It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

After a month in the clutches of the USPS, my reground Isky 1007B camshaft FINALLY arrived from D&L Automachine (Thanks, Pete1!). Ain’t it pretty? Seriously, it’s almost too nice to use…

https://fordbarn.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1596720344

https://fordbarn.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1596720344

https://fordbarn.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1596720344

https://fordbarn.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1596720344

Anyway, as I start sourcing parts for the engine in my 1951 Ford, I have a few questions.

1. What valve springs should I run with this cam? I’d like the lowest seat pressure I can get away with. Would stock springs work?

2. What brand of valves and/or what vendor do you recommend for purchasing valves?

3. I’ve got a nice set of EAB heads. Can I run them with a 4-inch Mercury crank? If not, I also have a smattering of 8BAs. I assume shoot for around 0.050" piston-to-head and valve-to-head clearance, right?

4. For simplicity and drivability, I plan on running a single carburetor. Do the four-bolt Mercury intake manifolds flow more than the three-bolt Ford units or are they pretty much the same? Not sure if finding a Merc unit would be an improvement.

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

Admiral, Charlie NY did a 1 1/16 throttle bore 94 style carb for my 8BA with max 1 in it.
You could feel the difference, over the stcok 1" diameter 94. Just say'n. Charlie is easy to talk with..... Good luck & have fun!
mike

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

Thanks for the feedback, mfirth! Actually, I've got a 1 1/16"-bore Holley rebuilt and ready to run. Glad to hear they work well with this sort of combination. I'm shooting for good drivability, lots of low- and mid-range torque, with a little more oopmh than stock. Also, you're totally right about Charlie. He's SUPER nice, helped me order some parts to rebuild that carb, actually.

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

I’d talk to Pete on your valve questions...Im going to use a Merc intake on my next engine. Like the idea of the bigger bore 94..... Mark

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

I'm a little confused. The purpose of using a Merc manifold is to allow you to use a larger 4 bolt base carburetor (usually a Rochester 2G). Why would you consider a "bigger bore 94" (which flows a lot less than a 2G) which would require an adapter, which is usually not a good idea?

I will admit that I am a great booster of a 2G on a bored out merc manifold. The one problem I am having is getting the throttle to open all the way. Even with the throttle only opening 3/4 way, the increase in performance is impressive.

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

About your valve question, This is one man's opinion: I used the Hi flow undercut stainless chevy valves from Red's Headers because of the smaller base of the reground cam. To keep seat pressure fairly low, I used Red's Lincoln springs and one .060" shim to get around 50# on the seat.

I'm also using a 2G on a bored Mercury manifold and a Charlie NY chevy distributor. Overall, it is a. good, reliable system. I just wish I had used one of Pete's 1007B cams.

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

I liked the idea.... but obviously I would need to do more research. The way I read his post the big bore 94 was a Merc carb and was four bolt. When I’m ready to do the swap, maybe I can pick your brain on 2G info...... Mark

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

If you're referring to me, please do, as I have done several. I have a jig that you can use to bore the manifold and had a bunch of 1/8" aluminum plates made to seal off the bottom of the 2G, which has some odd heat passages cast into it.

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

Yes, thanks. I had never heard of a “big bore-94” so I assumed it was a Merc carb. We all know what happens when we do that ...... Mark

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

I was actually thinking of going with the valves offered by Red's Headers. I like that they have the non-grooved exhaust guides for slightly better heat transfer.

I think I'd like to run valve rotators for perhaps slightly improved longevity. Any idea if these work with the undercut, 1.5-inch Chevy valves?

Other than the four-bolt carburetor mount, is the Mercury manifold any different than the Ford design? Do they flow more?

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

In stock form I remember that the rotator valve keepers utilized a shorter spring than the non-rotators, but i don't remember how much shorter. I might be enough that you don't need shims. Or maybe too much if you don't use short springs. Maybe someone will chime in with the difference in length.

I can't help you with the flow differences.

Re: It’s a thing of beauty! But now some questions…
 

I bore mine all the way down to the base of the manifold and then round the edges of the transition from the throttle bores. I have no real measurements, but it seems to me that when the vertical passages transition to the eight passages to the individual ports, a lot of passage volume is encountered.

Take a look down an intake manifold and see what you think.