Refresh on a 302: Any Advice or build secrets?

[Dangerous Doug]

Originally Posted by Tom Cimino

Seems to me you really want to build an engine. I get it. I love building engines. I'm also on a limited budget. That's why it took me three years to build my big block and why it's still on an engine stand almost two years after I first heard it run.

My advice to you is to leave your current engine alone while you decide what you really want to do. Then do it with another engine. That way you have the best of both worlds. You have a running car to enjoy while you are building an engine. Take your time. Learn all you can. Half the fun is in the learning and planning. It is very satisfying to hear your new engine fire up for the first time. You won't regret it.

And yeah, you're quite right. One thing that I know will drive me nutz is a nice warm California Spring afternoon, and my Cobra sits, partially dismantled, in my garage and the only sunshine I get is when I stick my hand out from underneath the Cobra for a wrench...

Well, lots to think about.

By the way, the re-ring trick I mostly hear from ex-racers. It was brought up to me by a racer that used to drive GT-40's "back in the day".

By the way, here's a tech question: When resetting a distributor, how do you get the distributor to line up with the top of the oil pump shaft. I tried for quite a while on my engine, and ended up jacking the Cobra up in some weird way to get the oil pump shaft to center, then I could set the distributor.

There has GOT to be a better way!

Dd