FE Timing Covers

[FE Jonny]

Jon, the sealing surface of the crank sleeve has to be lengthened along the sleeve if you use the 351C front seal that installs from the front.  Otherwise, the seal will not ride on the machined surface of the sleeve.  No machining of the crank sleeve is necessary if you use the FE front seal that installs from the back - Jay

Not sure how it works out on Barry's part, it is billet steel. Guess I'll find out when I mock it up, I would like to use the double lip seal if I can get away with it. Not sure if the 7/16 I removed will make the seal fall in the seam between the two parts either. As I recall I am running the same balancer as you have, the ATI BB Chevy converted to fit the FE.

[JamesonRacing]

I'm using one of these on my race FE with a HM timing cover:

http://www.tritecmotorsports.com/Engine_Seals-Ford_Big_Block_A460-A600.htm

[Mack]

Got my cover, nice addition with the removable cover. Thanks
 Does someone make a hex-a-just timing chain for the fe.
                                                           Michael

[jayb]

Cloyes makes a hex-adjust set for the FE.  Barry R at Survival and I are also working on another option, should be a little more robust than the hex-adjust setup.  Hopefully available in May...

[chris401]

Cloyes makes a hex-adjust set for the FE.  Barry R at Survival and I are also working on another option, should be a little more robust than the hex-adjust setup.  Hopefully available in May...

Is there an option similar to the old Jaguar cam timing gear?

[jayb]

I'm not familiar with that one, do you have a picture?

[chris401]

I'm not familiar with that one, do you have a picture?

This is the set up but it does not look like it is the same unless it's too small to see. The only one I ever repaired was an 85 XJ12. The 4 bolt center piece of the cam gear was cut in a way that that the center stayed on the cam and the gear sat on a lip that had 20 + small splines and about 6 smaller bolts to hold the two pieces together. Pull the 6 small bolts, this allowed you to dial the cam by moving the outer part of the gear forward off the splines. It seems there was a snout on the center piece that kept the outer gear suspended so it would not jump off the chain. Overheating damaged three pistons and cracked both heads but the chain and tensioners were in good shape, making it unnecessary to disturb cam timing. Unsuccessful picture searches leads me to think it was an aftermarket chain set.

[jayb]

The set that I'm working on sounds like it uses the same basic principle.  It is similar in function to the Cloyes Quick-Adjust True sets available for some other engines; link below:

http://cloyes.com/quickadjust.html

Same deal as what you are describing with a disc that stays fixed with respect to the cam, the gear that can rotate with respect to the cam, and several bolts holding the two halves together.

[chris401]

Worth the investment to leave that balancer alone.
Thanks

[Mack]

Jay I ask my machine shop about the hexajust by cloyes and he said they sold him a couple of engines every year. Do not use them was his advise. Have you made any progress on the quik a just yet.            Thanks Mack

[jayb]

Yes, I should have the first prototypes in two weeks.  I will post some pictures when I have them - Jay

[Mack]

What about a price. I am ready to put my engine together. If the price is out of my range there is no need for me to wait. I guess it will at least look adjustable with the fancy cover. Thanks

[jayb]

I really haven't set the price yet, but it will be in the $200 to $240 range, depending on how much everything ends up costing.  Hope that helps - Jay

[FElony]

Now that would be a neat trick, adjusting shaft mounts rockers while running . lol.

I've actually seen that done on an FE with hydraulic lifters and adjustable rockers; a backyard mechanic I knew in the 1980s did it that way once when I was watching.  He had one noisy lifter he was trying to quiet down, and used some kind of a loose deep-well socket on the adjuster head and tightened it until the lifter noise went away with the engine running.   Socket and extension were rattling around like mad LOL!  Not a really good plan, of course...

Late response to an old post. When I bought my XR7 it had a .580/.590 Crane Compucam solid in it. I wanted a milder cam, so I installed a 268H, but kept the adj rockers. I did not touch the screws until after restart/break-in. With the idle down around 550-600, I oiled up an aforementioned deep socket and let it slide up and down my palm (sounds kinky, I know) while I ran around all 16. Worked like a charm. Maybe not the best "plan", but hey.

[Mack]

Jay any news on the timing chain yet. Thanks Mack