2 spring meets ago, I was losing coolant and couldn't find a leak. It was slow enough that it didn't make the forbidden milkshake. As I was getting ready for last year's spring meet, it went hard and caused problems.
Head gasket let water into the valley, and the first bearing to fail was the middle cam bearing. It welded itself to the cam, sheared the pin and smacked all 8 exhaust valves into the piston. Over the course of the last 9 months I've rebuilt the engine. Just a real light hone, new rings and bearings, and new AFR 220 heads and valve train including a much tamer cam.
My goal was much better street manners but gain a few HP above 3500 RPM. Only way to do that is force feed.
I found a deal on Ebay, a new vortex supercharger head with the bigger trim for hungrier engines.
8:04 PM - Jan 21#2
Crank journals were unharmed, but the bearings were showing signs. Machine shop said cam hole was within spec. Spun bearing killed the timing chain quick enough no harm was done.
Filing rings to spec clearance is tedious. I 3D printed a tool to square them up in the bore to check.
8:11 PM - Jan 21#3
Next step is seeing if it'll fit. I bolted the heads to the intake and put the air cleaner on. I have a flange on my old air cleaner base that was 1/2" below the hood.
I didn't take any pics along the way building the mount, but I made it bolt only to the head, then a tensioner.
8:17 PM - Jan 21#4
The 4 bbl throttle body then carb hat was too tall to fit under the hood. I had to go plan B with a elbow and single LS style throttle body.
Also, first iteration of the supercharger mount was a little too high. So that had to be remade 1" lower. This is just the start of the cascade of changes.
I faced off a piece of gas pipe and used a piece of althread and nuts to hold the mount in plane and with the correct offset to the head mount, then boxed it all together with .120 mild steel.
8:29 PM - Jan 21#5
Next bit of fun, the old Ford Racing heads use the stock exhaust bolt spacing. AFR for a while had both, stock and the wider whatever it is. Well, the new AFR 220 heads only have the wider spacing. Also, the port is wide enough it gets into the bolt hole. My first thought was a could just drill new mounting holes, but the abandoned ones would be in the port with no way to seal them.
My solution was to weld spread bolt flanges to the old Lone Star headers. Then I used my granite work bench, adhesive sandpaper and flap wheel on a grinder to flatten the mating surface.
8:40 PM - Jan 21#6
But this wasn't the end of my drama. Ford also shifted the port location so one header touched the front of the body and the other touched the back side. I say it was Ford because they use an offset exhaust rocker.
And I had to carve into the fender well for room for the supercharger. I made a bulged patch piece to close it off.
Next was an air cleaner. I was hoping I could use one of the cylindrical cone types, but didn't have anywhere near the room. Instead I'm using a current Ram 1500 air cleaner, in a fabricated tray bolted to the valve cover.
8:42 PM - Jan 21#7
So this required moving and remaking my brake and clutch reservoir.
8:43 PM - Jan 21#8
Add it all together and it's a snug fit.
8:47 PM - Jan 21#9
Let's not forget, a supercharger (or turbo) is of little use without a charge cooler.
I got the biggest core I could find that would fit and made the tanks.
8:50 PM - Jan 21#10
Next, getting cool air to the air cleaner. After thinking I may take a short cut, I decided to go for best practice.
Not finished with this part, but I'm making a duct on the underside of the hood to block the scoop and bring cool air from the grill to the air cleaner.
After it's all dolled up, trimmed and painted, I'll silicone this to the hood.
Head gasket let water into the valley, and the first bearing to fail was the middle cam bearing. It welded itself to the cam, sheared the pin and smacked all 8 exhaust valves into the piston. Over the course of the last 9 months I've rebuilt the engine. Just a real light hone, new rings and bearings, and new AFR 220 heads and valve train including a much tamer cam.
My goal was much better street manners but gain a few HP above 3500 RPM. Only way to do that is force feed.
I found a deal on Ebay, a new vortex supercharger head with the bigger trim for hungrier engines.
8:04 PM - Jan 21#2
Crank journals were unharmed, but the bearings were showing signs. Machine shop said cam hole was within spec. Spun bearing killed the timing chain quick enough no harm was done.
Filing rings to spec clearance is tedious. I 3D printed a tool to square them up in the bore to check.
8:11 PM - Jan 21#3
Next step is seeing if it'll fit. I bolted the heads to the intake and put the air cleaner on. I have a flange on my old air cleaner base that was 1/2" below the hood.
I didn't take any pics along the way building the mount, but I made it bolt only to the head, then a tensioner.
8:17 PM - Jan 21#4
The 4 bbl throttle body then carb hat was too tall to fit under the hood. I had to go plan B with a elbow and single LS style throttle body.
Also, first iteration of the supercharger mount was a little too high. So that had to be remade 1" lower. This is just the start of the cascade of changes.
I faced off a piece of gas pipe and used a piece of althread and nuts to hold the mount in plane and with the correct offset to the head mount, then boxed it all together with .120 mild steel.
8:29 PM - Jan 21#5
Next bit of fun, the old Ford Racing heads use the stock exhaust bolt spacing. AFR for a while had both, stock and the wider whatever it is. Well, the new AFR 220 heads only have the wider spacing. Also, the port is wide enough it gets into the bolt hole. My first thought was a could just drill new mounting holes, but the abandoned ones would be in the port with no way to seal them.
My solution was to weld spread bolt flanges to the old Lone Star headers. Then I used my granite work bench, adhesive sandpaper and flap wheel on a grinder to flatten the mating surface.
8:40 PM - Jan 21#6
But this wasn't the end of my drama. Ford also shifted the port location so one header touched the front of the body and the other touched the back side. I say it was Ford because they use an offset exhaust rocker.
And I had to carve into the fender well for room for the supercharger. I made a bulged patch piece to close it off.
Next was an air cleaner. I was hoping I could use one of the cylindrical cone types, but didn't have anywhere near the room. Instead I'm using a current Ram 1500 air cleaner, in a fabricated tray bolted to the valve cover.
8:42 PM - Jan 21#7
So this required moving and remaking my brake and clutch reservoir.
8:43 PM - Jan 21#8
Add it all together and it's a snug fit.
8:47 PM - Jan 21#9
Let's not forget, a supercharger (or turbo) is of little use without a charge cooler.
I got the biggest core I could find that would fit and made the tanks.
8:50 PM - Jan 21#10
Next, getting cool air to the air cleaner. After thinking I may take a short cut, I decided to go for best practice.
Not finished with this part, but I'm making a duct on the underside of the hood to block the scoop and bring cool air from the grill to the air cleaner.
After it's all dolled up, trimmed and painted, I'll silicone this to the hood.
