Tuning For Speed-Major Tuning (Blueprinting)

all american boy

all american boy

Well-known member
In our little Hot Rod book it goes like this:


Minor tuning-carburetor and ignition


Major Tuning-checking engine clearances.


Will list their list of things to check.


Here are some things we do on engines.


Run a bottom tap down head bolt holes and main cap bolt holes.


Clean oil galleries with gun brushes and diesel.


Clean bores with paper towels and triclor.


Have fun!
 
Here is list.Goal is to bring within factory clearances.


Deck height.


Rods-Length, diameter and roundness of big ends.


Crankshaft


Variations in main bearing journals and crankpin



Roundness and alignment(journals, crankpins)


Stroke length and crankpin spacing


All this crankshaft stuff can be done taking it to crankshaft shop and checking it when you get it back.They fix problems by grinding off center.



Compression height


Piston pin fit



Balance engine when all of above is done.


Have fun!
 
'connecting rods as well as pistons are usually weight matched with each other'


True.


I read a little and typed.Just hit the high points from article.


it's actually Hot Rodding the Buick by Hot Rod magazine.


Most V8's are the same.


If I remember right they grind of the flat spot on big end of con rod to match the weights of all rods to lightest one.


THEN they balance rotating assembly.


Getting ready to assemble one engine.Sending block to machine shop.
 
all american boy said:
...
If I remember right they grind of the flat spot on big end of con rod to match the weights of all rods to lightest one.
...
Click to expand...
If you have a suitable scale and a large-ish collection of rods you can weight match potential sets of eight before you begin grinding. (using the lightest originals first when possible)
 
'large-ish collection of rods'


Would have for our Ford OHV V8(term from 50's Hot Rod books, Y block now)


but our 292 met a horrible fate.


Looking for a bigger crying towel like the big ones in the old movies.Put it around you and it is up under your arms.We want one of those for a crying towel! 'Hall of Shame'.That fits that situation big time.


That is not happening with these new engines.I'll spit blood to hang on to them!


Anyhow.The deal with major tuning/blueprinting like going over the ignition is to actually do all the stuff and not just blow it off.


Like we may not have the machining done(unless we find a big old problem) but we are going to put the time in and do the measuring.


Have most of the tools.Inside gauge, mic's and dial indicator w/stand.
 
all american boy said:
Here is list.Goal is to bring within factory clearances.


Deck height.


Rods-Length, diameter and roundness of big ends.


Crankshaft


Variations in main bearing journals and crankpin



Roundness and alignment(journals, crankpins)


Stroke length and crankpin spacing


All this crankshaft stuff can be done taking it to crankshaft shop and checking it when you get it back.They fix problems by grinding off center.



Compression height


Piston pin fit



Balance engine when all of above is done.


Have fun!
Click to expand...
What you left out is what applies to steering components like knuckles and even tie rods and things made of iron or steel is --Magnaflux, and for pistons made of aluminum Zyglo. In today's world where are you going to get blueprints? This is where I began in my Dexter Penny loafers walking about town to Modern Engineering, Troy Design Associates, and out to Warren to TACCOM. Then a new firm Efficient Engineering appeared. Not to be hostile I walked into Ethyl Corporation where in 1964 I had seen dozens of variable compression single cylinder research engines running. All was quiet. "We do research on oil additives," they said. Modern had done drawings for the 4 valve per cylinder dual overhead camshaft Cadillac Northstar and were now wrapping up a similar aluminum and DOHC 32 valve Lincoln Navigator. I wore out a lot of soles which were leather and the cheapest rough with blood spots. Some time closer to 2000 I saw some late forties convertible Fords in Ste. Ignace, one had a Northstar and one had a Navigator installed. This was all Canadian tie to GB.
 
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Thank you Badaxe Resident


Maybe this will do something for you.Ring your bell so to speak.


Have you ever seen an Overhead Camshaft conversion engine up close?


That is one thing I think we could get fired up over.


Or at least something in that direction.


'68 Hot Rod magazine has Ford factory experimental ones.


Then there are two Chevy Double Overhead Camshaft conversion in '70's and 80's Hot Rod magazine.


Have a sneaky idea about using two factory camshafts.One on each head.


Have them work right on the valve stem .That is as far as we have thought about it.


With the pushrods out of the way you can design a better combustion chamber.Locate valves across from each other.IN and OUT.Straight across chamber.


EDIT Plus it saves weight on valve train.Less parts.No lifters or pushrods. Engine will rev freely.Hit higher RPM's more easily.



Badaxe let me know.
 
all american boy said:
Thank you Badaxe Resident


Maybe this will do something for you.Ring your bell so to speak.


Have you ever seen an Overhead Camshaft conversion engine up close?


That is one thing I think we could get fired up over.


Or at least something in that direction.


'68 Hot Rod magazine has Ford factory experimental ones.


Then there are two Chevy Double Overhead Camshaft conversion in '70's and 80's Hot Rod magazine.


Have a sneaky idea about using two factory camshafts.One on each head.


Have them work right on the valve stem .That is as far as we have thought about it.


With the pushrods out of the way you can design a better combustion chamber.Locate valves across from each other.IN and OUT.Straight across chamber.


EDIT Plus it saves weight on valve train.Less parts.No lifters or pushrods. Engine will rev freely.Hit higher RPM's more easily.



Badaxe let me know.
Click to expand...


If you run the cam directly on the valve stem you will need much taller lobes on the cam than a stock OHV cam has. Rocker arms do more than just "teeter-totter". They add a lot to total valve lift. Let's say your cam has a lobe lift of .300" and the rocker arm has a ratio of 1.5 to 1. This makes valve lift .450". So your OHC conversion needs a cam with .450" lift instead of .300" lift to get the same valve lift. More engineering to do!
 
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'need much taller lobes on the cam than a stock OHV cam'


Thought there might be a problem with using two stock camshafts.


Attempted to be budgetary about it.


It would have been better to do this in the 80's when we were all hooked up with machine shops and even rented space from a 'pattern shop'.


That is the beginning of casting parts.Making a pattern to go to casting shop.
Just did not think of anything like this then.Could have had all the cast parts we wanted for medium money.


Okay.So Overhead camshafts are out.


Supercharging we will give it a whirl.Paxton or GMC/Roots type.Put ad in Wanted section here.If nothing happens then that is out.

Twin engines has a little appeal.Will keep thatt in the maybe file.


That leaves us with running the race gas down the street in basically stock engines.


Fabricated intakes.Originals prices don't work for us.Headers.Drag type.


We'll live I suppose.Could be worse.
 
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Looks like you meant to put that in the other thread because it is about 292.


As far as redesigned heads the last 351 redesign the 351 M is a nice engine.


Blew the deal for a pickup with one in it.


The 351 is a good way to go because of all the extra cubic inches.


Think there might have been a 400 too.That would be a good one.


429/460 are good because they are later designs.


Boss 429 is very interesting.Another should have picked one up in 80's for cheap deal. Oh well! Didn't know about them then.
 
all american boy said:
Looks like you meant to put that in the other thread because it is about 292.


As far as redesigned heads the last 351 redesign the 351 M is a nice engine.


Blew the deal for a pickup with one in it.


The 351 is a good way to go because of all the extra cubic inches.


Think there might have been a 400 too.That would be a good one
Click to expand...

Yes, there was a 400. Same as the 351M except 1/2" longer stroke.
 
'Yes, there was a 400. Same as the 351M except 1/2" longer stroke'


That would be our choice in a Ford small block.


We will always take the extra cubes.


80's racing method.More cubes instead of 'High RPM Parts Scatterer'.


Saw a 100% original 289 down to stickers on air cleaner in a rusty out of state 4 door locally here.


It was pretty cool looking.Had some saying on the sticker.


Mid 60's car.
 
I wouldn't call the 351M or 400M a small block. They are based on the Cleveland 351 block which is a bigger and heavier design than a 302 or 351W.
The 400M was also one of the biggest slugs and fuel inefficient engines Ford made.


Sal
 
'if you won't be so closed minded about this stuff, you might learn something'


Well.Bless my soul.That is a rare statement these days!


Sal might have a leg to stand on actually.


The M engines I THINK might have bigger journals for the mains and rods.


So.It would be sort of a separate engine.


But it is linked to the Windsor or Cleveland family of small blocks.


As far as the 400 being a gas guzzler.I would say a non smog build with a two barrel and torgue small passage intake manifold would be the ultimate test of how much of a gas sipper it could be.


But I think the heads are good breathers so it is better just to forget that stuff and GO RACING with it!
 
streetdreams said:
Sal, if you won't be so closed minded about this stuff, you might learn something.
Click to expand...



All I was doing was correcting info about a 351 and 400M being small blocks. Am I supposed to agree with that ? I thought the Barn was for people with questions and people commenting to help.


Sal
 
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