All Small Six Winter Project: Better breathing with a large log
- Thread starter awasson
- Start date
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- Tags
- large log head
This relates to all small sixes
Just a quick update. I’ve got the head stripped and all of my parts ready but life and work has been busy and I haven’t had the machining done yet. I’ll see if I can get it done in the next couple of weeks.
For the carburetion, I’ve decided that I’ll do a direct 2V mod and bolt the 38/38 onto the log with a phenolic spacer. If I decide at some point I need more carburetion, then I can add outboard carbs between 1 and 2 and 5 and 6 or thereabouts. Probably YF Carter carbs, with progressive linkage so it runs on the 38/38 primaries and then when I punch it, the carbs on the ends kick in, like a 4 barrel.
I had a couple of hours free this morning so I installed the rebuilt rocker assembly with 1.65 ratio adjustable rockers @TrickSix sold me several months ago. I was going to wait until I had the new head ready to go on but I figured my old non-adjustable 1.5 ratio assembly was a little long in the tooth and that it would be worthwhile putting the new ones in. It was…
The results of making this upgrade is amazing. What a difference. The longer rockers let the engine breath better in all modes; idle, acceleration and cruising and it’s even smoother at normal driving acceleration than it was before. It’s really smooth at idle. My engine had some chop to it at idle with the old rocker assembly. It wasn’t horrible with a manual transmission but I think it would have been annoying with an automatic. Now it’s like butter. I can’t get over the improvement.
I also got to do some inspecting. I had the plugs out when I put it through the motions to adjust lash/preload on each set of rockers and they were an off white colour; the center plugs were darker and more tan and the end ones were lighter and more white/grey. This is what I was hoping to see. I’ve got 2,000 miles on them to date and my car does run a little on the rich side.
I used assembly lube to make sure all mating surfaces had lube until the new rocker shaft got pumped up and had the valve cover off when I started it. It gave me an opportunity to check that my pushrods were rotating and oil was flowing correctly. Everything was doing what it’s supposed to so I’m in great shape to go forwards. All systems are go!
For the carburetion, I’ve decided that I’ll do a direct 2V mod and bolt the 38/38 onto the log with a phenolic spacer. If I decide at some point I need more carburetion, then I can add outboard carbs between 1 and 2 and 5 and 6 or thereabouts. Probably YF Carter carbs, with progressive linkage so it runs on the 38/38 primaries and then when I punch it, the carbs on the ends kick in, like a 4 barrel.
I had a couple of hours free this morning so I installed the rebuilt rocker assembly with 1.65 ratio adjustable rockers @TrickSix sold me several months ago. I was going to wait until I had the new head ready to go on but I figured my old non-adjustable 1.5 ratio assembly was a little long in the tooth and that it would be worthwhile putting the new ones in. It was…
The results of making this upgrade is amazing. What a difference. The longer rockers let the engine breath better in all modes; idle, acceleration and cruising and it’s even smoother at normal driving acceleration than it was before. It’s really smooth at idle. My engine had some chop to it at idle with the old rocker assembly. It wasn’t horrible with a manual transmission but I think it would have been annoying with an automatic. Now it’s like butter. I can’t get over the improvement.
I also got to do some inspecting. I had the plugs out when I put it through the motions to adjust lash/preload on each set of rockers and they were an off white colour; the center plugs were darker and more tan and the end ones were lighter and more white/grey. This is what I was hoping to see. I’ve got 2,000 miles on them to date and my car does run a little on the rich side.
I used assembly lube to make sure all mating surfaces had lube until the new rocker shaft got pumped up and had the valve cover off when I started it. It gave me an opportunity to check that my pushrods were rotating and oil was flowing correctly. Everything was doing what it’s supposed to so I’m in great shape to go forwards. All systems are go!
