More progress: Stuck the new pistons and rods in my engine.

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

Stayed up late sunday night and installed my new pistons and Remaned rods in my engine. I had the rods resized because they got a new set of ARP Rod bolts.

After i got that done yesterday I CC'd the heads and got right at 65cc on all chambers. Now i know for sure the compression (10.25 to 1) and am so happy and it should run on pump gas with the cam i'm using.

one slight set back.
I went to check piston to valve clearance and it appears they are so far apart its hard to measure. (It didn't even touch the clay).
I know i was checking properly, O lash, No head gasket, using checking springs so i should get full lift.

It appears the push-rods i had were a wee bit short, off to get anther set.

[Salty Chief 35]

Is this the 351 Cleveland?

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

Is this the 351 Cleveland?

Yes sir. i traded a welding machine for this used 1971 351C engine in about 1985?? and bought new forged pistons in about 90 and had it bored .030 since it was tired. It went to florida with me and came back to sit in my basement since 2001.

I was always saving it for a special project, My Gen2 33Hot Rod is it.

[Salty Chief 35]

Very cool, I have one that came out of my dad’s pantera. Hopefully I’ll be putting in a 35 truck or the hot rod in the near future. My youngest just graduated so no more tuition payments. Now I only have to finish paying off the lot I bought next door to my house (future home of a nice shop???).
It has some rust in 1 cylinder so I sprayed a bunch of penetrating oil and am hoping for the best. I’ll be taking to the machine shop and have it gone through. I’m debating if I want to try rebuilding myself or have them rebuild. I really want to use for nostalgia reasons.
I’ll be following your build for sure,
Respectfully,
Jeremie

[narly1]

Stayed up late sunday night and installed my new pistons and Remaned rods in my engine. I had the rods resized because they got a new set of ARP Rod bolts.

After i got that done yesterday I CC'd the heads and got right at 65cc on all chambers. Now i know for sure the compression (10.25 to 1) and am so happy and it should run on pump gas with the cam i'm using.

one slight set back.
I went to check piston to valve clearance and it appears they are so far apart its hard to measure. (It didn't even touch the clay).
I know i was checking properly, O lash, No head gasket, using checking springs so i should get full lift.

It appears the push-rods i had were a wee bit short, off to get anther set.

My understanding is that pushrod length is altered to get the rocker geometry correct, not to set PTV clearance. I'd check with others but I don't think there is such a thing as too much PTV clearance.

Earl

[burchfieldb]

Glad to see there is another Cleveland build in the works. Now if I can only get my car done to put it in.

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

I did find out the Sanderson brand FC1 block hugger headers and the Energy suspension supplied mounts do not work with each other on the passenger side.

I've been looking for more narrow mount (in the cushion area) for that side.

[Skuzzy]

My understanding is that pushrod length is altered to get the rocker geometry correct, not to set PTV clearance. I'd check with others but I don't think there is such a thing as too much PTV clearance.

Earl

That is quite correct.

[burchfieldb]

I did find out the Sanderson brand FC1 block hugger headers and the Energy suspension supplied mounts do not work with each other on the passenger side.

I've been looking for more narrow mount (in the cushion area) for that side.

Good to know. After a lot of searching I decided I am going to make custom ones. I have not found anything symmetric that will work.

[ggunter]

If you are using a somewhat stock cam, checking your piston to valve clearance is usually not necessary. If you have increased the cam lift significantly or changed the cam timing, then you should check it. How thick is the clay on top of your piston. 1/4" patty will usually be close enough to make an impression of the valves. However, if you think your pushrods are too short take a sharpie and color in the top of an intake valve. Get an adjustable pushrod for checking valve geometry. Adjust it to zero lash using your light checking valve spring. Rotate your engine by hand one full cycle of the valve movement, remove the rocker and look at the top of the valve stem to see where the rocker rubbed off the sharpie. It should be clean on the center of the valve stem. If so, take the measurement of your adjustable pushrod and by that length pushrods. Check a couple other valves as well and get an average length. If the sharpie is gone on the outside of the stem, towards the exhaust side of the engine then your pushrod is too long. If it is vice versa then it is too short. Adjust the adjustable pushrod till you get a clean mark in the center of the valve stem and order that length pushrod and order that length. Then check your piston to valve clearance using a light valve checking spring.

[ggunter]

I assume you are using roller tipped rockers. If using stamped steel rockers, it is difficult to see where the rocker leaves a mark in the sharpie on top of the valve. The stamped rocker covers too much of the valve tip and usually wipes it all off.

[ggunter]

One last thing. You should have a head gasket on when checking valve geometry. A used one works well if it's still in good shape. You should have your head on and torqued at least to half torque. The whole point being so it is in a running position while checking clearance or geometry.

[ggunter]

Summit carries adjustable pushrods. They come in varying lengths with about an inch of adjustability. Around $25

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

If you are using a somewhat stock cam, checking your piston to valve clearance is usually not necessary. If you have increased the cam lift significantly or changed the cam timing, then you should check it. How thick is the clay on top of your piston. 1/4" patty will usually be close enough to make an impression of the valves. However, if you think your pushrods are too short take a sharpie and color in the top of an intake valve. Get an adjustable pushrod for checking valve geometry. Adjust it to zero lash using your light checking valve spring. Rotate your engine by hand one full cycle of the valve movement, remove the rocker and look at the top of the valve stem to see where the rocker rubbed off the sharpie. It should be clean on the center of the valve stem. If so, take the measurement of your adjustable pushrod and by that length pushrods. Check a couple other valves as well and get an average length. If the sharpie is gone on the outside of the stem, towards the exhaust side of the engine then your pushrod is too long. If it is vice versa then it is too short. Adjust the adjustable pushrod till you get a clean mark in the center of the valve stem and order that length pushrod and order that length. Then check your piston to valve clearance using a light valve checking spring.

This is a .594/.611 Roller so it is not close to stock in that sense. There are only 3 things OEM stock on this engine Block, Crank, and rods
It will all get checked again tonight once i set the pushrod length with my adjustable pushrod.
Out of habit I am always checking the rocker geometry when ever mocking up anything in between the lifter and valve.


Summit carries adjustable pushrods. They come in varying lengths with about an inch of adjustability. Around $25

I have a adjustable push rod and wasn't using it for mockup because I used it before (2023) to measure precisely ,..... but i used the wrong lifter to take measurements. Newer roller lifters had a .300 or so different pushrod seat than the old one i used. Lesson learned.

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

Now i know why I didn't get an impression the first time on the clay. I simply didn't stack it high enough. I redid the test this just now and found it to be about .270 on the intake.

Another thing and I might just be overly concerned is that i only have about .390 of threads sticking above the rocker fulcrums. So I'll probably be looking for some longer rocker studs.

[ggunter]

If you have .390 threads above the rocker fulcrum? You mean where you would screw on the poly lock? If you have hydraulic lifters or rollers you are going to screw down another 3/4 turn which will give you another .015 or so. That should be enough. .270 clearance on the intake is plenty. Check the exhaust too just so you know.

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

More (forward) I finally Got my "FrankenPAN" oil pan that I Repaired and Modded heavily bolted on. I came very close to giving up and buying a new Kevco brand
one.

I bought a Moroso #20530 (drag race pan w/9 inch rear sump) pan for a song With it having 3 small holes from inside parts wanting out. Fisrt item was to plug the holes then i needed to turn it into a street pan and shave off 1.5 inches off the rear sump and while doing this and thinking i didn't want a 5 or maybe 4 qt pan, I formed a piece of sheet melal to bridge the gap between the 2 sumps. (Front sump for the pump is about 3/4 of and inch higher than the new 7.5 rear sump)
I left the Factory hump between the sums inside the pan but drilled it quite a bit to act as a sort of windage tray. of course I drilled the bottom front wall of the rear sums and rear wall of the front sump so oil will flow naturally to the rear. I just added it up 63 inches of welds. :rolleyes:
Of course this meant that i had to mod (more welding) the oil pickup because they are made for a 9 inch pan.....

All this welding did have one negative effect The rails while staying parallel Now moved apart. After a few days of hammering and using a hyd press i got it lined up with the holes in the block. It looks a pan for a boat now. but it is on there.