Cam removal in an ERA/FE

[vector1]

I'd suggest keeping the victor manifold. The smaller cam is going to give you more vacuum, the dual plane is going to give you even more. Be prepared for some carb tuning, and if it runs good now I would hate to risk changing that and maybe not recapturing that condition.

Additionally, see if I read this right, you're going to change out the springs and cam, why not go to a hydraulic setup, and the money you were going to spend on the manifold put toward the lifters.

[lippy]

So here is the update: While I was waiting for the heads from Brent, I went through a bunch of things, resealed a few, welded up a new throttle bracket (actually a few), installed new pan gaskets with the stainless rail I made, installed a new cam (still solid roller, but it should be far more streetable at 248/252, .600 lift) and replaced a bunch of bolts with slick ARPs.

Then I got the heads back and received the new BT dual plane intake. Bolted on the heads and mocked up the intake, measuring everything twice. It actually fit within all tolerances so I installed it. It really looks great. Quality piece. I need new pushrods, so I just ordered some custom Smith three-piece 5/16" thick wall (0.118) with tool steel ball ends. I'd like to use 11/32" or 3/8" but I'm not sure they'd clear, so I went with the best 5/16" I could find.

Another nice thing is that the BT gives me almost another inch of clearance, say 3/4". I was severely restricted with my air cleaner, so now I can use a 2.75" x 8.125" round air cleaner instead of a 2". Should be much better, and I can get rid of that heinous Xtreme top and use the S&H.

But... I pulled a real bonehead move. I had a rag in the distributor hole but then I pulled it out just before I put in the distributor to test the fit with the manifold. Wouldn't you know that during the few seconds I had the rag out I dropped a stainless nut in. I managed to see it briefly, twice, with a borescope but it's pretty far down so I can't even get the borescope to see it with any regularity. It is toward the front of the engine on some ledge behind the block front wall. If I can't at least knock it down to the pan and fish it out from there, I'll have to drop the pan again.

I'm out of pocket for the next couple of weeks but hopefully I can pick it up again and get it started by mid-April. The last time I had the car out was New Year's Day, so it's been awhile. I've spent a ton of time on this, so really looking forward to finishing and getting it back on the road. Hope I don't need too much retuning.

[DanEC]

Thanks for the update Lippy. Good luck with recovering the nut.

[strictlypersonl]

Not all stainless alloys are anti-magnetic. Do you have another one to test?

[blykins]

I have a Pond block here now, if it would help I could take pictures of it from the bottom up, so you could see what it could be caught on. Could be sitting on the windage tray as well, if I remember right.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by blykins

I have a Pond block here now, if it would help I could take pictures of it from the bottom up, so you could see what it could be caught on. Could be sitting on the windage tray as well, if I remember right.

That would be great, thanks.

I tested another nut and it is slightly magnetic, but probably not enough.

[Albie]

Maybe using a piece of plastic tubing and a shop vac you can get a hold of it, or move it to a spot where you can grab it with something else. Make sure there's no chance of vacuuming in fuel vapors.

[Bernica]

Maybe wrap something real sticky like fly paper around the tip of your bore scope?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Maybe wrap something real sticky like fly paper around the tip of your bore scope?

That'll just be more stuff that he'll have to pull out of his engine once he realizes he has to pull the pan off.

[lippy]

My hope is to locate it better and then use a bent piece of stiff wire to knock it into the pan, where I think I can get it out. No oil in the engine yet.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by lippy

My hope is to locate it better and then use a bent piece of stiff wire to knock it into the pan, where I think I can get it out. No oil in the engine yet.

Is it small enough to come out the drain plug hole?

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Is it small enough to come out the drain plug hole?

Now that would be quite a trick to guide it all the way there!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Now that would be quite a trick to guide it all the way there!

Well if he could get it down in to the pan, and there's no oil in the pan, then he could jack the car way up in the air, tilting it backwards, then bang on the pan from below, it would make its way back there, then he could pull it out with needle nose pliers.

[Bernica]

One of my bore scopes (endoscopes) came with some attachments like a mirror, magnet and a hook that will all mount to the end of the scope. They are cheap. I have the 5.5mm and 8.5mm ones. Great for snooping around in tight places!

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[Shootnride]

Originally Posted by Albie

Maybe using a piece of plastic tubing and a shop vac you can get a hold of it, or move it to a spot where you can grab it with something else. Make sure there's no chance of vacuuming in fuel vapors.

Albie has the best idea here. I've done very similar tasks in this manner. Get a piece of Tygon tubing about 1/2" ID (or whatever size will work for you), make an adapter from PVC plumbing fittings to adapt it to your shop vac hose and suck the thing out of there.

Ted

[lippy]

I ended up locating the nut and eventually knocking it down to the pan. I had a pretty good view inside the pan with the borescope, but I couldn't find it. After spending 2-3 hours on this, I finally removed the pan. The nut was in the pan, but behind one of the trap doors. I never would've gotten it out, so removing the pan was the right thing to do. The Right Stuff is only the right stuff when you don't have to remove it.

Now onto cleaning it up and reinstalling the pan, for the umpteenth time. Probably in a few weeks.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by lippy

Now onto cleaning it up and reinstalling the pan, for the umpteenth time. Probably in a few weeks.

Good news! Maybe you should just put wing nuts on the pan!
Sorry, couldn't resist. Glad your current troubles are over...

[DWRAT]

Bright side is you knew you lost the nut before starting it up unlike what I did 5 years ago when I got my motor all back together and started it up only to find a 5/16 nut went down the intake and passed the valve.
Needless to say it was a bigger problem that way.

[blykins]

It happens to everybody at some point. The very first engine I ever built.....guess what happened. Luckily, the engine was on the stand and I was able to drain the oil out of it and fish it out through the drain plug hole.

Sorry you had to drop the pan.....

[lippy]

It's better than the alternative of possibly wrecking the engine, and better than wondering if it might do damage in the future if left in.