351C 4V Valve and valvetrain replacement

[barnett468]

Besides, none of this would even be in question if everybody went "roller everything" like I did. :whistling:

Cheater . rofl

 

[Cobra2572]

Since this is my car, I feel compelled to add a comment and I wish to thank everyone for the time and effort that was spent composing what were sometimes quite lengthy posts. Although this thread, at times, appeared to be a transcript from a Republican debate, all information was taken into consideration. It appears that the supplier actually sent us the wrong cam and not the one we asked for, so we will be returning the offending camshaft for something more friendly. One final disclaimer: Any offense taken by Republicans is purely unintentional. (It's actually my party of choice).

 

[Mystic Fish]

Since this is my car, I feel compelled to add a comment and I wish to thank everyone for the time and effort that was spent composing what were sometimes quite lengthy posts. Although this thread, at times, appeared to be a transcript from a Republican debate, all information was taken into consideration. It appears that the supplier actually sent us the wrong cam and not the one we asked for, so we will be returning the offending camshaft for something more friendly. One final disclaimer: Any offense taken by Republicans is purely unintentional. (It's actually my party of choice).

And in addition to Dave's comments above, it should please most members to know that the specs on the cam we actually ordered in the first place were:

.484/.517 lift

280/292 duration

208/214 duration @.050

114 degree LSA

58 degrees overlap

I assume full responsibility for not recognizing that we actually received the wrong cam and did not double check specs until the heat rose in here...

What makes the situation on our end even more confusing for the supplier and machine shop who ordered the cam is that we asked for a specific cam and they had already sourced a different grind only to change it to what we wanted. Then either the supplier, the machine shop, or either Dave or myself transposed a catalog number when communicating to the supplier what we wanted.

Now back to the valve springs... :whistling:

 

[barnett468]

LOL, xlnt guys.

Ok, valve springs . . It might be best to start half way over.

First of all, is that the lift with 1.73 rockers or 1.6?

In my experience of doing this for however long I have been doing this, I would not use stock valve springs.

I would use springs with around 115 - 120 closed and around 260 open . They may loose a little pressure fairly quickly until they take a set . Comp Cams springs are fine for this app . There is no need for Pac Racing or Tool Room or Manley NexTek springs etc.

As mentioned in my break in technique, my experience is that you can safely use up to 280 open spring pressure IF you use the exact same technique I do . I can not attest to other techniques since I have used the same one for however long I have been doing this.

Just so you are aware, that cam will have a fairly mild idle . If you want a moderately nasty idle, I would consider getting a different cam.

 

[Paul of MO]

1.6 ratio is Windsor not Cleveland - your cam is spec'd for 1.73's

That will be a very nicely behaved cam with your 4 speed. It will have a nice lumpy idle but will not be obnoxious.

We now all seem to be in agreement that you do not need to run "break in" springs on a cam with this lift - good - one less thing to worry about.

Any good aftermarket spring set will work - I would just get the set from whom ever made the cam as they are all about the same cost and quality.

Low RPM's while breaking in a Cleveland will kill the cam. If 3000 seems to high then back it off a bit - just be sure that you are over 2500.

Ford extracted a little more HP on the Cleveland by changing the throws on the crank - it cuts through the oil with less splash. Less splash means less oil getting up on the cam lobes and as such the cam runs a bit hotter at lower RPM. You do not want this when breaking in a cam shaft.

Glad you did not bail from the group - Several of us were worried that we had gotten off to a bad start with you.

- Paul of MO

 

[Cobra2572]

1.6 ratio is Windsor not Cleveland - your cam is spec'd for 1.73's

That will be a very nicely behaved cam with your 4 speed. It will have a nice lumpy idle but will not be obnoxious.

We now all seem to be in agreement that you do not need to run "break in" springs on a cam with this lift - good - one less thing to worry about.

Any good aftermarket spring set will work - I would just get the set from whom ever made the cam as they are all about the same cost and quality.

Low RPM's while breaking in a Cleveland will kill the cam. If 3000 seems to high then back it off a bit - just be sure that you are over 2500.

Ford extracted a little more HP on the Cleveland by changing the throws on the crank - it cuts through the oil with less splash. Less splash means less oil getting up on the cam lobes and as such the cam runs a bit hotter at lower RPM. You do not want this when breaking in a cam shaft.

Glad you did not bail from the group - Several of us were worried that we had gotten off to a bad start with you.

- Paul of MO

No problem Paul. Jeff works in Customer Service and I'm a Quality Engineer. Pretty much impossible to offend us.

 

[Mystic Fish]

1.73 rockers for sure.

And since the engine will be mostly stock with the original carb and intake, and will have 10.2:1 compression (Stock is 10.7:1) and most likely will have stock exhaust manifolds, no more cam is really needed or advisable IMO.

I believe the cam manufacturer (Erson) recommends springs with each cam that they sell and pretty closely matches the rates given by Barnett.

Delving into rebuilding a 351C 4V engine has become quite the exercise. Characteristics of the engine and 4V heads in particular are a bit different than the B/RB Mopars that I am used to. And trying to understand those quirks of the 351C 4V has made this journey interesting and eventful.

I guess I am feeling an little pressure since I am helping a friend and don't want him to have something he is not happy with, or worse something that may fail..

And it will be much harder than this to get rid of me!::thumb::

1.6 ratio is Windsor not Cleveland - your cam is spec'd for 1.73's

That will be a very nicely behaved cam with your 4 speed. It will have a nice lumpy idle but will not be obnoxious.

We now all seem to be in agreement that you do not need to run "break in" springs on a cam with this lift - good - one less thing to worry about.

Any good aftermarket spring set will work - I would just get the set from whom ever made the cam as they are all about the same cost and quality.

Low RPM's while breaking in a Cleveland will kill the cam. If 3000 seems to high then back it off a bit - just be sure that you are over 2500.

Ford extracted a little more HP on the Cleveland by changing the throws on the crank - it cuts through the oil with less splash. Less splash means less oil getting up on the cam lobes and as such the cam runs a bit hotter at lower RPM. You do not want this when breaking in a cam shaft.

Glad you did not bail from the group - Several of us were worried that we had gotten off to a bad start with you.

- Paul of MO

The 2500-3000 RPM for break in is something that I have read in several places and have wondered why the cam card said to break in at 2000. I also have the book recommended everywhere about the 351C engine and will look up cam/lifter break in this evening.

Thanks for the input.

Jeff-

1.6 ratio is Windsor not Cleveland - your cam is spec'd for 1.73's

That will be a very nicely behaved cam with your 4 speed. It will have a nice lumpy idle but will not be obnoxious.

We now all seem to be in agreement that you do not need to run "break in" springs on a cam with this lift - good - one less thing to worry about.

Any good aftermarket spring set will work - I would just get the set from whom ever made the cam as they are all about the same cost and quality.

Low RPM's while breaking in a Cleveland will kill the cam. If 3000 seems to high then back it off a bit - just be sure that you are over 2500.

Ford extracted a little more HP on the Cleveland by changing the throws on the crank - it cuts through the oil with less splash. Less splash means less oil getting up on the cam lobes and as such the cam runs a bit hotter at lower RPM. You do not want this when breaking in a cam shaft.

Glad you did not bail from the group - Several of us were worried that we had gotten off to a bad start with you.

- Paul of MO

No problem Paul. Jeff works in Customer Service and I'm a Quality Engineer. Pretty much impossible to offend us.

Dave, I thought you weren't allowed to call yourself an engineer anymore ...... :whistling:

 

[barnett468]

.

1.73 rockers for sure.

Mystic Fish, I will explain my question regarding the lift . I am very well aware of the rocker ratio on a Cleveland head and have been since around 1970 so I was not asking what rocker ratio you had so my aplogies if my question was not clear . The fact is that I have seen the lift listed for 1.6 rockers on some Cleveland cams so it never hurts to take two minutes to simply verify it . The other easy way to determine valve lift is to simply take the lobe lift on the cam card and multiply it by the your rocker ratio...easy deal.

The 2500-3000 RPM for break in is something that I have read in several places and have wondered why the cam card said to break in at 2000. I also have the book recommended everywhere about the 351C engine and will look up cam/lifter break in this evening.

As far as break in rpm, I have broken in dozens of cams in Cleveland engines and so have my friends whom are also professional engine builders, and although some of them rev them to around 2400 rpm, none of them rev them anywhere near 3000 rpm and none of us has had a cam failure during break in.

As far as needing the higher rpm to get sufficient oil on the cam from the crankshaft, this then does not appear to be a necessity in our experience, however, others may have had cam failures but since I don't know their specific break in techniques, I have no idea why that might be.

Oil not only comes from the crank throwing it on the cam, it also comes from the clearance between the lifters and the lifter bore, which is typically worn a little on a used engine which thereby allows MORE oil to flow DIRECTLY onto the cam than it did when the engine was new.

The biggest killers of flat tappet cams during break in are incorrect oil and high spring pressures.

If you want additional info on the ideal cam break in rpm for a Cleveland, I suggest you contact Dan Jones or Keith Craft . Dan is president of the Pantera club and between him and other professional engine builders he knows, they have probably broken in more Cleveland engines than everyone on this site combined . Keith Craft is also the King of the Clevelands and held the NHRA record in his class with a 351 Cleveland he built . His engines have won over 50 National Championships

http://www.keithcraft.com/

.

 

[Cobra2572]

1.73 rockers for sure.

And since the engine will be mostly stock with the original carb and intake, and will have 10.2:1 compression (Stock is 10.7:1) and most likely will have stock exhaust manifolds, no more cam is really needed or advisable IMO.

I believe the cam manufacturer (Erson) recommends springs with each cam that they sell and pretty closely matches the rates given by Barnett.

Delving into rebuilding a 351C 4V engine has become quite the exercise. Characteristics of the engine and 4V heads in particular are a bit different than the B/RB Mopars that I am used to. And trying to understand those quirks of the 351C 4V has made this journey interesting and eventful.

I guess I am feeling an little pressure since I am helping a friend and don't want him to have something he is not happy with, or worse something that may fail..

And it will be much harder than this to get rid of me!::thumb::

1.6 ratio is Windsor not Cleveland - your cam is spec'd for 1.73's

That will be a very nicely behaved cam with your 4 speed. It will have a nice lumpy idle but will not be obnoxious.

We now all seem to be in agreement that you do not need to run "break in" springs on a cam with this lift - good - one less thing to worry about.

Any good aftermarket spring set will work - I would just get the set from whom ever made the cam as they are all about the same cost and quality.

Low RPM's while breaking in a Cleveland will kill the cam. If 3000 seems to high then back it off a bit - just be sure that you are over 2500.

Ford extracted a little more HP on the Cleveland by changing the throws on the crank - it cuts through the oil with less splash. Less splash means less oil getting up on the cam lobes and as such the cam runs a bit hotter at lower RPM. You do not want this when breaking in a cam shaft.

Glad you did not bail from the group - Several of us were worried that we had gotten off to a bad start with you.

- Paul of MO

The 2500-3000 RPM for break in is something that I have read in several places and have wondered why the cam card said to break in at 2000. I also have the book recommended everywhere about the 351C engine and will look up cam/lifter break in this evening.

Thanks for the input.

Jeff-

1.6 ratio is Windsor not Cleveland - your cam is spec'd for 1.73's

That will be a very nicely behaved cam with your 4 speed. It will have a nice lumpy idle but will not be obnoxious.

We now all seem to be in agreement that you do not need to run "break in" springs on a cam with this lift - good - one less thing to worry about.

Any good aftermarket spring set will work - I would just get the set from whom ever made the cam as they are all about the same cost and quality.

Low RPM's while breaking in a Cleveland will kill the cam. If 3000 seems to high then back it off a bit - just be sure that you are over 2500.

Ford extracted a little more HP on the Cleveland by changing the throws on the crank - it cuts through the oil with less splash. Less splash means less oil getting up on the cam lobes and as such the cam runs a bit hotter at lower RPM. You do not want this when breaking in a cam shaft.

Glad you did not bail from the group - Several of us were worried that we had gotten off to a bad start with you.

- Paul of MO

No problem Paul. Jeff works in Customer Service and I'm a Quality Engineer. Pretty much impossible to offend us.

Dave, I thought you weren't allowed to call yourself an engineer anymore ...... :whistling:

You'll have to take that up with management.

::thumb::

 

[barnett468]

Delving into rebuilding a 351C 4V engine has become quite the exercise. Characteristics of the engine and 4V heads in particular are a bit different than the B/RB Mopars that I am used to. And trying to understand those quirks of the 351C 4V has made this journey interesting and eventful.

One of the quirks with the Cleveland is the oiling system . Some people use cam oil restrictors and push rod oil restrictors if the hole in the lifter is a little large . Another thing that is done is the installation of lifter bore bushings . These correct loose lifter to lifter bore tolerances and reduce foaming of the oil caused by the band in the lifter beating the crap out of it due to the massive oil hole they use in the lifter bore.

As far as MOPARS go . I am a closet Mopar guy and have been since maybe 1967 . I am actually helping a friend out with a 400 we are going to stroke to 470 with a Source 440 crank and K1 rods and custom 4032 forged side relief pistons from Race Tech.

I am using the Eddy VICTOR heads with Ferrea hollow stem intake valves and Manley NexTek 1.3" springs and their lightweight tool steel retainers . I have to use .060" thick lash caps on the intakes to get the stem heights even and correct . I really don't know why people even mess with the Indy stuff since the VICTOR heads really are the best bang for the buck and the people at Indy seem to be a bit "uppity" on occasion.

Rockers are 1.7 T & D.

TTI makes 1 7/8 headers for this exact setup so no prob there.

It will either have a Howards off the shelf roller or a custom cam from Chris Straub.

Intake will either be an Eddy RPM or a VICTOR.

Carb will probably be some type of Quick Fuel.

Lifters will be Morels.

Push rods will tapered from TREND so the clearancing of the push rod hole in the heads will be kept to a minimal . It seems that in their infinite wisdom, Eddy failed to realize that the push rods on a Mopar are at an angle, lol . If the push rods were straight, 3/8" would clear.

Steel 2 bolt main caps with dowels.

ATI dual inertia ring damper.

Roll Master IWIS timing set.

We just got the block back from sonic testing and it is going to be thin on the right rear cylinder if it gets bored o center, so am going to have that entire bank offset bored .012" which will leave him enough for one more bore.

It will have around 550 real hp not these inflated hp numbers you sometimes see.

.

.

 

[Mystic Fish]

Management cant ever get it right anyway :shootself:. Once an Engineer always an Engineer. Besides, someone else's jealousy is a real goofy reason for a response from management :shootself::shootself::shootself:!

Delving into rebuilding a 351C 4V engine has become quite the exercise. Characteristics of the engine and 4V heads in particular are a bit different than the B/RB Mopars that I am used to. And trying to understand those quirks of the 351C 4V has made this journey interesting and eventful.

One of the quirks with the Cleveland is the oiling system . Some people use cam oil restrictors and push rod oil restrictors if the hole in the lifter is a little large . Another thing that is done is the installation of lifter bore bushings . These correct loose lifter to lifter bore tolerances and reduce foaming of the oil caused by the band in the lifter beating the crap out of it due to the massive oil hole they use in the lifter bore.

As far as MOPARS go . I am a closet Mopar guy and have been since maybe 1967 . I am actually helping a friend out with a 400 we are going to stroke to 470 with a Source 440 crank and K1 rods and custom 4032 forged side relief pistons from Race Tech.

I am using the Eddy VICTOR heads with Ferrea hollow stem intake valves and Manley NexTek 1.3" springs and their lightweight tool steel retainers . I have to use .060" thick lash caps on the intakes to get the stem heights even and correct . I really don't know why people even mess with the Indy stuff since the VICTOR heads really are the best bang for the buck and the people at Indy seem to be a bit "uppity" on occasion.

Rockers are 1.7 T & D.

TTI makes 1 7/8 headers for this exact setup so no prob there.

It will either have a Howards off the shelf roller or a custom cam from Chris Straub.

Intake will either be an Eddy RPM or a VICTOR.

Carb will probably be some type of Quick Fuel.

Lifters will be Morels.

Pus rods will tapered from TREND so the clearancing of the push rod hole in the heads will be kept to a minimal . It seems that in their infinite wisdom, Eddy failed to realize that the push rods on a Mopar are at an angle, lol . If the push rods were straight, 3/8" would clear.

It will have around 550 real hp not these inflated hp numbers you sometimes see.

.

.

Sounds pretty stout. All of the good aftermarket heads weren't around when I used to build and tinker. I had to make do with the factory iron and try to make those things breathe. You could spend a fortune on machine work back in the day getting big block Mopar heads to move more air.

Have been away from building them for more years than I want to admit and never used the Victor heads. The INDY heads look real sweet, but so does their price!

And I think Edelbrock got a bad rep for just that reason. They build Chevy stuff and tried to apply it to Mopar and likely other OEM's and got stuff "tight" or just plain wrong, but live and learn.

If I ever do build another big block I will have to go INDY!!!

 

[Paul of MO]

"One of the quirks with the Cleveland is the oiling system . Some people use cam oil restrictors and push rod oil restrictors if the hole in the lifter is a little large . Another thing that is done is the installation of lifter bore bushings . These correct loose lifter to lifter bore tolerances and reduce foaming of the oil caused by the band in the lifter beating the crap out of it due to the massive oil hole they use in the lifter bore."

What?

Clevelands have a "bass ackwards" oiling system and the all but the 1st rods / mains gets oil AFTER the cam and lifters. You do all of the various oiling mods to force more PSI to the crank and rods at high RPM. High RPM means over 7000 rpm. High RPM can force too much oil up the push rod and flood the valve cover while depleting the oil supply in the pan. Resistor push rods are the easiest fix for this if you are worried about it. Don't be worried about it.

The hole in the lifter galley is about the same as all small Fords - the problem is that there are only 2 galleys instead of the traditional 3.

More extensive oil system mods on a Cleveland are absolutely not needed except on full blown race engines.

Just did not want another source of concern to be created for people building a Cleveland. Rest assured your oil is not going to get foamed by your lifters.

- Paul of MO

 

[Qcode351mach]

"One of the quirks with the Cleveland is the oiling system . Some people use cam oil restrictors and push rod oil restrictors if the hole in the lifter is a little large . Another thing that is done is the installation of lifter bore bushings . These correct loose lifter to lifter bore tolerances and reduce foaming of the oil caused by the band in the lifter beating the crap out of it due to the massive oil hole they use in the lifter bore."

What?

Clevelands have a "bass ackwards" oiling system and the all but the 1st rods / mains gets oil AFTER the cam and lifters. You do all of the various oiling mods to force more PSI to the crank and rods at high RPM. High RPM means over 7000 rpm. High RPM can force too much oil up the push rod and flood the valve cover while depleting the oil supply in the pan. Resistor push rods are the easiest fix for this if you are worried about it. Don't be worried about it.

The hole in the lifter galley is about the same as all small Fords - the problem is that there are only 2 galleys instead of the traditional 3.

More extensive oil system mods on a Cleveland are absolutely not needed except on full blown race engines.

Just did not want another source of concern to be created for people building a Cleveland. Rest assured your oil is not going to get foamed by your lifters.

- Paul of MO

Exactly..I did the larger diameter pushrods with a restricted oil hole..(which I mentioned in my first post) Piece of mind and plug and play with out the fuss or expense of other methods

 

[barnett468]

.

Mystic Fish, installing oil restrictors is one of the common practices that is done on Cleveland engines that will be run at high rpm for a sustained period of time . Installing these restrictors increases oil to the crank without causing an insufficient flow to the cam. This has been proven to be effective in countless engines, however, some people opt not to do this and instead install a restrictor elsewhere.

If you are installing cam bearings, you should install the front bearing to the factory depth which is .003" to .005" . One of the reasons for ths is that there is a huge hole in the front cam journal thst is not always completely blocked off by the bearing and the deeper the bearing is, the more of the hole is exposed . The more of the hole that is exposed, the more oil that freely leaks out, and since the Clevelands do have a weak are regarding oil to the mains, the less unnecessary freely leaking orifices there is the better.

Also, due to the design, the rods only get a shot of oil intermittently with every revolution of the crank, so to increase the duration of oil to the rods, you can install half grooved bearings . The groove goes in the top where the least amount of stress is.

This exposed oil hole is why ford only installs the fron bearing ,003" to .005" deep.

.


.

.

Exactly..I did the larger diameter pushrods with a restricted oil hole..(which I mentioned in my first post) Piece of mind and plug and play with out the fuss or expense of other methods

Restricting oil to the cam bearings is free if you are rebuilding an engine . All you need to do is buy oil restrictor bearings . Tim Meyer is one of the authorities on this series of engines and he sells them.

"Today, there is a better alternative to the old restrictor plugs. Tim Meyer offers special cam bearings with the oil-restrictor holes built into the bearing (PN F26 fits Cleveland)."

http://www.tmeyerinc.com/

 

[MeZapU]

If the engine is only to be a mild build and not see the high side of 6500 rpm's. Just build it with traditional good quality bearings and pay attention to the camshaft thrust clearance.

 

[Mystic Fish]

.

Mystic Fish, installing oil restrictors is one of the common practices that is done on Cleveland engines that will be run at high rpm for a sustained period of time . Installing these restrictors increases oil to the crank without causing an insufficient flow to the cam. This has been proven to be effective in countless engines, however, some people opt not to do this and instead install a restrictor elsewhere.

If you are installing cam bearings, you should install the front bearing to the factory depth which is .003" to .005" . One of the reasons for ths is that there is a huge hole in the front cam journal thst is not always completely blocked off by the bearing and the deeper the bearing is, the more of the hole is exposed . The more of the hole that is exposed, the more oil that freely leaks out, and since the Clevelands do have a weak are regarding oil to the mains, the less unnecessary freely leaking orifices there is the better.

Also, due to the design, the rods only get a shot of oil intermittently with every revolution of the crank, so to increase the duration of oil to the rods, you can install half grooved bearings . The groove goes in the top where the least amount of stress is.

This exposed oil hole is why ford only installs the fron bearing ,003" to .005" deep.

.


.

.

Exactly..I did the larger diameter pushrods with a restricted oil hole..(which I mentioned in my first post) Piece of mind and plug and play with out the fuss or expense of other methods

Restricting oil to the cam bearings is free if you are rebuilding an engine . All you need to do is buy oil restrictor bearings . Tim Meyer is one of the authorities on this series of engines and he sells them.

"Today, there is a better alternative to the old restrictor plugs. Tim Meyer offers special cam bearings with the oil-restrictor holes built into the bearing (PN F26 fits Cleveland)."

http://www.tmeyerinc.com/

Is the .003 - .005 clearance measured from the block face to the front edge of the cam bearing? I have not heard about this before. It looks like the clearance in the picture is much more than .005. I assume that this is an attempt to nearly block off the hole. Is this correct?

Also, the motor will not likely see 6,000 rpm, so 7,000 rpm is not going to happen either.

 

[barnett468]

.

Mystic Fish, installing oil restrictors is one of the common practices that is done on Cleveland engines that will be run at high rpm for a sustained period of time . Installing these restrictors increases oil to the crank without causing an insufficient flow to the cam. This has been proven to be effective in countless engines, however, some people opt not to do this and instead install a restrictor elsewhere.

If you are installing cam bearings, you should install the front bearing to the factory depth which is .003" to .005" . One of the reasons for this is that there is a huge hole in the front cam journal that is not always completely blocked off by the bearing and the deeper the bearing is, the more of the hole is exposed . The more of the hole that is exposed, the more oil that freely leaks out, and since the Clevelands do have a weak are regarding oil to the mains, the less unnecessary freely leaking orifices there is the better.

Also, due to the design, the rods only get a shot of oil intermittently with every revolution of the crank, so to increase the duration of oil to the rods, you can install half grooved bearings . The groove goes in the top where the least amount of stress is.

This exposed oil hole is why ford only installs the fron bearing ,003" to .005" deep.

.


.

.

Exactly..I did the larger diameter pushrods with a restricted oil hole..(which I mentioned in my first post) Piece of mind and plug and play with out the fuss or expense of other methods

Restricting oil to the cam bearings is free if you are rebuilding an engine . All you need to do is buy oil restrictor bearings . Tim Meyer is one of the authorities on this series of engines and he sells them.

"Today, there is a better alternative to the old restrictor plugs. Tim Meyer offers special cam bearings with the oil-restrictor holes built into the bearing (PN F26 fits Cleveland)."

http://www.tmeyerinc.com/

Is the .003 - .005 clearance measured from the block face to the front edge of the cam bearing?

I have not heard about this before.

It looks like the clearance in the picture is much more than .005. I assume that this is an attempt to nearly block off the hole. Is this correct?

Also, the motor will not likely see 6,000 rpm, so 7,000 rpm is not going to happen either.

1. Yes it is and my guess is that it is around .150" which is .140" too much . That photo is from an engine that ate the cam bearings.

2. That's because you are a MOPAR guy, lol . Since you mentioned that you are unfamiliar with some of the nuances of the Cleveland of which this is one, I will make some suggestions for you for your build . My guess is that others will also.

3. Yes that bearing is in WAY more than .005" which is why the hole is exposed . The distance from the front of the block to the front of the the hole in the photo is around .010" . If the bearing was installed .005" deep, it would still block the hole / The bearing has a slight chamfer on it so the edge of the chamfer might be around .002" from the edge of the hole at that point.

.

 

[Mystic Fish]

Are there any other little nuggets like this I need to know before putting the bottom end together?

 

[MeZapU]

Will you be installing your own cam bearings?

 

[barnett468]

Are there any other little nuggets like this I need to know before putting the bottom end together?

Well I would do the following but others may not.

BEARINGS

Use Clevite 1/2 groove bearings . They also come moly coated.

CONNECTING RODS

If you are going to resize them, I would consider installing ARP nuts or ARP nuts and bolts or at least new nuts . It's probably a bit of overkill for your app but it's a cheap upgrade and additional insurance.

OIL PUMP

Stock volume MELLINGS but I would consider installing a 60 psi spring . Also, completely disassemble it and clean it and make sure the bypass valve goes perfectly smoothly through the bore . If you even think it might be the slightest bit sticky, run a small ball hone in the bore with some WD40 for a few seconds then clean it and try it again There have been a couple reports of this valve sticking recently.

OIL PUMP DRIVE

An ARP one is maybe $22.00 so why even risk using a stock one . Make sure you test fit the distributor before you put the pan and timing cover on . You may need to move the clip on the drive down a little bit . Once the distributor is in, make sure the oil pump drive goes up and down a hair to insure it isn't binding..

MAIN AND ROD BEARING CLEARANCE

I typically use around .0022".

CAM GEAR

If I even think the teeth are sharp or i can see machining marks on the face of the teeth, I tape the journal and adjacent lobe and "burnish" it with a soft wire wheel.

DISTRIBUTOR GEAR

I often use CRANE's but don't burnish it.

CAMSHAFT END PLAY

Check it to make sure it is not excessive . I prefer them a hair towards the tight side.

DISTRIBUTOR AND CAM GEAR MESH

Check it to insure it's correct.

FRONT LIFTER OIL GALLEY PLUGS

I drill around a .016" hole in them to increase the oil to the distributor gear and timing chain and cam thrust plate. They must be removed to do this.

LIFTER GALLEY PLUGS Disregard the yellow circle.

.