Old school 352 short track engine teardown with couple questions

[chilly460]

Little work today

[machoneman]

Nice pics. Man, those pistons look H-E-A-V-Y indeed!

The mark looks like something got into the intake tract. Bolt, nut, stone?

[chilly460]

I have to clean up the rest of them, thsts #1, #7 has the same mark so it’s something consistent.  I assume it’s been self clearanced by now but we will see

[chris401]

It could have had some small chambered heads on it at one time that tagged the piston like that.

[chilly460]

The heads are still at the shop, I may snag the spare C1 head I have in the shed to mock it up in the meantime.  I turned it over when I bought it and didn’t feel anything crunch so likely a wound from an old combo as you said.  Story goes they scattered a bunch of parts before they finally took it to a shop to be built, so there was some “trial and error” for sure.  I did pull the valley plugs and the lifters have been restricted with a .060” or so hole in the galley plug, and the oil pump passage has been radiused so someone at least knew a few FE tricks

[chris401]

C2 and C3 heads have sort of a point where the spark plug is. With those pistons it doesn't look like a C0AE-D head would have been able to sit flat on the deck surface.

[chilly460]

I did get to CC the pistons today, they're about a 12cc dome with 3cc worth of valve relief, so 9cc net.  Don't have all the head gasket info and my heads to finalize CR, but should be close to 10.2:1

[oldiron.fe]

 in early 60s bored a 352 1/8 and used 3.50 crank and jahn's pistons with a lot of compression cam was isky roller with two ears on one side of lifter and one ear on the other to attempt to keep the lifter in place  hi-po 352 heads    the thing would rev. like hell and was loud as hell  rollers didn't stay put and  could break any oem rod  -friend hit throttle in garage a little to much blew clutch disk without trying-!!    would like to see this project complete   please use a good aftermaket rod!!  myself and many friends lost a lot of good old motors in the day as  many rods break 1-11/2 in below pin   if you measure the web in the rod (thickness) you will scare yourself lemans rods too! good luck -oldiron. fe

[My427stang]

Chilly, how did you measure the domes? I have a set of old Venolias here in a 454 FE and always looking for neat techniques

[frnkeore]

in early 60s bored a 352 1/8 and used 3.50 crank and jahn's pistons with a lot of compression cam was isky roller with two ears on one side of lifter and one ear on the other to attempt to keep the lifter in place  hi-po 352 heads    the thing would rev. like hell and was loud as hell  rollers didn't stay put and  could break any oem rod  -friend hit throttle in garage a little to much blew clutch disk without trying-!!    would like to see this project complete   please use a good aftermaket rod!!  myself and many friends lost a lot of good old motors in the day as  many rods break 1-11/2 in below pin   if you measure the web in the rod (thickness) you will scare yourself lemans rods too! good luck -oldiron. fe

You must be about my age (75). Those early Jahn's, now JE pistons were pretty heavy, especially with domes and I would guess that, that's what pulled those rods apart. I had TRW's in my LR and a Herbert roller but, didn't have any problems with the 13/32 bolt rods.

Also, you don't want to admit that you bored a 352, 1/8. It can get you in trouble here

[blykins]

in early 60s bored a 352 1/8 and used 3.50 crank and jahn's pistons with a lot of compression cam was isky roller with two ears on one side of lifter and one ear on the other to attempt to keep the lifter in place  hi-po 352 heads    the thing would rev. like hell and was loud as hell  rollers didn't stay put and  could break any oem rod  -friend hit throttle in garage a little to much blew clutch disk without trying-!!    would like to see this project complete   please use a good aftermaket rod!!  myself and many friends lost a lot of good old motors in the day as  many rods break 1-11/2 in below pin   if you measure the web in the rod (thickness) you will scare yourself lemans rods too! good luck -oldiron. fe

You must be about my age (75). Those early Jahn's, now JE pistons were pretty heavy, especially with domes and I would guess that, that's what pulled those rods apart. I had TRW's in my LR and a Herbert roller but, didn't have any problems with the 13/32 bolt rods.

Also, you don't want to admit that you bored a 352, 1/8. It can get you in trouble here

Did a TRW publication tell you to say that? 

[chilly460]

Chilly, how did you measure the domes? I have a set of old Venolias here in a 454 FE and always looking for neat techniques

Well, nothing high tech.  I CC’d the valve reliefs, then pressed the domes into some Play-Doh and cc’d the dome impression. 

[blykins]

If you want a measurement including the crevice volume, you can also grease up a top ring, put it on the piston, set the piston down X.XXX" down the hole, figure out the volume for a cylinder that's the diameter of your bore with X.XXX" length, and then subtract what your burette measurement is. 

[oldiron.fe]

 old(77) old iron  just remember there is a life cycle out there ( old circle tracker 5/8 mi) and thin webs hit many of us  street strip friend bought new sideoiler shortblock from dealer for his 67 fairlane  late 60s around 4500 rod broke below pin  i know alot of oem rods have run just fine  but why chance it today help oldiron survive   remember the hi-risers and hollow stem valves!!! heads (good ones) hard to find today yes the bigger bolts helped and used the big ford nascar bolts in early lemans rods       don't care how it looks--go fast---!

[chilly460]

If you want a measurement including the crevice volume, you can also grease up a top ring, put it on the piston, set the piston down X.XXX" down the hole, figure out the volume for a cylinder that's the diameter of your bore with X.XXX" length, and then subtract what your burette measurement is.

But then you don't get to play with Play-Doh....