400/450 stroker....Cheap parts, lotta work.

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IQ52 said:
Pistons installed. I used the Sealed Power OE quality E-318K 30 piston ring set that is not file fit. It would seem that it would work as-is just fine on regular cast pistons and forged ones as the gaps were .020"-.021" on the top ring and .025" on the second. Using the KB hypereutectic pistons I had to open the top ring gap to .028". After all the pistons were installed it took 23 ft-lbs to turn the rotating assembly over. I'm wondering what installing the cam and new tight timing chain will have on the torque reading. I've never checked that before. View attachment 1715720837

Let's do that..........Before installing the cam I slathered all the lobes and intermediate shaft gear with Driven Assembly Grease. It is thicker and sticks to the lobes without running off like the Comp Cams cam and lifter lube...............
View attachment 1715720838

I took the timing chain out of it's break-in oil bath and let it drain on a paper towel so I didn't have oil running all over the place as I timed the cam.....
View attachment 1715720839

The Total Seal Assembly Lube was used on the piston rings and piston skirts before dropping them into the bores. I've seen people dip the top of the piston and rings in an oil bath before installing. I guess I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum as I squirt the lube onto my fingers and before installing the rings to the pistons, rub the lube onto the rings. Then squirt a dab of oil onto the skirt and spread it around on the skirt with my finger.
View attachment 1715720840

I like to have an oil supply to the roller chain. There is a threaded plug in the oil galley behind the cam gear. I've struggled drilling a .030" hole in that plug so this time I drilled and tapped the plug for a 10-32 thread and installed a .030 carburetor air bleed into the back of the plug with loctite.
View attachment 1715720843 View attachment 1715720844

And here it is in the right bank lifter oil galley. Does it really work? I don't know......but I do it anyway!
View attachment 1715720846

The cam has a 110 degree LSA and is ground 4 degrees advance for a 106 degree ICL. I installed the gear set on the zero (0) degree marks and got a 105 ICL............good enough for me. 1st time they have ever come out that close for me right at the start.
View attachment 1715720847
The torque wrench clicks sometimes at 24 ft-lbs and doesn't break at 25 ft-lbs with the timing chain installed. I'm okay at that with those rings.

Note that with this setup the ARP cam gear bolts are 15/16" off the face of the block. The stock timing chain cover is 15/16" deep. I had to bubble the cover between one large socket and one slightly smaller socket in the press to make sure the cam bolts didn't hit the cover.
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If you or anyone wants to have a precise, leaser drilled hole in a plug, this company will do it to your specs and sell it to you. I used this company to make calibrated, drilled holes for air flow applications in a product development role I was in.
Here is the company:
Lenox Laser, the Leading Pioneers in Laser Drilling Services

I realize that your build is on the cheap - but thought I'd mention it in case someone else would like to make that oiling mod without using a jet.
 
IQ52 said:
Then each pair of old Crane Gold Race rockers is stripped and cleaned, lubed and re-assembled and new clean bags then receive the pair. A break in oil is rolled into the tip and assembly grease is used on the adjuster screws. I do this for every manufacture. Even though an outfit as good as T&D places a slip of paper saying their rockers are clean and lubed and ready to use, they are not. I have found machining particles, damaged adjuster threads and junk in the rocker shafts on Harland Sharp systems also. Clean everything..............

View attachment 1715718891
Click to expand...
I tried that Driven assembly grease and they made a believer outta me....Good stuff.
 
Cheap parts my fanny. Wouldn't you know it......I've thousands of dollars worth of custom pushrods on a back shelf and all of the B-block ones are too short because I had to make a rocker shaft relocation kit.

400-450 pushrods 001.JPG


Out comes the Manton adjustable pushrod kit..........
400-450 crank snout 002.JPG


Fit one up with the rockers bolted down........
400-450 pushrods 004.JPG


Using my handy-dandy depth mike, square and the rocker arm adjuster screw I find I need 8.480" effective length....
400-450 pushrods 002.JPG


440 Source comes to my rescue..............and cut to fit pushrods are on the way.

Manton Pushrods Cut to Fit Pushrod Set 3/8 x .060 Wall 10.00"-440 Source
 
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440 Source helped out in another fashion the other day.

I think this crank has had a few rough winters. Look at this crank snout........knurled.
400-450 crank snout 003.JPG


The knurling is one of the reasons I picked it out of the crank pile, you know, use up the cheap stuff. Is it now too big? Too small?

Well 440 Source has these harmonic dampers I've used a few times and liked.....

http://store.440source.com/Fluid-damper-SFI-Certified-Chrome-New/productinfo/200-1023/

I like them because they are sometimes pretty tight fitting and you can hone the tight ones to size. This crank snout turned out to be 1.5295, and the dampers I've received before were 1.527.

Whoa, .0025" press fit! That would have to go on and off using heat, dynamite and tire tools. Well now I can hone it out to the .0005"-.001" press fit I prefer and the damper will slip right on like it should.

Try to be smarter than your damper! Measure your crank and the aftermarket damper you are going to use before you try to beat it into submission.
 
IQ52 said:
Cheap parts my fanny. Wouldn't you know it......I've thousands of dollars worth of custom pushrods on a back shelf and all of the B-block ones are too short because I had to make a rocker shaft relocation kit.

View attachment 1715722649

Out comes the Manton adjustable pushrod kit..........
View attachment 1715722654

Fit one up with the rockers bolted down........
View attachment 1715722655

Using my handy-dandy depth mike, square and the rocker arm adjuster screw I find I need 8.480" effective length....
View attachment 1715722656

440 Source comes to my rescue..............and cut to fit pushrods are on the way.

Manton Pushrods Cut to Fit Pushrod Set 3/8 x .060 Wall 10.00"-440 Source
Click to expand...

Only thing missing from that "back shelf" is the Christmas tree standing over all those presents:)
 
KB put a generous fly cut in these 251 pistons of .264" deep and 2.360" in diameter. When I checked the piston to valve clearance during the overlap events we have .278" clearance on the intake and .296" on the exhaust. Wow, looks like some of the big solid roller cams we have on the shelf would have a shot at working in this engine. Naw, scratch that idea. Think street engine.
RPM Intake manifold 001.JPG
 
Hmmmm. Looks like it could be a long day. Even though the bolt holes in the intake manifold line up perfectly with the threads in the heads, the manifold angles don't match the heads well. Tight here and gaps there...........

Right rear........
RPM Intake manifold 002.JPG


Left rear........
RPM Intake manifold 003.JPG


Left front........
RPM Intake manifold 004.JPG


Right front..............
RPM Intake manifold 005.JPG


Some of the problem is lower inside corners of the intake are hitting the block wall. This is partly because I didn't mill the front and rear block walls .017" for every .010" I had milled off the deck and the combustion chambers. That now will have to be fixed with a file on those corners of the intake manifold. After doing that I'll recheck the mating angles.
 
We had gaps in the neighborhood of .030" before the filing. The manifold bolt holes are a little low now but we have no gasket in there yet. The left side of the manifold now shows a .012" gap at the bottom and tight at the top. The right side has a .015" gap at the top and tight at the bottom. Now to set up in the mill and square everything up. The tin valley pan is only .015" thick so after the milling process we may need to use a fiber gasket to go along with the valley pan in order for the bolt holes to align centered.

Yes they need to be centered. The manifold and heads were gasket matched with the bolt holes centered.

RPM Intake manifold 009.JPG
 
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You cannot slip a .0015" (15 ten thousands) feeler gauge in anyplace around the intake now............

RPM Intake manifold 010.JPG
RPM Intake manifold 011.JPG
RPM Intake manifold 012.JPG
RPM Intake manifold 013.JPG
 
I have the blocked heat riser valley pan which comes with two thin paper gaskets. If you only had room for one paper gasket would you put it on the intake or head side?
 
When using an aluminum intake paper gasket should be used on intake side.
 
qkcuda said:
I have the blocked heat riser valley pan which comes with two thin paper gaskets. If you only had room for one paper gasket would you put it on the intake or head side?
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I think it will burn no matter which side you put it on. But I'd put it on the intake manifold side.
 
Thanks for documenting this build. I look forward to the updates. Its amazing the knowledge you guys have.
 
I will disagree about which side to put a thin paper gasket. I would put it between the bathtub gasket & the head, reduce the chance of oil being sucked into the intake ports.
 
oldkimmer said:
Did u angle mill it? Thanks. Kim
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Yes I did Kim. I put the manifold on the vertical mill in my head/intake manifold fixture. Using a dial indicator I adjusted my crude fixture until I had the cut angle I wanted and then milled away.
 
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Bewy said:
I will disagree about which side to put a thin paper gasket. I would put it between the bathtub gasket & the head, reduce the chance of oil being sucked into the intake ports.
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You do it your way, I use Hylamar to seal around the ports with the bathtub gasket , no leaky.
Don't you think it be better to have the paper gasket between the aluminum and metal, Ma Mopar thought it was a good idea with the sixpack aluminum intake. look it up.
 
IQ52 said:
Yes I did Kim. I put the manifold on the vertical mill in my head/intake manifold fixture. Using a dial indicator I adjusted my crude fixture until I had the cut angle I wanted and then milled away.
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Jim, do you like to get the manifold flanges flat with the head surfaces (equal gap top to bottom)? I read some advice that said it was preferable to have just a slight bit more gap at the top (that place's name starts with an 'H' and rhymes with blues:rolleyes:...)
 
It's an aluminum intake. Just tighten hell out of it. It'll seal fine. LOL
 
beanhead said:
Jim, do you like to get the manifold flanges flat with the head surfaces (equal gap top to bottom)? I read some advice that said it was preferable to have just a slight bit more gap at the top (that place's name starts with an 'H' and rhymes with blues:rolleyes:...)
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The thought of a little gap at the top is for the reason as posted by Bewy in Post #193........seal the intake against drawing oil into the port from the lifter valley. I like no gap because you don't stress any components by deliberately torquing them out of shape. If it fits.......it won't leak.

If you are good enough to machine it for a little gap at the top....are you not good enough to make it fit properly?

RustyRatRod said:
It's an aluminum intake. Just tighten hell out of it. It'll seal fine. LOL
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I'm sorry. Every family is blessed with one who wants to make us chuckle.

I'm laughing so hard right now I cannot come up with an equal response.
 
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