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Stroked Ford 418ci V8 - We've Got To Have Morrre Power, Captain!Speed O' Motive Assembles A Stroked Ford 418ci V-8 From the September, 2005 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Rich Boyd Photography by Rich Boyd
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Over the past weeks Speed... Over the past weeks Speed O' Motive machined the rotating assembly to balance each piston to within 1/2 gram (about the weight of a dollar bill). To speed up our time in the shop, all but one of the JE pistons and rods were installed in the block. In the February '05 issue of CCT we published the first segment of a tech story where speed shop, Speed O' Motive, began the process of building a stroked Ford 351 Windsor engine. This issue we continue with the assembly of the stroked 418ci Ford and offer a few professional build tips from one of Speed O' Motive's engine builders, Bill Bassett. The primary reason we've pursued this engine buildup is to demonstrate the significantly more powerful alternative to a typical crate engine. We believe that by carefully selecting an affordable list of aftermarket parts, you can build and install an engine that will deliver an exceptional amount of power and reliability for a rather reasonable price. Another more personal reason is that we've never owned a stroked Ford engine and wanted to experience what is typically the domain of the higher- performance street machine or race car. It was a pleasant learning experience watching a professional engine builder assemble our machined rotating assembly, oiling system, aluminum Holley heads and carburetor, and Weiand intake manifold. We photographed each step and listened attentively as Bill explained the details that will result in the greatest amount of performance and reliability this stroked engine is capable of producing. One piston-assembly tip was rotating the piston rings away from the thrust-side of the pistons to prevent a loss of compression. Another little tip was using a single-edge razor blade to cut the bottom ends from the front cover gasket: to help prevent even a small oil leak from around the oil pan gasket.  We were pleased to find a...  We were pleased to find a wind-age tray and set of windage-tray studs in the rear sump Milodon oil-pan set (PN: 31126) that will allow a small-block Ford to be mounted in a street rod or street Mustang application. These pans feature a late-model Ford leak-proof dipstick fitting that screws into the pan.  The high-performance, forged...  The high-performance, forged J&E pistons, combined with the I-beam connecting rods (6.200-inch length) will be the foundation of our stroked 351W to 418 ci. The connecting rod is 1/4-inch longer than the stock connecting rod. Among the aftermarket parts used in this segment is an extremely competent oiling system of Melling oil pump, oil pump shaft, plus an anodized Milodon oil pan and windage tray-as well as all the bottom-end gaskets. Of course all the proper assembly lubes and gasket sealer were applied to each part as it was assembled. The last thing any engine builder wants to hear is the tick-tick-tick of a cylinder head leak or witness a drop of oil escaping from the oil pan gasket. Follow along as we watch a professional assemble our potent little powerplant. And look for the next segment when we will focus on a series of dynamometer tests to see precisely how many horses and how much torque this small-block Ford engine will produce.  Bill added a pre-lube to each...  Bill added a pre-lube to each cylinder before the piston was installed-we don't want any dry cylinders the first time we start the engine.  Bill slid the ring compressor...  Bill slid the ring compressor onto the piston. Notice the blue rubber covering the threads of the connecting rod. They will help prevent even the slightest damage to the crankshaft.  The piston, connecting rod,...  The piston, connecting rod, and piston ring compressor were placed gently into the cylinder. Notice the rubber-covered brass mallet in Bill's hand to coax the piston down in the cylinder.  Just a few taps of the handle-end...  Just a few taps of the handle-end of the mallet pushed the piston past the ring compressor and down into the cylinder.  Bill turned the engine block...  Bill turned the engine block upside down and directed the connecting rod into place to add the connecting-rod cap.  Bill added plenty of pre-lube...  Bill added plenty of pre-lube to the bearing-side of the connecting rod. Again, you can't use too much pre-lube on bearing surfaces during assembly.  With the connecting-rod cap...  With the connecting-rod cap in place, Bill torqued the rod-cap bolts down to 50 ft-lb. He then rotated the crankshaft two complete rotations. He will rotate the crankshaft many more times during the assembly process to check for clearance-an important process with a stroked engine.  While the engine was crankshaft-side...  While the engine was crankshaft-side up, Bill applied the torque wrench to the extended main bolts that will provide a place to attach the Milodon windage tray.  The next step of the assembly...  The next step of the assembly was the preparation of the front/timing-chain cover. The alumi-num front cover was equipped with a hole for a front-mounted dipstick. Bill prefers to tap and thread this hole for a plug and use an oil pan dipstick instead.  A small plug with Loctite...  A small plug with Loctite will prevent any oil escaping from this hole.  The front cover has an O-ring...  The front cover has an O-ring seal that needs a little bit of gasket sealer on the rim surface.  The first attempt to install...  The first attempt to install the O-ring was not going well. In order to avoid damage to the O-ring, Bill showed us a small but valuable builder's tip.  Bill used a small file to...  Bill used a small file to de-burr the front cover O-ring seat, and to provide just enough of a radius to ease the installation of the O-ring.  Now the O-ring slips into...  Now the O-ring slips into place with a light tap from the brass mallet.  A bit of lube was spread around...  A bit of lube was spread around the inside of the O-ring seal to allow a socket to turn the crankshaft.  Our block was missing a timing-cover...  Our block was missing a timing-cover alignment dowel. Typically the more recent blocks are counter-sunk for an alumi-num alignment dowel.  The front cover has a recess...  The front cover has a recess for the alignment dowel, but we did not use it for this assembly.  Bill was able to use a large...  Bill was able to use a large socket (slipped inside the O-ring) to locate and mount the aluminum front cover.  But first a thin coat of gasket...  But first a thin coat of gasket sealer was applied to the engine block ...  And to the mating surface...  And to the mating surface of the aluminum front cover.  The synthetic fabric front...  The synthetic fabric front cover gasket was carefully put in place-two front-cover bolts were slipped through mounting holes.  Alignment of the timing-chain...  Alignment of the timing-chain cover was accomplished by using a socket that closely matched the diameter of the front cover O-ring.  Bill tightened the front-cover...  Bill tightened the front-cover bolts. Notice that the socket wrench is attached to the socket still in place on the crankshaft.  Another small but import-ant...  Another small but import-ant engine builder's tip: Bill uses a single-edge razor blade to trim the bottoms of the front-cover gasket. This will help prevent even a small oil leak around the oil pan gasket.  We selected a Melling oil...  We selected a Melling oil pump for reliability, complete with a chrome-moly oil-pump shaft.  We were also fortunate to...  We were also fortunate to obtain an anodized split-front/rear Milodon oil pan, windage tray and rear sump oil pickup. Milodon reports that windage trays help create power. On a 400hp street engine, a louvered windage tray can add about 12 to 15 hp; a more sophisticated screen tray can add up to 25 hp.  Bill checked out the oil pump...  Bill checked out the oil pump on the bench. Four mounting bolts and an oil-pump shaft were ready to install. But a test fit was the first step.  With the front-mount oil pump...  With the front-mount oil pump bolted in place, Bill began to check clearances of the inter-nal oiling system.  The oil pump comes very close...  The oil pump comes very close to the crankshaft counterweight. Bill recommends a minimum of .050-inchclearance between the oil pump and crankshaft.  Bill took this opportunity...  Bill took this opportunity to make a preliminary check of the windage tray clearance.  Bill sights along the crankshaft,...  Bill sights along the crankshaft, under the tray. Again the distance from the tray to the crankshaft was very tight. A minor adjustment to the shape would be made to clear the rod-cap bolts.  The oil pump was prepared...  The oil pump was prepared for installation with a generous squirt of pre-lube.  An oil-pump drive fitting...  An oil-pump drive fitting for the Melling oil-pump shaft was installed in the oil pump before mounting it to the engine block. It's an important part of the oiling system. And the last problem you want with a new engine is oil starvation.  Now a bit of locking fluid...  Now a bit of locking fluid was added to the bolt threads.  With the Melling oil pump...  With the Melling oil pump shaft in place, the Melling oil pump was secured to the engine block.  Next Bill bolted the Milodon...  Next Bill bolted the Milodon oil pickup in place to pre-fit the Milodon windage tray and oil pan.  With the Milodon oil pickup...  With the Milodon oil pickup and windage tray in place, Bill rotated the crankshaft to check for clearance.  One little click was heard...  One little click was heard when a rod cap came in contact with the tray. A minor shave of the rod cap provided the clearance needed for a silent rotation of the balanced rotating assembly.  Finally Bill was satisfied...  Finally Bill was satisfied with the minor adjustments to the windage tray and rod cap. A bit of thread lock on the studs and the bottom-end was nearly complete.  We learned an important part...  We learned an important part of engine assembly is pre-fitting (or test fitting) each part before final assembly. He checked the Milodon oil pan for clearance of the oil pickup and windage tray. block.jpg) When Bill was satisfied that... block.jpg) When Bill was satisfied that every part of the oiling system was correct, gasket sealer was applied to the engine-block side of the oil pan gasket.  The synthetic fabric oil-pan...  The synthetic fabric oil-pan gasket fits perfectly on the sides of the block.  Two plastic seals fit snugly...  Two plastic seals fit snugly into the front and rear crankshaft.  A bead of gasket sealer was...  A bead of gasket sealer was applied over the plastic crankshaft seals.  About an hour after the assembly...  About an hour after the assembly began, the anodized oil pan was put in place and secured with the oil-pan bolts.  Systemax aluminum cylinder...  Systemax aluminum cylinder heads (356-T6), by a division of Holley, are a significant weight saving over cast iron heads. The intake and exhaust runners, designed to flow a maximum amount of air, produce optimum power for 351W Ford engines. Computer-designed combustion chambers are engineered for the best combination of torque and horsepower. These heads were checked for proper valvespring pressure before we arrived.  COMP Cams lifters are stronger...  COMP Cams lifters are stronger with a chrome-moly pushrod cup and C-type retainer clips. A stock lifter typically has a sintered-iron pushrod cup and a U-shaped horseshoe clip that can be prone to malfunction at higher rpm. The COMP Cams lifter will also improve oil supply to the cam lobe.  Bill does a preliminary check...  Bill does a preliminary check for burrs or foreign material in the block before oiling and installing the hydraulic lifters. This will assist greatly to prevent problems later.  With all the lifters in place,...  With all the lifters in place, the head gaskets are checked prior to applying gasket sealer. A good-quality fiber/metal core gasket is not only important for a good seal; it's also impervious to gasoline, oil, coolant, and alcohol.  The synthetic fiber gaskets...  The synthetic fiber gaskets are clearly marked "front." Doesn't hurt to visually check to see that the water passages match. The larger water passages are in the rear of the head and block to help flow cooler water to the rear of the engine.  The water passages in the...  The water passages in the gasket are smaller to the front and the gasket is stamped with the word "front."  It has become our habit to...  It has become our habit to use ARP chrome-moly bolts on each engine build. They are stronger than typical engine hard-ware and resistant to cross-threading and seizing.  Bill carefully slides the...  Bill carefully slides the aluminum heads in place.  A torque wrench is set for...  A torque wrench is set for 80 ft-lb of torque. Bill works in a continuous rhythm on each bolt in order to apply an equal amount of torque to each head bolt. This will help prevent head gasket leaks.  These stamped COMP Cams roller-tip...  These stamped COMP Cams roller-tip rockers will provide an appropriate level of performance to our healthy stroked street engine. They're not the most exotic (nor are they the most expensive), but much better than stock.  The stock-length pushrod is...  The stock-length pushrod is 8.144 inches. The new pushrod is 8.500 inches. The end of the valve stem reveals that the roller tip is nearly centered. The best position is slightly toward the center of the valve stem.  The pivot ball and adjuster...  The pivot ball and adjuster nuts are a small but important part of the valve train. They will need to be tightened to either hot or cold specifications.  Again, Bill applied plenty...  Again, Bill applied plenty of pre-lube to the end of the valve stem and the rocker arm.  Do NOT use an air gun to tighten...  Do NOT use an air gun to tighten the adjuster nut-it's easy to gall the threads.  Adjusting the valve lash is...  Adjusting the valve lash is an important operation that can prevent bending a valve stem at higher rpm. The cold setting is .008 inch; the hot setting on this valve train is .014 inch.  The .008-inch feeler gauge...  The .008-inch feeler gauge needs a little bit of effort to slide between the roller tip and the valve stem. For consistency, it's a good idea to create the habit of setting the valve lash cold. Otherwise you're guessing if the valve train is still at operating temperature as the head cools. It's recommended to insert the feeler gauge in the same direction the roller turns. Then tighten down the lash until just before the motion of the feeler gauge makes the valve stem move. Remember, you're supposed to torque the adjuster nut after the jamb nuts are set. And the valve lash will loosen up after the first time the engine is fired. The valve seats can take a good deal of abuse if the engine detonates.  After the valve lash was adjusted,...  After the valve lash was adjusted, Bill installed the intake manifold. First he checked the synthetic gaskets for proper fit.  This engine will be installed...  This engine will be installed in a smog-exempt pickup. Therefore, these EGR passages will be blocked with gasket material.  The Weiand intake manifold...  The Weiand intake manifold was positioned between the aluminum heads for a pre-fit test.  Bill checks the head-to-intake...  Bill checks the head-to-intake manifold clearance. In some cases a little adjustment is required.  He also checks the gap between...  He also checks the gap between the engine block and the intake manifold.  Once Bill was satisfied the...  Once Bill was satisfied the Weiand intake manifold would mount properly, he applied gasket sealer to the bare-metal surface of the heads.  With the knowledge of how...  With the knowledge of how wide the gap between the engine block and manifold was, Bill created a bead of gasket compound to fill the gap.  The intake manifold bolts...  The intake manifold bolts were tightened to snug around the perimeter of the intake manifold. After they were snug, Bill then tightened them to the appropriate setting.  We selected a Rattler harmonic...  We selected a Rattler harmonic balancer from TCI Automotive. The timing marks are easy to read, and the black finish is a high-qual-ity coating.  The aluminum spacer will allow...  The aluminum spacer will allow the crankshaft pulley to be mounted properly-not to interfere with the oper-ation of the harmonic balancer.  The last item of this part...  The last item of this part of the assembly was the addition of the Holley 830-cfm NASCAR/ Winston carburetor (PN: 0-805-09-1). We're ready to schedule some dyno time and see what kind of torque and horsepower this engine can make. We'll report on the results in an upcoming issue.
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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