1974 Mexican Maverick Restoration

what's the casting number on the block? pictures of flywheel and balancer please...
rocker arms look used to me, that's anodized aluminum, not painted. the wear they show must be from tossing them around.
most important: what camshaft did they use?

edit: why are there only 2 bolts on the crank pulley?

 

Lots of red flags here. Rockers look used, rust inside the heads, valve springs look used unless it's just the picture. Stock spring retainers. Makes me question the cam. And who builds a 289 "torque motor"? Stock 289 crank and rods with ARP bolts will turn 7,000 RPM all day long especially of the engine is balanced. To make fun power with a 289 you need to turn it more than 5,500 RPM. Unless you told him you just want a grocery getter you're going to be disappointed. Oh, one more thing, the set screws in the poly locks look pretty deep. Makes me wonder how much thread engagement there is on the rocker studs. If be worried if I were you.

 

lots of questions, i try to make it more clear.

its a 302 bored .030 over so a 306. (he says out of a 1980 mustang, cast numbers to check)
cam is a lunati voodoo 268/276 (if he really put it in as agreed at the beginning...)
he used 289 rods with the 302 crank, to get a better angle at rod to piston connection.
pistons should be Keith Black forged 4.030 machined on top to get the difference in rod length adjusted (still not sure if its good to take away material on top of the piston) and im not sure if he really put forged ones in or hyper or whatever...
the heads are from the same 1980 302, ported and with bigger ch**y valves.
the springs i thought as well they look used, he told me that he had them already in a box... i will tell him to put new ones in.
to me the rockers look used as well, at at least very bad treated. (i know they are anodized, thats why i wonder how hard they had to hit them to get it off that much color)
i told him to use arp bolts through all the engine, but the only place he used them was to bolt in the mains. so the rod have the normal bolts in it. so other point im not happy...

tody: i think he didnt finish to bolt on the pulleys yet, so not all bolts in.
John: what do you mean by: "the set screws in the poly locks look pretty deep"?

so, seeing my engine built like that i lost the trust in the built and the parts he put in.
that was not built like we agreed at the beginning and on what the price is basing on...!
im really disappointed, as for that i could have made it myself better...

 

You definitely want new correct springs to match the voodoo cam and I would want better spring retainers too. The poly locks are the nuts that hold down the roller rockers. There is a set screw in the center which you tighten down after the valves are adjusted to lock it in place. You can usually see the top of the set screw from the able your picture was taken. Like I said I may just be the picture or the set screws are very deep which means there may not be much threads from the rocker studs engaged in the nut.

 

thanks for your advice! appreciate it alot!

i think there arent even polylocks installed... will check that.
the springs and spring retainers i will demand him to put new ones in.
i have seen a new box of lunati springs in the shop, but he told me they are not mine when i asked about them...

 

it sure sounds like this guy is building himself a motor with all of the good parts thanks to you paying for it.

Ive seen used roller rockers in better shape than those. theres rust inside the head and on the side of the rockers. the springs are most likely stock since he has a new set of lunatti springs in the box that conveniently arent yours

I would demand to see receipts or he wouldnt be getting paid a dime and we would go to court to pay me back for the money I had already givin him.

I say stop now if he doesnt show any receipts.

have you paid him for the motor or any parts upfront?

 

yeah, thats what i think. im not happy with this engine.
ill tell him to open it up again, i wanna see the cam and pistons in it and that he changes everything to arp bolts! then it sure should stand more then 5500 rpm right?
also new rockers, springs and everything.

how about the rust in the heads? is that really bad? can it be treated?

for this money i could have made it better, but still dont have my own shop...
but im working on that...

 

When I had my 351 Cleveland stroked to 393, my engine builder was on the phone with me all of the time letting me know things like "I got your block bored today - come on down and take a look" - "Your pistons and rods came in - come and take a look" - everything was up front with me - I even bought a lot of the parts myself, with their guidance, and took them down to them. I bought my own Comp Cam/lifters, Scorpion Roller Rockers, Canton oil pan, valve covers, intake etc. The engine builder never made a move without my knowledge and a chance to see what was done or be there when new parts boxes were opened like pistons, rods, balancer and crank. I even got to watch him balance the crank along with my flywheel and new balancer. Everything that you mentioned about your engine builder would cause me to have no trust in him at all

 

exactly i wouldn't trust him one bit...when i had one of my engines built by a local shop i think i ended up with like 4 pages of specs and information how everything was done and a phone call for ANY thing he thought i may need to know or make a decision on, also they take pics during there build and keep them on a shop computer so people can view them or get them emailed just for the sake of build pictures

 

i understand you both 100p and me as european would wish i would have it like this.
i would love to have all the information to understand why my engine is good or bad and what i have in i payed for.
BBBUUUTTT: we are in mexico!!
1.: customer service did for sure not get invented here in mexico!
2. this engine builder is a 73 year old mexican racing driver, who restores and modifies old cars since 40 years.
he does not have a computer or smartphone, does not take fotos of nothing and makes it more like he wants than what i have ordered.
im sure the engine will run, but it is not what we have agreed on and on what the price is based on.
i think he does it how he always does it, as no mexican client is really interested in the technics, the just buy a restaured car with "an" engine at the end.
im a difficult client, as i would think of myself, as i have a really clear image on what i want and especially how i want it.
im a car design engineer and i want to have many changes made on the car which is out of the vintage knowledge of the patron.
with the guys in the shop i talk and make the planning on the car, because he doesent even pass the info i give on to them...

so i gave him the option, even if he doesnt have all the receipts, he can open up the engine, show me everything and we go on.
but he doesnt want to open it up, what is really suspect to me because i think he didnt use the parts i wanted.
he wants to make me a new engine and use this one in other car.
but talking about what it will have he told me other things than i ordered, and to get what i want he would have to change the price.
higher of course, but he is already very expensive to others, i even could order me a nice 330HP turnkey engine from the us for the price he wants now for this shi*!!

so i check for other options and keep my original engine for a while more to have a better engine built.

oooooooooor i build one myself!!!
destiny played today for me and i found my own workshop!!
an empty room of a former flower store will be the place for my mav and the 73 mustang of my friend, sharing a 70m2 big room with 2 car gates, toilet, shower and lot of space.
and best it is really hidden and if we do it right no one will see what we do in there from outside. ( good to not get robbed...)

so maybe ill go and get the car soon and finish it myself
pics will follow soon

 

So how much have you payed him so far? And would he give you your money back? What would you lose if you backed out with him now? I'm thinking cut your losses and get the stroker engine from USA if you can afford it.

 

Like you said, you are in Mexico....

 

thats for sure.
you get disappointed day by day if your used to an other level...

but as we europeans say: if you get up on day and you already know it wont work, you have to take the next plane home!

 

so, on we go with the build, slowly but at least a bit.

right now, my old engine is in to fit the tranny and build the new trans cross member.




the engine bay is primered and ready to paint, but i dont have the right color yet.
the shop owner brought me a few samples, but it never was what i showed him on the foto of my example.
so the cant go on with the assembly of the steering, brake, clutch, and all the engine bay.


they test fitted the hydro bake booster and clutch sleeve piston to show me how it will be.



also the front suspension is coming along, with roller perches, 1" sway bar, eccentric eliminator, shelby drop but still missing the KYB shocks. and the brake discs are old, ill change them to big aftermarket soon.


http://braesspics.smugmug.com/Maverick/Restoration-and-modification/i-MWcH56z/0/M/CIMG9034-M.jpg


the back lights are ready, they built a nice ring around the cuts. some details and paint and it looks like part of the back panel.



and the roof got cleaned of the rust and painted to prepare for dynamat insulation.


also they fitted the heater i am restoring to make the air vent cylinder new.


because we didnt find a nice rear valance they will make a new one from sheet metal. with some integrated backup lights and half moon cuts to put in the exhaust ends

 

but one big problem i ran into are the new headers.
before i started restoration i planned to put on new double exhaust.
thats why i bought very nice hookers competition headers (6901-1HKR).



now as the engine and tranny is in we test fitted them to see if it works with new steering system and hydraulic clutch.

they have a few spots wich need to be massaged to clear the shok towers, but fit more or less.

BUT: when they are in place, they hang alot too deep!! f**k!!
mexico has really high bumps, called topes, and they are in every street, at every crossing!



can they be ajusted anyway??? i dont really want to cut them.
the shop guy say he can do some stainless steel shorty specially made to fit, but i dont really want shorties because of torque loss.
and they are not cheap, and i have to sell my headers i have now, but they were expensive too (with importation to mexico) and noone here will pay me what i need to have for them to not lose too much money...

what you guys think is the way to go?