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Unfortunately the valves are not stock. I spent a fair bit building those heads. :( I'm taking them to a machinist in the morning to see if the damage can be repaired reliably. I just am not familiar with where the water jacket is, if there is room to add a hardened seat and if there is a way to repair the broken valve guide boss. If not I'll be considering some CHI 4V heads vs building up my open chamber heads-cost is a factor, though not the only one.

The reason I feel certain the roller rocker is to blame is I found 2 other with the pins moving out to the side. It is a poor design and my next set of rockers will be of a better design for long term durability regardless of either the cost or any horsepower "loss" they may have compared to other designs.

I sent you a PM about your build when you get a moment.

 
I have CHI heads, i might suggest checking Kaase's site if you think you might go that route. He does a modified version of their 3V heads, which as you would guess combine the better aspects of the 2v and the 4v so you have low rpm torque without losing high rpm HP...he does some bowl grinding for faster burn if i remember? And sets up the valves better than anyone. Just a thought, but i hope you dont have to spend the cash for that. Best of luck.

 
Wow, I wouldn't expect Crane parts to fail like that. I've heard of Harland Sharpe's doing that, and that's what I got, but they had a good rep for Clevelands....

I would not spend a dime on open chamber heads. AFD 4vs were my next step if I didn't like my 4v quench heads.

 
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Those look like the cast Energizer rockers, correct?

If so, did the cast body fail, or the axles themselves?

Had some cast Erson roller rockers for SBF long ago. Exactly half of the set had bad tip axles.

Erson claimed at the time that it was a fairly regular occurrence caused by improper valve adjustment (too loose). Sounded like a reasonable explanation.

They offered to repair them at a somewhat affordable cost. Ended up selling the set before I had them redone.

My guess is that the extruded (I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong) bodies of the higher priced rockers would hold up better than the cast.

 
Not sure, valves have been maintained in adjustment at all times. It looks like the roller pins were working their way out. The pin is all I didn't find so far, so I may have more insight after I pull the pan and sift through the wreckage. On my way to see if the heads can be salvaged.

I would like aluminum heads, but the cost to do it, at least the way I want, may be a little more painful than I am ready for at this point in time.

Funny how you can go months without driving your car by choiice and that is fine, but a few weeks of it sitting in pieces and you start missing the feeling.

 
Funny how you can go months without driving your car by choiice and that is fine, but a few weeks of it sitting in pieces and you start missing the feeling.
True that!

If you stick with the Cleveland, you might consider stroking it.

Aluminum heads would be nice but, like you said, are pricey.

My next rebuild will include some stroking and a roller cam. I am not sure about heads.

Hopefully I will get some more miles out of my current engine first. Good luck with the build!

 
I bought a set of aluminum Afd 4v heads fully assembled for around 2000. If your head can't be fixed. Might be worth looking into aluminum. By the time you buy another set of 4v heads and pay to have them all done up properly you will easily be over 1200 if not more! Good luck!

 
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Well I just got off the phone with Mark McKeown and I have decided to buy a stroker kit from him. It is more expensive, but it also includes some details that I wanted like a forged crankshaft, internal balancing, custom pistons and such. His lead time is only 3 weeks from when I get him the deck height and bore dimensions and he will custom build the assembly to match my block's milled deck height, whatever that ends up being.

So tomorrow night I hope to strip my good block and get it over to the machinist Friday or early next week.

I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have a specific game plan in place.

Thank you all for your well wishes and your positive thoughts.

 
Wow, just getting up to speed on this posting. Sorry to hear the bad news Jeff, but then happy to hear things are going in a positive direction. I need to get out your way and see the recovery process. Anymore feedback on a Nashville meet and greet? I am somewhat embarrased to say I am going all stock on my 351 2V after reading this posting, but that is in line with the rest of the car. Once the bills are paid on the 72 the 67 390 will get the horsepower investment. I need to get some info. on your machinist. I am getting ready to rebuild the 72 motor and getting mixed signals on some of the machinist here in Memphis.

 
Sent you a PM

As to all stock, please upgrade the rod bolts to ARP and the valves to one piece valves. These two changes really should not be ignored.

Now for the next news

I ordered my cam, lifters and springs. Solid roller from Lunati

Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 278/285

Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .641/.641

LSA: 112

With the MME Racing 408 stroker kit decided on, and the cam now ordered I need to decide on Roller Rocker, a timing chain set, oil pump, gaskets and a few other odds and ends like an oversized oil pan

this should put the "Beast" in Beastly :D

 
Sent you a PM

As to all stock, please upgrade the rod bolts to ARP and the valves to one piece valves. These two changes really should not be ignored.

Now for the next news

I ordered my cam, lifters and springs. Solid roller from Lunati

Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 278/285

Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .641/.641

LSA: 112

With the MME Racing 408 stroker kit decided on, and the cam now ordered I need to decide on Roller Rocker, a timing chain set, oil pump, gaskets and a few other odds and ends like an oversized oil pan

this should put the "Beast" in Beastly :D
Glad to hear its all working out for ya! That cam is definately healthy. Any reason why your going with the solid roller instead of the hydraulic roller?? I know they make more power, but seems like a pain in the butt to have to set the valves every couple thousand miles. Not bad on a track car but on the street it might get old. Just my .02 But i think you will definately like the 408! Good luck.

 
I drive a couple of thousand miles a year lately, so adjustments don't bother me that much. I was letting a mechanic friend do them, and if I had done the last adjustments, I might have avoided the failure (probably not) Finally, oiling mods and hydraulic lifters don't play well together. I didn't want to bush the lifter bores, so the solids made more sense to me.

It is just a personal preference and it isn't really about more power as much as it is about building it to suit my taste.

My goal is 1.21 Gigawatts of power output.

 
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