Hey Rat, what are you spending 3500 on? A 400 horse 390 should cost only half that, maybe less. You said your machine shop guy is going to do a 3 angle valve job, you do realize all valve jobs are 3 angle don't you? First you cut the seats at 45* then you set the hieght by cutting the top at 15*, then get the width by cutting the throat at 75*. Don't let anyone tell you a 3 angle job is anything special, anything less is an improperly done job. For the $$ you are spending, I certainly hope that includes the bigger 2.09 in and 1.65 out valves and hard seats under the exhaust. Do you have an intake picked? how about a cam? Windage tray? Tell us what you are up to. DF

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 13-Apr-01 AT 08:26 AM (EST)[/font][p]Well the machinist wants 1200 bucks to bore the block, turn the crank, rebuild the heads with the 2.09 and 1.65 valves and open up the exaust bolws and port them out and pressure check them, do the oiling mods, rebush & check the rods for hairline cracks, balance it and put cam bearings in it. My parts are going to include:

Crane #343801 cam (not totally decided yet)
Crane Anti Pump up Lifters
Crane Single Valve Springs
Crane Valve Spring Retainers
Edelbrock Double Roller Timing Set
Edelbrock performer RPM intake
Holley 0-80508S 750cfm carb
MSD Pro Billet Distributor
TRW Speed-Pro forged 9.47:1 pistons .030 over
Sealed Power Standard Gap Moly Piston rings
Melling High Volume Oil Pump
Clevite Rod & Main Bearings
ARP Chrome Moly Rod & Main Bolts
Headers (need recommendations)
7qt oil pan
Gasket set

My engine right now is a 74 junk yard motor the guy put in before I bought the truck. It knocks, not pings, slightly only when it is warm on 20W50 oil and Lucas additive. All the vaccum hoses need replaced. $3500 is what I am going to have in my hands before I start with the project. May or may not use it all but it will be close anyhow. Hoping to catch a 33% off deal at carparts.com but for right now most of my parts are coming from summit. I would love to know how to do this for half the price. I do have a couple more machine shops in mind but haven't called them yet.

 

Also getting hardened seats too for the 1200

 

>Also getting hardened seats too for
>the 1200



i sure hope your seat is hard, cause it sounds like someone's trying a$$ rape ya!!!! what's he charging ya per cylinder????

 

Rat, sounds like you are off to a very good start, but you are going to get more than 400 hp, you'll end up closer to 450. I have the Crane 343801 in one of my FEs, good choice you will like it. The idle is a little choppy but liveable, pulls very well from 2500 to 5500. You can wind tighter if you like, use whatever springs Crane tells you. The healthy cam with the RPM manifold and big valves will breath easily. Forget the MSD distributer, waste of money. The best distributer for a ford is the duraspark, you'll want one from a 75 or 76. If you want the hotter spark, hook an MSD brain box to the duraspark. Do use the vacuum advance, it will help your fuel mileage. For pistons the TRW L2291Fs are a good choice (flat tops). For headers get Sanderson if you like shortys and Stans if you like tri-Ys, both of these brands are pricey but will keep you free of leaks or fit problems. Windage trays are available from ford or Canton, cheap power, get one. You should have some $ left at the end. We will have lots of suggestions for you. DF

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 13-Apr-01 AT 11:29 PM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 13-Apr-01 AT 11:27 PM (EST)[/font]

Thanks DF. Where do I get those headers and what are the tube and collector sizes? Do you think the machinist wants way too much? I think I like this cam too. According to desktop dyno it gives the same HP rating as a higher intake duration cam but at a lower RPM not that I trust the program too much. It would be awesome if it had 450HP. Hoping to get my truck to at least high 13's, low 14's after I get the locker and traction bars installed. Do I have to get the duraspark from the junkyard and get a rebuild kit or can I get one from a parts store? I drive about a mile to work and have a gas station in between. Do you still think the duraspark is a better option than the MSD with mechanical advance power wise anyway. I'm willing to save money anyway I can as long as I don't loose too much power or leave any structural weaknesses. Everyone says it will be good till 6500rpm and I believe it will but it will never see it. Just checked the autozone site and they want 50 bucks for the distibutor. Do I want the single or dual vaccum? Never seen dual hookups on the side of a distributor before. Also does this distributor use points? I kinda want to stay away from points.

 

Rat, DF is right on the money here, skip the MSD Pro Billet Distributor. You can get the duraspark from the 75/76 and that'll work great or you can do what I did. I got a used dist for $10 from the junk yard, took it to a speed shop that recurves, and gave him all the engine specs. I opted for the Pertronix ele ign setup for $59 and epoxy coil for $34. It's a stock vac adv dist.

Ford the dual vac dist on some to advance and retard the timming, these aren't needed. A simple single vac adv dist will do fine. The duraspark is pretty common, I've seen several of them around so you should be able to find one in the junk yards. I've heard good things about them overall, but I just decided the Pertronix was good for me. No big difference here, either one will serve you well.

I'd be weary of the desktop dynos, I just saw a review of one that I didn't like. The FE is unique in the design of the heads and intake, the intake is huge and makes a big difference because it accounts for so much of the intake path, whereas others have shorter intake and longer heads. So I just don't think the desktops are good for looking at the specific parts and what effect they'll have.

I hope for the price of all the machine work that it includes the shop standing behind it. Some won't unless they do EVERYTHING or you buy everything from them, I won't use a shop that won't stand behind their work or try to find a reason to shift blame.

Also, I assume you're doing all the standard FE oiling mods so I won't get into that.

 

Rat,1200 for your long block sounds good so far, close to what the shop I have worked for might charge. About headers, it just struck me that Stans and Sanderson are what I recommend for 4x4s, if you have drag racing in mind, you might like some 4 into ones. I have read some guys like Hedmans, and one guy loved his Dynomaxes (from summit?). If I get the chance I will write about coatings after dinner. DF

 

Actually the hedmans and hookers were what I had in mind. The headmans have 1 5/8" tubes and 3" collector. The hookers have 1 3/4" tubes and 2 1/2" collectors. I couldn't find any dynomaxes for my 1970 F-100. Which header do you think would be the best? I am leaning towards the hedmans because I plan on running a 3" exhaust with some good flowmasters or dynomax mufflers. I start it up to go to work every night at 10:30 so the glass packs have to go so the neighbors don't complain. (Live on an Air Force Base)

 

Rat, I am expecting that you will find 1 3/4 or 1 7/8 tubes feeding 3 or 3 1/2 collectors. When choosing headers, one usually gets to choose only whatever fits, I haven't seen a choice of pipe sizes unless you are having a set custom built- major bucks. Where do you live? here in Michigan if you want your pipes to last more than two years you have to have them coated. Mine were done at MCCI (jet-hot) and are holding up well. Because your engine is still apart, you can also consider having the pistons coated. For 35$ a piston you can have the skirts coated with a teflon/molybdenum stuff and the tops with ceramic heat reflecting stuff. Read about it on a diesel page, standard Cummins pistons with this treatment were alive and well after 200K miles in a 400 hp truck that had been tweaked out to 950 (?!). The thinking is that if the coating on the piston tops does not absorb as much heat, more of the heat can be used to push the pistons, the next engine I have apart I will have a set done. DF

 

I live in Oklahoma right now by choice of uncle sam. I will be moving back to northern Indiana, where I was originally from, in about 3 years. I did plan on wrapping my headers though. Try to keep the heat out from underneath my hood. The piston coating thing makes a whole lot of sense but unfortunately isn't in my budget right now. I still have a trany to get rebuilt and a rear end to put a locker in. I tink I'm going with the hedmans for headers. After those headers expire I will probably go with something custom built. Thanks for all the info. You have been a real help.

 

Rat, I have read lots of bad things about header wrap. Apparently the steel the pipes are made of can't take the heat when they are wrapped and deteriates rapidly. Save your $$ for the header coating. DF

 

How much does it cost do you think to have the headers coated? If it is too much I guess I will just leave them bare. Who would be able to coat them? I'll have to ask my machinist if he does it.

 

Rat, I'm betting your machinist doesn't have the sprayer for it. JetHot, from Metallic Ceramic Coating industries uses a combination spray gun/torch to spray on molten ceramic and aluminum or stainless steel. Check them out at http://wwwjet-hot.com maybe the web site gives a price. DF