First of the Texas Twins, First Build Options

[bkrantz]

Howard, in case you have not already planned to, I suggest mocking up the fit of the cylinders and pistons, including any cylinder gaskets, and measuring the deck height, both for absolute depths and consistency for all four.

[Puebloswatcop]

Howard, in case you have not already planned to, I suggest mocking up the fit of the cylinders and pistons, including any cylinder gaskets, and measuring the deck height, both for absolute depths and consistency for all four.

Thanks for the advice Bob. I will do exactly that. Also, do you have any advice on how I can check the valve clearance from the pistons? I have oversize valves in the heads and want to be sure I don't plant one through the top of a piston.....

[ClayPerrine]

Uh.. you have a problem.

The windage tray bolts to the oil pump pickup. You forgot to bolt them together.

Clay, I am a bit confused, Is that the bolt that goes through the oil pick up into the windage tray? If so I did get it in, if not, can you show me which photo to refer back to so I can figure out what I missed? Does this mean I have to tear it appart again? Thanks for any help you can provide. Like I said, this is my first build, I surely don't want to blow it to kingdom come....

Clay, please tell me this is the bolt you are referring to, so I don't have to be sad and disappointed.

The windage tray and pickup are normally installed as a unit. If the bolt is left out, then the oil pump pickup can cavitate and cause a loss of oil pressure. It appears you put the bolt in after the case was assembled.

If you did that, then you are OK.

Clay

[Puebloswatcop]

Uh.. you have a problem.

The windage tray bolts to the oil pump pickup. You forgot to bolt them together.

Clay, I am a bit confused, Is that the bolt that goes through the oil pick up into the windage tray? If so I did get it in, if not, can you show me which photo to refer back to so I can figure out what I missed? Does this mean I have to tear it appart again? Thanks for any help you can provide. Like I said, this is my first build, I surely don't want to blow it to kingdom come....

Clay, please tell me this is the bolt you are referring to, so I don't have to be sad and disappointed.

The windage tray and pickup are normally installed as a unit. If the bolt is left out, then the oil pump pickup can cavitate and cause a loss of oil pressure. It appears you put the bolt in after the case was assembled.

If you did that, then you are OK.

Clay

Thanks Clay,

now I can breath a sigh of relief...lol. Thanks for following my build and helping to keep me on the straight and narrow. I need all the help I can get...

[nathanxnathan]

It looks like a non stock camshaft. Are you going to cut custom pushrods?

Once you've done that you can use clay on top of the piston — you can cut a cross section into the clay where the valve has hit it to check clearance. THat's how I've done it.

Other things I'm thinking about looking at the build, are if you've cc'd the heads to check compression ratio. Also if you've checked deck height.

I haven't built an engine in a long while, but I'm gearing up to do one soon, so this is good to see/follow.

[simonjb]

Very inspirational - and thanks for all the photos and Tips !

[bkrantz]

Howard, in case you have not already planned to, I suggest mocking up the fit of the cylinders and pistons, including any cylinder gaskets, and measuring the deck height, both for absolute depths and consistency for all four.

Thanks for the advice Bob. I will do exactly that. Also, do you have any advice on how I can check the valve clearance from the pistons? I have oversize valves in the heads and want to be sure I don't plant one through the top of a piston.....

You can put some soft clay on top of the pistons, assemble everything, including heads and rocker assemblies, manually turn the motor through several cycles, and then take the heads off. Or do what I did and measure (guesstimate) valve clearance, and then use a bore scope stuck in the spark plug holes to see how close the valves get to the pistons.

[ClayPerrine]

STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!!!!

I am not soft..... and I won't fit on top of the piston!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[Puebloswatcop]

It looks like a non stock camshaft. Are you going to cut custom pushrods?

Once you've done that you can use clay on top of the piston — you can cut a cross section into the clay where the valve has hit it to check clearance. THat's how I've done it.

Other things I'm thinking about looking at the build, are if you've cc'd the heads to check compression ratio. Also if you've checked deck height.

I haven't built an engine in a long while, but I'm gearing up to do one soon, so this is good to see/follow.

I do plan on doing custom cut pushrods.

So the clay thing works the same as I used to do on my SB Chevy. I thought about that, but was wondering if there was any other way. I will do this and see how it works out. Thanks.

[Puebloswatcop]

STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!!!!

I am not soft..... and I won't fit on top of the piston!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

You're killin me Clay...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif)

[Puebloswatcop]

The new hardware came in today from Bel Metric, so out with the temporary bolts (old) and in with the new...no more ugly stuff.....

[bkrantz]

STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!!!!

I am not soft..... and I won't fit on top of the piston!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Have you ever tried?

[Puebloswatcop]

Just think, If Clay could fit on top of our pistons, all of our clearance measuring issues would be solved.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[Puebloswatcop]

Finally a day off, so I decided to work on the engine. Figured I would work on checking ring gaps, etc. I got a nice set of 96 mm cyliners, Kieth Black pistons and Hastings rings, all from European Motor Works.

[Puebloswatcop]

The pistons are 96 mm KB flat tops. What I noticed is there is no indicator on the piston as to which way they should be installed (e.g. no arrow). So I will have to call European this week to see if there is no offset, and if there isn't if that will be a problem.

[Puebloswatcop]

The first job was to measure all of the ring grove clearances....All came out within tollerance and the rings meaured with each piston were numbered to match that piston.

[Puebloswatcop]

Then I matched the pistons and rings to each cylinder, pushed the rings down about an inch into their bores and measured all of the ring end gaps. Again, everything was acceptable. So after I check with European regarding the offset issue, I will weigh and ballance the pistons, or if need be buy different ones.

[Puebloswatcop]

Then I made a full set of cylinder retainers so when the time comes I can measure my deck height.

[Puebloswatcop]

The pistons are 96 mm KB flat tops. What I noticed is there is no indicator on the piston as to which way they should be installed (e.g. no arrow). So I will have to call European this week to see if there is no offset, and if there isn't if that will be a problem.

Finally had time to call European Motorworks today. They confirmed there is no wrist pin offset and they can be installed either way. Now just waiting on my gram scale so I can balance the pistons and pins.

[Puebloswatcop]

Yesterday I received my gram scale, so now I can check the balance of my piston assemblies.