Reliable 428 SJC buildrs in Calif.

[Ron61]

Just a question for now as it will be a while before I know for sure what I want to do. I live in Shasta Lake, Calif. and I have a 1969 special order Torino Cobra with the NASCAR running gear.
My problem is this. when I ordered the car, the dealer pulled the motor, bored it .060 over and installed an Isky solid cam with 312 duration and .630 lift. It has an Eidelbrock dual plane high rise intake and a 850 Holly double pumper carb. Problem. Car has never been abused in any way, still has original tires and just turned over 40,500 miles. Most of that was on the freeway driving to Sacramento and San Francisco for people to look at the car. Twice while driving in the past I have spun a rod bearing and this is not with a lot of miles. We have had the creank and rods checked both times and they came back as being ok. No stress fractures, nothing at all wrong. Could it be that when the dealer did the work and changed to the solid cam there is an oiling problem for the low end and if so why. I was driving down the freeway yesterday at about 55and heard that familiar clatter startand now I am sure I have another spun bearing. Won't know for a week or so as my friend who has the garage is on vacation and I have no place to pull the pan and look at the lower end. I would love to keep this engine as it is a monster when running, but this spinning bearings is getting expensive. I would appreciate any suggestions anyone has. I won't let just anyone touch this car and Redding is out as I wouldn't have an engine built here for a volkswagen. My friend that owns the garage just doesn't have time to do it since his Father passed away and he tries to stay away from the big jobs. But once I find out just what happened I would like to know if there is a really trustworthy and reliable FE engine builder in the Sacramento area or anywhere close to Redding. The car is not raced nor never will be as it is still all original but I would like to keep the motor I have as it puts out around 450 horse. So anyone with suggestions please e-mail me or keep the posts to a low level as I don't need the argavation of a bunch of ticked off wana be engine builders around here. No hurry as I said, it will be a week or so before I know for sure what is going on.

Thanks in advance,

Ron

[Lumberman]

Ron,
Call Tom Lucas at FE Specialties in Sacramento (916) 339-0427.
I think he can help ypu correct your problem.
Dave

[SCOBRAC]

Spun bearings are due to sloppy fitment, not oiling problems rod bearings need .025" beyond that you risk losing them. If you are referring to a seizure that's a different deal. I think Tom would be a good choice, he is fairly local for you, very knowledgable, fairly reasonable and with low miles you should be out the door for a few grand.

I will tell you if you want serious perfection there is a place in suisun called TOE they build only the finest racing and high end street engines in Northern California and specialize in NASCAR Ford engines. They aren't inexpensive but they are very, very good.

[Turk]

Ron if you insist on a local builder, I too would recommend FE Specialties or (Specialists).
If you want to travel a little further I would recommend George Anderson of Gessford Machine. he is building my third engine for me. No, he is NOT rebuilding it for the third time. It is the third engine.

He has also completed quite a few engines for others in here.
Different than many others, there has not been a single incident where he did anything short of a perfect engine.
He knows what he is doing, he is very generous with his time and knowledge and he is fellow Cobra owner as well.
That was very important to me in my selection of an engine builder.
he loves the car the engines are going into. Not a hobby but he has a car just like you and me.

TURK
Give him a call.

[decooney]

Hey Ron,
coincidentally, and by choice, my ERA Cobra has a 1969 Torino Cobra Jet motor and a 1969 Torino Nascar trans in it too. Tom Lucas at "FE Specialties" set up my short block and my Edelbrock cylinder heads for me. I went to Tom because his primary focus, goal, and passion is to engineer and build FEs. I am very impressed with his abilities in working with and blueprinting the oiling system on an FE. Various mainstream builders say they know what to do there, but really are just guessing and just hogging out all oil holes with no rhyme or reason. Tom is not guessing. He's had a lot of practice with FEs seeing where they succeed and where they fail when slapped together by a Chevy engine builder. As long as you define the basic parameters of what you expect from Tom, and how you plan to use the car, I'm certain that Tom will be able to tell you what is wrong now, and can help get you back on the road again with confidence. Call him and ask him. Be sure to tell him that I referred you in there along with the others... Oh, BTW: I've ran my FE against some others, and it goes like snot too. I'm very pleased with the power and torque now that I backed down on the cam a little.

If you go to Tom, reply to this thread and tell us what he finds about this problem you are experiencing... it's good to know these things on FEs. Let us know... Good Luck. Duane

[Ron61]

Thanks guys,

I have been looking at various suggestions and I think since Tom is closer to me I will most likely give him a call later on. I was just hoping for someone to answer who has had him do work and let me know if they were happy with it. I did e-mail George but he is just way to far from me.

Turk,

I need a builder close by as I have no way to get the motor anywhere. Shipping from Redding is non-existant and it would cost the price of a car to get a truck to pick it up. I wish I could get it to George but just don't see any way. Also I am having a problem with even getting the engine pulled. Only one mechanic around here I will let work on my cars and he is back logged 3 months. He doesn't want to take on any big jobs like this but would do it as a favor if I wait until he has time. I have no means of facilities at my place to pull the motor. Turk, did you have Gerorge just build an engine and ship it out here or did you take one back to him ?

SCOBRAC,

Bearings are completely burned. I shut the car off as soon as I heard the first noise. It would have seized if I had driven it a little farther. This is the 4th time this has happened and the crank and rods ahve been sent to a place in Sacramento to check before and always came back as they are good and the trouble was lack of oil. Since I am not a real knowledgeable person in this area I have to go with what the people who are supposed to know tell me.

Thanks again,

Ron

[SCOBRAC]

Turk can drive it out. He will be driving out again soon anyway. Maybe this time he will take me with him.

[Turk]

Ron,
The first engine I just put all the parts in the back of an Astro Van and drove it up to him on my way to see the folks at ERA in CT.
I drove up there and picked it up when it was done.

Second engine I shipped the blocks, the heads and the intake with Rich Lacey when he was in our neck of the woods making deliveries. He took it all back in his truck.
That one I went up to Hastings brought up with me after we picked up Jamo's motor from Fresno and dropped it off in Prove.

Allan (ironworker) has two 427 Shelby Blocks being turned into engines as we speak, and those are being delivered to Las Vegas by George in a couple of weeks. I think George is looking for an excuse to go to Vegas.

I wish I had known, Rich Lacey's driver left my home with Dan Semko's car 15 minutes ago. He is somewhere around Davis by now. He is going to Kansas, he could have dropped the motor for you in Hastings.

You get the feeling I don't mind driving? If you don't like driving yourself, that is OK. If you want George to do the work, I am sure we can find a way to get it to him.
I will bring it back with me when I go to pick up my third engine.

I have no regrets. I have no money left but I have no regrets either.

TURK

[Jamo]

Ron

If none of the above alternatives work out, I'll put you in contact with Joe Boghosian here in Fresno. Good luck.

[Ron61]

SCOBRAC, Turk, Jamo,

Thanks guys but I found an FE builder right here within 15 miles of me that won't do anything but race engines and he guarantees his work also. He did the rear end of my Cobra and I didn't know he did engines but he will do them for the racers only. He had a 428 ready to go back to some guy that is out of one of the original CSX3000 series Cobras and when he looked at mine he said he would do it. I also talked to four or five people that he has built motors for and they all said nothing but good about him. Two were drag racers and two were road course racers. The other guy did some of both. So after the holiday and when things kind of calm down around here I will get the motor to him. He wants me to come to his shop once he gets it apart so he can show me what he finds. He has already told me two things that I supected and that two other top FE people said.

Ron

[Jamo]

Great.

[decooney]

Hey Jamo,

I sure liked the way that Shelby stroker motor of yours sounded in the Corral at Laguna! Kind of like hearing eight individual subwoofers pounding out deep resonant bass through your sidepipes. Awesome, and I noted that grin on your face too.

[Jamo]

What? I can't hear you! What? Talk louder! What?

It is a bit of a thumper. Buckley's making me some free flowing pipes for it--not quite loud enough yet.