Thanks for the spring info! Years back, I also used the drill press for heights; got a base line there, but had access to the valve machine at Automotive Industrial Service, for the lbs. test. "Old Harry" was a whiz... That cousin's valve bar: Was it hex bar, about 3/4" diameter with forged end? I had one like that, got it in '54 from an elder gent as a gift. It 'disappeared' in the '70s (!) so I relented and got one from Speedway. Looks like the 'valve bars' went on a diet! Thing's thinner than my wallet! Hope it'll work on Red's springs...
nope, the bar is different than any others I have seen. it's chrome and has a narrow Ibeam section near the horshoe to pull the guide down. the horshoe is at the bottom of the I-beam and you pry off the top of it against the block. the I-beam section is about a foot long and turns into a knurld round handle. it's very nice, fairly light and very sturdy. I should grab some pictures. I could weld one up out of some bar stock and quarter inch flat stock that would work as well but would never be as nice.
Tonight's project was to check the clearance between the pistons and the edelbrock heads. I clayed it with the old felpro gaskets that measured about .075 and came up with .125 of clearance. My new gaskets are best copper which are supposed to be .062 thick. .125-.013 = .112 and then at target clearance of .040 means I have to cut .072 off my heads? I haven't checked my other motor to see what that one was but that seems like a lot of material to have to remove Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I was going thru a similar quandary at my shop, did the quick arithmetic and needed about .035". Mentioning that I didn't want to cut my Evans heads, an 'observer' suggested shimming the con rod bearings. ("The top ones, you can shim them more than that, even...Just add the shims under the upper rod bearings!") Today I bought a 'pry bar' 34" long, 7/8" diameter, tapered/pointed end on back, slightly curved & flat on the 'pry end'. My favorite Ace Hardware store, $14.00! A careful slot-cutting op with a carborundum disc made a neat slot that just fits the guides. Love to see some pix of yours, never seen an 'I' beam type... BTW, are your pistons flat or do they have the 'Ford dome'?
Well i rechecked my math with no gaskets and the heads nicely cleaned. It looks like I will have trouble getting the proper squish with a standard gasket. I have .023 gap with no gasket. Which means my pistons are down in the hole a bit. What is the thinnest standard gasket available? Oh and here is a pic of my valve bar . Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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