OK so I've decided to replace my Cleveland with a '72 Windsor. I picked it up from a friend who had rebuilt it years ago but couldn't get it fired. It's been bored, new crank, cam, lifters, heads done etc. I've disassembled it completely and started putting it back together. I'm getting to the point where I want to know what camshaft I have. And because he couldn't get it started I wonder if he put too big of a cam for the valve train (stock) to handle or maybe its for a 302 (different firing order).

So what I'm wondering is, how does one go about finding out what this cam is? I hate to buy a new one when I have a new one sitting there but I also don't want to stick something in there thats not Bronco friendly either.

As always, thanks for all the info. I do a lot of reading here but don't post very much. No advice is better than bad advice. Now if we were talking about Volkswagens, I'd be a posting madman.

 

Well problem solved. I just ordered a new cam from Summit. I feel better already.

But now I have another issue. I installed the rods and pistons with the little notch pointing foward. But when I checked the numbers on the rods and caps, only half of them were facing out. In other words, piston 2 and 4 were right and 6 and 8 were backwards (1 and 3 were correct? and 5 and 7 were backwards) If my memory serves, I could see the little oil squirt hole on 6 and 8 and not on the other two. What's the best thing to do here? Do I just turn the piston over or do I need to press the wrist pin out and turn the rod over? And is this something I can do at home on my press or do I need to bring it to the machine shop? Thanks for any replies.

 

The numbers on the connecting rods are supposed to point to that cylinder bank and the notch or arrow on the top of the piston should face the front of the motor. If the piston/rod assemblies need to be corrected, it is best left to a machine shop to avoid damaging the piston.

 

Well got everything figured out. I compared the new cam to the old one and its totally different; probably 302 or something. I talked to the machine shop that originally did the work on this engine and he told me since it is all new parts (except rods which were reconditioned) that the piston #'s didn't have to match the cylinder as long as the notches were pointing foward and the rod#'s were positioned right. A friend had the same issue with his 440 Mopar and he's been running it (hard) for a couple of years now with no trouble.

Couple more questions. Is there supposed to be a gasket behind the camshaft thrust plate? I found one in the new gasket set that looks like it would fit there but I don't think I took one out when I took it apart.
Also, which way does the oil pump driveshaft go in? I have 2 books on this engine and neither one really goes into that much detail. The way I have it now the little retainer sits against the oil pump. I have the feeling that isn't right.
And finally, I'm replacing the oil pan (car) with one from a 4X4. I bought a new oil pick-up tube for a 82 Windsor (the engine is a 72 but I don't think they were putting them in trucks yet) and it doesn't fit quite right. Close, but the bracket that bolts to the main bearing cap has too small of a hole and it looks like it needs tweaking just a little to fit right. Can I just 'adjust' it to fit or do I need to get a different one?

Thanks much.

 

Some small block pistons have offset wrist pins and need to go into the block with the notch forward. Rods must all go the same way as well, there's two sides to the big end, the chamfered side goes up against the journal fillet, the bearing sits offset toward the other rod. I don't think I'd take your machinst's word on the pistons. He's probably thinking about pistons with 4 valve reliefs, those are interchangeable between cylinder banks. That notch is there for a reason. The keeper on the oil drive goes at the top end to keep the pump drive from coming out with the distributor when it's pulled out. Just tweak the tab on the pickup tube to fit, they're never perfect. I've seen a lot of 71-up F series pickups with Windsors back in the 70's. The rear sump pans started in 2wd's in the 1980 model year. But with the older F series either will clear a 2wd cross member.