STROKIN’ THE DART WINDSOR Our current engine project begins with a 351W block and increasing displacement to a whopping 427 CID. Text & photos by Mike Mavrigian The Dart 351W iron-alloy block is available in either a 9.200” (standard Cleveland) or 9.500” deck height. We opted for the 9.5” deck. This project [...]
Text and photos by Mike Mavrigian PROJECT FORD FE, PART 4 The oil filter base (located on the forward left side of the block) features two ports and four bolt holes. A base gasket must be used for sealing between the adapter and the block. This gasket bwas included in our Victor gasket set.The gasket [...]
WE BALANCE AND BEGIN ASSEMBLY text, photos and assembly by Mike Mavrigian Crankshaft balancing was next on the agenda. Since the Diamond pistons are already weight-matched by Diamond, and the Scat connecting rods are weight-matched at both small and big ends, we didn’t need to perform any weight corrections to those components (I [...]
The camshaft was checked with a degree wheel. Crane did one heck of a nice job grinding this bumpstick. Lift and timing moments were dead-on to the cam card. With our crank snout pinned for the damper, the timing cover was installed using ARP’s front cover kit (12-point stainless). The front coolant balance tube assembly [...]
Goodson reluctor ring installer jig is an absolute must for installing LS crank timing wheels. The Goodson tool indexes the ring via the 8mm hole in the ring face. The 8mm dowel is pictured here. It’s attached to a tang on the outside of the tool. An internal dowel in the tool engages into the [...]
PROJECT LS2, PART 3 Assembly of the short block and cylinder head installation by Mike Mavrigian All photos by author INSTALLING THE RELUCTOR WHEEL The reluctor wheel features a series of teeth that provide crankshaft position signals via a sensor to the ECM. The wheel press fits to the rear of the crank, immediately forward [...]
The side relief design provides additional clearance for the crank’s reluctor wheel. Without this added clearance, No. 8 piston would hit the reluctor wheel. Here’s an underside view that clearly illustrates the side relief/short pin design. Naturally, this also reduces reciprocating weight as a bonus. As you can see, the compression height resulted in the [...]
The camshaft is spun-up on the balancer similar to any other rotating shaft. Example of a camshaft out of balance. Notice that the left side of the camshaft is 1.2 in./oz. out of balance and the right is 1.67 in./oz. out. Also note that the unbalanced units are not opposed to each other. This will [...]
CAMSHAFT BALANCING That’s right, camshaft balancing. It’s all about optimizing and regaining lost energy. The camshaft is yet another rotating mass, so why would we not pay attention to the subject of balance? When was the last time you balanced a camshaft? If you’re like most builders, the answer is never, with the answer accompanied [...]
CHOOSING THE RIGHT OIL FOR FLAT TAPPET CAM BREAK-IN All oils are not created equal. by Mike Mavrigian photos by author Avoiding flat tappet cam failure can be as simple as using the correct oil during break-in. Chances are you’ve run into this problem first-hand, or know a builder who has shared his horror stories. [...]
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