big block to go in ashley's zephyr

[mygasser]

ok, so 3rd time lucky with a new camshaft. i just ordered a camshaft (2 steps up from stock 428 cj this time) a set of core plugs, a pair of head gaskets, big end and main bearings and a set of valve guide seals. should be here mid next week. we're going to build a basic engine run stand this time for cam break in. also we'll use stock 'weak' valve springs for break in then swap the 428 cj ones afterwards. for lifters we've checked the 1st set and only one was bad (very bad, lol) and the other 15 have the correct convex face and survived the break in so will be reused. we'll pull the 2nd set and find any 'good' ones and then strip and clean both sets so we'll have plenty to use this time.
neil.

[mygasser]

today we turned the 'dead crank' engine back up the right way and took the inlet and heads off. at the stage we're at it's worth popping the pistons/rods out and fitting new rings too so.... the bores are good as were the other 2 and all are standard. now it can upside down again to finish the strip down to a bare block. the heads from the one we're using are nice big valve versions which is nice.
neil.

[mygasser]

rings ordered now. just got to finish stripping the engine and give it all a good wash 'n' brush up ready to reassemble it when we have parts.
neil.

[mygasser]

that's the engine stripped to the bare block and the bores honed. we also honed the lifter bores with my brake cylinder hone to make sure the lifters can spin freely when it's running. we're not taking any chances this time. the lifters from cam' number 1 have been stripped, cleaned and reassembled too. ash' will take the block to work and steam clean it inside and out (core plugs removed) as well.
neil.

[mygasser]

parts are already arriving from rock auto, very fast delivery as always
neil.

[mygasser]

today we pulled the 'top' off of ashley's engine so we could go through the lifters to find one more 'good' one. we only found 2 out of 10 that had the slight crown on their base that they should have, 6 wouldn't even pull out of their bores! the 2 were stripped apart, cleaned and rebuilt so we now have a spare just in case. we need to remove the valve springs in situ after bedding the cam' in with the old stock ones and i've bought this compressor that uses the rocker shafts to lever/pull against. it'll come in handy for the same job on my 318 and later ashley's 440 too so the under £20 purchase price was worth it. we had to strip a set of rockers from a shaft for the job but we have plenty, lol.
neil.

[MattH]

Have you got a link for that compressor tool? I could do with one to sort my valve stem seals out without removing the heads.

[mygasser]

yes mate and it's cheaper than i remember at £12.49 inc' delvery. it compresses those uprated 428 cobrajet springs easily so better than the price would suggest too. don't forget a length of 'cotton' rope to fill the cylinder at bdc so when turned over it jams the valves up in place. some use compressed air but that means using your noisy compressor so rope's easier for me.
neil.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266460931945

[MattH]

yes mate and it's cheaper than i remember at £12.49 inc' delvery. it compresses those uprated 428 cobrajet springs easily so better than the price would suggest too. don't forget a length of 'cotton' rope to fill the cylinder at bdc so when turned over it jams the valves up in place. some use compressed air but that means using your noisy compressor so rope's easier for me.
neil.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266460931945

Thank you. I knew about the rope trick, but not about the tool to compress afterwards. I wasn't sure how to do it!

Just ordered one.

[mygasser]

i've got the old g clamp type compressor and more recently one of these for in situ guide rubber/spring changes https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/388191170714 ... R-r4t464Zg
that wouldn't compress the upgraded 428 cobra jet springs though, so it was helpful to have the engine apart and then i saw the 'hook under the shaft' type and thought i'd try it. we'll bed the new cam in with stock springs on ashley's fe ford engine and swap in the the heavier ones using the new compressor. that's the plan anyway, lol.
neil.

[mygasser]

before i forget again... i ordered another pair of new engine mounts as this fe is a 64, ashley's is a 66. in 65 ford changed the block to take a 3 bolt mount, not the earlier 2 bolt mount. only 1 hole on the later 3 bolt mount lines up with the 2 bolt block, doh! good job they're very cheap from rock auto.
anyway back to today we removed all of the oil gallery plugs so we can fully clean the block. this is another nod towards preventing a 3rd cam/lifter failure, lol. so on the ordering stuff front, i ordered some long pipe cleaning brushes too which again is to help prevent cam/lifter failure.
neil.