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Old 05-10-2020, 01:34 AM
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73LeMans 73LeMans is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Berkley, MA
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While the block work was being done, I sent the crankshaft to Shaftech to have it nitrided and cut. When the block work finished and all pieces were finally back in my possession, I got ready for reassembly.

- I polished and reused the same JE pistons with new Total Seal rings.
- The Eagle 6.8 rods were also reused with new ARP 2000 bolts. Rods were appropriately resized.

New Comp solid roller is a tad different than the previous stick -

- Lobe lift .4400” I & 4410”E (old cam was .400" I+E)
- Gross valve lift is .704 int .705 exh w1.6 rocker (old cam was .660"I+E - w1.65)
- Duration @.050 lift is 272 int 280 exh (old cam was 265 I 270 E)
- Lobe Separation: 112 (old cam was 106)

This is a 4/7 swap configuration.

- The Rollmaster timing chain was also reused.

All in all, the bottom end went together well. Everything spun smoothly and clearances were all dead on. Shame I didn't think about that dipstick earlier though....



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Moving onward, the next step was to get a head mounted. I needed to check piston to valve clearance, as well as get started on installing the lifter brace. This however, is where I ran into problems.

With the head mounted, torqued down and using the same gasket Ive always run (FelPro 1016), I wasn't able to rotate the engine over. I feared there was valve contact with the piston. (The block was zero decked in 2010) Upon closer inspection, the push rod and rocker arm were at war with each other.



Hard to tell in that pic (only one I got) but that rocker is trying to push that rod out of the pocket. Perhaps the extra lobe lift was causing a problem? Maybe the previously used push rods were too long? The witness marks on the valve tips looked excellent so I wasn't really buying the push rod theory and the rockers were the ones used previously. In retrospect, it was likely both items conspiring against me as I solved the issue with a better rocker and a shorter p-rod.

Crower - and a Ford piece no less -



Here is what makes up the rest of the valve train -
Crower Solid lifters (no offset)
Crower Push rods 9.450 3/8s .080 wall
Ferrea 5000 series valves - 2.19 intake 1.66 exhaust
Howard Springs -98644 solid roller valve springs setup at 1.860-1.865" Int. 1.870-1.875" exh installed height
Isky adjustable guide plates
KRE Stud girdle


With the binding issue behind me, I was finally able to get the SD Mega Brace installed. I forget exactly where the recommendation to use SplashZone to seal it all up came from, but I think I turned out pretty good.




I cleaned up the casting flash of the valley on my last build in 2010, so I could get straight to installing here. Hats off to Dave @ SD - the Mega Brace is a nice piece of equipment.

Now, with that done I can put the heads on for good and lock it down.

Shame to cover all this up, don't you think?



^^^^Adjustable guide plates. Even years later I get chills thinking about them. They a PITA to get right!!^^^^








Onward to the fuel system next time.

__________________
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Mark S
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Who needs nice and pretty, when you can have mean and nasty?
KRE Aluminum headed 463CID 73 LeMans. Used to run 10.6x @ 124.55. 3700lbs
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So much for 2020...shootin for 9s in 2021...and in 2022 apparently.....looks like 2023 as well.
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