Garden block test mule

[jayb]

Email sent - Jay

[XR7]

Normally the intake side would have the offset, but you can also have offsets both directions if needed. On the t&D race stuff, they have centered, .080, .170 and .250 lefts and rights. On the lifters, usually it is .180 offsets and do help. or if you have .904 lifters you can get .210 offsets. I have a set that is offset on the intake side only and centered on the exhaust, I think and easier way would be to have double offset lifters, then they can go anywhere and also you can swap them 1/2 way through the life cycle so that the intake is now the exhaust (intake lobe is more aggressive and wears out the intake lifter bearing before the exhaust.

One thing to look for is there are all kinds of "pivot" lengths on Jesel and T&D rockers. The FE uses a 1.600 pivot length which isn't very common. Most of the Jesel and T&D rockers for "cup" engines and the high end racy stuff, is longer like 1.75 or 1.85 pivot length, which won't work even if it is the right ratio and offsets. The "old" Cleveland has some that are shorter pivot lengths like 1.52, while the newer stuff is 1.65 or 1.75 or even 1.85 for the latest heads.

[fekbmax]

Thanks XR7 for the input.
 speaking of the distance between the center of the fulcrum (shaft) and the center of the roller tip  With the small dia roller that comes on those rockers it rest just slightly forward of the center of the valve tip, it gets better as the valve opens, . just for shits and giggles I took the roller out and swapped it with the larger roller from the erson rocker and that helped some as far as contact surface area. Next I installed a crutch (lash cap) and it looked better even still.
I'm still in the experimental stage.of just doing alot of test fitting and looking and may go back and dig through some more boxes of rockers to see what's there.

Jay, thanks for the e mail. I will definitely be sending it back to you so you can make the adjustments on the pushrod tubes. It's going to be a few days but I'll e mail and let you know ahead of time.
As always thanks for all the help, input, and information. Bunch of great guys here.

[fekbmax]

After bloody and pinched fingertips I'm reminded why they call them Jesus clips,  uggh.

[mbrunson427]

Can you explain your oiling scheme to me. I don't totally understand the three taps in the side of the block. Everyone on here seems seasoned enough to understand what you've got going.....but i don't.

[fekbmax]

It's my attempt at a type of priority main oiling system for the standard center oiler blocks. Been doing it since the late 80's with no adverse effects and felt like it had worked pretty well. Excellent main and rod bearing wear on some garage build drag race engines that got beat on pretty hard. There are some feeling's that it's a waist of time and labor, some feel it could actually cause damage and failure. It's what I have done up to this point on half a dozen drag race engines. Over the years I have broken 2 428 cranks, both at the rod journals yet those very journals had excellent bearing wear and still turned freely in the rods, broke a couple eagle rods (two different engines) just below the piston pin and the sections left on the crank turned freely and showed excellent bearing wear again. I haven't seen any signs as of yet of it causing any problems as far as oiling and bearing wear.
Take it for what it's worth. I do most of as much as I can of all my own work so besides materials I only have to supply my own time and labor.

[mbrunson427]

So you'll be taking oil straight from the filter adapter to your rail on the side of the block, after the filter? And where do you have the line from the back of your oil rail heading to?

[fekbmax]

Yes, it ties into the oil filter adapter, (mounted on chassis, not shown) on the engine feed side after filter. The rear line goes around to the rear main cap. #'s 2,3,4,and 5 all get plumbed. (Page 2 of build).

[fekbmax]

Below is a few Picts of my Frankenstein, home grown, 9 point mounting rocker shaft suport system. Made of nothing more than   a chunk of 7071 aluminum from the scrap yard and 3/16" steel plate and 3/16" angle (not cheap bedrail stuff) from my scrap metal bin. Some grade 8 hardware to hold  everything solidly together. It's very crude and basic as is much of my hacksaw and angle grinder made pieces but easy made in a weekend. I'll use 12 point head stud nuts on the 3 center head studs so the smaller 5/8" socket can be used to torque the stud nuts inside the u brackets and also the 12 point nuts tuck nicely up inside of the counter bore that's under the bottom of the erson shaft suports when sat down into place. On the outboard head studs I use standard hex nuts so a crow foot adapter can be used to torque those.
Not pretty, not production quality pieces, but I'm confident it will work well and at the very least won't hurt anything at all.
I can't imagine why something couldn't be done in some way or another by someone that has the propper tools (IE bridgeport) and make some kinda suport system for standard shaft type rocker setups.

[fekbmax]

Had a pretty busy holiday weekend with running around doing the family thing but my valve seals showed up Friday along with a pack of spring shims so today since it was a chill day and to rainy to work outside I got to spend some time in the shop clicking my heads back together.

Did a light touch with some compound and hand lapped the valves in.


Valves and seats all cleaned up and ready to go back together.


Setting installed spring heights. Was very pleased that only two of the intakes even needed shims to get to within .005 of each other. Kuntz & Co did the valve job so I wasn't to suprised that they were so close. On the exhaust side it took .050 - .065 shims to bring them to installed height. I exspected this though as the titanium exhaust valves where some I supplied and had been previously sunk a little deeper into the seat the last go round when they were hand ported. Everything  worked out good though and I'm always happy to see consistently. None were way off from the others.


Heads all finished up and ready to find there home.





Im still poking along making slow progress but starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel..

[fekbmax]

Finally was able to finish up my hybrid 351C to FE belt drive system. Wanted to say thanks to Mike at Australian muscle parts for supplying me with a good quality belt and seal. He is a great guy and would recommend his services to anyone that doesn't mind the wait for parts being shipped from down under. Once I had the final parts I needed I was able to make final modifications and adjustments and am pretty happy with how it turned out. Progress is slow but the heads are ready to go and I'm hoping to be installing the short block. Back into the car very soon so I can continue final assembly of the engine.

[jayb]

Looks great, Keith!

[cjshaker]

Looking really good, Keith. That belt system looks really nice, but I'm curious why you didn't go with the Danny Bee set-up? Was it just cost savings? Nice chamber and port work on the heads also. Can't wait to see it finished.

[fekbmax]

As far as the belt drive goes, I'd say that cost would be part of it. I have about $525.00 out of pocket invested in it (with the new belt and seal) so that's just shy of half what a Danny Bee would have cost me. Of course it doesn't account for my labor which I consider free to me as well as the scrap aluminum plate that had been laying around my shop for years. I guess the biggest thing though is just doing something to see if you can and have it work afterwords. Kinda the same thing with the home made rocker shaft mounting system. I guess o my time will tell and we will see how it all turns out in the end.

[fekbmax]

Finding top dead center and degreeing cam. Was pleased to find that the cam sheet from Delta camshafts was pretty much spot on. Still waiting on that dam cometic head gasket though. Suppose to ship on the 7th.. I'm hoping.