If you want something done right, then do it yourself. That’s an old clich that may or may not be true, depending on your level of expertise on the subject at hand. Doing something yourself can give you the peace of mind that some may not be able to get from paying someone else to do it. It can also give you the self-satisfaction of pouring your heart and soul into a project to see the finished product.
When I decided to attack this 347 build alone, I knew that I would have to overcome obstacles I had never encountered. What exactly those obstacles were, I didn’t know until they slapped me in the face. More important to me was accomplishing the task of showing you, our loyal reader, that you too can accomplish the same task with an engine build, at home and on a budget.
If there’s one thing we failed...
If there’s one thing we failed to point out in Part 1, it’s the location of the thrust bearing. Shown here, the thrust bearing should go on the No. 3 main bearing position. Either through assumption and/or pride, your author placed the thrust bearing in the No. 5 position during initial assembly. It wasn’t until after the engine was in the car and running that we noticed the excessive crankshaft endplay. Thankfully, Modified Mustangs & Fords Technical Editor Mark Houlahan was able to identify our mistake and assist with fixing it. We ended up replacing all five main bearings, and no other damage was caused.
In Part 1, we introduced the core of this build--Summit Racing’s remanufactured stock block. Together, the block (PN SUM-150110) and Scat rotating assembly (PN SCA-1-94165) retail for less than $1,600. We also showed you how to assemble the short-block with a few specialty tools.
Last month, Part 2 involved Fox Lake Power Products and Comp Cams. Ron Robart of Fox Lake ported our Edelbrock E-Street aluminum heads and reassembled them with larger valves from Edelbrock, as well as upgraded springs and hardware from Comp Cams. We also introduced our cam choice--Comp Cams’ XE282HR--and all-new parts for the remainder of our valvetrain from Comp Cams. We checked piston-to-valve clearance and finished assembling the long-block.
Your author has done everything you’ve seen to this point, with the exception of the machining and assembly of the heads. Though our tools are new and fancy, the shop is air conditioned, and the floors are spotless, this build is no different than what you can accomplish in your own garage. Sure, we’ve used fancy lighting and expensive camera gear, but only to bring you a better representation in these pages. The ultimate goal is to inspire you to break out of your shell and attack a project like this yourself.
That being said, the next few pages will show you some bumps in the road that we hit, as well as the finishing touches, installation, and chassis-dyno test of the new powerplant. We enlisted the help of Chris Johnson of SCT Performance to teach us how to iron out any electrical and tuning issues associated with the addition of 45 cubic inches. We also performed a throttle body test, complete with dyno results. Next month, we’ll wrap up this series with a track test and a complete price list of parts used.
This build is no different than what you can accomplish in your own garage.
We needed a few other parts...
We needed a few other parts to finish assembly of our engine. On the bottom side, we decided to go with an oil pan kit (PN CMB-08-0057; $345.07) from Summit Racing Equipment. It features a 7-quart, steel Hamburger’s oil pan; a high-volume Melling oil pump and shaft; a pickup tube and screen; an oil pan gasket; a tube of silicone; and ARP bolts for the pump, pickup, and pan.
We also went with a Milodon...
We also went with a Milodon windage tray to promote oil drain-back and reduce power loss from the crankshaft counterweights contacting the oil in the pan. The tray (PN MIL-32212; $53.95) and installation kit (PN MIL-81157; $35.95) are available through Summit Racing Equipment.
After priming the pump on...
After priming the pump on the bench using a quart of fresh engine oil, we installed it using the provided gaskets and hardware. The shaft is equipped with a stop to keep it from falling out of the block. You must install the pump shaft when you install the pump.