Projects My Model A Truck will soon Scream under new Power

Dave, I have a set of comp 930 springs that are like new with 3 passes on them......


Depending on your installed height they could get you there. the spring chart shows 153 lbs. at 1.900 and 348 at 1.350. they are 1.550 OD. If you think they will work, you can have them for free.

 

Check the springs and see what the rate is when they are at full lift, as i think that may be where the problem is, maybe the springs have gone off a bit?? Also check what is left in travel at full lift, if the springs can stand it without binding i would trying shimming them to bring the spring pressures up a bit.

Also if you have it all apart check the valve to piston clearance with the cam advanced & retarded if you can, as insurance if you decide to start playing with cam timing cam help you move your "powerband" which can help/hinder your ET & MPH. Apparently a lot of cam grinders grind their cams a few degrees advanced to allow for chain stretch. I found with the cam 2 degrees retarded the ET's were the best and it pulled strong right to 7000 which was my trap RPM. Just go in small increments, geardrives with offset dowels make it easy, and you will be amazed at the changes a couple of degrees make.

Just my 2c worth

GUDGYZ

 

Shoes aint' helpin'.......

 

^^^ that reply ^^^ makes no sense now that the spams been removed!!

 

Here is a pic of one of the new 2.050 '' only three passes on them'' Ferrea Intake valves....You can see the bronze guide material on them after they opened up the guides even more by themselves......Ferrea wants us to send them to them to see how smooth the stems are....The new Manley Exhaust valve stems look and feel much smoother..and their guides survived.... I am taking the Ferrea Intake valves to work and place them on our very exspensive shop surface analyzer and get a reading myself before we send them off to Ferrea...so we can compare what they say in the end.....Another thing I do not like and I do not know if it's exactly normal, but the area the keepers suround, the keepers really dug in all the upper valve stems both Intake and Exhaust...kinda like they left impressions in away and some deep marks ?....hard to describe........Littleman

 

are these still the patriot heads?
if Yes, I have heard of a few similar circumstances at My machinists place.

acording to him, something about the guides is pretty funky. they would get hot and gall valves and eat up the bronze. (meaning they moved around. ALOT.) I don't see how that could cause an issue with interference on the piston side, though.

the ever collidial piston/valve thing has me stumped. even if the valves were floating thier asses off , the idea that they were coming off the cam so far that they would cause colllision is pretty suspect.

when You degreed the cam, did You have to make any adjustments, and if Yes, How much?

 

LUX BLUE, yes it is still the Patriot heads..........the cam degreed as expected per 106 centerline per the cam card and advanced 2 degrees if I remember correct....These heads are good for streetrods, folding chairs and cartoon built Zingers not hotrods run hard.....that's my take up to this point!...The jury is still out, Littleman

 

any way You could accurately mark the guides before bolting it back together? I have to say that unless someone sold You the wrong valves, I would be shocked if the ferrea's were the problem. they may come in a bag that looks like a twinkie wrapper, but aside from that, I have never even heard of a bad one out of the box...

 

We just used the surface analyzer on both intake and exhaust valves...
These are the averages....
The Manley Exhaust valves had a RA of 3.41 and a RT of 52.17....

The Ferrea Intake valves had a RA of 6.79 and a RT of 182.09...

The Manley's win by a descent amount.............Littleman.....add...just to clarify..RA is the surface finish and theRT is the straightness of the part measured....

 

Greatest thread of all time.

Littleman, thank you very much for your comprehensive play-by-play with what's breaking, plan to fix it, actually fixing it, how you fixed it, etc. It has been extremely educational as well as entertaining.

 

Littleman,the area on the valve stem keeper groove has been a spot I have seen give trouble for years. Did you have to file the stems to get them removed from the heads ?? Any wear in ths spot spells instant diz-ass-ter !! Simply put the valves are too soft if they show any wear at all. "Oh yeah I used to use ferrea valves" >>>>.

 

Quick update.......The shortblock and trans is back bolted in between the frame rails once again and all lower life lines are hooked up.....The new AFR heads have new springs exceeding the camshaft requirements for spring pressure due to past problems....I did not opt. to mill the heads like the last set that gave me trouble.Trust me it was hard to restrain myself from doing it, I love compression!...The engine will be back to 12 to 1, and with the much better flowing heads may make up for the slight loss of compression....I shall find out soon. I am hoping the new heads will not create problems w/ the intake mating surface relationship........After all that has happen since April 4th w/ the engine.......If I have no problems with bending valves and maintain real good leakdown per each cylinder and get a good tuneup on this new combo...I am hitting the Nitrous....I have waited all summer to try it.....Littleman

 

So you're going to be gunning for Moyer at the Showdown Drags right? I'm anxious to see how it's running in person again.

 

man look at that clean floor

 

HA HA HA
I am really only going after a #......to better it's best of 10.89 which it ran last fall.....and then convert the Truck back to street duty w/ the original 327 after I rebuild it....I got Don last year......but his Willy's has been running strong this summer.......but ya never know..

I just came in from porting the intake to match the new heads, took me 4 1/2 hrs to get them done, and they had already been opened up to match the last set of heads...The new heads have much taller and wider runner..The old intake is maxed out, to go bigger I would have to do more welding on it......I was going to just bolt on the intake and go just to get back out sooner...But I would not be able to sleep at night knowing I skimped out....and walked away from free HP..The new heads are on and the valves are adjusted...Getting closer once again......Littleman

 

Wow...makes me wish I would have taken up machine shop at
Vo-Tech.Looks like your doing what you have always wanted to....
Great Job Littleman

 

Sandybeaches, I never took machine shop classes in school only autobody.......I just started picking up machines I had no real clue on how to use them.......same w/ the Tig machine, I remember standing in front of it and not knowing the correct way to turn it on, let alone what all the dials and switches were for........Anyone can do it if they want....Over the years I made friends with two guys that could make anything they could think of.....I wanted to be like them, learning everyday from my successes and failures...still a long way to go, Littleman

 

I think that you actually learn much more from the failures than the successes. Over the years... I've become a genius.

 

Damn those look nice, How many hours involved in opening them up?? I just mocked up my intake to see what the view over it would be like, i think these tops would look nice fitted on my intake!

 

gudgyz, I would say I have about 3 1/2 hrs in each from start to finish in opening the bore dia. and full polish on the bore itself not including polishing the outside of the top and all that is involved w/ that......Littleman

 

It's ALIVE once again....I am getting tired of saying that !......This time it has been down awhile.......It sounds Ruthless w/ the new AFR heads !....I have not smiled in several weeks since the last time it broke...until moments ago...I expect good things....Only a few more things to wrap up before I hit the track.....I added a fuel regulator for the nitrous fuel line along w/ a inline filter..I also added a purge line to the nitrous side of the system, still need to wire it up.....I plan on using the nitrous as soon as everything checks out and I have a good tune up....Then I will retard the timing and give it a try.....I am also going to fab up a transmission fluid catch can that will mount off the trans pan....The trans keeps spitting fluid out the upper breather, w/ the fluid level at correct level or just under, so I will give it a place to go..........Littleman

 

Thats bad ass Dave! Lets see those track slips soon.

 

I've seen a few posts about fluid leaking from vents. I just found this and it has another possible cause, possibly pump related? http://www.classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=15241

 

I'm hoping that smile just gets bigger with the first time card!
(and hopefully the end of the breakages)

 

Which AFR heads did you go with?

 

landseaandair, thanks for that link....I did double check my pump on the trans at one of the many times I had everything apart due to bent valves and such...I read it all and got some good info thou...nice to know I am not the only one w/ this problem, thanks

overkillphil, I went w/ the 210 AFR race cnc race ported heads...2.08-1.6 valve 65cc chamber, angle plugs.......I could have gone w/ the AFR's w/ the even larger runners....but that would have been a mistake...too much for my current combination....

Thanks everyone, Littleman

 

Those video clips RULE!!!

Trucks looking great and just sounding flat out AWESOME!

 

Very cool! Those heads should kick some serious ass!! By the way, love the sticker on the back. I'm a fellow dirt dart 82nd guy, 1-505th PIR... Overkillphil

 

Just bought the latest issue of Rolls&Pleats...Lookin' good.

 

overkillphil....Airborne !

dragsterboy, thanks for posting that..I will have to get a copy, Thanks

I have been sick all weekend, so I decided to finish polishing the last two main 94 carb body's...not too much you can do when you have a fever..besides work even slower.....Littleman

Fully Polished and Violated.........