Build a Lightning Bronco?

[Carnut1]

Also Tenatious is a word seldom used until you see builds like this.. Nice!!

I will take that as a compliment. Thanks!

[af2]

Also Tenatious is a word seldom used until you see builds like this.. Nice!!

I will take that as a compliment. Thanks!

Hell yea!!!!!!

[Carnut1]

Also Tenatious is a word seldom used until you see builds like this.. Nice!!

I will take that as a compliment. Thanks!

Hell yea!!!!!!

Moving in a few days and I need to finish this up for Mikey. Feelin the stress and you just made my day. Thanks!

[Carnut1]

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Post mortem cont. Mains toast, crank .010 wear on rods. Cam shot.

[Carnut1]

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[Carnut1]

I can see the vacuum part of this build being a problem!

[Carnut1]

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If all goes well we will try this out tomorrow. Wish me luck I haven't broken in a flat tappet in twenty years and never a Ford flat tappet. The lifter alignment was horrible.

[Carnut1]

Lightning engine started as soon as we gave it spark! Only let it run a minute because I have no idea where the timing is set or even how to set the timing on one of these fi Fords. Rockers seem very noisy. Hoping the rockers are not past their sweep. I would think they would be fine on this mild cam but I did not check clearance. The pushrods maybe too long too after milling heads, decking block and .027" head gaskets. Ugh, the stress. Moving to Florida friday. Need to get the bugs out for Mikey.

[Carnut1]

Thanksgiving morning and my last day to work on the Bronco. Rockers were noisy when we fired it up for a minute a few days before. Decision time, time the motor and break the cam in when I am here or let the project sit, probably till spring? Mikey decided we should break in the cam knowing that if the rockers are past their max lift and bottomed out or pushrods are too long that we could burn the cam, he decides we should break it in. So the break in went well but the tap stays the same. A fast tap, definately from valvetrain. Possible the rockers are hitting the stock gt aluminum valve covers? I don't know. No time to pull the intake back off and inspect. After break in and timing set she idled with a sweet mild lope just a tick over stock. Very responsive to throttle input, enough to nearly collapse the stock lightning air intake. No leaks of water, oil, or exhaust and no blown codes. We decided to run the stock bronco computer first. Seems fine. The exhaust is mellow going through a single flowmaster for now. The exhaust was strictly hot air and water vapor. No smell at all. I am sure an efficient burn. I just wish I had a bit more time to fix the tap. Oil free of debris and golden

[bobalattie]

I have run stock rockers with e303 cam and its .498 lift, so you should be good, also they did not touch the valve covers.. Did you check each one for preload as they were being torqued and use the shims as needed to get them all close to each other preload wise?

XE lobes tend to be noisy and those cast aluminum valve covers don't help much to quiet anything down...

[Carnut1]

Sorry for the long reply time. Just got to Florida, I see I screwed this build up due to lack of experience with 351w and the non adjustable valvetrain. When I bolted it together I felt the lifter plunger travel was a bit more than I liked but thought it was ok and did not bottom out the lifter. I feel the pushrods may be too long and just using old sled rockers that sweep farther than they did with a stock cam could be causing the noise. Thanks for the input.

[Gillesdecourse]

I feel bad for your because you put a lot of work and care into this build and you are not able to feel the reward, yet. I'm sure it'll be a real beast once all is fixed.

[Carnut1]

I feel bad for your because you put a lot of work and care into this build and you are not able to feel the reward, yet. I'm sure it'll be a real beast once all is fixed.

Thanks, except for the noisy rockers the engine sounds really nice. Just the way I wanted it. Mellow torque monster to move those big tires and plenty up top. Unfortunately Mikey will need to get someone else to pop the upper plenum off and check the rockers and geometry.

[Caprimaniac]

Sorry about Your valvetrain problems there, on an otherwise coooool build.

Hope you figure out the probs this Winter and fire up Your Bronco soon....

Nice to have a build thread on here and not just Tech- questions/ .discussions. How about a engine- build/ Project section in here?

[Carnut1]

Sorry about Your valvetrain problems there, on an otherwise coooool build.

Hope you figure out the probs this Winter and fire up Your Bronco soon....

Nice to have a build thread on here and not just Tech- questions/ .discussions. How about a engine- build/ Project section in here?

I appreciate the kind words. I did this project as a favor to an old friend as I knew I was moving away and his pride and joy had been dead a while. He will need to get some help fixing the noisy rockers!