Head upgrade question?

[Marine05]

I plan on doing a cam swap into my 200. I have an 81 foxbody hatchback. What would be a good cam to run on it, and how far should i get it milled down?

Running stock lowers except upgraded to molly rings, dual outlet CI headers, electric fan, so on and so forth. Ordered a 2-1 carb adapter, 350cfm 2bbl carb.

 

[jahearne]

You'll want to read the sticky above. http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1027

And the Falcon Performance Manual answers a ton of questions, which is a lot easier than searching this forum for answers. Check out tech section for advice on cam: http://www.classicinlines.com/tech.asp

I'm running a dual pattern 264/274* duration cam from Classicinlines. The bottom-end on my motor is stock and running 8.9 to 1 compression. Great cam.

 

[Bort62]

The "250 head" is the same head you already have.

 

[michael_cini]

this is good advice you were given by jahearne. i also used the 264/274 cam and am happy with it.

You'll want to read the sticky above. http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1027

And the Falcon Performance Manual answers a ton of questions, which is a lot easier than searching this forum for answers. Check out tech section for advice on cam: http://www.classicinlines.com/tech.asp

I'm running a dual pattern 264/274* duration cam from Classicinlines. The bottom-end on my motor is stock and running 8.9 to 1 compression. Great cam.

 

[Bort62]

FWIW, I never got the handbook and I don't feel any worse off for it

Books are so old fashioned!

 

[JackFish]

If I was looking for a 250, (which again the head is exactly the same as a 200), I would ask if they have any 70's Mavericks or Comets.

 

[Marine05]

Ok, so I got the Head, I want to upgrade to a 264/274 split cam. But I also need to mill the head because it is slightly warped. Its runnin rough as hell, and leaking fluid from the head gasket all down the side of my nice blue engine block.

Now my question is, if I go with that split cam, would a .050 head mill be too extreme to go with since you usually only get .500 clearance from valves to piston, and the valves open up to .450 already?

 

[fast64ranchero]

You need to mill the head 60 thousands just to reach the stock comp ratio, (that is if you used a fiber head gasket and not a steel), so I would atleast go 60 most heads can be milled 90 without a problem.

 

[Marine05]

Well I used the fel-pro steel head gasket when I rebuilt it, and that goes at about .050

 

[page62]

FWIW, I never got the handbook and I don't feel any worse off for it

Books are so old fashioned!

Books are real cool. Can you imagine...all sorts of coherent, useful information collected in one location. And you can even take it out to the garage and get it greasy and dirty and stuff...and it still works!

So stop being cheap and get the book. It's worth every penny!

 

[Bort62]

Can you imagine...all sorts of coherent, useful information collected in one location. And you can even take it out to the garage and get it greasy and dirty and stuff...and it still works!

Sounds like my laptop.

In all seriousness, I have some sort of prejudice against technical books of this sort. They seem so static.

The internet (and this forum is a perfect example) is an ever evolving source of information. There is plenty of stuff that we thought was a good idea w/ these engines 5 years ago that we know to be blatantly false. Every couple of months there are new options avaliable or new problems are discovered.

A book can only give you the information that is most current when it is printed. If someone figures out that, say - the aftermarket dist gears suck - 3 weeks after the book hits the presses - it's not going to be in there.

And there are plenty of examples like that. I'm not knocking the handbook, or books in general - but when it comes to subjects like this I suppose I am just a lot more contemporary.

I am 26 and a product of the internet generation tho, If that makes a difference in perspective.

I guess you could say that everything I need to know, I learned on fordsix.com.

 

[JackFish]

What I used the book for was to educate myself.
I then gave it, with all the appropriate text highlighted, and my head, to my machinist.
It makes for less talk and strange looks from the shop.
They kind of "got into it", and did a fantastic job. Now if I could just get the damn thing on the car. :roll:

 

[fphillips]

Ok, so I got the Head, I want to upgrade to a 264/274 split cam. But I also need to mill the head because it is slightly warped. Its runnin rough as hell, and leaking fluid from the head gasket all down the side of my nice blue engine block.

Now my question is, if I go with that split cam, would a .050 head mill be too extreme to go with since you usually only get .500 clearance from valves to piston, and the valves open up to .450 already?

It's not as formulaic as "max lift - mill + gasket + deck" or something like that.

This is not a problem because the piston isn't all the way up when the valve is at max lift. I can tell you that my valves, at .480, extend below the bottom of the head. Even with zero deck and flat tops, I still had .300 clearance, which is more than twice the minimum.

I haven't heard of anyone on this board that has had a collision (with all the different combinations we have). The only way to know for sure would be to check it on buildup.

Also, you should calculate compression, if you haven't done so already.

Frank

 

[jamyers]

Can you imagine...all sorts of coherent, useful information collected in one location. And you can even take it out to the garage and get it greasy and dirty and stuff...and it still works!

Sounds like my laptop.
...

Yeah, but you can take a book into the bathroom with you and not get funny looks from the family like you would taking your laptop.

 

[addo]

Plus you can annoy the author, and you don't wake up to find the information has all been deleted from your pages...

One instruction given to me for flycutting valve clearances in pistons was interesting. You make a pointed mandrel of the valve stem diameter, and drop it down the valve stem bore when the piston's at TDC. This punches a little indent.

It's supposed to provide the centre about which your cutter radius rotates.