Sorry Clint, but jumped the gun today...steam cleaner wasn't pumping well, so decided to take the top end apart.

First the good:

The heads and lifter valley are clean enough to eat out of.

Piston had minimal carbon, 75% blew off with my airgun

No broken bolts

The engine had a factory 4bbl setup-might be able to sell it off for someone to upgrade from a 2bbl that needs to stay smog compliant.

The so-so:

There's a little bit of ring groove...I'll measure it later tonight or tomorrow.

The bad:

The pistons are are of the super dished variet, a giant valley milled in the middle of them.

What I learned:

You guys who have been working on Ford engines like this, miss out on all the fun running the valves...just too easy...as well as having about 1/2 the head bolts of a Chevy engine.

The intake ports only need some slight finishing on the roof where there's a casting hump in them, I can see why they flow so well compared to the exhust port...

Also, I see exactly what I've read about, this super-mondo hump on the exhaust ports, what a waste of metal...should be able to get both heads done in one day.

The valves looked okay from what I could see without opening them, looks liek there will be enough face to grind them...none looked receded into the seat.

I really think this engine was well cared for....as Dan and I spoke about when he dropped it off, I think the tranny took a dump, hence the truck would up in the junk yard.

I need to clear a spot to take the springs off and check the guides and see if any machien shop work will be needed...minimum will be to resurface them...hopefully that'll be all.

My plan will be to do things in three stages here, I'm going to leave the bottom end alone for now...except for pulling the pan to have a look at the bearings...but from the look of the top, I'm thinking things will be fine down below..

Stage one will be to complete the heads, once they're completed-
I'll keep let everyone know when I plan to grind on them for another GTG.

Stage two will be to get the cam/lifters/timingset/gaskets and a new water pump and install it all.

This would be a good GTG as well...easy one-day thing.

Stage three will be reassembley of the heads and the rest of the top end.

AgAin, this would be an easy one day thing as well...in fact, we might even be able to combine it with Stage two above...this engine looks like a piece of cake to put together...no 2 hours of running the valve, only 8 or 10 head bolts per side....damn, should have converted long time ago.

And yes, we might just finish this before Spring is actually over

 

That all sounds like good news.

As another bit of good news, the intake manifold shipped today via UPS. Summit doesn't indicate where they shipped from, but it should arrive within the next couple of days.

 

Good deal, once I verify all's well in the pan, I'll order the parts...Thought about reringing it, but my ridge cutter won't fit these holes.

I will stop by the local machineshop tomorrow and see if they have any standard bore flattop pistons put away somewhere....only thing I wander about is with higher CR and lousy quench with these heads...would be be prone to dtonation?

Does anyone know if these are pressed pins, or floaters? I'm guessing pressed, but never hurts to check.

 

Pressed pins.

 

I figured...means if we swap pistons and don't want to take the chance of cracking one, or two, or...we'd have to have the shop do it.

Just checked a few bores, about .003 to the ridge, then the ridge is .005 to .0055, I think it'll have to do.

 

That is OK, I knew it would happen. All gearheads would have done the same thing.

I have a NAPA ridge reamer, what size you need?

Just to double check, but what timing chain you going to run? In 1973 Ford changed the valve timing to help smog. We can fool around degreeing a cam, or just order a roller chain set for a pre '73 engine. They are the same price.

The guys in the 385 forum say this is basic, and makes a huge difference.

Also, don't forget we need to port match the new intake - make the transition between the intake and head smoother.

But good show - nice to get started!

 

, I imagine the bore is 4.25? There abouts?

The only ridge reamer I have is much smaller, 3.75 and less.

I think the roller setup I showed earlier was for '72-down engines, but will double check.

Yes on the intake matching, I'll set the intake gaskets back on the heads when the intake gets here to see how well the ports line up (assuming I can save the intake gaskets)...we want to keep the intake ports on the manifoild a bit smaller than the head ports...maybe .010 or so...to make sure we minimize turbulence.

Glad you're not upset about being here, just had to do something to stay busy...kinda fun, it's getting me re-energized to work on the '36 and get all those parts put on.

 

Boy, you must be playing with cart engines - even the 302 has a 4" bore! I will double check, but I am sure mine will go bigger.


...kinda fun, it's getting me re-energized to work on the '36 and get all those parts put on.[/QUOTE]

re-energize to work on the '36? How about the 460?

 

Lol...I bought my ridge reamer many years ago when I was doing some Flathead Dodges.

I don't even know the bore diameter on the 460, but I know I was at least a 1/8inch shy when I stuck in my 4inch bore anvil in the bore 'scope...I had to put the adapter on.

 

Oh, and Hey...the 460 will breath soon

 

Great news Mike. Thanks for the good news.

 

Guys, ran some numbers through a CR calculator, based off some information I found..

Assuming 28CC dish in the piston, 95CC for the heads, guessing the pistons will be .040 in the block (can recheck today), our CR is going to be a whopping 7.8 or so.

Tim,

You mentioned you had access to the D0VE heads? How much can we get them for? And what shape are they in?

 

What do you guys think of these heads?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/pts/340808774.html

 

Skip also has a set he thought he would sell. . . .

I am not sure how you calculate CR, but run through the numbers with a 74 cc combustion chamber in the head. I found one thread in the 385 forum that suggested maybe 10.5 to 1.

Also, people seem to think the D0VE combined with deep dish pistons has lousy quench, and will have pre-ignition problems.

Also again, what CR is suggested for our cam?

 

I found differeing info...from what I gathered, flat top pistons with D3VE heads are prone to detonation.

I think the 10.5:1 CR was DOVE heads and flat tops, not DOVE heads and 28cc dished pistons.