Cleveland Rebuild starting now

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by trularin

I would either buy, get or make a set of boss 351 heads with adjustable valve train. Yeah, I know, they breath too much for the street. Hey, do what you want.

That's the biggest myth hoisted on Ford small block guys since the dawn of the Cleveland head. I think it was dreamed up by the Windsor guys to make their heads seem adequate ! Every time I read that I have to go out and look at my 553hp 372ci Clevor just to make sure that it does indeed have those awful 4V heads. The same head (with minor differences) has been on several Boss 302s that I've owned and they have all screamed. I must admit that cubic inches just makes it better though. Like I always say; if you want a tractor build your engine for low end, if you want it to scream build it for mid range and up! And why would one worry about low end in the land of the Autobahn? I agree with trularin, try some good 4V heads and hang on!


BTW Westcott, thanks for sharing your build up and keep us updated.

Steve

[rdorman]

I have the big valve heads on my cleveland and love them. I like the power curve in our type of cars. They would not be my first choice but still a damn good head. With some massaging, a excellent head. Of course, technology has come a long way in 40 years!

[westcott cobra]

Back with some update.

Nothing happend the last few weeks because of lack of parts and time.

But now we are 2 days from final assembly.

What we did:

Monday, June, 16th.
- Replaced the rod bearings with new melling parts. Checked them all out of the box and found 1 pair foulty, spotty surface. Order a new set from the US...

-Installed the oil restrictors again, the new crane solid roller cam, ARP main studs, crank, pistons and timing gear with one rod bearing missing...

-tried to assemble the heads with the new crane double springs and decided to mill all spring seats from original 1.8 to 1.9. Together with new +retainers and +0.05 locks we are going to get 2.0 installed height. Order new retainers and +0.05 locks from the US.....

- Yesterday we milled all the seats. Together with the new locks, hardened shims on bottom and retainers we are about 1.95 all arround with 1/10th of a millimeter difference.

- I checked the oil pump rod(ARP) to dizzy endplay. With the oilpump(without gasket to be on thesafe side, the dimension will be even bigger with it....) and dizzy in place i have 1.5 Millimeters end play measured at the rod, enough.

- Checked the dizzy gear to block clearence, 0.8mm, enough ! Timing cover was off for that work. I replaced the lousy dizzy clamp with a new MSD milled clamp to get the clamp pressure centered on the dizzy shaft. Dizzi will be installed with a 0.3 hardened shim between gear and block as i did last year for safety.

- Checked the fitting(center of the crank) of the brand new Summit 351C timing cover. Correct !

- Painted the block, water pump and timing cover in Ford dark Blue SP-125 !!

The rest of the work will follow on Sunday or next week.

I put some new pictures in my gallery, check them out.

I'll keep you updated,

Uwe

[westcott cobra]

Rick and Steve:

Even with my modified 2V heads the car is able to run (real) 265 Km/h (164.7 mph) on the Autobahn at 5800 rpm with a 2.88 rear end and a Tremec 3550 in 4th gear...

You can wind up higher untill 6800 if you want but you don't want to do so in 4th gear, beleave me.

After 2 or 3 Kilometers distance with a Porsche in front of you(before acceleration at 150 Km/h) and afterwards behind you(265 Km/h), you will lift your right feed by yourself, slow a bit down and wave him to pass you again with a grin in your face

But you will need 5 minutes to dry again, and your back is still soaked with sweat the next 20 minutes.

Our cars getting very, very, very light at the front above 240 Km/h.....

Uwe

[westcott cobra]

Trularin,

thanks for your suggestions.

All the items you tought about had been in with the last rebuildt.

Some differences:
- The oil pan. I'm going with the Moroso 7 quart front sump instead of the Canton.
- The rolller rockers are Scorpions
- My external oil line is made from plastic covered aluminium tube with aeroquip fittings, easier to bend and adjust.

The new Center Force dual friction is balanced new with the flywheel, all other parts(including flywheel - clutch assy) where balanced last time with new master weights made especially for my crank assembly.

Now it needs just 5 gramms on the flywheel to get in rotation....

Rick,

as you explained i will stay with the 2V heads ! The divider wall between the planes in my dual plane manifold is removable and will be cut out as the old Shelby dual planes where.

Maybe i will switch to the Edelbrock Air gap manifold soon.

But i think about replacing the Cleveland by a FE during the winter...????!!!!????

Uwe

[westcott cobra]

Engine is in.

I did some quick assembly to shoot some pics for you before it went in......

My car should not be a "poser" or any kind of a showcar therefore everything original as pulleys and so on is painted.

I like the "old but in good condition" look

No chrome, no billet parts if not technically necessary.

See my gallery.

Uwe

[westcott cobra]

Oh nooooo....

the distributers internal module sent by Crane as a spare for the damaged one is not running.

Check the benches for a steel gear, get the old Holley Annihilitor distributor out of the last corner, clean it up, lock the advance mechanism and get it to the right gear-to-collar-height.

After that, got a old MSD timing computer (fixed curve) out of the same corner and install everything into the car.

It's alive !!!!!!

Sounds good but more brave as it sounded with the old hydraulik cam ?!?

Will drive it to the tech inspection (TÜV) here in Germany tomorrow and start with tune up activities the rest of this week.

Mybe i can record some engine sound and post it here as MP3 ??

Uwe

[westcott cobra]

It's in and feels good

During the long waiting period (Crane module spare) i changed the radiator layout from vertikal to angled and put some cosmetic parts on top.

The new cover will let the radiator assembly look more original, didn't it.

See the new pics in my gallery.

Uwe

[westcott cobra]

More detailled...