Does Anyone Have the Wydendorf Lifter Bushing Tools They Would Consider Renting?

The issue with using a used set up is that you cannot confirm that the the hones are still accurate.

The insertion tool shouldn't be a problem but you need to hone to within one one thousand of an inch for what is considered a press fit for the bushings AND the lifters.

That is two reamers that could be wrong or off a little?

If you go to 3 thousands the sleeves might not stay in place. You don't need thouse coming loose out of the bores.

Better to buy an entire kit. I doubt any shop would rent their kit out to you since they can't control any of the "wear and tear" and might be getting back damaged goods.

You are probably right - I figured I'd give it a shot, though....

Thanks for the advice...

Rocky

google it. Maybe you will get lucky and someone will have one for sale somewhere that google can find

I would think that there probably aren't too many people besides machine shops that would consider doing this machining procedure themselves even though it really is very simple to do.

You know, you gotta' use a big drill and it goes round and round and there's 'lectricity involved and yikes? Take my advice, way too advanced for many...even though it's a piece of cake?

Denny Wydendorf sells two different setups for lifter bushings. The first is piloted on the original hole. The second indexes off the crank mains and needs a mill. I suggest only using the second (more expensive) apparatus if you're blueprinting a block. I once published a table of measurements found for a rare NOS 351-C block that had been setting in a warehouse crate since 1970. A machine shop set it up in a fixture and indicated every single part of the block using a profilometer. EVERYTHING was off either slightly or significantly from blueprint specs. So it depends on how precise you want your lifters to run. If all you're interested in is cutting oil leakage around the lifters from 42 years of wear, the piloted reamer will work fine. You'll need to punch out the stock hole, press in a bushing, then ream that for clearance.

IMHO, I wouldn't worry much about a used reamer cutting bad holes; significant wear will make a reamer harder to use and will cut a smaller than normal hole possibly with a less-than-perfect finish. For a press-fit hole, thats not bad as it can be honed to exact size. Less reamer wear will do nothing measurable. But what it won't do is cut to a truer center than its pilot hole. And you get to do this- correctly- 16 times!

I'm not arguing on this but every engine I have worked on is off in a number of areas.

I doubt that the lifter bores being off centered by 30 or 40 thousands will have any effect at all.

These blocks are production items. The Australian or if you prefer the "NASCAR" blocks are no better at all. In fact every NASCAR block I've seen got sonic tested first and the cylinder wall thicknesses are all over the place.

As I understand it, that number should be a minimum of .100" and some of the blocks are showing .080" there.

Generally they show below minimum recommended wall thickness for performance applications across the thrust face. Core shift on them is terrible.

Hard to tell though and probably someone like the Bud Moore shop would know more about that but those blocks are kind of ancient since they were used in NASCAR in the early '70s?

The 427 side oiler blocks are the same way as well.

Don't know if the 429 Shotguns show the same but I would suspect that "in the day" you had to order three blocks and keep the best one.

That would make sense since when you find a NOS block, 95% chance they will test terrible, and THAT IS WHY they are still new and never got used.

When I went to put big valves in my 302, the biggest that would fit in the chambers were 1.94/1.60.

On both heads there was at least one valve guide that was off center by around .030 to .040 and as a result the 2.02 intakes would hit the exhaust valves in those cylinders.

Ask any engine builder. This is to be expected.

I have no experience with the aftermarket blocks like the Pond 427's but I wouldn't be shocked if it was the same story with them.

I know a lot of builders like to shave the main caps and line bore them again just to be sure. Things like that should indicate bad experiences those builders had in the past with other blocks?

I have my motor out and apart. I was wondering if you ever found some one to loan/rent you the tools? How did it go?

I am on a budget and need to be a bit careful of expenses. Cutting costs here and there lets me add else where.

I have a wydendorf 'kit', it has been used at least 3 times the block reamer was resharpened after two uses ,bushing reamer needs to be resharpened at approx.$45ea,so.....as a machinist my advice is buy the kit from him , you can't buy the bushings /reamer diver for the drill chuck/2 reamers+ the additional tool grinder fee to modify the reamers, and bushing driver for his price. call him , he answers the phone,ask questions very knowledeable races fords, he'll give good advice. Then pass the kit along...as did the gent i got this one from.

By the way have a couple of helpers , lots of lube as per the instruction, 3-4 hours [ i used a large drill press 150rpm] pretty straight forward, well done instructions.