360 build ????s
Alright, i have been assembling the motor. My main worry was piston to valve clearance. Well, that is the issue. Here is the full combo.
318/4 speed/8.75 with 4.11 gears
Stock rotating assembly
Purple shaft 284/484 cam
J heads that have been ported, milled .100, and the large valves installed. I bought the heads at a swap meet. Lack of knowledge and didn't see the milling job.
Stock length push rods and rocker shafts
Head gaskets are Felpro from a full gasket kit from Summit(number on the gasket is 8553PT)
Torker II 340 intake
What are my options with this setup? I am keeping the cam and intake.
I have read and been told thicker gaskets won't get it done. True?
Correct
Spacers on the rocker shaft???? Seems odd but an option?
Not an option
Shorter push rods
Yes but
Best to go with different heads??
Maybe
If the heads and intake will all bolt up without more machining, its just a matter of fixing the P to V clearance, and then sciencing out the valve geometry.
You will of course need to calculate the eyebrow depth of cut, and then measure the piston tops before you cut the eyebrows to ensure there is enough material to allow the cut without compromising the integrity of the piston.
If the piston tops wont allow it, then you have exactly 2 options; 1) smaller cam with lift engineered to work, or
2) different heads.
But as someone else posited, if the heads have been machined .100, and are now as good as closed chambers, it would seem a waste not to at least try and make things work. There are pistons out there that already have eyebrows, and have thick tops, that could be made to work. And since the engine has to be mostly dissassembled to measure the current piston tops, you are nearly ready to repiston anyway.
And if you go with new pistons, you can engineer quench and squish back into it, and possibly/probably get it to run on lessor fuels.
I say its an opportunity.
