276 stroker from 35 years of parts

[GB SISSON]

Tim, there are very knowledgeble flathead builders in both camps here. Aftermarket or stock distributor with stock carb/cam and large displacement. Since I'm cheap and it's a really easy thing to switch out at any time, then add to that I have a really nice stock carb and distributer sitting on my bench for zero outlay, I will start out with the 'Maybe-O-Matic' setup initially and see how she does. Of course my only comparison bench mark will be the 'before' woodie with it's 221 and three speed. Somebody tell me to get off the damn computer and get those doors glued up, the weekend is looming.

[flatford8]

Get back to making sawdust mistah!!.......Mark

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Get back to making sawdust mistah!!.......Mark

Got 9 more doors assembled and day ain't over yet. AND that includes the 25 mile round trip to town when I realized it was the 8th of the month. Gotta pay lumberyard bill by the 8th to get the contractor discount. It was a good excuse to crank up the 'staved up' ol truck and haul my ragged ass into town. Showed up all them 60,000.00 suvs in the grocery store parking lot on the way home.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Got 9 more doors assembled and day ain't over yet. AND that includes the 25 mile round trip to town when I realized it was the 8th of the month. Gotta pay lumberyard bill by the 8th to get the contractor discount. It was a good excuse to crank up the 'staved up' ol truck and haul my ragged ass into town. Showed up all them 60,000.00 suvs in the grocery store parking lot on the way home.

[GB SISSON]

Thanks Pete, and only 8 doors left until the 'weekend' starts.

[GB SISSON]

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There is a lot of negative comments in forums about split lockwashers on main bearing caps and other highly torqued critical fastenings. It does seem apparent that for the majority of 8ba engines Ford used split lock washers on the center and rear main caps and a different bolt with no washers on the front cap. There are posts on the subject here from 2011 and again in 2020. I also found threads on FTE and Stovebolt about the matter. Perhaps they are like oil thread posts, works either way. I'm considering grade 8 flat washers as I was a middle child and prone to compromise. It would be awful if the bolts bottomed out before the caps were properly clamped.

[cadillac512]

Mine got hard flat washers. Never believed in lock washers on main caps, or cotter pins/safety wire for that matter, at least for a flathead Ford.

[GB SISSON]

In 50+ years of fixing mechanical things I have seen more broken lockwashers than I can recall. That's why I brought this up, For the record I just went down to look again at what is on my project engine.. Four thick headed bolts with lockwashers and the two thinner ones with dimpled heads that ford put up front without washers now have lock washers. Of the two thin headed bolts, one is in the front cap and the other in the rear cap. My guess is that I would enjoy happy motoring left as is, but I'm glad I searched the subject and will switch things around and buy six hard flat washers.. Might leave the front bolts washerless as I've read they are shorter. Will torque to 100 ft/lbs and move onward.

[Scotty's 52 F3]

I'm no Flathead expert but I have also found a lot of broken lock washers over the years so I won't use them on anything.

When I worked as a mechanic at a Caterpillar dealership, lock washers were an absolute no no on anything critical. Never on anything internal. Older machines had them on sheet metal. Otherwise it was proper fasteners against hard washers torqued as specified by Caterpillar.

Just my personal "opinion" on the matter.

[38 coupe]

I omitted the lock washers on Dad's 8BA. I checked thread depth by running each bolt into its mating hole and comparing to cap height, all tapped holes in that block were more than deep enough. I used Loctite on the threads since I wanted some sort of hold together guarantee on main cap bolts.

[GB SISSON]

Flat washers it is then. If the 2 thin headed bolts are shorter, I will skip the washers on them. I'm considering a set of 'store bought' ball bearing water pumps. It appears I will need 'big bore' head gaskets, as my Best set is for standard application. Hoping to find some in the composition type.

[cadillac512]

I'm running the ball bearing pumps that Speedway Motors sells and they've been great on both the original '41 engine and now the 8CM for several years and 27,000 miles. Michael at Third Gen may sell them as well. He may also have the big bore Comp gaskets from Best.

[GB SISSON]

I plan to call Mac Van Pelt about such things today as I also have questions for
shouldered cam gear bolts etc.. Woke up at 4 am so decided to get this party started. Now I have the rings and bearings set up on the piston/rod assemblies and ready to stab them in. Then I may make a town run for stuff to make an oil pump tester. I picture a short piece of (1 1/4"?)hydraulic hose with an 1/8" pipe fitting clamped through it. I was hoping to find an easy way to drive the gear with a drill and sure enough, an 1 1/4" 12 point socket settles down real nice-like on that drive gear as there are 12 spaces between the teeth. Now I won't have to drive out 5 pins. I have done a lot of searches about cam gear bolts. When I find them listed as such online they have no shoulder. I can get hardware store bolts at the the hardware store, but I want the shoulder.
Oh good, a parts run. Another excuse to double clutch my way into town and back.

[cadillac512]

You may be having too much fun!

[KiWinUS]

Send me your address and I will send you some cam bolts.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

Send me your address and I will send you some cam bolts.

Wow! Thank you so much! PM sent.

[GB SISSON]

This is the mockup for my oil pump tester. Went to napa for 4" of 1.5" hydraulic hose but they only had coolant hose. The 12 point socket drives the gear nicely with no chatter, slip or damage. I used a mix of brass fittings backed up with washers. Need to keep it thin on the inside. A bolt in truck tire stem would be ideal except for schraeder end, but a good option. I primed it with oil through the fitting and set the pickup into a can of hydrauliuc fluid and shot a solid 3/8" stream an honest ten feet. Tomorrow I will rig up a gauge with some 3/8" air hose. I'm thinking a good pump will open the bypass? Not sure whether to test for pressure, volume or distance. Gonna be like an old time 'pissin' contest'. May the best pump win.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

This is the mockup for my oil pump tester. Went to napa for 4" of 1.5" hydraulic hose but they only had coolant hose. The 12 point socket drives the gear nicely with no chatter, slip or damage. I used a mix of brass fittings backed up with washers. Need to keep it thin on the inside. A bolt in truck tire stem would be ideal except for schraeder end, but a good option. I primed it with oil through the fitting and set the pickup into a can of hydrauliuc fluid and shot a solid 3/8" stream an honest ten feet. Tomorrow I will rig up a gauge with some 3/8" air hose. I'm thinking a good pump will open the bypass? Not sure whether to test for pressure, volume or distance. Gonna be like an old time 'pissin' contest'. May the best pump win.

[tubman]

If you want to test for pressure (which I think is the most important factor), you're gonna hafta simulate the oil loss in the actual engine with a restriction of some sort.

I have no idea what would be involved.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by tubman

If you want to test for pressure (which I think is the most important factor), you're gonna hafta simulate the oil loss in the actual engine with a restriction of some sort.

I have no idea what would be involved.

Denny I suppose with digging up 5 pumps, I'm doing this primarily to decide which of the five might be best and also to rule out any poor performer. Should know more tomorrow. In searches about oil pumps, many here seem to feel a good ford pump is once again, superior to today's aftermarket.