Even if you're reusing the...
Even if you're reusing the stock pickup and oil pan, it's a good idea to check the pickup-to-pan clearance to make sure it's low enough to the bottom of the pan. We were a little far away, but a bit of tugging on the pickup got us to about 3/8 inch, which will work fine.
The hydraulic roller cam we chose for our project is a bit on the mild side compared to the FRPP cams. Our engine must deal with the 3.08-geared rearend that we plan to keep, and we need to maintain driveability down to a very low rpm. The Crane Cam kit (PN 444222, formerly the Powermax 2030) is one of Crane's Compucam grinds, which is designed for computer-controlled engines and carries CARB E.O. number D-225-16 to make it 50-state legal. It shouldn't give our stock EEC IV ECM any problems, and it should allow us to take advantage of the improved airflow of the cylinder heads.
The camshaft features an advertised duration of 270/278 and a valve lift of 0.533 inch on the intake and 0.544 inch on the exhaust. It's ground with a 112-degree lobe separation angle, and offers an rpm range of 1,400-5,400, which should provide plenty of low-end torque and great driveability for the traffic-jam shuffle. The cam kit also includes a set of suitable dual-coil valvesprings, retainers, and keepers to keep your stock pieces from floating the valves.
Next up on the install list...
Next up on the install list is the Crane Compucam bumpstick. Lube the cam journals with some assembly lube, and, using your other hand inside the block, guide the cam into the block. A 3/8-inch-thread bolt in the end of the cam will suffice if you don't have an installation tool handy. The tool provides more leverage, which helps prevent you from nicking the cam bearings.
The cam retaining plate is...
The cam retaining plate is next. It is torqued to 9-12 ft-lb.
Aside from their crusty appearance,...
Aside from their crusty appearance, our E7TE heads were in pretty good shape, but Mike Schultz of Thumper Performance was ready to overhaul them.
Summit Racing sells the Crane 444222 cam kit for $275, which we thought was quite a bargain. We also sprung for a Crane steel billet roller timing chain set (PN 44975-1), as we're pretty sure our 170,000-mile piece is shot.
At this point of the buildup, we've run into the issue of not having all of the necessary fasteners to get the block completely assembled. The oil pump and pickup bolts, oil-pan bolts, cam-retaining bolt and plate, and the timing-gear bolts are all things we need to go further. We've been able to procure some of these fasteners from a shop or two, but it looks as though we're going to have to pull the shot 302 from our Pony and start stripping it down. We'll need the timing cover and fasteners, among other things, to keep the project rolling. Until then, feast on our Thumper E7TE heads and our home-built short-block. To quote Home Depot, "You can do it. We can help." Be sure to check back next month, when we should have the bullet bolted in and running.
We used a tap to clean out...
We used a tap to clean out the threads of the bolt holes, as there's usually residual sealant of some sort in the threads, which can make installing your new bolts or studs difficult (not to mention the extra resistance could cause a false reading from the torque wrench).
In addition to opening up...
In addition to opening up the runner size, the exhaust-port opening is enlarged and matched to a Fel-Pro 1415 gasket. The Thermactor bump in the top of the runner is also removed to improve flow.
Here you can see the before...
Here you can see the before and after of the exhaust-runner porting. The opening has been enlarged considerably, and the bump in the roof is gone.
We'll be moving a lot more...
We'll be moving a lot more air and fuel in and out with the larger GT-40 valves.
The heads are painted, and...
The heads are painted, and the valvetrain is completed. We had Thumper Performance paint ours with high-temperature, cast-iron gray paint. We'll paint our short-block to match.
At the other end of the runner...
At the other end of the runner are the bowls, which receive quite a bit of work as well. The valve seats are enlarged to accommodate the GT-40 1.84- and 1.54-inch valves.