Rocker Arm torque

[fe66comet]

Sounds like you were having a vapor lock issue. This happens at high temps due to the fuel turning from a liquid to a gas from absorbing latent heat.

[JimNolan]

Sounds like you were having a vapor lock issue. This happens at high temps due to the fuel turning from a liquid to a gas from absorbing latent heat.

  I realized that after I'd bought that Edelbrock fuel pump. I was stupid. My engine was 190 degrees internally and everyone else had their hoods open trying to keep from overheating. I left mine shut. Ran OK until you got to within the last 100 ft. of the finish line. I now have a fiberglass insulation sleave that I put on the fuel line crossing in front of the motor to the carb.

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   Maybe I shouldn't take up space on the website with photo's but I thought some of you might want to see this. It astonished me.
     I was worried about hood clearance with the new Edelbrock Performer RPM intake being so much higher than my cast iron 63 intake I had on my 390 FE now. The 14" round air cleaner I had on the 390 just had enough clearance. From the top of the Valve Cover to the top of the air cleaner wing nut on the old engine was 6 3/4".
     I bought a air cleaner base made for the Corvette 427 L88. It had about a 2" drop from the top of the carb. It worked great. It has the notches for the float levels, the vacuum secondary and choke and fit the carb perfect with no way to turn.
The top of the valve cover to top of the wing nut is 6" now. I could put a 3/4" spacer on the carb along with the 1/4" gasket/spacer I have on there already.   Jim  PS  I have to have a dome lid to clear the top of the carb now. You could use a 4" air filter with a flat lid instead of the 3" air cleaner if you wanted to.

[fe66comet]

Looks great!!! Should really put some thunder under the hood.

[jayb]

Jim, you are welcome to post photos anywhere on the site.  Engine looks great!

[amdscooter]

^^^ That's a great idea Jim. I had planned on using a 1" spacer on mine but the clearance with my air filter was just not there. 

[JimNolan]

^^^ That's a great idea Jim. I had planned on using a 1" spacer on mine but the clearance with my air filter was just not there. 

I'm not going to take credit for it. The idea came from a Ford Cobra website. Ford made air cleaner bases for 4160 carbs but none that I could find that fit a 14" filter without all kinds of tubes coming off it. This one just has one 1" tube coming off the back shooting directly at the PCV valve, and it's hidden enough not to matter if you just put a plug over it. It cost's a little more because it's a reproduction type deal. Good Luck, Jim

[lovehamr]

With my FE tucked under the hood of a Cobra this was my solution.  The drop base air cleaner is quite low as you can see and with the rounded H/M upper it allows me to run a 4" filter with a 1" carb spacer on a PI intake and Demon RS 1050 carb.  At the end of the day (on the dyno), this air cleaner set-up gave me a repeatable 5hp bump over no air cleaner at all. 

[JimNolan]

Rocker stands came today. They were worth the wait. Thank you Doug. I got one side on today. I was planning on using no oil restrictors and using the oil tray. That didn't work out. By the time you get through cutting up the tray for the rocker stands to fit you might as well not have what's left of the trays. Sooooo, I installed the .070" restrictors and bolted down the rockers. I'm throwing a picture of the one side that's done. Jim

[JimNolan]

Pretty well done until I get the old engine out of the 57. Jim

[jayb]

Wow, that looks great!  Nice job, Jim...

[fe66comet]

I like the radiator tank on the right side, what is the can on the left power steering?