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Roostwear
Taurus
Hot Boater
The center of my universe
Posts: 232
APPD 0.03
Post Rank: 98
1986 Commander 21' Sunstreak
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Posted: Oct. 03 2007,3:08 pm |
Post # 1 |
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Sold the roadster and have been working on the kid's '63 Econoline van. Apparently that wasn't enough, so I tore the top end off the 390 in the '68 last night. There were 2 things that bugged me (ok, there's more than that) when I finished this car 9 years ago (500 miles ago). The intake was a stock FE dual plane, and the valve train was stock. When you nail it in 1st gear and get a few rpm's on it one of two things MAY happen. Light the tires up and watch the R's climb REAL fast, and/or break the ends off the rocker shafts.
I've had a Holley Street Dominator intake around for some time, and I decided it needed some exercise. That's what started all this. Now I know that putting this on will likely add 30 or more HP and make my traction problem worse, but that won't stop me. Maybe I can take it to one of those Nopi ricer-fests and enter it in the burnout contests. Or maybe I get lucky and the horsepower comes in higher and actually MOVES the car forward.
Anyhow, I started thinking that since it's such a PIA to remove the export brace, master cylinder, valve covers, valvetrain, etc, to swap an intake, I better upgrade the valvetrain. I'd hate to spin this sucker up and break a shaft and go through all this again. This really is a good time to build dinosaur FE's... there's more stuff available now than ever before. I ordered up billet end supports, rocker stands, rocker spacers and an ARP rocker stud kit to keep everything where it should be. Â 
Damn, now I'm going to need a new clutch and flywheel. Â 
Edited by Roostwear on Oct. 03 2007,3:09 pm
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| Member # 85 | Joined: 2-13-2003 | |
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BigDog
Not Float'n Enuff
 
Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 24,292
APPD 3.53
Post Rank: 3
'99 Searay 210 Sundeck
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Posted: Oct. 03 2007,4:14 pm |
Post # 2 |
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Thats how most projects start. Go to adjust or change one thing and you end up spending more time and money replacing everything thats in the way to the first project because it needs to be replaced or upgraded.  
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| Member # 1527 | Joined: 6-23-2005 | |
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Roostwear
Taurus
Hot Boater
The center of my universe
Posts: 232
APPD 0.03
Post Rank: 98
1986 Commander 21' Sunstreak
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Posted: Oct. 03 2007,8:00 pm |
Post # 4 |
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| Quote (Carrera Elite @ Oct. 03 2007,4:14 pm) | | Now you'll need to pull the heads. Polish, matchport, and add bigger valves. Then you'll have to...... Â |
Here's the kind of odd thing about that. I WAS going to match port it, but I was told by a group of very knowledgable FE fanatics that I should NOT do it. The reason being, with my cam profile, the relatively low (compared to them) hp I have, and this being a "street" car, I need the reversion a mismatch creates. If I were turning higher rpm and more flow, it should be match ported. Besides, when I built this years ago, I built the bottom end to hold up to nitrous. If I want ludicrous speed, a little squeeze will do it!
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| Member # 85 | Joined: 2-13-2003 | |
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Roostwear
Taurus
Hot Boater
The center of my universe
Posts: 232
APPD 0.03
Post Rank: 98
1986 Commander 21' Sunstreak
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Posted: Oct. 05 2007,8:09 am |
Post # 5 |
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Spent last night assembling and adjusting the new valvetrain. Also found that the shaft between the power brake booster and master cylinder was adjusted too short... explains why I never liked the brakes in it. Hopefully it'll have the "putcha thru the windshield" brakes now. It'll be fun taking it to the track and seeing what it'll do. Maybe it'll finally get some mileage on it... even if it is 1/4 mile at a time.
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| Member # 85 | Joined: 2-13-2003 | |
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Roostwear
Taurus
Hot Boater
The center of my universe
Posts: 232
APPD 0.03
Post Rank: 98
1986 Commander 21' Sunstreak
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Posted: Oct. 08 2007,8:26 am |
Post # 6 |
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Spent Saturday reassembling the engine and finally fired it up late Saturday afternoon. Took it for a shakedown run and was totally unimpressed. Lost a ton of low end torque (figured the single plane intake was going to do this), Â but didn't pick up any mid to hi rpm pull. Â  I have a dial-a-jet on the primaries, and it's been a LONG time since I checked it, so it was due. Come to find out, it was set at the equivalent to 67's. I opened it up to 74's and took it out again. Better, but not good enough. I hate having to park it for the night, because I wind up spending the night going over all the possible causes in my mind. Sunday I decided to spend the day dialing it in. Went out and bought another timing light since the mooch I let borrow it last time didn't return it. Â 
Set the timing and bumped it up to 76's and it started coming around. I had a 1" phenolic spacer I used on the old "S" intake, so I thought I'd put it on this manifold and see what happens. Holy crap... it woke up! Gave me a LOT more mid to hi rpm, and lightens the front end VERY nicely in 2nd gear. Â The timing bounces alot at idle and I've known it was the distributor, so it's time to put the Unilite on that I've had waiting on the shelf.
The down side is that the gas gauge seems to drop quicker than before.....  Â
Edited by Roostwear on Oct. 08 2007,8:27 am
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| Member # 85 | Joined: 2-13-2003 | |
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GoFastRacer
HDF Supporter
V-Driver For Life!
Big River, Ca
Posts: 62,388
APPD 8.08
Post Rank: 1
Spectra20
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Posted: Oct. 08 2007,9:06 am |
Post # 9 |
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| Quote (Carrera Elite @ Oct. 08 2007,8:52 am) | | I have a 454 that I have planned on putting in my '68 p/u. Now I'm having second thoughts on it because of all the changes that will need to be done. My father  keeps talkin about how much gas it will use, I Don't care to much about that though... |
That is a bolt in deal, in fact I think I still have a brand new set of factory frame brackets for a BB??, only thing you might want to change would be the coils!... As far as gas mileage, well that depends how you set it up and drive it!..
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| Member # 101 | Joined: 3-03-2003 | |
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GoFastRacer
HDF Supporter
V-Driver For Life!
Big River, Ca
Posts: 62,388
APPD 8.08
Post Rank: 1
Spectra20
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Posted: Oct. 09 2007,5:39 am |
Post # 11 |
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What'd they come off of???, every BB I had or seen had the Alt on pass side and the AC on the driver side, should still work though shouldn't it!..
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| Member # 101 | Joined: 3-03-2003 | |
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