My 5.4L 3V N/A build thread

[rlntlss]

subscribing interesting thread

 

[ChevyKiller]

Great job so far, Ron!




"What are you cooking, Honey?"...




"PISTONS"...lol

On a serious note, with a .020 over, just curious how much the coating added. Specifically, how thick was it and how many coats? Just wondering if it changed anything in the dome height?

 

[spyder7724]

Great job so far, Ron!




"What are you cooking, Honey?"...




"PISTONS"...lol

On a serious note, with a .020 over, just curious how much the coating added. Specifically, how thick was it and how many coats? Just wondering if it changed anything in the dome height?

Yeah she wasn't real happy about the smell hehehehe
i put 3 coats of paint on there before i cured it. it may be about .001" thick but you can still see the arrow etched in the top along with the word front so the change was minimal and it's only on the top not the sides. also did the combustion chambers in the heads. had to cure them with my heat gun though. no more car parts in the house. specifically the kitchen appliances wonder what i could use the toaster for?

 

[andyman]

any updates?

 

[Enitalp]

wonder what i could use the toaster for?

Heating the pistons segment ? (don't know if it's the correct english word).

 

[spyder7724]

any updates?

finally got everything here. now i just have to file some rings and assemble. Just been busy maybe one day this week i can do the rings and then start getting this thing together.

 

[cekim]

Set your cam locks in full retard. Cams and Ignition timing are just opposite. Full retard on the cams gives max power and torque.

That sounds like good generic advice, but given that the cams are pretty custom jobs, I would assume they came with a card which shows how they should degree up (and by extension where they should be set relative to the crank in a fixed setup).

During the design phase of the grind, someone had to make some decisions as to where they were going to be relative to the crank... Those assumptions would decide where the cam should be I would think...

Short version is (and this is just my useless opinion), if you did not decide where they were going to sit, then whoever did the grinding made that decision and you might want to ask... They can put them wherever, so they may assume you lock the cams out into full advance (as that is where the phaser spring puts you without power to the solenoid) and offset from there...

"What are you cooking, Honey?"...

LOL - My wife has become numb to random parts cooking in the oven - though I work hard to make sure they don't smell - haven't tried curing paint - that might get some questions and dirty looks...

 

[spyder7724]

Set your cam locks in full retard. Cams and Ignition timing are just opposite. Full retard on the cams gives max power and torque.

For the crankshaft, all truck cranks have an 8-bolt flange. Look at the casting/forging numbers. F75-IE or F75-E are forged. Everything else is cast.

isn't full retard on these like 50 or 60 degrees?
I haven't pulled the cam card out yet but they are ground 10* advanced on the billet. due the size and specs they couldn't fit them on the lobe design otherwise.
if the phasers are locked at full advance the cams (stock) should be 7 degrees advanced right? adding that to the 10degrees for my cams we get 17 degrees total advanced. depending on how they tell me to degree this thing how am i going to change the cam timing?
i've been told each tooth is 18degrees so i could do that but what if it only needs to be adjusted 8 degrees or something?
this part I'm leaving to someone else. I just don't have the experience with mod motors and if it's not done correctly it will be an expensive mistake.

rings are filed. assembly this week. I'm going to use stock ford head gaskets and arp studs. haven't seen anyone with head gasket problems and some of you guys are crazy with boost and stuff so my combo shouldn't have any issues.
guess I'm going to have to make an intake manifold. I have a friend that does general CNC work. I've cut up a stock intake to get the runners isolated so he can digitize the the lower portion and then I'll figure out the runner length and size so he can make some billet runners also. then we can just weld up a plenum and inlet. I'm going to make the intake fit a 4.6 block first then have him make an offset cmcv delete to fit the 5.4 that way if it works i can reproduce them if needed.

 

[spyder7724]

did a little mock up to get some measurements for my CNC guy to make the intake plates and took a couple pics cause i thought it looked cool with the chopped up factory intake.
He's going to make me some runners from billet aluminum so we can construct a custom intake manifold but first he'll do a set of offset plates so i can bolt the 4.6 factory intake and water crossover to the 5.4 block. we also have to modify some things to get the alternator to fit but it shouldn't be too difficult. we'll save the program on the machine and i'll have them available for sale on my site when they are finished. this will make the swap from a 4.6 to 5.4 much easier for everyone else. then when/if anyone ever develops a mass produced intake manifold for a 4.6 3V it can be used on a 5.4 3V as well.
Once this part is finished and the billet runners are made they can be welded to a custom fabbed plenum then I'll do the final assembly. I just didn't want any crap to get in the engine while we are messing around with the intake manifold.
I just haven't had a chance to do much lately. thanks to you guys we are selling driveshafts like crazy and have a backorder of a few weeks.
Also have hired a manager (Terry) to attend to much of the day to day operations of the business. once he gets back from vacation I'll add him on here as a vendor/member and introduce him to you guys but go easy at first....he's a converting bow tie guy

 

[spyder7724]

sorry couldn't get the pics to attach.

 

[spyder7724]

here ya go

 

[matt texass]

looking good

 

[don_w]

Very cool Ron!!

 

[terry5357]

isn't full retard on these like 50 or 60 degrees?
I haven't pulled the cam card out yet but they are ground 10* advanced on the billet. due the size and specs they couldn't fit them on the lobe design otherwise.
if the phasers are locked at full advance the cams (stock) should be 7 degrees advanced right? adding that to the 10degrees for my cams we get 17 degrees total advanced. depending on how they tell me to degree this thing how am i going to change the cam timing?
i've been told each tooth is 18degrees so i could do that but what if it only needs to be adjusted 8 degrees or something?
this part I'm leaving to someone else. I just don't have the experience with mod motors and if it's not done correctly it will be an expensive mistake.

rings are filed. assembly this week. I'm going to use stock ford head gaskets and arp studs. haven't seen anyone with head gasket problems and some of you guys are crazy with boost and stuff so my combo shouldn't have any issues.
guess I'm going to have to make an intake manifold. I have a friend that does general CNC work. I've cut up a stock intake to get the runners isolated so he can digitize the the lower portion and then I'll figure out the runner length and size so he can make some billet runners also. then we can just weld up a plenum and inlet. I'm going to make the intake fit a 4.6 block first then have him make an offset cmcv delete to fit the 5.4 that way if it works i can reproduce them if needed.

Back in my old motorcycle days we would slot the cam sprocket bolt holes to get that "in between the teeth" position, then drill and pin the sprockets and cam shaft. The cam shaft is more than likely just "case hardened" therefore once you get through the first .05-.06 you will find the cam can be drilled and reamed. I don't know if this will work for your application but that is how we got around that particular problem

HTH

 

[ZmanM3]

Outstanding!

 

[terry5357]

Outstanding!

A Blind Hog finds an acorn every once in a while............lol

 

[spyder7724]

i just saw that C&L is getting ready to release their 3V intake manifold so I'm just going to concentrate my efforts on making the offset plates for the heads so I can use a 4.6 intake and water crossover. this will also eliminate the need to reposition the alternator. finally something to make it easier. now how do i go about getting one of those intakes?

 

[andyman]

Any updates?

 

[bigwilly43729]

Yes, I am VERY interested in the adapter plates.

 

[chad05gt]