BBM Head Swap

[Joe-JDC]

Michelin has a factory in Greenville SC.  Joe-JDC

[SE2839]

Thank you guys for the compliments, I'd waited a long time to have it. It's a 48 x 64 x 16 with a second floor along the back with a game room and home gym/storage with 4 bays beneath and the 4 post lift also serves as an elevator hence the second floor garage door.

Don't judge me too harshly for the sign, lol, I had a chance to buy an 8' lighted Citco sign very cheaply but passed. In my view it's an automotive sign that all are familiar with, it's vintage, it and the wall are both large and the price was right. Besides Michelin is the largest tire maker in the world and the makers of American brands BF Goodrich and Uniroyal. Besides you'll note its at the bottom of the wall waiting for a Shell sign to be hung above it.

[SE2839]

Pulled the front springs and steering yesterday in prep for the new parts to go on and drilling for the Shelby drop. I used a KD tool internal four finger spring compressor to pull the springs being very careful as I removed it from the shock tower having heard horror stories. As I went to set it onto the floor with my fingers clear it unloaded, WOW, I nearly pissed myself as I pulled back and I still had one more to go. I still have all my fingers and I will be using a different method to reinstall. Progress continues.

[gtxpress]

I had a similar experience  with a spring compressor years ago.   It went wizzing by my head about an inch from it.   So when I did my mustang with the drop and new components, I used one I got off ebay that was similar to this one. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/64-73-Mustang-Shelby-Falcon-Fairlane-AMC-Nova-Chevy-II-2-Coil-Spring-Compressor-/150848940559?hash=item231f4c2a0f&item=150848940559&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr

The difference being the one I got had a piece of 1/4 inch on top that replaced the shock holder.  It worked well .  Just FYI

GT

[SE2839]

After considerable delay I am back on track. I had all of the parts for the suspension upgrade except for the lower control arms, Moog had discontinued the K8121 replacing it with an RK8121 which I ordered from Summit only to learn that they had the wrong bushing size for the roller bearing kit. I talked with John at Opentracker and he suggested that I send them to him and he would weld them up for me. Upon receiving them he notified me that they were an off shore (Taiwan) repop with no grease provision and suggested that I not use them so I bought a completed set him and he sent the sub par ones back so that I could return to Summit along with the completed pair. Yesterday I had set about to filling in the upper control arm holes before installing the rebuilt uppers into their new Shelby drop location and the new roller control arms along with the new sterring components. As I was doing so the mail lady dropped off the spring compressor I had ordered off Ebay as suggested, thank you gtxpress.


The front suspension is now installed with the exception of another small glitch. The drivers side spindle had been replaced with a large bearing spindle so while I was gathering parts for the front end upgrade I had also purchased an NOS spindle. While I had the new bearings and races I had not even considered that the washer and nut used to retain the rotor would also be larger so a trip into town tomorrow for some more parts should see that upgrade complete and I will be ready to proceed. A quick touch up of the engine bay paint and it will be time to drop the engine back into its rightful place, hoping to be running by next weekend. Some exhaust work and realignment will be needed before I can test things out on the road then it will be time to setup a return to the chassis dyno for data and tuning. One last cruise planned and possibly a trip down the track before it will be time to put it away for winter.

[BruceS]

I assume that spring compressor on E Bay is for changing components but won't allow removal of the spring from the car?  Or maybe the spring comes off with the spring perch after the upper arm is removed?  Am I missing something?  I have a finger-type compressor I bought from Eastwood some years ago; I've used it a half-dozen times and no issues. I've kept it clean and the threads well lubed...

Thanks,
Bruce

[SE2839]

Bruce, you are correct in that it does require separating the spring perch from the control arm and removing the upper control arm before the spring can be removed. The upper control arm does not need to be removed from the spindle, just the two nuts removed at the shock tower so it can be slid down and to the side.

I too had used the internal spring compressor many times to remove the springs on my '66 Fairlane, '67 Mustang and '67 & '68 Cougar's and I had never had an issue but while removing the springs on my Comet I was awakened to the fact that I was not immune to the dangers. I had compressed the spring and gingerly pulled it out of the fender while fully aware that things can happen and as I went to lay it down on its side the spring compressor released and so did my bowels (figuratively). Fortunately I was not injured. This was on the passenger side which happened to be the first one that I had removed that day and being only half way done I on the drivers side employed a couple very large pairs of channel lock pliers for handling the spring. There was not a repeat issue how ever after narrowly missing becoming a statistic I decided that the risk was in fact too great and that even the smallest of medical bills would far offset the cost, not to mention that I am averse unnecessary pain and not the gambling sort, I coughed up the $80 for the safer alternative. It is a bit more work (doing things the right way often does require a little more effort) but not really since in this case it all had to come apart anyhow so it only changed the manor in which I reassembled things. For someone who is only replacing their springs it does add a couple extra steps but it also keeps them from contributing to that new wing on their local hospital and/or the Mediterranean vacation home for the ER doc.

[SE2839]

11 years have passed and I finally have data to share but first a quick recap.
This thread was started as I upgraded from a set of mildly ported C6AE-R iron heads with CJ valves to a set of BBM heads from the first production run, prepped by Rob McQuarie of Blue Oval Performance.
My '66 Comet Caliente with its iron headed 445 stroker went onto the chassis dyno just prior to disassembly in 2014, recording 309 rwhp. When built, the engine had dynoed at 465 bhp with the iron heads and with the BBM heads it was "gonkulated" to put out 539 bhp and 365 rwhp.
Other than the passage of time this is a straight forward comparison as there were only two changes made, the BBM heads, and Harland Sharp roller tipped rockers that replaced OE 427 adjustables with POP stands. The engine was reinstalled in 2025 then dynoed on the same chassis dyno where it recorded 366hp for a gain of 57 rwhp.

Please read the full thread for more details
 

[428kidd]

Congrats!

[Stangman]

Werby is always close. Almost right on

[e philpott]

Sweet !! The Gonkulator was pretty accurate, is Werby still around ?

[SE2839]

Sweet !! The Gonkulator was pretty accurate, is Werby still around ?

It would appear that he's not been active in this group for some time  but he does remain active in another FE forum as well as one for Torinos.

[fryedaddy]

love the car,i have a factory black 66 comet caliente ,mine came with a white vinyl top but i removed it.factory 390 4 speed y code,im on my 4th engine,428 bbm heads,hs rockers,hooker comps.i have owned it 43 years.nos if needed