Help me tear down and inspect my 440..

[Canadian1968]

Still grinding away over here. We got slammed with a winter storm last week so not to much work got done.

But I've got a little more adventurous with the area around the valve guides and the exit of short turn into the chamber. I'm about 85 % done the second head. I will have to go back and match the other head to this one though!

I will admit getting a lot more comfortable with the grinder ...can do a full intake in about an hour now.

 

[RemCharger]

Have you been working on opening the pushrod pinch?

 

[dvw]

10.2 can be iffy on pump gas. Not worth the chance of detonation.
Doug

 

[Canadian1968]

10.2 can be iffy on pump gas. Not worth the chance of detonation.
Doug

I agree.

And Deffinantly not by putting In a steel shim gasket , which gets my piston to head distance a little iffy as well.

Now I could take it to the machine shop and have them take .020 off the heads .. put in my .039 gasket and go that route......

Question to clarify, when people say " pump gas " are you referring to 87 octane or the highest you can get at your local pumps . Which in my case is 94.

I do drive the car on the street, and to work sometimes , don't get me wrong . But like many of us , Iike to push the power as much as I can while still being a cheap *** ! Or just finding ways to squeak out a bit more power with what u have. I think alot of us can be found guilty of this !

So I guess my question is, let's say I bumped my compression from the current 9.8 to let's 11 :1 . Let say my motor currently makes 400 HP . If I were to run the correct gas to avoid detonation what would the increase be on a such a mild motor , like mine

 

[Canadian1968]

Have you been working on opening the pushrod pinch?

Not to much other than removing casting imperfections. My motor as it sits isn't made to make power above 6k . Do you think there is a lot to be gained in the pinch ?

 

[gtxrt]

So I guess my question is, let's say I bumped my compression from the current 9.8 to let's 11 :1

on paper like 5 HP but what it does it makes more torque coming in faster at lower rpms. to benefit more a bigger camshaft could be used to go along with the higher compression for detonation and to rev higher making more HP at a higher rpm. the higher compression also helps for a smoother idle. for me I don't like big cams for the street and is a down side.

 

[Orig69]

So your almost finished the cylinder heads.

Did you follow the instructions?

 

[Canadian1968]

So your almost finished thet cylinder heads.

Did you follow the instructions?

You mean the instructions with the templates? Yes I belive I used them correctly

 

[Orig69]

You mean the instructions with the templates? Yes I belive I used them correctly

I would use the Fel-Pro 1009 head gasket

 

[Canadian1968]

I would use the Fel-Pro 1009 head gasket

Why these over the 8519 ?

 

[Orig69]

Why these over the 8519 ?

The 8519 is a OEM stock replacement gasket.

The 1009 is a performance replacement gasket.

Which cylinder head gasket did the engine have in it before?

 

[BSB67]

I use the 8519

 

[Canadian1968]

I belive it is the 8519

 

[BSB67]

So I guess my question is, let's say I bumped my compression from the current 9.8 to let's 11 :1 . Let say my motor currently makes 400 HP . If I were to run the correct gas to avoid detonation what would the increase be on a such a mild motor , like mine

There is a simple rule of thumb formula for the increase in power with increase of compression ratio. I don’t remember it and don’t use it. Others swear by it.

It might be correct. But I personally believe that the result somewhat understates the car’s performance increase. CR increase adds power everywhere on the hp curve. Everywhere.

 

[Canadian1968]

I finished up porting the heads, I could have gone for hours more but was deffinantly getting into unknown territory and possibly just wasting hours more grinding! . I stopped where I felt comfortable.

My day life is an automotive painter by trade . Brought the heads in the shop and put a coat of Utech polyurethane single stage on the heads to fresh them up! I did the intake and valley pan in this exact paint 2 years ago and still looks the same as the day I sprayed it.

I will give the heads a FINAL clean , make sure there us no grinding left. THen throw the valves and springs back in. Then start my reassembly .

So far my order list is basic, ARP head bolt kit, felpro valley pan gaskets, header gaskets, felpro 8519 head gasket .

I still want to measure my lifter preload after I get the heads bolted back on.

Did some reading about changing the rocker ratio. 1.5 vs 1.6

From my readings, nothing to really be gained for an engine as mild as mine.
That being said , had I chosen to up the compression ratio, AND change the rocker arm ratio. Maybe there could be a worth while improvement? But one or the other just seems to be a wash in my case .

I am very interested to see if the head work pays off on the time slips!

Holidays coming up, will have to wait for new parts to show up !

 

[Canadian1968]

Got my second round of Christmas gifts today!

My intake and exhaust gaskets , head gaskets , a set of arp headbolts and some assembly lube!

Few questions

I know the washers are a must with aluminum cylinder heads, but i should also use them with cast iron heads as well correct?

When it comes to putting the headers on. The rear threads go into the coolant passages. I belive i just used some high heat rtv last time. What is everyone's preference?

Any other suggestions reminders as I start putting everything back together ?

 

[PRHeads]

Yes on the washers.
Chamfer up (towards the bolt head)

All exhaust bolt holes go into the coolant passages.
I use high temp Teflon thread sealer on them, but plenty of people use silicone.

 

[Canadian1968]

Well just went out and put the valves and springs back in the heads.

I opened up the exhaust gaskets, guess I didn't read the description close enough on the website? The sticker on the package says 383/440 large port?

They are much larger than my factory ports and larger than the old set I had on there .

BUT they do fit the flange on my headman headers quite well.

My old gaskets fit the cylinder head but not the hedder . These new ones fit the hedders but not the cylinder ports. GO with them?

Thinking about it a bit more I think the new gaskets should give a better seal as they fit the port of the actual header a lot better

 

[69conv]

I would spend the money on remflex. They will seal even if your flange has warped or the heads aren't flat. One and done and they are reusable.