Engine build

[burbygurby]

Hey, I will be building my engine within the next month. Its a 73 351 c 4v with open chambered heads. Ive zero decked it and milled the heads a bit along with some other stuff like 3 angle vlave job and all that so the block should be in great shape and ive got pretty much all new insides for it. Its a flat tappet hydraulic lifters. I will have help from a guy who has been working with cars his whole life (rebuilt an automatic transmission at 14) so I should be in pretty good hands but was just gonna check to see if there is anything special i needed to know about the cleveland specifically when putting it together

 

[Cleveland Crush]

This Cleveland book (and 429/460) by Tom Monroe will be money well spent. Read it, then keep it next to you during assembly. Good success with your build!

https://www.npdlink.com/product/how...es-351c-351m-400-429-460-by-tom-monroe/138128

 

[Don C]

You didn't say anything about the valves. Do not use the stock multi-groove valves. They are two-piece and the heads are prone to coming off. Also, the locks on multi-groove valves are prone to coming off.
Make sure you don't need new valve guides. Do not use the stock umbrella valve stem seals, have the guides machined for positive seal viton seals.

 

[burbygurby]

yeah, I have ferrea 5000 series valves with new valve guides, though I am still using an umbrella type stem seal it will be new

 

[will e]

Make sure to get the correct thermostat.
What are the cam specs?
How fast do you plan on turning it?

 

[Q1SVT]

Its a 73 351 c 4v with open chambered heads.

Its a flat tappet hydraulic lifters.

Clean, clean, clean your lifter bores…. Test each lifter bore, the lifter should drop down completely without being pushed… and you should be able to rotate the lifters with your fingers.

Use a good breakin oil for the first 500 miles, then regular motor oil (non-synthetic) for 3-5,000 miles. Add Redline after 500 miles and each oil change thereafter (spec is on bottle).

Prep engine before first start
Fill carb w/fuel, prime oil, set timing, etc have extra fans to cool, run just water for cooling.

Start engine and follow all breakin steps for flat tappet lifters…. And your Cam & lifters will have a long life.


You did not share cam spec, but I would calculate the dynamic compression… think it will be low (less than 8.0-1)

Open chamber heads need pop up pistons…

 

[giantpune]

Make sure to get the correct thermostat.

Can not be understated. Autozone, advance, and rockauto will all sell you the wrong one and swear up and down its right for a cleveland. Napa carries the correct one. They'll ask you 2wd or 4x4 and what color is it when you want windshield wiper blades, then sell you the wrong thermostat. Its whatever the computer says up in there.

Before you go putting it back together, make sure there's the brass piece in the thermostat hole in the block that the thermostat meets up with. Sometimes that little guy goes missing in the hot tank.

 

[Steed73]

Hey, I will be building my engine within the next month. Its a 73 351 c 4v with open chambered heads. Ive zero decked it and milled the heads a bit along with some other stuff like 3 angle vlave job and all that so the block should be in great shape and ive got pretty much all new insides for it. Its a flat tappet hydraulic lifters. I will have help from a guy who has been working with cars his whole life (rebuilt an automatic transmission at 14) so I should be in pretty good hands but was just gonna check to see if there is anything special i needed to know about the cleveland specifically when putting it together

I had mine rebuilt mine several years ago and put in 10.5:1 pistons. The mechanic also did something to the valve guides (not sure what he did) but wanted everything else to be factory. I had a lot of different stuff on the motor over the years and he wanted it all taken off and the original parts put back on. This motor was originally designed for competition but was choked back by the authorities as a result of the oil embargo. I might add that the motor performs extremely well right now and I'm very happy with it.

 

[burbygurby]

I did get the correct thermostat and made sure of that.
I have this cam from lunati https://www.jegs.com/i/Lunati/638/1...4saZ45lM0fX371YopnVlMODwpL2GeR9sdsxJaxn3dEfOQ.
Lift: .524''/.540''
Duration: 256 Deg /262 Deg
LSA: 112 Deg
My static cr will be just slightly under 10:1 but idk about dynamic.
I will also most likley play it pretty safe with a 6500 ish rev limit

 

[burbygurby]

I had mine rebuilt mine several years ago and put in 10.5:1 pistons. The mechanic also did something to the valve guides (not sure what he did) but wanted everything else to be factory. I had a lot of different stuff on the motor over the years and he wanted it all taken off and the original parts put back on. This motor was originally designed for competition but was choked back by the authorities as a result of the oil embargo. I might add that the motor performs extremely well right now and I'm very happy with it.

yeah, I have a lot of the origional parts like the intake, carb, valves, springs, pushrods (most of them), but as things like the valves ive seen are prone to fail I got new stuff mostly but will keep the things like the carb and intake incase i ever decide to sell as it is number mathcing so if someone wants to take it back to original.

 

[Q1SVT]

Your cam looks like the ford SVO A341 cam (1980s) M-6250-A341… should be fine for your compression. The SVO worked well with the 73 4V small valve heads, so should lunati’s

The cams are done by 5800 rpm no need to push the motor more

 

[Bobby]

What kind of horsepower are you looking for? Are you wanting a concours build? Are you going with an original Autolite carb or Edelbrock, EFI? If. you're looking for max horses, you might consider aluminum heads with 72 cc chambers and a decent rotating assembly and a medium picante cam. Picked out an intake manifold? Put a wish list together for your build for a critique.

 

[burbygurby]

What kind of horsepower are you looking for? Are you wanting a concours build? Are you going with an original Autolite carb or Edelbrock, EFI? If. you're looking for max horses, you might consider aluminum heads with 72 cc chambers and a decent rotating assembly and a medium picante cam. Picked out an intake manifold? Put a wish list together for your build for a critique.

Ive already got everything to build it the main question was if there was anything i needed to do or check when putting it togetger but nonetheless I am aiming for about 400 hp. summit 750 carb eldebrock air gap intake stock heads just milled to reduce chamber size the cam previously mentioned along with supporting lifters pushrods springs and valves speedpro pistons stock rods with arp bolts and stock crank