to clear the frame brace behind the starter. I am thinking if I can raise that bend 1/2" then that should allow the manifold to drop in place and
clear the frame.... but I should not have to do that with a decently made part.
Altogether, for what should be a matter of a few hours this has been an extremely frustrating install that has stretched to far too long. All I can say is that I sincerely hope the increase in breathing, performance, and hopefully economy is worth it. Yesterday I was ready to chunk that big chunk of Offenhauser aluminum through the windshield and sell someone a cancer-free truck very cheaply. I have to wonder how many of the folks who tout this ever tried it with their engines actually IN the trucks - bet it is a small minority.

 

First, thank you for the pointers. I plan on doing this someday.

Regarding clearance: do you have new engine mounts?

Also, 1/2” sounds close. Do you expect more interference with torque events / engine heaving, potholes? Might want to consider more clearance if you rework the bends.

It makes me wonder if you have other contributing factors, like the engine mounts, perches, or frame, leading to the clearance issue?