rethinking I have had the proverbial light bulb come on, this car is a father/son project for a 16 well he will be almost 18 by the time it's ready. Here I am talking about strokers, monster cams, more hp. Just replacing the cam that is in it and a new set of lifters THEN making sure a proper break in is done and this motor is going to be producing way more power than he needs anyway. Funny how we Dad's become a young gear head and what to build it like we are going to be driving it with our 30 years driving experience, I think doing a lower inspection then just putting what was in it back along with 3.80 and a 2500 stall should give him plenty of thrill, hell probably give me plenty, then if and when it comes time for a new motor we can max out a 351 to drop in it...............
Is there anything actually making you want to keep that engine block? Roller blocks from the 1990s are easy to find and cheap. If you are going stroker, slam all the new parts into that block, throw your existing goodies on top and call it done.
Yeh thats a lot of metal. Would be no discussion or decision making for this guy. It comes out plain and simple. Anyone tells you different...well i wont say they are wrong cause thats rude but if I were you i would completely disregard everything they say from that point forward.
Keeper Other than the fact is a newly new rebuilt lower block (provided no metal damage) because it would have a lot of life in it still AND as I had said earlier this car is for a young teen who is just learning to drive, does he need a stroker? hell no! Does Dad want to borrow his son's car with a motor so bad azz that it'll throw your neck in a crik from the cam chop and then whiplash from acceleration? HECK YEAH! BTW anyone famaliar with these, good price usually equals low quality:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Small-...ro-Fit-Hydraulic-Roller-Lifters-/151246574820
I understand...I built Patches right out from under my Son. it was to be his first car and I got way ahead of myself. He did get to drive it when we took it to the track...
Ditto! I would clean that motor you have up. Patch that dude together and enjoy what's left in it while you find a later model roller block to build. By the time you get it together your boy will have some time in the seat and you may feel better about him in a stroker motor car.
ha-ha ... I lost track of that this is for your son. I guess it hinges on your plans. Roller lifters make sense for the long haul, but like you said, the conversion is expensive. If you have more of a shorter-term plan for this motor, I would lean toward popping it open, make sure it is OK, and maybe throwing a good hydraulic lifter cam in it. It will save some bucks, and in this car, will still be a handful for an inexperienced driver. If you go this route, be sure to break the motor in on some good break-in oil like Joe Gibbs, etc. Newer oil is so low in zinc, you might end up back a square one with a wiped-out cam and lifters.
Decision made.....I think OK, now that I have been able to think straight and keep reminding myself this is for my son, that's exactely what we are going to do.......and yes it will have break in oil with zinc and each oil change will have a bottle of zinc additive put in it, tomorrow we pull the motor and break it down for inspection and get it hot tanked then bolt her back together if everything looks good.......phew I hope I can quit looking at Jegs catalog and Summit and all these high performance parts websites, I start to forget who the car is for.........as we were driving home today my son ask "Dad, are we still going to put NOS on it also?" I'm like where did the heck did you get that idea.....he replied "you was saying that a 125 shot would be as much as you would want to put on it" .........I realized how much I have been thinking out loud, NOS, jeezzzz I'm losing it
