and it runs great. Ran like crap for the first hour or so and then loosened up a lot. Only problem now is that I have some valvetrain chatter. The way I adjusted them was by flattening the lifters out and adjusting the lifter to .020 from the valve. How do you all do it? I have stock adjustable rockers. I would like to thank everybody for being a great help with some of the questions I had and especially those who recommended the Crane 343801 cam. First gear is pretty much unusable now with my 3.25 open differetial. Havent been able to really get on it yet because its breaking in. I waited until 150 miles to go above 3 grand and I won't go over 4 until the 3000 mile mark. The edelbrock heads also exceeded my expectations. I have no problems with valves sealing or with heilicoils coming out.

 

good job rat, Robert Yates would have a heck of a time waiting on his motors, huh?
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

Rat why are you babying it? Every one of my engines I redline and run normally and never had a problem and they always been fast. I just don't hold the same RPM for a long time so the ring won't over heat.My theory is if it's going to blow up- its going to blow up reguardless how its run.

 

Please stop tempting me! I'm babying it because I just spent 4 grand to build it. I know it should redline without any problems but I am not a wealthy man and can't afford to do it again. Also my rings were all at about .016 - .020 gap when installed so I am trying to get a little normal wear on them. I tell myself not to bring it up to red until 3,000 so at least I can hope to go 1,000 before I run into a chevy who thinks he has something. You know how it goes. I also would like to have some synthetic oil pumping through the veins. Those oiling mods really work. Before the rebuild I barely had any oil coming up to the rockers. Now with a low speed drill running the primer it really pumps. I am going to restrict the flow up there though because I think my valve covers are filling up a bit. May cause a slight lack at the mains. I still have the stock points distributor running and I am surprised it runs as good as it does. Not sure how it will handle 6500rpms though.

 

rat, I can't believe after all the posting that you do about engine building, you are such a candy with your own. :-(
I started a trip pulling a loaded 12ft Uhaul from Durham NC to Atlanta with 300 miles on my new engine. If it was gonna break it would have by now. I broke mine in like I expected to run it, "running up front" with a Dale Jarrett attitude.
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

I just got into an altercation with a new V6 mustang at about 20MPH rolling start. It was just a small snack. I never went over 4 grand. I can't think of a good reason not too let her rip either John but Steve Christ says to lay off of it for a while. It is still loosening up a little being that it runs a little smoother and stronger every day. Steve's main reason for that is that a new motor produces enough heat without you causing more but with my truck the radiator is more than adequate. I have decided at 1,000 miles it is going to get the second oil change and then see about 5,500. My buddy has a 14.8 second subaru WRicerX and I'm going to give him a try.

 

Congrats!! Another FE on the road!

Now tell us what your setup is. You've probably told us before, but I can't remember all the specs. What's the specs on that cam and when do you feel it kick in?

Go ahead and take it somewhat easy, but pay close attention for unusual noises. You may want to tear open the oil filter and check for metal parts too.

 

This is what I am running from top to bottom.

Holley Street Avenger 770cfm
1 inch spacer
Edel RPM Manifold
Stock points distributor
Stock adjustable ford rockers and shafts. (Brand New)
Edelbrock heads
Crane 343801 Cam .548/.580 lift 222/234@.050 114LCA
TRW L2291F60 pistons w/moly rings
Stock C7AE-B rods w/ARP bolts
Holley Fuel Pump
ARP Main Studs & everything else
CJ Windage Tray
.002 on Rods & Mains
Melling M57HV pump w/ARP shaft & oiling mods

I have a 2500 stall so I can't really tell when the cam kicks in because at that RPM it has already kicked in. The powerband is much broader than I expected. The ignition system is soon to be all MSD but its time to buy the kids some toys now. I was kind of surprised because the points work great at least up to 4 grand and with the timing initially at 12 degrees I get a total of 36-38 at 3 grand. I know there is a lot above 4 grand but I have yet to find out. It is begging hard for it though. I liked FE's before this build but now I am completely hooked. I recommend the Street avenger carbs to anyone. I just bolted it on and I can't see anywhere it needs adjustment. It's responsivness is like injection. For exhaust I am running Flowtech headers, 3 inch pipes with an "H" and Flowtech Warlock mufflers. It sounds pretty mean. I like the sound better than flowmasters. So far shifting at 4 grand I have beat a new V6 Mustang and a Dodge Ram R/T. I was disappointed in the ram. It was a walk away situation. The mustang had more than I though it would but not near enough. Saw a new T/A on the highway tonight but held myself back with the help of a buddy. The only noises I am having is chatter from the valvetrain. I still need advise on how to set my lash. It isn't very loud but enough to annoy me.

 

Drive normally no babying - no heroics.

babying leads to poor ring seal
heroics will lead to flat back tyres (after running over crank shaft) any time.

My dyno experience would indicate after 30 mins - running in cam retighten bolts etc an engine is ready for full power full rpm testing. If it isnt then pull it apart and fix it now. "Running in" was necessary bake in the "olden days" when machining was not at the standard it is today. If it is still "loosening up" what is loosen up ? will it still keep loosening up ? If it is getting better is it you getting used to the noises or is it the timing chain stretching and retarding the cam.

Just a different angle on the picture.
Some where in the middle is where ya want to be.


Now what was your lifter question ?

Hydraulics ?

Turn the rocker until it just zeros the clearence (this is harder to tell on an FE as the manifold obsecures the lifters then 0.020 (half turn depends on the pitch of the adjusters thread) should be good lifter compresion


Solids ?

get an experienced "hand" to show you the feel of feeler gauges and do it "HOT" and quickly or figure hot to adjust the setting to suit the lower temps.

 

I think it is all done loosening up. It was never so tight the starter was having problems. If I built it for racing only I would have made the clearances a little larger but at .002 I think it might be better to let it wear a little. Also at first when you went to shut it down at 1200 rpm the motor would come to an abrupt halt as soon as you killed the ignition. Now it turns a little anyway. I am definitely getting on it. I take it to 4 grand under WOT. I like your comment about heroics. I'm pretty sure running over your crank will do some tire damage. My rings did seal up all the way finally. It only blew smoke out the exaust for about 3 minutes but ran clean after. I still could tell there was some blow by becaue up until about 50 miles I was getting some excess smoke out of the breathers. It is all gone now. Thanks for the advise on the rocker adjustment. The next day off I get I'm going to tear into it.

 

Ran it up to 4750 to beat my buddies Subaru WRX. He ran a 14.8 at the track. We raced from 25 - 70. He was a little faster from 60 - 90. It might have had something to do with the computer designed body while I was trying to push my way through a much larger portion of the atmosphere. Still kept pulling harder and harder until I shifted.

 

Rat, My son has a Contour SVT 5 spd, 160 on the speedo, must have factory flowmasters from the sound, that he left here over the weekend for a few days, and I drove it out to my sister's because of more parking room. That thing won't throw you back in the seat like a big V8, but man is it fast. The redline on my Taurus tach is 5500 while the redline on that car is 6800. The redline in my truck is where ever I set it and that is 4000.
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

What valve covers & rocker arms are you running? I had some valve noise on mine after the rebuild. My lift was .501/.533 running max roller rockers and Ford motorsports aluminum valve covers. I foung out that the adjusting nuts on the rockers were barely hitting the baffles on the valve covers.

Reggie

 

I'm running the stock covers for right now. Going to get some chromes after a while. Thought I was going to get the motorsport but I guess not. I thought of that problem when I first heard the noise but I felt the covers and nothing seemed to be hitting. I'm pretty sure the lash is too big.

 

There are a few other possibilities
valve guides
bubbles (in the oil) is the bleed behind the dist clear (too clear ?)