Honest opinion

[JimNolan]

Looks like you are going to have one sweet highway ride when you are done there Jim. That 5 speed with 2k final drive should boat down the road nicely. I'm thinking long run I might just pickup a set of 2.75 gears to get my highway rpm's down a bit. As mild as the current 3.00 are they still put me in the 2,700~2,800 range at highway speeds. With fuel here in CA habitually over $4/gal it sure could take some of the fun outta longer roadtrips up to my sisters home 200 miles North. Be sure to post up when you get it running, I'd like to hear what the slight increase in lift and duration (looks like most of the difference is on the exhaust side) sounds like! 

amdscooter,
     I don't mean to rain on your parade but the 2.75 gears your talking about will turn your car into a bicycle. I was running a 3.25 Tru-Track behind my 63 Galaxie with 365hp@5000rpm w/ 448 ft.lbs @ 3500 and the car would lay rubber big time from a standing start and then let out a loud bark going into second using a Jay Broader C6 wide ratio. I didn't like doing 2500 rpm on trips so I installed a 2.75 ring and pinion in my Tru-Track. " NOW" it won't turn the tires over. You try explaining to your buddies your running a 365 hp motor that won't turn the tires over. I get 16 mile per gallon at 65-70 mph but the fun factor doesn't come in until you get to 3000 rpm. If you want both worlds get a 5 speed transmission. That's the only way to go. Automatics make for a single purpose vehicle as far as I'm concerned.

[jayb]

The way to handle that issue with an automatic is to hang a Gear Vendors Overdrive unit on the back of your C-4 or C-6.  Then you can run 3.50 gears, and have a final drive ratio of 2.75 in overdrive.  Or you can be like me, and run 4.56 gears and have a 3.55 final drive ratio 

[amdscooter]

Looks like you are going to have one sweet highway ride when you are done there Jim. That 5 speed with 2k final drive should boat down the road nicely. I'm thinking long run I might just pickup a set of 2.75 gears to get my highway rpm's down a bit. As mild as the current 3.00 are they still put me in the 2,700~2,800 range at highway speeds. With fuel here in CA habitually over $4/gal it sure could take some of the fun outta longer roadtrips up to my sisters home 200 miles North. Be sure to post up when you get it running, I'd like to hear what the slight increase in lift and duration (looks like most of the difference is on the exhaust side) sounds like! 

amdscooter,
     I don't mean to rain on your parade but the 2.75 gears your talking about will turn your car into a bicycle. I was running a 3.25 Tru-Track behind my 63 Galaxie with 365hp@5000rpm w/ 448 ft.lbs @ 3500 and the car would lay rubber big time from a standing start and then let out a loud bark going into second using a Jay Broader C6 wide ratio. I didn't like doing 2500 rpm on trips so I installed a 2.75 ring and pinion in my Tru-Track. " NOW" it won't turn the tires over. You try explaining to your buddies your running a 365 hp motor that won't turn the tires over. I get 16 mile per gallon at 65-70 mph but the fun factor doesn't come in until you get to 3000 rpm. If you want both worlds get a 5 speed transmission. That's the only way to go. Automatics make for a single purpose vehicle as far as I'm concerned.

I hear what you are saying. But at this time it's purely an economical consideration for me. Much as I'd love a 5 speed there is no way I can boot for one on my current budget..  which I already blew to hell and back with my lil FE refresh which started as a simple exhaust repair.  The 2.75's go on Ebay for about the cost of a a single fill up.. seriously. If I really hatem I can always put the 3.00 back in. I still have not made the purchase yet so I might talk myself outta it. But long roadtrips which I'd like to do next summer are looking really expensive at $4+ a gallon with a tight budget. 

[JimNolan]

amdscooter,
    I put that too harsh I guess. The 2.75 gears are an absolute pleasure on a trip. And, you notice I haven't changed it back. 10.3 SCR still means something and other than spinning the tires, I'm still proud of it, especially from mid-range up.
    The gear venders drive Jay is talking about sounds good and probably works good. But, after throwing 37K without waste ( waste= money you spend changing something you already paid for once ) I decided enough was enough. It's nice, drives like a new car, looks like a new car, dependable as a new car but has all the money invested in it that it's going to get.

[amdscooter]

amdscooter,
    I put that too harsh I guess. The 2.75 gears are an absolute pleasure on a trip. And, you notice I haven't changed it back. 10.3 SCR still means something and other than spinning the tires, I'm still proud of it, especially from mid-range up.
    The gear venders drive Jay is talking about sounds good and probably works good. But, after throwing 37K without waste ( waste= money you spend changing something you already paid for once ) I decided enough was enough. It's nice, drives like a new car, looks like a new car, dependable as a new car but has all the money invested in it that it's going to get.

Harsh? I did not think so. Honest opinion was the name of your thread I kinda hijacked, no hurt feelings over here whatsoever.

[bartlett]

Im still drooling over a new gear venders setup .... hopefully get one this summer ......

[JimNolan]

427stang,
    I emailed Les Schmader this morning. I don't think I'll rework my good set of heads that has new valves and 75cc chambers. That would be reworking heads that are perfect. I've got another set of C1AE heads that came off the 352 that I know are good. I'll get those reworked. Someone may want the good set I've got. Or I can use them on the 390 that's comming out of the 57. Everyone needs a spare engine sitting in their garage.
   The one thing that I asked NOT to be done to the heads was the teflon valve stem seals. I'm not so sure that's reasonable. After bending push rods in the 406 and finding all that white calky stuff in the valve guides, I think I want a little oil seaping down there. It's not often you start an engine for a few minutes and then let it set for a couple months ( that's what my painter did ) but if that were to happen I don't trust this gas we have now days not to draw moisture and cause that same problem again. The old umbrella's worked good for years.

[My427stang]

427stang,
    I emailed Les Schmader this morning. I don't think I'll rework my good set of heads that has new valves and 75cc chambers. That would be reworking heads that are perfect. I've got another set of C1AE heads that came off the 352 that I know are good. I'll get those reworked. Someone may want the good set I've got. Or I can use them on the 390 that's comming out of the 57. Everyone needs a spare engine sitting in their garage.
   The one thing that I asked NOT to be done to the heads was the teflon valve stem seals. I'm not so sure that's reasonable. After bending push rods in the 406 and finding all that white calky stuff in the valve guides, I think I want a little oil seaping down there. It's not often you start an engine for a few minutes and then let it set for a couple months ( that's what my painter did ) but if that were to happen I don't trust this gas we have now days not to draw moisture and cause that same problem again. The old umbrella's worked good for years.

I wouldnt use Teflon if they were free, but I do like Viton.  Most modern Viton seals are positively located seal/wipers, but SOFT and very long lasting, unlike the Teflon that is way too tight when new then too loose soon after.

The Viton will provide plenty of oil and if the guides are sized correctly will work fine.

With that being said, umbrellas do OK, assuming you have room for them, but they quickly get too big for anything except a single spring with a damper.

Here are some examples of Viton, they are all I use nowadays

http://www.alexsparts.com/valve-seals-3-8-positive-type/

[JimNolan]

427stang,
    Viton seals was what the 406 had. I just couldn't remember the name. They were green. The reason I emailed Les is because I think my machinest might be asking too much according to what you said Les charged you to do a set of heads.
 I paid $900 to have the block dipped, magnafluxed, decks cleaned up, bored and honed to match the pistons I had. He also opened up the Eagle H-beam piston pin ends, balanced the crank, flywheel and harmonic dampner. He said the pistons checked within balance limits and the rods of course did. I don't get work done that often but that was twice what he charged me when he did the 406. Do you think $900 was about right or too much. Jim

[My427stang]

I paid about the same in my 445 with a clean, deck, align hone, hone the cylinders with a deck plate, and an internal balance of the 4.25 crank, plus a ring gear replacement.  So it's not way off, but I was surprised too, I paid much less in Virgina

I wouldn't compare block prep pricing to Les's porting, sort of apples and oranges, he does have some great pricing for head work, if you shop around for parts you can build a set of heads cheap.  He can even supply parts at a very fair price.