blackvert's n/a buildup thread

BlackVert

15 Year Member
Oct 3, 2003
5,589
9
98
Bethesda, MD
well i got the engine put back together last weekend and started it up, and i was given good news - i do not have a blown head gasget. i have driven it about an hour now and everything seems fine. when i was replacing the wires, there was another melted spark plug boot which must have been the problem.

so the n/a buildup begins.

here is where i am going:

- polished typhoon intake. this is an edelbrock performer rpm copy
- bbk ceramic coated long tubes (these are beautiful)
- bbk high flow crossover pipe with cats
- polished stock throttle body
- polished stock maf
- afr 165 heads (later)
- fti cam (later)
- 24 or 30# injectors (when cam goes in)
- tweecer tune

sound like anyone else's combo?

i just got the typhoon for $300
i have ordered the long tubes and mid-pipe, if they get here in time, they will be installed thursday

dang i have alot of bbk stuff:
- 70mm throttle body (i might sell this)
- equal length shorty headers (which will be on sale after the swap)
- rear control arms, upper and lower
- polished under-drive pulleys
- long tubes and mid-pipe

maybe they'll make me their poster child
 
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i might ... if i can polish it up nice. all the other stuff i am putting in is polished, so that will stick out as it is. i already have the polished t/b and maf.

but the other reason is that grady's combo uses the stock maf and t/b, and i am copying his combo.
 
Good luck with it Blackvert. Sounds like you are going to make it perty , fun AND fast. I think one of the ugliest parts under my hood is that ugly alternator. I want to get another one just because it's so old looking.
 
08/25 update. Since I am burning alot of oil, and have alot of rod knock under load. I am starting to lean toward replacing the engine all together with a 393w stroker.

There is a guy nearby selling a complete 351w engine out of a 1987 Bronco. If I can get that for a good price, then maybe I'm off the ground.

Is $500 a good price for a complete 351w motor? I don't think it really matters how many miles are on it, since I'll be rebuilding it anyway ... ?

I figure I can get the block machined and the short block kit installed for under $1500, and THUMPER will hopefully port the heads and freshen up the valvetrain for probably under $1000. TMOSS will hopefully clean up and port the intake (if necessary) for like $250 or so. I also figure I can use most of the rest of it as is, so I'm looking at around $3000 plus the cost of the engine for putting an engine together, ready to drop in.

Is this somewhat realistic? What am I missing?
 
OK, the guy with the 19 year old 351w engine didn't budge from $800 for it, so that one is out. But, there is a guy in Baltimore selling his DSS 306 with 11K miles, worked GT40 heads, X cam, main girdle, windage tray, and ported cobra intake for $2800. I'm checking it out ...
 
BlackVert said:
OK, the guy with the 19 year old 351w engine didn't budge from $800 for it, so that one is out. But, there is a guy in Baltimore selling his DSS 306 with 11K miles, worked GT40 heads, X cam, main girdle, windage tray, and ported cobra intake for $2800. I'm checking it out ...

Hey Chris

Can't you get a NEW short block from Mark for that or less :shrug:

Grady
 
final5-0 said:
Hey Chris

Can't you get a NEW short block from Mark for that or less :shrug:

Grady
i'm sure i could get a short block for much less, but this is a complete engine, intake to oil pan, including the heads and cam and everything.

here's the guy's writeup:
the seller said:
It is a std. bore 302 with a dss rotating assy.(pro series pistons, arp wavelock rod bolts and main studs) it was balenced with a SFI approved ford motorsport damper (not a stocker) and a SFI approved billet steel motorsport flywheel at JB Machine. (the damper and flywheel go with it) It also has the DSS main girdle and windage tray. The oil pump is a high volume melling with a hardened motorsport oil pump driveshaft, the timing chain is a motorsport full roller. It has GT40x heads on it with the 58cc combustion chamber (and has 10 to 1 compression with the dss pistons and the exhaust runners have been opened up slightly) The cam is a motorsport X cam with .542 lift and the lifters were new from ford when the motor was built, it has the ford motorsport "blue" 1.6 roller rockers and hardened push rods. The intake is a ported 93 cobra intake (the lower has been port matched to the heads and the upper has had all the casting flash removed). I know i forgetting some stuff but thats the majority of it.
does $2800 for this sound like a good price? it sounds pretty good to me ... :shrug:

i was kinda thinking that the KB might like this motor ...

who's mark?
 
BlackVert said:
i'm sure i could get a short block for much less, but this is a complete engine, intake to oil pan, including the heads and cam and everything.

here's the guy's writeup:

does $2800 for this sound like a good price? it sounds pretty good to me ... :shrug:

i was kinda thinking that the KB might like this motor ...

who's mark?

Not a SC expert, but from my readings, you should shoot for an 8.5:1 CR. At 10:1 you are asking for another rebuild. Why not try and trade your KB for his setup?
 
well, i have come to the realization that the costs and effort involved in doing a 393 right are more that i can handle right now, so i am putting that on hold until after the kids go off to college in a few years.

i was thinking about building my own short block, but i found this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=150027546414

this actually seems like it is something i can handle and afford at this point in my life. my neighbor has a garage and he even has an engine stand already!

for heads, yes, i'm keeping my current ported e7 heads. i realize they will be the limiting factor, but new heads are not at all in the budget. the ones i have now will have to do. i can live with it ... i'm sure it will still be much better than what i am living with now.

i'm still selling the KB, so i'll get a n/a cam. i am thinking that i will get one of those cam kits that has everything necessary for the the cam ... springs, lifters, ... maybe not this one, but one like it. i'll talk to ed and comp cams and tell them my plans and ask for advice.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=CCA-K35-310-8&N=700+115&autoview=sku

the intake will be the polished typhoon intake i just bought.

not sure on the maf and tb, but i have some time to decide on those. i'll probably start out with the polished stock ones i have ... plus, they are easy enough to change later.