Charmer...whats the status on the ENGINE!!!!!
 

Hey Charmer...we haven't heard from you....is the engine working? Get the pump? Coming to Tulsa...

Enquiring minds want to know :JEKYLHYDE

Hey Matt,

Thanks for the concern and sorry I haven't been posting on the board lately. I've been too busy DRIVING MY COBRA:3DSMILE: :3DSMILE: Actually, it's work that's been dragging me away from my play time, but I have managed to get 300 miles on the motor. I got the pump replaced and fixed a few minor leaks, readjusted the valve lash and it's run like a top ever since.

The new motor, although completely identical in every way, has a completely different personality...beginning with the sound. It has a consistent lope now instead of the random rumble. I've been a good boy on keeping it below 3k rpms...well, at least 99% of the time anyway :)

I wish I'd planned for Tulsa instead of the MSR event, I'm sure you guys are having a blast.

I did get to participate in the Sunshine event this week with Kyle R. Sunshine Kids is an organization set up for terminally ill children. They set up special activities for the kids to enjoy. We, along with a dozen Vipers, a dozen Stangs, vets, IROC racers, rice burners, and a Lambo drove down to San Marcos to pick up the kids and bring them back to Austin. We took them to see the capitol, the Bob Bullock Texas museum, and to Dave and Busters for lunch and games. It was a wonderful experience.

I miss you all. See you soon,

Charmer

Hey Charmer,

Glad to hear you have it back together and running. What do you set your valves at? Hot or Cold?

Mine are .024 hot and it's hard to get them consistent. I think I'm going to tighten them up a bit and set them cold. 018 ought to be about .022 hot.

I finally got mine together after a bunch of problems. Replaced the pan and now just ordered stainless pipes as my chrome ones spider cracked up at the header turn.

Maybe we'll see ya this summer!

Hey Gary,

Glad to hear you've got things sorted out. I don't know what my lash is at. I took Doug's instructions and followed them to a "T" but the engine feels and sounds like it's under load all the time so I don't think the valves are seating properly. Also getting some dieseling that I think is related. I'm going to try your approach and go with .016 to .018 cold lash and see if that works.

Doug's instructions were Zero lash PLUS 1/2 turn, cold.

What do you think?

Stretch

Charmer,

I think you have the same cam I have the 647 lift solid roller that's in the 514 Ford Crate Motor.

Zero lash would clearly damage the motor and a half turn out sounds more like setting hydralic lifters.

If you have my solid roller cam than you need to set the valve lash and the specs are .024 Hot. The problem is with the aluminum heads they cool off so quick you can't get them consistent. I set mine at set mine at .024 Hot and after she cooled down over night I check the first valve and it was at .018 cold. I set all of them at .018 and it seems to be great and not as noisy. By tighting them up you just move the tork curve up and with all the tork these motors have in a 2,400 lb Cobra that's better also. Just make sure you have solids. If you have a Hydralic cam then the normal setting is tighten until they quit making noise and then another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Check with Coast and make sure you know what cam you have first!!!!!!!!!!

Ah,

That's the difference. I've got the hydr. cam and it's a 636 lift, not the 647. I'll try backing it off a 1/4 turn and see how that feels.

Thanks for the help :)

Stretch