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Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

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Tired of leaning over the bumper and winch. Four bolts and it's off.

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Now to see if I can lap the valve and make a seal. Taking valve spring off.

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Bought me $11 in tools. Suction cup hand spinner and Permetex valve grinding compound.

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A few minutes lapping and the seat looks good.
That vavle by the way is over 2" in diameter.

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Now for the supreme test, and...No air bubbles Hoo Ra. Now that does have pressurized air into the intake port.

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A little cleaning and it's done.

I talked to my engine builder and he said the problem with deleting the zinc from motor oils happened around 3 years ago.
I installed the cam and heads 4 years ago.
He also said that the instant you/I started using the non-zinc oil that the wear was started right then.
I'm guessing that modern cars have engines that address this problem, maybe lower spring pressures. Most cars and trucks don't run racing heads anyway.
It was a Comp Cam that I had.
And my engine builder told me today that they won't even warranty the cam without adding their additive to the oil since this problem arised.
Thinking that this will be a real problem for some.
Seems that the gas and oil companies are going so Green that it might just back lash.

Next I'll place order for new cam and lifters from Summit.
Here is the stuff that they told me to use to keep cam warranty. Part #CCA159 and here is the link.
If I were you I would add this stuff to your oil if your doing a cam change.
Read also what they have to say about the new oils, interesting. Hope this info saves someone from a costly rebuild.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-159
 



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They way i understand it (and i could be wrong) the government madated the reduced zinc/phosphate levels in motor oils for emissions. It worked out fine for most people since the auto manufacturers all switched to roller cams... but it screwed the people still running flat tappets.

It would have been nice if they would have just put a warning label on the bottles when they first started reducing the levels.
 






They way i understand it (and i could be wrong) the government madated the reduced zinc/phosphate levels in motor oils for emissions. It worked out fine for most people since the auto manufacturers all switched to roller cams... but it screwed the people still running flat tappets.

It would have been nice if they would have just put a warning label on the bottles when they first started reducing the levels.

I agree whole heartedly. Seems the Zinc was messing up the catalytic Converts and emission. But what I finding out researching is that Zinc really helped in metal to metal contact.
Anyway since this is a broad subject, I started a thread in "Under the Hood'
Plenty of Webb sites pertaining to this ever increasing problem.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273248
 






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Must admit I got a little lazy when I did not take the other head off and was thinking of just fixing the one cylinder with the intake valve leak.
After a good nights sleep, it dawned on me that I would be in my best interest to take it off, check the valves for leaks and at least clean the carbon deposits off top of pistons.
Found no leaks and head gasket looked fine.
Now I have peace of mind that It's OK.

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May start putting the cam & lifters in tomorrow and water pump and one head. I need to get another head gasket Mon.
It's interesting to read what Comp Cams have to say about the new oils and lowering or completely removing the additive.
But thanks that some oil companies are addressing the problem.
Plus Zinc not only protects flat tappet lifters it is one of the best metal to metal additives on the market.
I'll follow their break-in procedure for their cams. Which include Comp Cam additive for the initial 1/2 hour then drain and add another bottle, then after 1000 miles drain again and then use oil with proper amounts of ZDDP. I've researched and found that Brad Pitt oil meets all the requirements.
I talked to Comp Cams today and they say Brad Pitt is just fine.
http://www.bradpennracing.com/Zinc.aspx

I was supposed to be installing the D44 front axle, but seems to be put on hold untill upper end build is complete. But it will be nice knowing that I'll have a really sweet running V8 when it's done.
The cam grind I got has a little more broader power band then the last cam.

http://www.compcams.com/Cam_Specs/CamDetails.aspx?csid=792&sb=2


With the intake opening 28 deg. BTDC and the exhaust closing at 20 deg. ATDC this should sound a little thumpy if you know what I mean.
For those wondering what this means is that while the ex. valve is open and the piston is moving upward to expel the spent gases, the intake starts to open 28 degrees before the piston has even reached the top of it's stroke.
Then the exhaust valve closes 20 degrees after piston has reached top dead center.
That means both valves are off their seats at the same time. So the dynamics of the exhausting rush of air or the momentum of that column of air exiting out the exhaust will actually start pulling air through the intake before the piston even starts down. Now this does not come into effect untill around 1500 rpm, hence the loppy sound of a high performance cam.
Then the same scenario works on the intake stroke when the piston is reaching bottom dead center. The exhaust is open a little to allow a rush of fresh air in through the exhaust.
A little more involved and hard to put into words.
Now if you open up the headers by removing the exhaust at the collecter even cooler things start happening...like exhaust pulses rushing out and then back in as the pulse reaches the atmospheric pressure and the scavaging of cylinders really come into play.
Just a fancy dancy way of saying...free air into cylinder.
But most of us won't have to worry about that with ours being trails and such. We just don't operate at that high an rpm.
 






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Installing new Bumpstick.
But before I installed it, I wiped it down with Acetone to get rid of any factory lubricant that might not let the cam break-in lube adhear to the cam and then covered with Comp Cams break-in lube that is just for the cam lobes, lifters and distributor gear.

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Then water pump, balancer and placing of head gasket.
Number one piston is up and pointer is at TDC. Have a little white dot on the balancer. There is 3 others that are 90 deg. apart.
The head gaskets are Fel-Pro 1011-2 and a little over $30 each. The other side gasket was ordered and should be here tomorrow.

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There's one head torqued down. I did it in 4 steps with the final torque readings of 80# for the top long bolts and 70# for the short bottom bolts.
I'll re torque in them in the morning after they get some sleep. Seems they like to stretch some when the get up :p: It's just the nature of the aluminum heads. Then one more torque after the engine is fired up and allowed to cool down for about 3 hours.
 






dang, i need to get on here more often, one minute you're grinding a bearing race, next you have the engine torn down to the short block. That sucks, but it coulda been a lot worse. (Might have to modify my radiator support now, having seen how easy it is to get to yours) Good luck and keep up the good work :salute:
 






That radiator support was worth all the time and effort I put into it.
It will really come in handy when ever I have to pull the engine.
This cam problem really could have been worse 91eb.
But as far as timing, I don't think it could have been worse. This was the week I was going to start tearing out the D35 and start on the D44 swap. Oh well, in the long run it's probably better it happened now then later.
It just pushed the swap further down the road now.
I'm kinda burnt out now coupled with the extra few hundred dollars this just cost me. Ouch.
May not miss a beat and go right into the swap after top end build is done. I should be able to fire it up tomorrow.

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Not going to go into much detail about the ZDDP level thing that caused this in the first place.
I started a thread on that problem in the Under the Hood section.
Here I'm adding some ZDDP to the oil and even put some in the filter along with oil.
I want it getting there in a hurry to the cam lobes.

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Going with Valvolene VR1 racing oil. This has the necessary ZDDP additive. Will never be any oil in this engine that does not have it.
Can't imagine how many people have this problem with flat tappet engines and high valve spring pressures that have wiped lobes and lifters just to rebuild the engine and not address the problem about running the wrong oil.

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There something about an Old School Carbed engine :cool:
 






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Getting closer to firing up :rolleyes:

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Almost there ;)


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And here it is as it was just brought up on line and turning from 2000 to 2500 rpms for about a half hour to break in cam. Then I changed oil and added some more cam break in oil.
I'll go 1000 miles and then change again. But no additive. I'll just stay with the Valvoline racing oil that has all the good stuff and then change every 3000 miles.

Excellent vacuum. The needle is steady as a rock, is not fluctuating like it did a few days ago when all this crap happened.
Oil pressure is great. That's the gauge just to top and left of the larger vacuum gauge.

I just took it on a short drive and with the idle down to around 1000. Love the way this thing now pulls through the gears and now the secondaries really start opening up much better. It will shove you back in the seat when that happens.
This is Comp cams High Energy 268 duration cam.
The truck really needs some lower gears.
 






wowee I am hacking my rad support soon... so glad you got it fixed.....with me its usually the worst possible thing that can happen did, no easy fix
not that you got off easy, but it could have been FAR worse!! good job man!!
 






I just took it on a short drive and with the idle down to around 1000. Love the way this thing now pulls through the gears and now the secondaries really start opening up much better. It will shove you back in the seat when that happens.
This is Comp cams High Energy 268 duration cam.
The truck really needs some lower gears.

I don't know that I saw it, but what gears are you putting in the D44? Also, what are you doing about the rear to make the lug patterns match? You probably said, but I musta missed it.

Glad you're back on the road.:thumbsup:
 






I don't know that I saw it, but what gears are you putting in the D44? Also, what are you doing about the rear to make the lug patterns match? You probably said, but I must missed it.

Glad you're back on the road.:thumbsup:


I'm just matching the back for right now which are 3:73. Just need something thats not too bad on gas. But don't forget this truck has gobs of torque. Once I get another DD I'll be changing gears along with minimum 35s. It's also a $$ thing also. I do believe I would also need a different carrier in the D44 to go to a numerically lower gear. I think the break is 3:73?
All this is on the wish list with lockers.
I will be getting 5 on 5.5 rims for the front. I hate to run adapters in the back, but may have too. Does a 9" rear come with 5x5.5? Or some kind of chang kit for the 8.8?
 






I'm just matching the back for right now which are 3:73. Just need something thats not too bad on gas. But don't forget this truck has gobs of torque. Once I get another DD I'll be changing gears along with minimum 35s. It's also a $$ thing also. I do believe I would also need a different carrier in the D44 to go to a numerically lower gear. I think the break is 3:73?
All this is on the wish list with lockers.
I will be getting 5 on 5.5 rims for the front. I hate to run adapters in the back, but may have too. Does a 9" rear come with 5x5.5? Or some kind of chang kit for the 8.8?

To achieve the 5x 5.5 lug pattern you have a few options. The Ford 9 inch comes with that pattern already, so if you went this route you could kill two birds with one stone. You could have some new axle shafts made for the 8.8 but you will need a spacer of some sorts cause the 8.8 you have is about 6" shorter than a full size (at least I think you are running a stock Explorer 8.8). Or just get a adapter made for the 8.8 to change it to the 5x5.5 pattern. If it was me I know what way I would go.

Eric
 






If it was me I know what way I would go.

Eric

OK, so your saying...Currie custom heavy duty 9" housing center and then some joints of 3" diameter x .250" wall DOM tubing that I can cut to match the shortened D44 that will be up front. Then have the axles cut down by Moser Engineering like I did the front.
Then just cut off radius arms off of 8.8 and connect to a real axle.
Sounds like a good idea :thumbsup:
Might just have to wait untill next years tax return though.

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Readjusting valve lash. Seems the Break in lube from Comp Cams is so slick that the adjusting nuts backed off. I mean a lot on couple of them.
I'll keep a close eye on this by checking the vacuum gauge and by sound.
May have to get those locking style nuts.
Also that little switch laying on the head that turns the engine really comes in handy for adjusting valves. Just had to increase length of wires since starter relay is mounted below rear bed along with battery.
 






OK, so your saying...Currie custom heavy duty 9" housing center and then some joints of 3" diameter x .250" wall DOM tubing that I can cut to match the shortened D44 that will be up front. Then have the axles cut down by Moser Engineering like I did the front.
Then just cut off radius arms off of 8.8 and connect to a real axle.
Sounds like a good idea :thumbsup:
Might just have to wait untill next years tax return though.

I forgot you shortened the front axle.:rolleyes: Then in this case I would just get gears for the 8.8 and then new axles from Moser with the 5x5.5 lug pattern you need to match the front. The fact the 8.8 and the 9 inch are about the same strength I would stick with the 8.8, being it is already installed and you have linked it and such. To cut down a 9 inch and get all custom stuff would be costly. You might need a small wheel spacer to make it match the front exact but that is no big deal really.

Eric
 






I'll give Moser a call, that sounds like a good plan and won't be that much.
Thanks for your input.

Plus I have an extra set of 8.8 axles also that could come in handy one day. But those will be redrilled also.
 






Is it then just a matter of changing brake rotors? will the 8.8 calipers need to be changed?
 






Reuse your rotors, just redrill them to the 5x5.5

IIRC you cant drill out the stock 8.8 X shafts to 5x5.5 because there's not quite enough outer diameter on the axle flange... but i could be wrong. Moser's are pretty cheap and hella strong.
 






James, I going to try to find a different style stud that will still have the same thread diameter but different diameter part that goes into the flange, I think.
I called Moser and told them that it's only about 1 or so mm from edge. He said for a DD and trail truck there won't be a problem. It's just if your going full race.
But I still have an idea about different type stud.
 






why not build your own 9" housing? You have the tools and skills, and that way you could make whatever configuration or links or whatever you wanted, and you could build it as strong as you like. I'm planning on doing that for my front when I get around to doing an SAS.
 



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Readjusting valve lash. Seems the Break in lube from Comp Cams is so slick that the adjusting nuts backed off. I mean a lot on couple of them.
I'll keep a close eye on this by checking the vacuum gauge and by sound.
May have to get those locking style nuts.

I would replace all of your rocker nuts. I made the mistake of reusing those style nuts, and ended up having one back off on a long trip so much that it threw the pushrod while climbing a hill pulling a trailer :eek:.

The pinch style locknuts "wear out" after a few removal and reinstall cycles. I noticed looseness? on several other rocker nuts when I was changing them out. I recently also had the same problem you had with the worn out lobe. :mad: With the new cam, I went with roller rockers and locking nuts.
 






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