SOHC V6 Timing Chain Saga

[2000StreetRod]

Dual pattern cam

After a little reading about camshaft design I've learned that my stock cam is a dual pattern cam which is desirable when the intake valve (1.81 inch) is larger than the exhaust valve (1.54 inch). The duration of the exhaust lobe (193 degrees) is greater than the duration of the intake lobe (185 degrees) to allow a comparable amount of exhaust flow thru the smaller valve. I've spoken with a local performance shop that does head work about larger valves and was told the shop usually installs 1mm larger valves in the intake and the exhaust. The ratio of the intake to exhaust valve diameters would change only slightly from stock.

My dyno test plots show a fairly broad torque and horsepower curve and my custom tune has the upshift points set to stay in the power band at WOT.

So far I find no compelling reason to alter the cam timing and potentially reduce street drivability.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Chain working loads

You made a good point about the chain safety Jakee. The crane chain has a working load limit of more than 2,000 pounds. The two removable links connected to the crane chain I believe are rated at 850 pounds. The weakest link is the tow bar chain I used to attach to the engine. It is rated at more than 1,000 pounds but the angle is about 90 degrees which increases the stress from the engine by 1.4. That's around 560 pounds if the engine weighs 400 pounds. I'll probably switch to two chains before installing the engine. The way it is now it has a tendency to turn at an angle to the crane boom. I never place by body under the engine.

 

[CDW6212R]

Good thinking, it's good to keep the chains as vertical as possible. try to attach them right to the boom hook. My friend and I have chains with links about 5/16" thick, not much smaller than what's on the cherry picker. I have a balancing bar etc, we use it only when there is a trans together so it's needed. An engine can be worked fine with just a chain and good bolts. Night,

 

[2000StreetRod]

Spacer plate & engine drop in

The photo below shows the spacer plate that fits between the block and the transmission. When I was pulling the engine out the plate fell off the guide pins identified with the red arrows.

Since I didn't want the same thing to happen when installing the engine I used the short bolt from the rear of the head that attaches the ground strap to hold the spacer plate in place.

After using my chain method to tighten the flexplate to crankshaft bolts and the crankshaft dampener I started the process of returning my engine to it's home.

I left the upper intake manifold off to allow easier access to the O2 connectors and upper engine to transmission bolts.

 

[ranger7ltr]

The engine spacer plate is a PITA...

I didn't bolt it to the block although I wish I had... After it fell off the guide pins for the 30th time I used a liberal dose of Permatex Ultra Copper to hold that sob in place...

Since I was installing the shortblock into the truck with the tranny in place I didn't feel the need to go under the truck to retrieve it...

 

[drothgeb]

So I need to stop procrastinating and do this asap. How long would it realistically take an amatuer wrench twister to get this done? I only have an apartment complex parking lot to do this but I have gotten very used to dealing with this. Obviously if I have to pull the engine because of the rear guide I'll have to get a shop to do it. Please help.

Thanks

 

[2000StreetRod]

Determine what's bad

I assume that you have the dreaded timing chain rattle. Have you tried to determine the source using a mechanic stethoscope or short length of flexible hose? Does the rattle only occur at engine start and last less than a minute? How long ago since you first detected the rattle?

Have you replaced your rear hydraulic tensioner? Have you installed the 00M12 kit?

If you have replaced the hydraulic tensioners and still have the rattle then the problem is either your guide assemblies or primary tensioner. Your first step should be to pull the valve covers to determine the condition of the left and right guide assemblies. That only takes a few hours.

If the guide assemblies look OK then you have to pull the front timing cover to check the primary tensioner. You can also pull the oil pan and check for pieces in the bottom of the pan.

I suggest that you start your own thread describing your problem. You will get plenty of help from this forum. Hopefully your rear guide is OK and you won't have to pull the engine.

 

[janolsson]

A guy on the uk part of the site posted this tip (Duncanofengland); take a chisel to hole and stamp the edge a little, just enough so it "grabs" the dowel. Do this both sides and it will hold the plate during motor or tranny install.
I wish i'd thought of that after the 10th time it dropped whilst trying to line the tranny up using a cradle i made and a trolley jack.

edit: ps 2000streetrod, as a coinsidence i had decided to paint my block blue but i'm also doing the valve covers blue and gonna wrap the cables in blue spiral. Might briten up the engine bay a little. I'm off now to use some oven cleaner on the engine and heads and hoping the heads come up well enough to not paint them. Be good to find out how long the paint lasts on the exhaust.
regards

 

[2000StreetRod]

Short boom

I had to lift my engine back out to lengthen the rear lift chain a little. The angle wasn't right to line up with the transmission. The other problem I'm encountering is due to my short boom length. The engine needs to go farther aft than the length my boom can reach. I decided to try to lever it back. The photo below shows my 2x4 inch lever that pushes against the crankshaft dampener and pivots against the radiator support. Then I pull the top of the lever until the engine is in position and tie the lever arm to the crane.

 

[BobWiersema]

Dale, Turn your hydraulic ram around the other way and you will pick up two inches on reach. Also if the end of the boom is open, run the chain through there and then into the bolt for a few more inches.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Excellent suggestions!

Dale, Turn your hydraulic ram around the other way and you will pick up two inches on reach. Also if the end of the boom is open, run the chain through there and then into the bolt for a few more inches.

Well, as is often said these days: "Duhha!" Why didn't I think of that?

I'll lift the engine out again tomorrow and implement both of your suggestions and try again. That way I won't have to fight gravity and the crane will be all set up for my future rebuild.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Isky racing cams article

I just finished my first reading of a good article about Isky racing cams and their timing.

Installing a Racing Camshaft

According to the article Isky racing cams have their best overall performance when timed for the split overlap position. The article states

"Split overlap means that the intake and exhaust valves are equally open at T.D.C., although the intake valve is opening and the exhaust valve is closing. Also this means that the intake valve opens the same number of degrees before T.D.C., as the exhaust valve closes after T.D.C. A cam in the advanced position would have its intake valves open further at T.D.C. than the exhaust valves, and also open at a greater number of degrees before T.D.C. than the exhaust valves close after T.D.C. Conversely, a cam in the retarded position would have its exhaust valves open further at T.D.C. than the intake valves, and also close at a greater number of degrees after T.D.C. than the intake valves open before T.D.C. "

The article also states during valve float at high rpm the closing exhaust valve when the piston is rising is the most likely valve to contact the piston.

Isky racing cams are designed to be 2 degrees advanced when installed to compensate for future timing chain stretch retard.

 

[Jakee]

Valve Float - that's the main reason I stated you can get piston to valve contact even if you don't feel it when turning the engine by hand.


Looks like you're almost ready to fire her up!

 

[mikecmax]

Doesn't anyone sell half links. We used them a lot in mill construction.

I was reading about shotening chains when I wrote this.
I do not know how it got posted here.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Docking the engine

Docking the engine with the transmission is a tedious and time consuming task but possible to be accomplished by one person working unassisted. The spacer plate exacerbates the already difficult and somewhat aggravating exercise. To prevent the spacer plate from falling off the guide bushings I loosely fastened it on each side with very short bolts. I used the bolt that attaches the ground strap to the rear of the right head and the bolt that attaches the ATF tube support bracket to the right side of the block next to the motor mounting plate.

Once I got the engine lowered to line up with the transmission and less than two inches away I connected the electrical connectors at the rear of the block. The left one is shown in the photo below.

I had difficulty connecting the O2 wiring connector with its mating connector on the right side as shown in the photo below.

Apparently the sensor had been replaced with an aftermaket unit and the wire was extremely short. I ended up having to pry the mating connector loose from its mount in order to reach. The plastic clip will help keep it in position and hopefully from rattling. When I pull the engine again for my rebuild I'll have a replacement O2 sensor with the proper length wire to the connector.

Next I determined which side of the block was lowest (the left) and lined up the guide bushing with its mating hole. Then I inserted one of the 75mm long bolts I used to mount the engine on the stand in the hole opposite the short bolt as shown in the photo below.

Next I removed the short bolt and started threading the long bolt into the block. Almost immediately the spacer plate slipped off the guide bushing but slid onto the long bolt as shown below.

In order for the engine crankshaft to receive the transmission shaft the two axis must be aligned. The angle of my engine on the crane is slightly off (too low in the rear) so I will use the long bolts to support/align the rear of the engine with the transmission as I lower the boom to achieve the correct angle. Also, the left bolt will force the engine to rotate slightly as I lower the engine to align the right side guide bushing. Then I'll remove the short bolt on the right and insert the long one. I believe the transmission shaft must be aligned first since it appears to be the longest. I suspect the torque converter bolts must be aligned with the flexplate second because they appear to be the second longest. And finally the guide bushings must be aligned before everything will slide easily together. The engine to transmission bolts should never be used to force the engine to dock because the torque converter bolts may not be aligned and using force might distort the flexplate.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Engine docked!

The engine is finally docked to the transmission! I have the lower 6 transmission/engine bolts snugly in place and the engine is partially resting on the motor mounts. I was very lucky that the torque converter bolts lined up with the flexplate on the first try. I didn't have to rotate the crankshaft at all. Next I will insert the upper two transmission/engine bolts and then torque as many of the eight bolts as possible to specification.

 

[CDW6212R]

Excellent, so the torque converter spins freely and moved fore and aft freely before installing the nuts? That's the most important part of doing an automatic car.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Torque converter

Excellent, so the torque converter spins freely and moved fore and aft freely before installing the nuts? That's the most important part of doing an automatic car.

I don't understand the question. I never moved the torque converter or the transmission from the time I unbolted the flexplate from the torque converter. Tomorrow I'll install the nuts on the torque converter studs that are sticking thru the flexplate. That will require rotating the crankshaft and torque converter a quarter turn 3 times.

 

[CDW6212R]

When you finally get the block close to the trans, that's the time to play with the converter. It's easy for some to get the converter in there pinched or not completely in the trans etc. The time to find out if it's right is just before tightening the bell housing bolts and TC nuts. If the TC is right, it will freely move in and out slightly, instead of being a fight to pull the nuts onto the TC studs. I think you've got it in right, but that's the check to verify. The TC studs should be able to be pushed in and out(the whole TC moves) by finger pressure for most Ford automatics.

I only mentioned it because that's the most common error I've read of from engine or trans swaps. The trans forum on the TCCOA site is full of people with Thunder birds or Mark VIII's that didn't get the TC fully seated inside the trans. They didn't ask for help until driving the car and having symptoms that ended up being the TC. That basic check before installing the TC studs, those people didn't do or know about.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Thanks for the tip!

I suspect that everything is OK since I tightened most of the trans/engine bolts with my fingers. I'll check for a small forward and aft movement of the torque converter when I install the torque converter nuts. I really appreciate the tip!