Is a basically stock 302 too little motor? Subsequent build: ITS ALIVE SEE VIDEO

[TxMike64]

Boy, I don't know, if I'm paying that much for aluminum heads I would sure hope all this is already done by the manufacturer..

That perspective has crossed my mind too.

Yeah.... but some of us like the process. And there's nothing like doing it yourself for peace of mind, even if it's just "for the seeing".

I've been on a somewhat similar path refreshing a 5.0 like narly1 and have been slowly working on it for almost a year now. I'm in no big hurry and I'm enjoying it!
I mean if the end product was the goal why would we be building a car? If we just wanted the car it'd be better to just go buy one...

[33fromSD]

Yeah.... but some of us like the process. And there's nothing like doing it yourself for peace of mind, even if it's just "for the seeing".

I've been on a somewhat similar path refreshing a 5.0 like narly1 and have been slowly working on it for almost a year now. I'm in no big hurry and I'm enjoying it!
I mean if the end product was the goal why would we be building a car? If we just wanted the car it'd be better to just go buy one...

Don't get wrong, I love seeing how stuff goes together too and the process involved of getting there, but when it comes to things like aluminum heads with tolerances / clearances, my old school intuition kicks in and it falls into the category of if it ain't broke don't fix it, and then my conscious kicks in (a miniature version of my wife sitting on my shoulder) and tells me I paid a s**t load of money for them to be professionally built, so I don't want to chance me screwing something up.

I figure if it bought as an assembly, leave it alone, otherwise if I want to take it apart, why didn't I just order all the various parts and do it from scratch myself.

just me, not saying there is a right or wrong answer.

[narly1]

The AFR heads have a great reputation of being correctly manufactured and assembled right out of the box. But like many things they are mass-produced so there is always some chance of something being not right.

My perspective is with all the time and dollars I've invested so far, why not double check them if it's not too hard to do. Other than removing/measuring the springs and checking the valve "feel", all the other checks can be done with simple tools and the heads intact.

[junglejim]

The AFR heads have a great reputation of being correctly manufactured and assembled right out of the box. But like many things they are mass-produced so there is always some chance of something being not right.

My perspective is with all the time and dollars I've invested so far, why not double check them if it's not too hard to do. Other than removing/measuring the springs and checking the valve "feel", all the other checks can be done with simple tools and the heads intact.

Absolutely! One would like to think that his hard earned dollars are well spent, and AFR products are well respected for a good reason, but as the saying goes, trust but verify.
narly1, I'd say you're on the right track with your inspection procedure, as far as filling the chamber with liquid and such. You never know when something can slip by even the best quality control, and the burden is on the end user.
I bought CHI heads and being, as you are, careful (suspicious), I had them shipped unassembled, so I would have that peace of mind. I found them to be exceptional in quality, as well as the Ferrea valves and Comp Cams springs that came with them. I vacuum tested the ports with the valves unsprung and they pulled 100 percent. I marked the seats with a sharpie and spun the valves on the seats and got a nice mark on the valve faces right where i expected them to be. The installed height on EVERY valve was within 3 thousandths of where they should have been. Point is, quality products should yield quality results, and I would expect your AFR heads will be the same, but you can't replace the peace of mind that comes from seeing it for yourself. Plus you can in clear conscience recommend these products to others.

[narly1]

I'd say you're on the right track with your inspection procedure......

Thanks Jim for confirming my thinking and such.

I figure that if my checks are for the most part "non-invasive" and easy to do, why not do them? The other reason for checking that I forgot to include in my justification was the possibility of shipping damage.

And spare time is in good supply right now, LOL.

I noticed that Summit has them back in stock now so I hope my local supplier here in Canada will be getting theirs in soon as well. I can hardly wait!

Earl

[narly1]

I should also mention that I found another test for checking valve seating where you still fill the combustion chamber with fluid, but then you take an air hose and blow air up into the intake/exhaust ports and observe for leakage (air bubbles) around the valve seats.

[narly1]

I'm pleased to announce that Mrs. Narly1 started a new job on Monday so the engine build project is officially restarted. Not that it ever stopped LOL, I'm still waiting for the new heads to turn up.

In the meantime I celebrated the good news by purchasing a few other things I will need: throttle/kickdown cable bracket, Thermostat, thermostat housing/filler neck, spark plugs (2 sets) and an oil pressure sender extension. They are not scheduled to be delivered until 3rd week of March. COVID seems to be extending the lead-time on everything these days!

[HotrodMike]

Yeah.... but some of us like the process. And there's nothing like doing it yourself for peace of mind, even if it's just "for the seeing".

I've been on a somewhat similar path refreshing a 5.0 like narly1 and have been slowly working on it for almost a year now. I'm in no big hurry and I'm enjoying it!
I mean if the end product was the goal why would we be building a car? If we just wanted the car it'd be better to just go buy one...

I agree with all of you, I have been preparing my drivetrain for the arrival of my Stage 1 kit in July. This is one of those rare moments in life when both the journey and the destination are rewarding...

[narly1]

So the delivery of my heads continues to drag out, I've been told that they should be delivered to me on the 22nd.

So in the meantime I decided to order this pulley and bracket set from CVF:

CVF.jpg

As a side note I found these guy's telephone customer support to be nothing less than fantastic....they definitely earned my business because of it.

[HVACMAN]

So the delivery of my heads continues to drag out, I've been told that they should be delivered to me on the 22nd.

So in the meantime I decided to order this pulley and bracket set from CVF:

CVF.jpg

As a side note I found these guy's telephone customer support to be nothing less than fantastic....they definitely earned my business because of it.

I used them for my LS and had a compressor making noise at startup. One phone call and I had a new compressor in a couple of days. Awesome customer service.