On Naegele's recommendation, we used some White-Out tape and our Comp Cams pushrod checker tool to see where the roller was riding on the valve tip. He pointed out that having the roller centered is only part of the adjustment equation, as you also need to take into account the amount of sweep across the tip as well as where the sweep centers itself.
With the 6.85-inch pushrods we were using, we noticed the sweep to be located towards the exhaust side of the head. Running the assembly with the checker tool at 6.75 and 6.70 inches moved the sweep towards the intake where it needed to be. We also noticed that the width of the sweep decreased as the pushrod length was shortened. This is a better scenario for the valve as it doesn't create as much side-loading force.
At this point, we're looking at ordering a shorter set of pushrods, but we also need to perform a leak-down test to make sure the intake valve has not been damaged in any way. We performed a compression test and found no compression whatsoever in cylinder No. 7, which may be a result of using the incorrect rocker-arm stud and/or incorrect pushrod length. Either way, we'll have this mystery sorted out for the next installment, and we'll fill you in on the details.
Now that we've had a taste of what Stolen Goods has to offer, we're looking forward to getting the snake slithering on the nearest track.
Using some White-Out correction...
Using some White-Out correction tape on the valve stem, we reinstalled the rocker arm on the problem valve and ran it through a few revolutions to provide a witness mark on the valve tip. With the 6.85-inch pushrods, it seems as if the roller rides on the exhaust side of the tip, which isn't optimal. The sweep distance is also greater than when using a shorter pushrod, so we may end up ordering a shorter set.
Right out of the mold are...
Right out of the mold are these brand-new Boss 302 valve covers from Ford Racing Performance Parts. The topside of the valve cover rests flat just like on the old Cleveland engines, yet they have the Windsor bolt pattern. Ordering PN M-6582-BOSS302 will get you these trick pieces. Suggested retail is $209, and you can also have them without the 302 designation. FRPP should have a fully polished set available by the time you read this. Given that the top angle is different, we may have to go back and reengineer our throttle cable bracket to fit them.
During our brief time running...
During our brief time running the car, we noticed the battery charging wasn't quite up to par. The combina-tion of an electric fan and water pump are just too much for the stock alternator to handle, so we called up Performance Distributors and ordered a Mr. Amp 130-amp alternator. It hooks up with one wire and should provide plenty of voltage for our normally aspirated powerplant.