Ported C8AE-H Heads/CJ Valves, See Last Comment

[chris401]

I completely disassembled and flushed. Stock rings and bearings or brass showing. Factory press in oil galley plugs and no restrictors on rocker shafts. Is it a bad idea to install a high volume pump or would a stock replacement be safer? I'm conserned about blowing out a plug.
Thanks

[jayb]

For that engine I think I would stick with the stock replacement pump.  I doubt that you would blow a plug out with a high volume pump, but the pump wouldn't give you any benefit unless your bearing clearances were opened way up.  Do you know what the oil pressure was on the engine before it was taken apart?  Or have you looked at the condition of the bearings?

[chris401]

Oil pressure was 33psi hot on running stand. The March 68 bearings are worn but not at brass yet and cam bearings are a nice grey. Installing oil pump, full roller timing chain and ARP shaft. Doing a head swap due to a burned exhaust valve. Any benifit to blocking the exhaust crossover on the C8 2v T manifold? Daily driver occasional puller.
Thanks

[Heo]

I would not put back worn bearings
in a dailydriver
new bearings are so cheap
add a new set of rings to
and use a stock pump
I dont Think you got any benefits from
blocking the crossover...maby if you
live in a hot climate....

[chris401]

I have never seen it below 3 in central Tx but we do get over 100. Seems 30 to 90% humidity is normal. I agree, never have done a budget build like this but I have my reasons. Otherwise it would get all new and at least the crank turned to greatest clearance specs.
Thanks

[cjshaker]

If the bearings aren't in to the copper, and you had 33lbs of hot idle pressure (in Texas heat), and it's a REAL budget build....why even replace the pump? They generally don't wear out, just lose pressure from loose clearances in the engine. 33lbs of hot idle pressure is not bad, and if it climbs when the RPMs go up, then it sounds like you have pretty decent pressure. A stock replacement pump will likely not gain you anything but a lighter wallet. I might consider an aftermarket pump shaft for safeties sake.

If I had 33lbs of pressure and wanted to spend $60, I would probably throw in a new set of rod and main bearings before the pump. There's a good chance that would also increase your pressure slightly too just by closing up your clearance by .0005-.001. The new shafts will likely help too. Especially if the old ones were worn bad enough to warrant replacement on a budget build.

[chris401]

Started messing with these things at 16. 22 years latter I have a collection of parts. My one main concern was oil galley plugs and Jay put my concern at ease. Haven't had an FE daily driver in a long time until 2 years ago. Along with the fun of hot rodding a 3/4 ton truck comes the consequences of beating it up. Now the 401 has a knock and needs a temporary fill in. Ill probably advance the stock cam 4 deg and block off the heat crossover. Ill report my fuel economy and drivability when I get it together.
Chris

[chris401]

Used some vacation days to get my daily drivers fill in ready. Waste of time! 13 min into break in #1 exhaust valve stuck open. The heads magged out good but had worn guides (.008 on a couple exahaust). Don't know if there was too much slop in the valve and it started to bend or something found its way between the guide and valve stem. I made a tool from an old oil pump shaft and Emory cloth to clean out the guides and a very fine wire wheel to clean up valves. With all the worn-out parts and the open spacer under the Q-Jet it still had 17 in of vacuum at idle before valve stuck. If engine does not sell this weekend I may keep it and swap heads off the 401. We bought another car today so I'm no longer having to rely on having this thing running every day for work.   

[chris401]

Yes this is a possible flip flop. We bought an HHR for my wife and Ill drive her Ol Busted Dodge, so I'm not in a bind for a daily driver and the 300 looks classic. Unless a serious buyer comes along Ill keep the engine and swap above C8 heads from my 401. Ill down grade the valve springs to Comp 249-926-16 for the smaller Comp 265 cam. Will the CJ valves and ported heads have adverse affect vs stock ports and stock valves in a daily driver? Going for low torque and practicality, intake will be SP2P or a D5 T.
1965 F250
Thanks,

[jayb]

I don't think you'll see any difference in drivability with the CJ ports and valves, unless the ports were really opened up a lot.  And if you stuck with the CJ valve sizes, that is probably not the case.

[chris401]

Didn't use rocker studs so no the roof has not ben raised really high. Any dyno data for 390 stroke engines with the SP2P or T manifold under 2500? Thanks for the reply.

[jayb]

Lowest I ever went on the dyno was 2500; sorry - Jay

[hotrodfeguy]

If your going to replace valves anyway the cost between the two is not much($20) I would go with the CJ valves. Cause what do they really hurt at low lifts? And ditch the SP2P for the T intake. Much better than the SP2P unless your going to MPG.

[chris401]

I don't know what they hurt at low lifts. I do know bigger is not always better and rely on the experience of others. I have always built these things for street, not towing power or fuel economy. On the 428 410hp dyno mule the T was the best torque at 404lb behind the 406lb F427 and the 411lb @2500 SP2P. The truck its going on is a 3/4 ton 390 and if kept there will be some experimenting on its usage and economy. If not it will allow more time/money to go toward the 1/2 ton which is probably what I should do anyway.

[My427stang]

Valve size will have little effect on intake runner volume, so no noticeable downside on torque, assuming the head porter doesn't hog out the bowls to fit the valves, which is unlikely.

The C8AE-H will be a strong torque head and you can get them to flow decently, but they cap out around 270 cfm (with a reasonable hot rod port and CJ valves)

They wont lose you torque, especially with a small runner intake like a Performer.