installed a new 6:1 head now a tapping noise

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by 30 Closed Cab PU

Are you running a stock compression Head? If yes what you are doing is OK.

The first post on this thread says that he changed to a Snyders six to one head . The original compression ratio was only four point twenty two to one .

[Railcarmover]

Ford incorporated all their findings regarding improvements to to the A engine with the B engine.Mechanical advance distributor was one of them,along with a larger crankshft journal and main bearing pressure lubrication.

At 4.2 to 1 the engine tolerates imprecise timing.Two things change with increasing compression.The engine has less tolerance for timing deviation and performs at its best at 1 degree per 100 rpm advance.You cant match that accurately by hand.The second is the hammer effect of 'ping' increases with higher compression. Stock A engine runs more effciently,high compression A's run more efficiently with mechanical advance distributor

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

SO, how is the ticking doing????? "Maybe" it was caused by the cylinders that had ridges on them?????
Bill Guessing

[ursus]

The original posting details the rebuilding of the oil pump and installation of a new high compression head. The block and head have threaded drillings, the latter for an NPT plug in the oil passage from the pump and the latter for a bolt to lock the distributor in place. Some have found that overtightening either will cause odd noises and vibrations in the engine. I would check on this before tearing into the engine.

[Railcarmover]

Ridges at the top of the cylinder bore indicate a worn engine.Dis assembly and inspection is the next step.
Given the costs invoved overhauling sooner than later is prudent

[Killerbee]

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I also just installed a Snyder’s 6:1 and have went through 3 head gaskets in the past two weeks also I am getting the tapping. My engine ran perfect before installing the head. My engine has been rebuilt .030 over. My timing is dead on. I think Snyder’s got a bad set of heads.

[Roxo]

Originally Posted by Killerbee

I also just installed a Snyder’s 6:1 and have went through 3 head gaskets in the past two weeks also I am getting the tapping. My engine ran perfect before installing the head. My engine has been rebuilt .030 over. My timing is dead on. I think Snyder’s got a bad set of heads. I plan on calling them again about this issue Monday.i think you should do the same.

Very interesting. I might just do that this morning. Right now I'm checking on pricing to get the long block rebuilt. I just got my truck back together last night and was planning on pulling the head and maybe put the old head back on to see if the tapping goes away. I don't know how many times or how much the block has been resurfaced. The tapping started immediately at startup.

[zzlegend]

Be interested in knowing if your pistons stick up above the deck a small amount. And if so, how much?

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally , the pistons usually protruded about thirty to thirty three thousants above deck height .

[zzlegend]

Thanks Purdy. I have seen them protrude some what but never measured one. Just wondering if his block has been decked and how high his would be. Inquiring minds.

[katy]

Put the head on loose w/out a gasket, crank it over slowly by hand and see in any of the pistons hit the head.

[Werner]

You can put kneading rubber putty on the pistons head.

[Purdy Swoft]

I haven't measured but have heard that the Felpro copper clad head gasket compresses to about seventy thousants .

[Railcarmover]

Snyder heads are relieved for piston clearance,roughly .060...compressed head gasket runs from.050 to .070,depending on style. The maximum piston protrusion I have seen is .040..given the variables,and maximum piston protrusion with that 6 to 1 head the quench (quench is the actual distance from piston crown to head) factor is around .090..ideal quench for maximum performance is .030 to .040..

The snyder 5.5 and 6 are relieved above the piston..the odds of his piston contacting the head is nil..now if he had a winfield,there might be an issue..

[Roxo]

Ok here is the latest on my engine noises and that tapping I have.
I think it is in the timing. One more thing I must add, I had tried the Nu-Rex timing system. Truck run the same with or without the Nu-Rex system. Right now I have it installed again.
I found by retarding the timing it ran better and quieter, so I retarded some more and it is 90% better. Now idles and once again sounds like a Model A. I have read with this head you did not have to advance the timing as far, but I had to severely retard it.
I will play with it some more today and maybe take the Nu-Rex system back out and try it that way so I have control of the advance. I can't believe the difference in the noise level of the engine now, it's quite like it was before. But still think I might hear that tapping lightly as I rev up the RPMs while driving.
Still using the old style points and the bushing are tight no extra play at all so I did not rebuild my distributor, just new rotor, body, cap and points.

[Railcarmover]

I would leave the phillips (nurex) advance mechanism and retard the spark by turning the distributor cam back.Having mechanical advance set correctly is better than manual spark control.Instead of timing by ear use a timing light.

Detonation will fool you,it sounds just like a mechanical failure.Buy a stethoscope,Harbor Freight has one cheap,they are very handy in pinpointing engine noise.

[ryanheacox]

Originally Posted by 30 Closed Cab PU

Are you running a stock compression Head? If yes what you are doing is OK.

I realize this thread is getting quite off topic... but, I would agree with a stock head what you're doing sounds good. With a 5.5 head I never pull the spark down more than halfway. Was told once that a good rule of thumb is to advance the spark at an idle until the engine stops speeding up and that's how far you ever want to advance it.

[30 Closed Cab PU]

Originally Posted by Railcarmover

I would leave the phillips (nurex) advance mechanism and retard the spark by turning the distributor cam back.Having mechanical advance set correctly is better than manual spark control.Instead of timing by ear use a timing light.

Detonation will fool you,it sounds just like a mechanical failure.Buy a stethoscope,Harbor Freight has one cheap,they are very handy in pinpointing engine noise.

A Stethoscope works great, or you can do the old trick of using a large screwdriver with handle end up against your ear. Not as good but also works.


I used the screwdriver trick to track down a horrendous screeching noise which turned out to be a bad distributor bearing.

[Ernie Vitucci]

Good Afternoon...I have a friend who had this problem and he borrowed a stock head and put it on his older engine. He did not know how many miles were on the engine. With the stock head, the engine went back to running just fine and has for quite a while now. Just an idea. More compression stresses everything. If the engine has 'miles' on it...then it might well be happier with a stock head and you will have more money in your jeans! Ernie in Arizona!

[Roxo]

Originally Posted by Ernie Vitucci

Good Afternoon...I have a friend who had this problem and he borrowed a stock head and put it on his older engine. He did not know how many miles were on the engine. With the stock head, the engine went back to running just fine and has for quite a while now. Just an idea. More compression stresses everything. If the engine has 'miles' on it...then it might well be happier with a stock head and you will have more money in your jeans! Ernie in Arizona!

I do believe putting my old head back on is the way to go for now Ernie. The tapping started again today just as bad. Other then that it sounds great.
It is starting to look more like a wrist pin on number 2 or 3. If I idle it down as far I as can without stalling. I can hear a double tap. If I remember right that is usually a wrist pin.
I got gaskets coming in this week so I will remove the head, maybe the oil pan too. Check things out and go from there. Maybe the old head will get through the summer.
Sometimes it sucks to be me... LOL!