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Hey guys, long time since I've frequented the forum... hope everyone is well.
I have a single cab 1976 F250 4wd with a 390/NP435, 4.10 rear, 33" tires, recently refreshed heads (new valves, springs, stem seals, etc etc), stock (to my knowledge) cam, lifters, push rods, and rockers. 0.060" over pistons, stock bottom end. Casting indicates the block came from a ~1972 passenger car.
The engine is leaking oil from the back, most likely the china wall, which means I have to pull the intake. I usually get a serious case of the "while I'm in theres" when I do stuff like this which got my mind rolling. Should I upgrade anything?
My first thought was a camshaft.. but research quickly devolved into chaos when I couldn't find a single repeated recommendation... seems that camshafts are like opinions: everyone has one and no one is correct.
Second thought was an intake. I am currently running an ooooold Edelbrock single plane that came with the truck under an Edelbrock 1407.
Looking at intakes and cams, I'm seeing options for 250-400 for each so price isn't really the difference maker between the two. What do y'all think I could see the most bang for my buck?
Edelbrock performer plus cam shaft kit and performer intake. This will be about as far as you’ll want to go with a stock valve train. It’ll be a nice bump.
I definitely concur with dual plane over a single plane intake manifold. You should see much better throttle response during normal driving. That goes double of off road driving.
For the camshaft, I suggest calling several camshaft manufacturers. Comp, Lunati, Howard, etc. They all have smart guys, that will ask you a lot of questions about the vehicle, engine, transmission, and what you want it all to be best at. You'll see a consensus in the camshaft specs they recommend. Specifically in, intake lobe duration, lobe separation angle, and intake center line.
As for the leak, I always try to pin down the root issue before throwing fixes at it. The first thing I look at is the PCV setup. If it's not working properly, then crankcase pressure will build up, and will blow seals or gaskets again. And coincidentally, the single plane intake manifold could be the reason for the leak. Traditional PCV setups use vacuum to pull crankcase pressure out. And a single plane produces much lower vacuum than a dual plane intake manifold.
If you can find an intake manifold for $400 then you're a very lucky guy. The Edelbrock Performer for the FEs are $600 right now and the Performer RPM is $700. That's up over $100 since I bought mine early last year. It's gotten ridiculous out there.
Regarding your cam choice, there is someone that's repeatedly mentioned on this forum that is kind of a camshaft guru and can grind you something that's fitting to your particular setup. I think 440 sixpack might be the one that has mentioned him a few times.
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