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Aluminator Gibtec Build

448K views 789 replies 65 participants last post by  eschaider 
#1 · (Edited)
Thread update: Table of Contents

Since this thread has gotten long and I've received many PM's on Facebook and e-mail with questions about the build, I figured a ToC would help anyone searching. It is based on 15 posts per page, and is also broken down in groups and now with hyperlinked post numbers. In the event some quick info is needed, this should make it easy! Also, all hyperlinks, other than the obvious cut-and-paste links are bold so they stand out and are easier to recognize, especially when not logged in.

p.1 (Posts 1-15): Short block, pistons, heads, '98 Cobra cams, bearings, ARP parts list, oil pump & windage tray
p.2 (Posts 16-30): Oil cooler gasket, block heater, head gaskets, more on ARP
p.3 (Posts 31-45): Timing components, cam bolts
p.4 (Posts 46-60): Timing cover bolt modification (aluminum block), upgraded secondary tensioner
p.5 (Posts 61-75): Cam degree tools
p.6 (Posts 76-90): Misc. chat
p.7 (Posts 91-105): Oil slinger discussion
p.8 (Posts 106-120): Oil slinger cont., rear main seal
p.9 (Posts 121-135): Rear main seal cont.
p.10 (Posts 136-150): King bearing tech from Ed
p.11 (Posts 151-165): King bearing tech cont., GT-500 rockers, timing cover hole (Cont. from P.4)
p.12 (Posts 166-180): Degreeing the cams, '98 specs
p.13 (Posts 181-195): Degreeing the cams cont., timing cover, cam follower install
p.14 (Posts 196-210): Primary tensioner ratchet modification
p.15 (Posts 211-225): Primary tensioner spacer modification (update to P.14)
p.16 (Posts 226-240): Primary tensioner spacer modification cont.
p.17 (Posts 241-255): Valve cover mock-up, exhaust manifolds
p.18 (Posts 256-270): Tensioner spacer info from Ed, ready to pull "old" engine
p.19 (Posts 271-285): Oil cooler, PCV fitting for aluminum block
p.20 (Posts 286-300): Quick Seat info
p.21 (Posts 301-315): Old vs. new piston trivia, valve covers
p.22 (Posts 316-330): New engine installed, Centerforce clutch
p.23 (Posts 331-345): Crank damper, accessory belts
p.24 (Posts 346-360): Transmission install, accessory belts cont.
p.25 (Posts 361-375): Power steering pump and A/C install notes
p.26 (Posts 376-390): First start!
p.27 (Posts 391-405): First start cont.
p.28 (Posts 406-420): Notes on PTW clearances from Ed, Vampire introduction
p.29 (Posts 421-435): Rod clearance notes from Ed, block bore information
p.30 (Posts 436-450): OE piston trivia
p.31 (Posts 451-465): Misc. oil pan discussion
p.32 (Posts 466-480): Head stud info & torque notes from Ed, wideband install, PCM harness info
p.33 (Posts 481-495): PCM connector notes
p.34 (Posts 496-510): Gauge install, oil pressure sensor, billet oil filter
p.35 (Posts 511-525): Oil and pump discussion
p.36 (Posts 526-540): Head stud re-torque
p.37 (Posts 541-555): Head stud re-torque cont.
p.38 (Posts 556-570): Head stud re-torque cont.
p.39 (Posts 571-585): Project cost sheet, Vampire install completion
p.40 (Posts 586-600): Vampire adjustments
p.41 (Posts 601-615): AFR and piston notes from Ed, Vampire gauge addition
p.42 (Posts 616-630): More from Ed on detonation, new CAI
p.43 (Posts 631-645): Vampire gauge video clip
p.44 (Posts 646-660): Dyno tune results and video clip (11/1/16), new oil separator
p.45 (Posts 661-675): Switch to Mobil1 0W-40 & UOA, piston wrist pin discussion, updated alternator
p.46 (Posts 676-690): General alternator discussion
p.47 (Posts 691-705): Bolt torque & #5 thrust bearing comments, upgraded tensioner, Whipple 2.3 on the way
p.48 (Posts 706-720): Whipple talk, new intercooler, more fuel system chat
p.49 (Posts 721-735): More on the Vampire, 4.6 vs Coyote discussion, intercooler pictures
p.50 (Posts 736-750): Eaton removed, intercooler comparison pics, Whipple installed, intercooler tech
p.51 (Posts 751-765): Some e85 talk, first drive with the Whipple and new intercooler
p.52 (Posts 766-780): Visit to Gibtec, some info on Prolong
p.53 (Posts 781-): More on Prolong, new Explorer ST to go with the Cobra.

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This project had been in the works for a while: started a few years back when I picked up a brand new set of FRPP heads and a like-new Aluminator block for less than $2,000, which sat in storage until now. The smart thing to do would have been to sell the goods and make some money, especially since my OEM engine only has 21,000 miles on it, but who can resist tinkering. Adding to that, when you can make something leaps and bounds better, might as well enjoy the fruits of your labor while you have the chance.

I'll actually begin with a shot of where I am as of the date I decided to start this thread (fall of '15), but will go backwards to the early stages and update it little by little with as much tech as I can. Since there are not a lot of Aluminator builds out there, hopefully this will be helpful to anyone considering this route. Here's the long block:

Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive exterior Engineering


Before moving on, I have to pass on a world of thanks to Ed for designing the finest 2618 aluminum piston out there through Gibtec of Denver, and for his willingness to help out so many on this forum with the encyclopedia of knowledge he possesses!! For those that haven't seen the Gibtec "Custom ModMotor Piston" thread, here are my specs (0.002" oversize) and pics added from it:



Gas Circle Plastic Electric blue Liquid


Camera lens Camera Camera accessory Digital camera Lens


Helmet Sports equipment Automotive lighting Sports gear Audio equipment


I also intended to add an Aluminator build page up on my own site, but for now it just serves as a link back here since this got long. For anyone curious about the Aluminator block, this Castings page has a bunch of information on what makes it such a great choice! Stay tuned, more to come...
 
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#161 · (Edited)
Another beautiful job by Gibtec! Sounds like more and more orders are coming in, so be sure to set something aside for Ed's royalties;)

Now back to our regular program...

Planning to get started this weekend with degreeing the cams, and at the very least, should have the driver's side done. Will be sure to get some pics and document the process as much as I can, for at least that side. With any luck, I'll have some of that up in the next several days.

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In the meantime, since MMR is running a sale on the "GT" roller followers, I decided to order them. Their price is about $190 for 16, which really is a great deal (don't forget you'll need two sets!). The Tousley or Tasca price for them is about $20 for each arm ($320 for 16!), or they also sell the kit under the FRPP p/n M-6529-MSVT, which is about $225 for 16.

I was curious as to what benefit these really offer, and even though they were probably something I didn't really need, they couldn't hurt. With as much that has gone in to this engine, why skimp out at this point! These are supposedly stiffer, also have a deeper seat for the lash adjuster, and are about 4 Grams lighter each (roughly 88 Grams vs. approximately 92 Grams according to my scale). In any case, here is the official blurb from FRPP:

Head Automotive tire Motor vehicle Font Auto part


It was also interesting to look these up under the latest Ford p/n, which is 4G7Z-6564-AA, since I discovered they actually have their roots in the 4.0 SOHC V-6 from the late 90's. I'm not sure who the original supplier is, but they are also made by Melling, and have had part numbers updated through Ford a couple of times already. In any case, here is a chart I made that shows what vehicles these followers fit, with the Ford part numbers along with the alternates beneath it (Mazda & Land Rover also got in on this as well!):

Font Parallel Pattern Number


Also, the "standard" followers are still available through Ford for about $15 each, under p/n F8AZ-6564-AA. The Melling p/n is MR-929, and they also come up under Sealed Power R-1096, just as an FYI.

Anyway, here are some comparison shots along with a new DOHC follower that came off my current heads (those go back to '96 and fit just about every V-8 modular engine out there). The first picture is a profile view of both, with the GT version on the top. It looks upside down compared to the other follower:

Fashion accessory Metal Automotive exterior Bumper Font


Bottom view, where you can also see the difference in depth of the lash adjuster seat (the GT follower is on the left). It's easy to see that it is more compact, and the roller also seems to be a bit sturdier if it matters:

Auto part Titanium Metal Machine Automotive wheel system


Top view:

Watch Gadget Auto part Fashion accessory Electric blue


Close-up of the lash adjuster seat. Also there is no central oiling hole in it like the "standard" DOHC arms, which supposedly diverts more oil to the rollers - always a good thing (the smaller oil passage faces forward toward the cam lobe). The use of the TFS tool on the solid lash adjuster will now have to be done with a spare rocker until these go in (unless one is to set that lash adjuster length beforehand):

Rim Auto part Bicycle part Automotive exterior Metal


The valve stem end is about the same depth for both (I can measure them exact if anyone is curious), but on the GT rocker, the tangs that center the valve tip are actually two fingers that are bent back. Apparently this has worked just fine, since they feel rock solid, although the design seems a bit unusual:

Automotive wheel system Fashion accessory Auto part Metal Titanium


Anyway, once the degreeing process is done, these followers will be set in place with the use of the new springs compressor tool. More to follow!
 
#162 · (Edited)
Another quick update that actually goes back to Post #47 from late September: the misplaced front timing cover hole. I actually never got around to drilling and tapping it, but since tomorrow is cam degreeing day, I wanted to knock this out. Even though the timing chains and gears are mounted, it was easy to just pop the tensioner and guide off, then just lay the chain loosely out of the way so I could get the drill plate on.

Coincidentally, James H. added another hole to his original guide pin drill plate to tackle this, but I found that my one-time-use plate worked perfectly as-is. Since this hole is not as precise, it was easy to attach the plate with one bolt so I could get it where I wanted (the upper mounting hole on the plate is slotted, so that helps). Here it is mounted and ready:

Crankset Wood Gear Engineering Machine tool


This hole was a cinch to tackle, and again, you don't want to drill any deeper than about 12mm (with the plate thickness of 13mm, I marked my bit at 25mm). Basically, as long as the hole does not go beyond the base of its pad, you are fine. There are probably a couple millimeters to play with, but you risk breaking in to the coolant passage if you get crazy with this. Also, the drill bit James includes with the plate is the one I used here.

Wood Vehicle brake Auto part Bicycle part Rim


Here it is with the threads all cut, which I did by hand without the use of the plate for alignment (M8-1.25, with the tap also from James). From this angle you can just make out the depth, but again, it doesn't go beyond the thickness of the pad - can't emphasize that enough. Once the timing cover goes on, the single 40mm bolt resides here, and I won't have to mess with slapping any RTV in the empty hole!

Automotive tire Wheel Water Grey Automotive design
 
#164 ·
Another quick update that actually goes back to Post #47 (Page #4) from late September: the misplaced front timing cover hole. I actually never got around to drilling and tapping it, but since tomorrow is cam degreeing day, I wanted to knock this out. Even though the timing chains and gears are mounted, it was easy to just pop the tensioner and guide off, then just lay the chain loosely out of the way so I could get the drill plate on.
i remember those "aluminator" short blocks and low-compression long blocks being available from ford racing from about 2007-2009 (iirc?) although people were having problems with the crank/harmonic balancer/timing cover clearance on those long blocks (esp early on), it would be cool if those blocks were still available already machined for the terminator timing cover and also with the knock sensor bosses already removed.

just one thing way down on my long wish list lol
 
#165 · (Edited)
If you can score one from a wrecked '05-'10 3V GT, it's an even better deal. Grinding down the knock sensor bosses and drilling the timing cover hole is a no-brainer, especially if you pick up the newest guide plate and upgraded pins from James.

FRPP did have some problems early on, but I think that was an assembly issue that they figured out - in no way does it detract from the strength of them. I'll still take one of these over a Teksid!
 
#166 · (Edited)
All done dialing in the cams and buttoning up the front of the engine. Many thanks - again - to Ed with his saintly patience for getting me going on the degreeing process. As most would say, it's a head scratcher when you read about it, but once you dive in, it all makes sense and flows naturally. Since it was quite detailed, I'll take some more time over the weekend and get this updated with more pictures and information for anyone that is hesitant to undertake this themselves.

For now, ready to install the cam followers and cam covers:

Automotive tire Automotive design Motor vehicle Fuel tank Sculpture


I did also want to make a small update pertaining to the front cover and the odd bolt that needs the extra hole drilled: turns out I was a bit too conservative with my initial depth of 12mm and probably could have gone to 16mm or more (Ed mentioned that James has drilled deeper without breaking in to the coolant passage, but I definitely wanted to err on the side of caution). Anyway, I discovered that my 40mm bolt bottomed out just a hair early, especially since the timing cover gasket didn't fill up as much extra space as I thought.

Simple enough solution: use my grinder to take down the leader and shorten the bolt just enough that it would have extra clearance. If anyone else going this route decides to use this bolt, apparently there is more material back there to drill, but I did want to pass this along in any case. Here's the bolt after that process, which took just a couple of minutes and worked perfectly (a picture of the un-altered bolt is back on Page 4, in Post #47):

Household hardware Gun accessory Metal Auto part Cylinder


Once that was taken care of, the freshly powder-coated cover bolted on easily and the front oil pan bolts went in after. More to follow over the weekend!
 
#169 ·
Thanks! It looked pretty decent despite being used, but since I was coating the steel plate that fits between the block and bell housing, I figured I would throw this in as well. I wasn't sure about the silver at first, but it did come out pretty nice.
 
#170 · (Edited)
Here goes my attempt at laying out the process of degreeing the DOHC cams. I'll do my best to explain everything, and if there are any areas where I goof up any details, I'll do my best to clear it up or hope that Ed will jump in and add his expertise! I'll also try not to be wordy, but face it - this is not something that can be spelled out in just a couple paragraphs.

Overall, I was actually surprised at how uneventful it was. Despite some brain fog while Ed initially talked me through the driver's side, once I went back a few days later and re-checked that side, it all fell in to place which made finishing this very straightforward. If you are hesitant about doing it, squash those fears since it really is not as complicated as what many make it out to be. Adding to that, if you are spending big money on one of these engines, it just makes sense to take this extra step, especially since the factory gears can lack precision.

I will add right off the bat that one must have the right tools for this to make it flow smoothly, so here's a quick list:

- Degree wheel (including pointer)
- Degree wheel crank mount
- Piston stop (also can be made with an old spark plug)
- Dial indicator (magnetic base is part of the TFS accessories kit below)
- OTC cam kit (#6498)
- Spare rocker arm (not an issue if using the OE set)
- TFS accessories kit, which includes the solid lash adjuster (#90100).

Once you are set up per the Ford shop manual (or FRPP kit instructions), you are basically just checking each bank at 0.050" before and after the max lift, then adjusting (i.e., advancing or retarding) each cam to where you see fit. As you read all of this, feel free to grab the instruction set from Sean Hyland that you can go back through for another nice summary: View attachment Cam install 4v.pdf

Anyway, the first step is to set the cams up so the timing marks on the secondary chains (gold links) are at the 12 O'clock position with the cam keyways at 6 O'clock - all referenced to each cylinder head deck. Again, I used the adjustable Cloyes gears, but they went on in the "straight up" position initially, the same way as the OE components. Another picture from several pages back for a reminder:

Product Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive tire Engineering


The primary chains and gears will go on after, with the marked links keyed to the crank gear and the primary sprocket. The FRPP timing kit has a nice manual that lays this out (http://fordperformanceracingparts.com/download/instructionsheets/fordinstshtm-6004-a464.pdf). Also, the image below from the Terminator engine assembly manual shows it quite well (despite the crank key drawn in the wrong position - it will be at 315° instead). You can also see all this in my pictures throughout this thread.

Organism Font Art Symmetry Pattern


After that is done (you can actually leave the passenger side primary chain off since you'll have to remove it to adjust the driver's side anyway), you'll mount the degree wheel and pointer. I used the ProForm crank tool with a 1.25" ID (SB Chevy model, #67491) and made my pointer out of a heavy wire coat hanger. The pointer is mounted in one of the water pump holes, and I matched the degree wheel at TDC there to get going. In order to be accurate, you also need to use a piston stop to verify true TDC (I had purchased mine from Summit, #900189 for about $7).

Checking true TDC is easy. First, turn the crank about 90° clockwise (a ½" breaker bar fits in the crank socket) then insert the stop in to the #1 spark plug hole. From there, continue turning the crank until the piston contacts the stop and then record the degree wheel reading. Next, turn the crank back counter-clockwise until the piston again hits the stop and then record this number. You'll then split the difference and adjust the degree wheel to half of the new number (after you pull the piston stop out, of course). This was accomplished here by loosening the knurled nut on the ProForm tool and turning the degree wheel slightly.

As an example, if one reading is 100°, and the other is 104°, you are 2° off (104 - 100 / 2), so would adjust the wheel by 2° towards the higher number once you are back at TDC. If you want to verify what you just did, turning the crank with the stop installed will get you the same degree reading either side once it has been set correctly. Get good at this since you'll do it many times! Also, you need to take all readings from the wheel as a value from TDC: think of it as two 180° sides and it will make sense. Another view of my wheel along with the ProForm tool:

Motor vehicle Automotive tire Rim Alloy wheel Measuring instrument


Starting with one exhaust valve on the #6 piston, you'll set up a rocker arm along with the TFS solid lash adjuster (the cam will need to be on its base circle, so you will have to turn it until it gets to that point). With the rocker in place, you use the long allen key to spin the lash adjuster up until the rocker just makes contact with the cam lobe. You only need to use a finger and thumb to spin the allen key, so don't get carried away and overly preload it. Once the rocker is in place, turn the crank back until you are once again at TDC. If you initially turned the crank clockwise, go slightly past TDC counter-clockwise, then back clockwise (the direction of engine rotation) to TDC so the chains are pre-loaded. Here are two pics of a rocker along with the allen key inserted in the oil passage to access the lash adjuster (I only took one pic of it in an intake arm, but you get the idea):

Motor vehicle Automotive design Gas Engineering Automotive fuel system


Product Automotive tire Motor vehicle Hood Rim


From here, you need to set up your dial indicator - which is the most annoying part of this. The TFS kit really helps out since you get a metal plate that you mount with a cam cover bolt (M6-1.0), and it also comes with an extension for it that is needed to reach the valve spring retainer. Two important points here: get the pointer as parallel to the valve stem as you can, and then pre-load the dial indicator accordingly. Since the OE & '98 Cobra cams have a lift of under 0.400", I pre-loaded my dial indicator to 0.500" which is seen on the small INNER DIAL (it is marked in 0.100" increments, so 0.500" is at its top):

Gauge Yellow Motor vehicle Measuring instrument Gas


As an FYI, you will start with the driver side exhaust cam, then move to the intake, followed by the passenger exhaust then passenger intake. Be sure to have a note-pad and a calculator handy as well. More coming up shortly.
 
#172 ·
Ill add some good advise here as I just finished doing one twice (long story).
WRITE EVERY MEASUREMENT DOWN! And do it in order as you make changes.

What happened is I made a mistake on the RH side exhaust. Then nailed the intake. Went back to the exhaust only to find out it was way out.
Of course this ruined all the work I did on that side. But I had everything documented. So I went back redid the math and found where it was right and was able to get the exhaust and the intake dialed in less than a hour. Which anyone who has done this knows is quite a bit less time than it takes.
 
#174 ·
I was admiring your photos Joe when my eyes fell on the head studs in the photo below;

Motor vehicle Automotive design Gas Auto part Machine


The stud in the red circle (and its brothers) looks like it is about one turn short of full thread engagement in the block. Where/when possible the target thread exposure is 1 to 2 threads above the nut. The pic gives the impression that the stud is about one full turn short of bottomed. FWIW there have also been blocks that have had shallow head stud bolt holes which may have been the issue with yours.

If there is additional thread available in the block and you want to correct the anchoring in the block, you can take advantage of it w/o throwing the head gaskets out. Simply loosen the studs one at a time, in torque sequence order, screw the stud lightly to the bottom of its threaded hole and retighten the nut to your target torque value.

Ford has drilled our block bolt holes quite deep and ARP has provided a comparably long threaded ends on their studs. The stud is 11 mm which is esentially 7/16". For aluminum you want to shoot for a minimum of 2.5 diameters of thread engagement whenever possible. If you can get to 3 diameters - even better. At 2" the thread engagement is about 4.5 diameters. I suspect (don't know for sure) the reason Ford went overboard on thread engagement was the fact their fastener of choice was a TTY bolt. The additional thread engagement provides durability for that type of fastener. For guys like us, that use studs, the threads do not get the same type of wear they receive from a bolt being torqued. Yours are more than adequately anchored so the adjustment to get proper thread exposure above the nut is more cosmetic than reliability related.

Ed
 
#175 · (Edited)
I thought you might comment on the studs, Ed. This block might be a bit unusual since it came from a PP car, but all the studs are bottomed out and every bore is the exact depth. I thought something was weird with the original 8740's, but they sat exactly the same. I did call ARP and talk to a tech, who assured me that as long as I had full thread engagement, especially if the studs were bottomed (very lightly, by the way), I would be fine. It looks unusual, I know, but hopefully it won't be an issue.

I also asked about the possibility that the studs were mixed up with a 3V set, but I was told those were even longer. At one point, I had a set of OE TTY head bolts, and I wish I would have measured the UHL to compare. Those may have not fit at all, but again, I hope it's just a quirk of this one particular block.

Should be in for the night soon and hopefully will have another post up in a bit with more pics.
 
#176 · (Edited)
Back pedaling slightly: when I worked on the driver's side the first time, I should mention that I didn't take any pictures since I wanted to stay focused while trying not to hog too much of Ed's time. After a couple days off, and "re-degreeing" that side, all the readings came out about exact from what they were the first time. This is where I took the pictures to use here. Since I was on my own and had to put some brain power in to it, everything sunk in.

Again with the dial indicator set up, and a better look at the mounting plate. It takes some trial and error, which definitely can be frustrating as you try to line it up along with getting the preload right. Again, you are going to measure the cam lobe position at 0.050" lift, before AND after the peak (the lobe peak will be indicated when the dial indicator needle stops moving since it has reached maximum lift). To get started on the #6 exhaust lobe, turn the crank CLOCKWISE and watch the dial indicator OUTER needle spin until it stops and is about to change direction (in my case, the small inner dial wound down from 0.500" to about 0.100" since the cam lift is close to 0.400"). Once the large needle has stopped, turn the outer ring until you zero the indicator. Looks like this:

Watch Analog watch Automotive tire Motor vehicle Clock


At this point, you can glance at the degree wheel just to see roughly where lobe has stopped, and this will give you a ball-park idea of the centerline of that lobe (which you will calculate momentarily):

Light Measuring instrument Gauge Circle Font


Here is a shot of the lobe at max lift, which I hoped would also show the tip of the dial indicator extension resting on the valve retainer (didn't notice until after the fact that I had clipped the picture). Hopefully my engine building skills are better than my photography skills:

Motor vehicle Automotive tire Automotive design Bumper Rim


Next, turn the crank back COUNTER-CLOCKWISE about one full turn on the dial indicator (0.100" on the small dial), and then load the chains by turning it CLOCKWISE slowly until the dial shows 0.050". This will now be your first reading - from the DEGREE WHEEL- the valve opening taken BEFORE TDC (I screwed this up a couple of times during the first round, but luckily Ed caught it!).

Watch Gauge Clock Measuring instrument Gas


Write that number down then continue turning the crank CLOCKWISE slowly until the dial reaches zero then moves back to 0.050" - the valve closing after peak lift is reached. Write the second number down from the degree wheel. This may sound confusing, but here are two pictures of what you'll see - one number is 78.5° & the other is 148.5°, although my camera angle is a hair off:

White Light Yellow Auto part Circle


White Light Circle Font Measuring instrument


You then add those numbers up and divide by two to find the actual cam centerline: 78.5 + 148.5 / 2 = 113.5°. Perfect for the spec of the '98 Cobra exhaust cam, and right where I wanted it.

Now, move the dial indicator to an intake valve on the #6 cylinder still (you can use any valve on whatever cylinder you are working on). As it turns out here, the intake cam measurements were right on the stock specs (same procedure as above). Since they were going to be advanced approximately 12°, it now required removal of the chains on that side to adjust the gears. I had also previously removed the passenger side primary chain just so it was out of the way.

At this point, I was still a bit confused about these Cloyes gears since I hadn't analyzed the keyways in relation to the indexing dots. Ed has sent a document about them which illustrated the advancing and retarding process, but it will click when you mount the gears and see how the keyways line up. Basically, each keyway (opposite of the indexing dot) is skewed slightly - an imperceptible difference with the naked eye - which allows the slight rotation of the cam to match. Turning the cam slightly clockwise advances it, and counter-clockwise retards it.

Here are some pics from Ed's document ( View attachment Cloyes gear tutorial.pdf ). The first one illustrates each keyway across from the dot, which will then be placed under the gold links of the secondary chains. Important: the cam keyway is always down and the gold link is always up, above the dot, when setting the gears.

Font Parallel Circle Pattern Number


If you were installing these gears "straight up", the Cloyes gear keyway is in the exact same spot as the OE gear keyway. Here is a comparison drawing:

Font Symmetry Circle Parallel Pattern


As an another example, if you intended to retard a cam by 1°, here is how that indexing dot would sit under the gold link (the gear is turned clockwise by two teeth in this case). A close look at the "1R" keyway at the bottom of the gear indicates that it is slightly offset to the right of the centerline, which turns the cam just a bit counter-clockwise, retarding it. This is the same for all the other keyways in that they are also offset, based on their corresponding alignment dot opposite of them. If you are still confused, not to worry, it will be easy to see in pictures.

Plot Slope Font Circle Symmetry


Up next: aligning the Cloyes gears to achieve the intended advance.
 
#189 ·
... Here are some pics from Ed's document ( View attachment 139705 ). ...
Actually I didn't create the doc Joe, although if I had my head screwed on right I should have. Someone else actually put pen to paper on that one and sadly I don't remember who. I stumbled across it one day and downloaded it to my library. Whoever the original author was he did us all a favor. I am going to modify it to include using the 9 way Cloyes stuff on the exhausts also. If I get off my keyster in the next week or so I'll clean it up and publish it.

Ed
 
#178 ·
Maybe I missed it... Don't you need a solid lash adjuster so you don't measure crush of the lash adjuster versus compression of the valve spring? Either that or a very soft valve spring... Just enough to keep the valve closed, but light enough to not cause crush of the lash adjuster since there's no oil pressure keeping it pumped up.

I'm thinking of the procedure for degreeing a typical pushrod engine here. I had a solid cam roller lifter instead of the hydraulic ("squishy ") roller lifter to ensure absolute accuracy of measuring the .050 cam lift.
 
#180 · (Edited)
Maybe I missed it... Don't you need a solid lash adjuster so you don't measure crush of the lash adjuster versus compression of the valve spring? Either that or a very soft valve spring... Just enough to keep the valve closed, but light enough to not cause crush of the lash adjuster since there's no oil pressure keeping it pumped up.

I'm thinking of the procedure for degreeing a typical pushrod engine here. I had a solid cam roller lifter instead of the hydraulic ("squishy ") roller lifter to ensure absolute accuracy of measuring the .050 cam lift.
Yes, the solid lash adjuster is part of the TFS kit. It is listed in the third paragraph of Post #170 from the previous page, and mentioned again further down where the allen key is shown in the rocker arm.

Again: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-90100
 
#179 · (Edited)
I lucked out with these cams, Jon - they were spot on to factory specs. Maybe that was the norm for them from back in the day compared to now, so installing them straight up with the factory gears is definitely viable. Knowing what I know now, I'm glad that they were adjusted, and Ed had me advance them 12° (intake, that is). Speaking of which, here are the specs for them (along with a few others):

Colorfulness Product Rectangle Slope Font


For anyone interested in getting their hands on them, here is a chart with the engineering numbers showing which position they are installed (also shown on first page):

Rectangle Font Parallel Number Pattern


In the stock position, here is a graphic, courtesy of Mark Olson's CamChart software:

Font Parallel Circle Symmetry Screenshot


In my case, with the intake advanced, here is how they look (this is a screen shot from Ed):

Font Circle Parallel Symmetry Screenshot


Just for another comparison, here are the stock Terminator cams:

Font Parallel Circle Symmetry Triangle


Will be tied up with work for most of the day, so I'll pick up tomorrow where I left off !
 
#181 · (Edited)
Back to it, this time with some pictures of the secondary chains and gears. As mentioned, the process of checking the intake gears is identical, and with them initially installed straight up, they spec'd out pretty much at where Ford says they should be. Since Ed suggested an advance of 12°, we went right at it with the full advance on that gear (remember, there is a 2:1 ratio between the crank and cams).

Since I had already installed the gears, they had to come off to make the change, which meant compressing the tensioner and installing the pin. This wasn't a big deal since you can squeeze it with your fingers, so if you are at this point in your own build, having the pins (or something similar) makes it easy. I was also able to lay the primary chain on the guide, and could still see up under the degree wheel to make sure the bottom link lined up each time the chain came off and went back on. The picture below is actually a further jump ahead since with the exhaust cam now fully advanced, it still didn't draw the intake to where we wanted. That wasn't a problem, though, and I'll touch on that in a moment.

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Unfortunately, I was off with the camera angle again, but it might be easier here to see how, with the intended dots under the gold links and with the cam keyways at 6 O'Clock, the cam(s) will then have to be rotated slightly to line them up with the appropriate position. Once you do that (the keys had been left in the cams), the gears can be pushed back on. In that picture, it was actually the first attempt, so notice the intake is advanced to its maximum, whereas the exhaust is now retarded: the goal here to retard the exhaust cam in order to add more advance to the intake. Since the exhaust cam drives the intake cam, any changes to it will affect the intake (if anyone has deeper questions on that, I'll rely on Ed to chime in, but I think that is the gist of it). This is what our attempt was in the above picture - to add the maxiumum advance on the intake side by retarding the exhaust more.

Since that position there was a bit much as far as getting the intake centerline where it was needed, the gears came off again. This was also done after re-checking TDC (you get used to it), and then taking the measurements at +0.050" and -0.050" as previously described. In the end, the intake cam stayed at full advance, and the exhaust was brought back to 1° Retarded, which then put the lobe center to right about 102° after a slight adjustment to the primary gear (it can be advanced or retarded independently of the secondary gears for fine-tuning - a nice feature from Cloyes). Don't forget, to put the primary gear back on, the secondary tensioner pin has to be pulled!

I probably could have used the 2° Retarded position on the exhaust, but it was just as easy to tweak the primary gear to make it work. Once it is lined up, its two set screws get red loctite and are torque down to about 10 ft/lbs. The slight bit of retard in that cam is difficult to see by looking at the marked notch, but the slots behind the set screws are in slightly different positions, showing a bit of counter-clockwise turn to the gear in order to line it up properly again:

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After it was again verified, I made sure to get a picture of the degree wheel to illustrate it. Since I had snapped these pictures the second time around, they were essentially exact with the first round (but still mathematically verified). All well so far, and hopefully clear to everyone following this.

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Also worth mentioning: the cam snout bolts. As this process went along, the bolts were just lightly snugged to hold the gears in place. Once I was done, they were torqued down to 125 ft/lbs with ARP assembly lube on the threads and under the head. It is real easy with the aid of the OTC cam lock, but some aftermarket cams have wrench flats to hold them. Remember, too, there is only one washer used with these bolts: on the intake cams! Here's the tool bolted on:

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Once I was satisfied with the left bank, and the chains were lined up correctly, the last step was to finally pull the pin from the primary tensioner. At this point, over five hours had gone in to this, but fortunately, once you get a feel for it the entire process for both banks only takes a few hours or so (I spent a couple of hours on the right bank and then a bit more time re-documenting the left bank, so that wasn't too bad). If I did this again from step one, I imagine I could knock it out in just a few hours. If you are someone who is still using the OEM gears and attempting to adjust the cam position by grinding down the keys to allow movement of the cam, I imagine that process will take a lot more trial and error - the beauty of having gears with different keyways already in place.

From here on out, tackling the right bank was basically the same process as the left (start with the exhaust). As it turned out, the gears on that side went on in the exact same positions, including the slight tweak to the primary gear. Here are the secondary gears mounted up, showing the "4A" for the intake and "1R" on the exhaust, identified by the location of the "straight-up" dots (the pin is already obviously pulled):

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With those gears set, the primary gear went back on. In the picture below, I left the intake cam bolt out to show one part that is unique to each of them: a spacer ring that sits behind the washer. It actually has a keyway in it, but since the factory gears were small enough to sandwich behind it, I turned it 180° just to make sure the keys have no place to go if they ever get loose (not likely, but being safe). Also, the primary gear hasn't been moved, so it is still straight up in the picture:

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Once that big gear got it's adjustment after the chains were lined up (again after re-checking TDC and playing with the dial indicator), the primary tensioner pin was the last one pulled after the cam drive bolts were tightened. I'm hoping as I typed all this up, I didn't leave out any details, but if I have, I'll edit these or just add more to them in additional posts. With this big step out of the way, I made sure to have these four pins left over (I'll stash them in the case with the OTC tools):

Road surface Asphalt Wood Font Beige


Since all was coming along well and I was content with the cams being right where I wanted, the next steps were bolting on the timing cover, and then installing the cam followers. Break time, and I'll get those details up real soon.

Edit...Almost forgot, here is the tutorial from Cloyes with more information on setting up the Primary gears:

View attachment Cloyes Hex-A-Just Instructions.pdf
 
#183 · (Edited)
Back to it, this time with some pictures of the secondary chains and gears. As mentioned, the process of checking the intake gears is identical, and with them initially installed straight up, they spec'd out pretty much at where Ford says they should be. Since Ed suggested an advance of 12°, we went right at it with the full advance on that gear (remember, there is a 2:1 ratio between the crank and cams).

Since I had already installed the gears, they had to come off to make the change, which meant compressing the tensioner and installing the pin. This wasn't a big deal since you can squeeze it with your fingers, so if you are at this point in your own build, having the pins (or something similar) makes it easy. I was also able to lay the primary chain on the guide, and could still see up under the degree wheel to make sure the bottom link lined up each time the chain came off and went back on. The picture below is actually a further jump ahead since with the exhaust cam now fully advanced, it still didn't draw the intake to where we wanted. That wasn't a problem, though, and I'll touch on that in a moment.

View attachment 139905

Unfortunately, I was off with the camera angle again, but it might be easier here to see how, with the intended dots under the gold links and with the cam keyways at 6 O'Clock, the cam(s) will then have to be rotated slightly to line them up with the appropriate position. Once you do that (the keys had been left in the cams), the gears can be pushed back on. In that picture, it was actually the first attempt, so notice the intake is advanced to its maximum, whereas the exhaust is now retarded: the goal here to retard the exhaust cam in order to add more advance to the intake. Since the exhaust cam drives the intake cam, any changes to it will affect the intake (if anyone has deeper questions on that, I'll rely on Ed to chime in, but I think that is the gist of it). This is what our attempt was in the above picture - to add the maximum advance on the intake side by retarding the exhaust more.
Let me say what Joe did slightly differently. When we change the phasing of the secondary drive sprocket on the exhaust cam we are doing just that and only that. The actual exhaust cam phasing to the crank is determined by the primary drive chain. Rotating a Cloyes 9 way secondary sprocket on the exhaust cam only advances or retards the drive chain for the intake. It has no effects on the phasing of the exhaust cam. Now here is the challenging part to wrap your head around. To advance the chain for the intake cam (which advances the cam) we have to install the 9 way Cloyes sprockets in a retarded fashion on the exhaust cam.

Keep this little litmus test in the back of your brain and it will help, =>'Advancing the cam moves it in the direction of rotation. Retarding the cam moves opposite to the direction of rotation)

So by using the retard positions of the 9 Way Cloyes on the exhaust cam we are in effect advancing the chain on the exhaust cam and also the phasing for the intake cam.

I know it sounds like a Denver omelet looks. Re-read it a few times and then go look at a head or Joe's pics and do the manipulation with your mind's eye. If spatial relationships are not your strong suite then you will need to have an engine to both visualize and confirm with measurement. The use of double 9 Way Cloyes secondary sprockets, one on each cam, will provide you with complete freedom to place you cam phasing literally anywhere you want it.

Ed
 
#182 · (Edited)
Just to re-hash on the whole timing project, grab the Hyland instructions from Post #170, then plan on going from left exhaust, to left intake, to right exhaust, then right intake. The cams will be rotated slightly clockwise to advance them or counter-clockwise to retard. You take the lift measurements at 0.050" and split the difference (it's similar to the process as checking TDC). If you can make it through all my pictures and text while reading the Hyland info, it should make sense. If not, once you get your hands dirty, it really will fall in to place!

Anyway, with the gears all in position, and the tensioner pins pulled, the timing cover is ready to be bolted on. Before doing that, give all your work a once-over just to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary, and definitely don't forget to put the crank trigger wheel on next! The factory stamped steel "gear" just slides right on the crank snout and pushes back until it is against the crank gear (once the damper is installed, it will be tight). The teeth on the wheel face out, but just to be sure it doesn't go on backwards, it is stamped with "FRONT".

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With that on, an important little detail involves putting small beads of silicone at the joints where the head meets the block (both sides) and then at the oil pan rail. There will be six beads total, and like with the rear main seal retainer, I used the Permatex black, which is the same spec used by Ford back in the day. This is actually something that is detailed in the Romeo build manual, so here is an image of that page for reference:

Organism Font Pattern Art Line art


This picture shows the beads on my block right before the cover is lined up - pretty self-explanatory!

Automotive tire Automotive design Motor vehicle Rim Building


You actually tilt the cover on from the bottom to the top, and then push it on the alignment dowels. From there, grab the bolts and start hand-threading them down. There are studs at the corners and bolts in the other locations, which are shown in the picture in Post #47 (Page #4), along with this page, also from the engine assembly manual:

Font Rectangle Pattern Parallel Circle


I made sure to put a red dot on the short bolt for the hole that I drilled, and once they were in place, all were torqued in sequence to 18 ft/lbs (reference the diagram above). There are also two studs and two bolts that come up from the oil pan rail as well, so don't leave them out. Even though those didn't come with the FRPP timing cover kit, I was able to have my local dealer get those easily enough. I should also mention that the stud #12 is actually not correct, but my kit came with the wrong one and the original is apparently unavailable through Ford. For now, I used the one I had, but will swap it out with one from my outgoing engine once it is removed (I put a colored piece of tape on it so I wouldn't forget).

Also finally off my shelf: the Stewart water pump! Those four bolts also were torqued to 18 ft/lbs, and fortunately came with the block when I first acquired it, so no need to forage for them. When you install a water pump, be sure its o-ring is seated, and also give it and the block bore a light coat of coolant.

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Vehicle Automotive tire Hood Automotive design Motor vehicle


Before you put the timing cover on, don't forget to install the crank seal: much easier to do it now. I simply tapped it down flush with a small block of wood, then installed the gaskets on the back of the cover before lifting it on (the seal, gaskets, and crank trigger wheel are all included in the FRPP kit). Easy enough. Just to keep organized, I also loosely threaded the new ARP crank bolt and washer in place so they wouldn't walk away.

Also, here is the torque sequence for the front rail bolts/studs in the oil pan:

Human body Organism Font Style Art


After this, it is time to install the cam followers and start the process of getting the "old" engine ready for removal. More coming up tomorrow.
 
#184 · (Edited)
Thanks for adding that, Ed. I was trying to recall at what point in the afternoon we tweaked it, but I sure do recall putting the set screws back in, and then making it work on the other side! I definitely didn't explain that part of it real well, but knew I could count on you to add the pertinent details. Having the Cloyes gears on both cams definitely makes this work out great.

Also wanted to throw in these two pictures based on your suggestion about taking a final glance at the #1 and #6 lobes to make sure they were clocked correctly and not 180° off. Here's a view of #1 at TDC, with the lobes facing in and up:

Product Automotive design Motor vehicle Automotive tire Gas


Looking back at #6, those lobes are in and down:

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It would have been a bummer to get this far and have been one crankshaft revolution off, but fortunately, all has come together perfectly.
 
#186 ·
Joe you are doing an awesome job of documenting. :good: I wish I could do it that well.

Ed
Thanks, Ed - just trying to keep up with all the smart people!

Definitely a lot of work (like writing a web site!), but glad to help out and give other guys some good reference material. Thanks again for all your help as well!
 
#187 · (Edited)
The last part of the engine assembly is the installation of the GT/GT-500 cam followers I acquired from MMR (details on Page #11). Once again, having the right tools made this real easy, and all 32 were installed in just over half an hour. From here, I'll be transferring my original cam covers, then it will be a matter of getting out the hoist for the heavy lifting!

Again, I picked up the tool from Freedom Racing in lieu of the OTC (or Rotunda) tools, which was mentioned back on Page #5 (the tool is actually made by Stallion Products - I should have clarified that earlier). This kit was priced right and made the job real easy, even though access beneath the camshafts is a bit tight no matter what. There are no instructions included with the tool, by the way, but it was easy to figure out. Still, it beat trying to jam the followers in with a screwdriver. If you happen to have the OTC tools, it's the same process, and for a review, here is a picture of those two for comparison:

Wood Automotive exterior Font Bumper Paint


If you use this new tool, it will set up one of three ways depending on which followers are being installed: exhaust, intake right of the spark plug boss, or intake left of the spark plug boss. I also went in firing order (1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8) and only had to rotate the crank slightly one way or the other to get the cams on their base circles in order for the followers to slide in. Even with the front seal installed, I was still able to fit my crank tool on the end, so turning it was real easy.

Here's the tool set up with the specific exhaust "foot" ready to go (note the placement of the foot in the rear mounting hole):

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Before getting started, I made sure to stuff a small rag in the valley at the base of the head to cover up the three oil drain holes just in case a keeper popped out. Murphy's Law dictates that they would end up in the oil pan, so I didn't want to take any chances! I also inadvertently knocked the hairpin off the clevis a couple of times, but fortunately, it didn't go very far. I didn't take pictures in exact installation order, but here is a shot of the tool on an exhaust lobe to show how it hooks up:

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Basically, just use the leverage of the tool to rock it back, compressing the valve spring, which allows the follower to be installed under the cam lobe. One caveat of the exhaust valves is that the foot can rest on the valve retainer just short of the keepers, and if you aren't careful, the valve spring will go down, but not the valve itself (okay if you are removing a spring, but not in this case). Here is somewhat of a view of the valve stem tip with the keepers exposed above the retainer if that happens:

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It's actually not a big deal, but if you shift the foot of the tool slightly forward, it will rest over the edge of the keeper closest to it, which will compress the spring and push the valve down as well. Another view of that, which then allows you do wiggle the follower in (sorry about the blur in both of these pics!):

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An exhaust follower now installed:

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With each cylinder, your installation order may change depending on how the tool is set up, or you can be anal and work in the exact same order each time. If I finished one cylinder with the exhaust followers, I started with them on the next just to keep the switching of the tool to a minimum, but that is personal preference. Here it is now ready to tackle an intake follower (notice now that the foot is in the forward mounting hole):

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In that picture, the foot is facing to the LEFT. This is the way it will sit when installing a follower that is on the RIGHT side of the spark plug boss, just like this:

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With the intake valves, you are working next to them, and the hooks just slide under the cam body, rather than around a lobe like with the exhaust valves. It's a bit more awkward, but on a good note, these followers are easier to reach (although those at all the corners are a squeeze). With all of them on the intake side, you will find that the foot of the tool will not rest on the keepers, so as I compressed each spring, I just used a finger tip and pressed the valve stem down at the same time. It's not really a problem here, but if you were removing springs, it is the exact process.

With one intake valve done on any particular cylinder, you then have to swap the foot so it faces the other way to get at the next valve. Here is the valve on the other side of the same boss pictured above (the other follower is now installed). To make it easy to press down on the valve tip, I installed the clevis pin facing the other side, which kept the hairpin out of my way:

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Overall, this was an easy way to end this part of the project, and I was glad to check out this new tool before putting it away in my collection. The only issue I had with it - which wasn't much - was the fit of the lever in the base: the anodizing on the end had to be abraded away slightly with some Scotch-Brite so it would fit in the mounting hole. You do want it to be snug so it doesn't pop out (there is also a set screw to make sure of this), but it just took a slight "modification" to work and then all went well!

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From here, I'll be moving along to the removal of the "old" engine and all the accessories, so more to come real soon.
 
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