Reply to "what have i got?"

quote:

Originally posted by Cowboy from Hell:

quote:

Originally posted by SEL:

... hmmm - sounds kind of grim ....

Stephen

The modern breed of motor builders and I do not see eye to eye. Guys in tune with the Windsor V8 scene are seldom in tune with the 351 Cleveland scene.


>>>agree...just want to point out, for what its worth, that he runs a cleveland and not a windsor in his mustang



A drag race engine only sees 250 miles in a year's use. Drag racing is actually easier on a motor than road racing, endurance racing, even easier than hard driving on a mountain road. Drag racers don't have a concept for what a soundly built, durable engine is.


>>>don't know anything about drag racing - so can't comment - but my hope is that if the guy can build the country's fastest cleveland engine (at least for purposes of a quarter mile) that he has at least enough of a head on his shoulders to build a good streetable version - of course, who knows, it may truly be a piece of junk



Please don't take my comments about your motor wrong, they are not meant to criticize, there's nothing constructive about criticism. That was this old coots tough, honest, evaluation based on the information you presented.


>>>George, i said it in my very first post to you - i always respect your opinion - and i did thank you for it - it is better to know the truth than be blissfully ignorant - i have read all your comments with an open mind (if not with a bit of "oh cr*p, what have i done")

AND ... since this motor is installed in a sports car I always expect it to be capable of enduring hard driving on a twisty mountain road without leaving the driver stranded; cruising the malt shop is for rat rods and hot rods.

>>>god blessed right!

I do have your best interest at heart, and I do have a plan B for you; here's the game plan to avoid that future full of trouble I predicted:

(1) Get the sonic check from the builder if you can, so you'll know how much cylinder wall remains. If the thrust walls are no thinner than 0.120" anywhere, then you can work with this motor. If the walls are too thin, then you can adopt the attitude of PLT-1, just drive it till it breaks.


>>>trying to get in touch with the builder to ask for that and the cam card



(2) I don't know how many miles are already on the motor since the rebuild,

>>>about 1 thousand



but if its not too many, and the cylinder walls aren't too thin ... I'd sell the TCI Rattler to some poor chap on eBay and buy an ATI damper. Hopefully this will save the crankshaft and/or cylinder block.


>>>OK - i will discuss this with Jeff (the engine builder)



(3) One other question to ask the builder ... did he do anything to strengthen the pin that fastens the distributor gear to the distributor shaft, to prevent it from shearing? That ARP oil pump drive shaft will shear the stock Ford roll pins every time ... the MSD distributors use a coiled roll pin, which may be a little tougher, but forum members have claimed the coiled roll pins have sheared too. If he installed a beefier pin, or double pinned the gear, then cool you're OK. If not, that pin will most likely shear and leave you stranded sometime in the future, to avoid that you can pull the distributor and beef up the pin. If it were me I would prefer to replace the ARP shaft with a standard shaft designed to twist, but that involves dropping the oil pan, it will most likely be easier to pull the distributor.

>>>I'll find out from him



With those issues resolved you can drive your car and enjoy it until a motor problem crops up.


>>>hopefully no time soon...think a good thought!



The thin rings are not designed for high mileage, they are racing rings, so they'll wear more quickly than street rings. Your motor may also tend to burn some oil, time will tell.

>>>just to be clear, why would it burn oil?


And I would expect the Pro Comp heads to eventually develop a problem, but until then there's no reason to not enjoy the motor.

>>>everything else aside in all of these posts, when i put my foot down, a REALLY big smile spreads across my face - at times replaced with a HOLY SH*T for how fast the thing is - this is the fastest car i have ever owned



As problems crop up you can develop a strategy for resolving them; one at a time or all at once.


>>>yep

That's not so grim, is it?


>>>not at all...and thanks



You and every forum member always have my committment to do whatever is within my capability to help and/or advise.

>>>and we all appreciate it very much



-G