The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 3: Money Pit Anonymous

[jeffsqartan]

Not sure. I'm just shooting for a 302 out of an explorer so that it has GT40/40p heads on it. I can tear it apart, re-ring and seal it, cam it, and slam it into my car at the end of the year after the season is over.

 

[churchmouse]

My brother had a Cheech and Chong record that had a Huge rolling paper inside the jacket!

Daves not home man.........

 

[rkwhyte2]

Sign ze papers old man.

 

[churchmouse]

Sign ze papers old man.

No no no I will not sign zee papers.....No no no.

 

[jeffsqartan]

Question: How would I go about identifying if my car has an aftermarket cam in it? In the 3 years that I've had it, I've seen some suspicious wire cutting and other things done to the car that make me think it's had internal work done to it, but the heads look factory to me so I'm thinking it just has a cam at this point. It might explain why my car runs as well as it does? 14.2 on crap (uniroyal tiger paws crap) street tires. Everyone I talk to thinks that it's hopped up and it does seem to have a slightly lopey idle to it... Could be a vacuum leak or something? I have not the slightest clue.
If I pull the timing cover is there likely to be any markings on the face of the camshaft?

 

[femurphy77]

Wasn't there a "M" block casting that had a higher nickle content that was supposedly a lot stronger block?

I know back in the day a "Mexican" block was the go to. Don't know if there was an "M" casting, if it was truly from Mexico or what the dealio was with them. Other than a Boss block those would have been the two choices. I know in the 5.0 world they have a habit of splitting right down the middle when properly persuaded. I've seen the aftermath of it but haven't ever personally dealt with it. I've always used main studs on my engines but will probably add a girdle kit to the 393.


Stolen from another site: "You can ID the block by looking on the front around the timing cover area. There are two riser plugs from the casting process on both sides of the cover. Also if the intake is off, there is Mexico cast in the lifter valley. They do not have greater nickel content, but have heavier mains and a thicker wall and deck. They are approx 25% stronger than a 5.0 block. The block is almost identical to a HiPo 289, and FRPP Sportsman block."

 

[Bigtanker]

That's what it was. A Mexican block.

 

[thunderchicken]

Wasn't there a "M" block casting that had a higher nickle content that was supposedly a lot stronger block?

Indeed

 

[femurphy77]

Question: How would I go about identifying if my car has an aftermarket cam in it? In the 3 years that I've had it, I've seen some suspicious wire cutting and other things done to the car that make me think it's had internal work done to it, but the heads look factory to me so I'm thinking it just has a cam at this point. It might explain why my car runs as well as it does? 14.2 on crap (uniroyal tiger paws crap) street tires. Everyone I talk to thinks that it's hopped up and it does seem to have a slightly lopey idle to it... Could be a vacuum leak or something? I have not the slightest clue.
If I pull the timing cover is there likely to be any markings on the face of the camshaft?

Various mustang sites suggest that low 14's in a stock 5.0 gt were quite doable. I would think that any cam upgrade worth doing would be detectable in idle quality alone; may just a little more thump than a known stock car but yes a vacuum leak at the right location might give you a little lump although more than likely it would be a higher or lower idle again dependent on location. A vacuum leak would also likely trigger a CEL. Looking at your timing cover bolts carefully or the gaskets associated with a cam swap might help but I know on mine there's quite a bit of crap on the front of the engine making that stuff hard to see. Down at the pan rail it's possible there'd be a split where the timing cover intersects the oil pan as typically when you pull the TC you cut the oil pan gasket cleanly and replace that small section with a new piece of gasket. Not sure how they do that nowadays with the thicker one piece gaskets typically in use though.

I'd suggest though given your limited resources to focus on engine or suspension to limit variables at this time. Truthfully though seat time will be your friend, take one of the drivers schools that are offered occasionally. The ex and I did one many moons ago and her times dropped dramatically and although I didn't see big improvements of my times I did learn a few secrets about driving smoother. One of the cheapest to institute but hardest to do on an autocross course is to be looking thru the next turn before you've exited the one you're in right now.

I kind of equate it to riding a bike; looking where you want to go makes it easier to go there. I've seen a lot of motorcycle off road excursions that occurred because that's where the rider was looking. Similar applies to autocrossing; if you're just looking directly in front of you your driving is going to be a serious of choppy turns with no continuity between them

 

[Brad69]

Any after market cam is going to be stamped on the end with something even a ford cam will have “B303” and the rest of the part number on it. I would bet money the timing is advanced over the stock setting that was common when the 5.0 were new to bump the timing about 5 degrees it really woke them up the timing was set back for emissions reasons. I used to just bump them till they would start rattling under hard acceleration then back them off a touch.
With the 5.0 market dying off I am sure you could find a cam and headers to put in your rebuild on the cheap it would suck to see you put it back in stock. I believe that the GT 40 heads used a different header? So you may wanna grab the ones off the exploder if you find one. Too bad you don’t have the jack to have someone “breathe” on the heads it would make a big difference.
I have owned half a dozen 5.0 Mustangs (used) 83 GT, 86 notchback 5.0, 87 GT (Brand New) 90 GT, 92 GT, 95 GTS ( one of the last 5.0) the best I have ever ran stock was 14.4 or so most of them would run 14.7-14.99 the 90 GT was a strong runner so 14.2 is Smoking for a stock 5.0 IME!

 

[femurphy77]

Didn't even think about bumping the timing! Did that to the exes new GT back in the day, she loved it! I told her if she wanted to keep loving it she had to run premium in it but she wouldn't so I returned it to stock settings. Couldn't keep that ***** happy!

 

[jeffsqartan]

Timing got bumped last year when I replaced the distributor. Don't remember the exact number, but it was as high as I could go without running premium.

I do remember there being some newer gaskets on the car when I first got it. Like the heads had been replaced.

I want to take it back toward the end of the year and see if I can run a better time on these 200tw tires.

The looking to where you want to go thing: I actually learned that from an episode of Jesse James is a Dead Man. He was driving through this explosive course they setup for him and they told him that. That was a large part of my issue: I couldn't focus enough to do anything but react to the cones in front of me. So frustrating.

If we can't carry out an entire engine, I'll be at least walking away with some heads. I'd like to do a little porting myself, but just gasket matching and blending. Nothing crazy.

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[jeffsqartan]

I am going to look for a cam when I rebuild. The headers are aftermarket BBK shorties, with a full Flowmaster exhaust and H pipe. It had BBK lowering springs when I bought it (gone now) and still has a BBK cold air intake. As far as I know, those are the only mods when I bought it.

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[churchmouse]

Timing got bumped last year when I replaced the distributor. Don't remember the exact number, but it was as high as I could go without running premium.

I do remember there being some newer gaskets on the car when I first got it. Like the heads had been replaced.

I want to take it back toward the end of the year and see if I can run a better time on these 200tw tires.

The looking to where you want to go thing: I actually learned that from an episode of Jesse James is a Dead Man. He was driving through this explosive course they setup for him and they told him that. That was a large part of my issue: I couldn't focus enough to do anything but react to the cones in front of me. So frustrating.

If we can't carry out an entire engine, I'll be at least walking away with some heads. I'd like to do a little porting myself, but just gasket matching and blending. Nothing crazy.

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2 words for you.......Premium Fuel.

Nuff said.

 

[jeffsqartan]

2 words for you.......Premium Fuel.

Nuff said.

Lol when I go back to the track it will for sure get the premium treatment.

Actually, the only reason I didn't do it then was because I was still dailying it and wanted as good of mileage as possible... Now that it has only driven 80 miles this year, I'll probably just do it the next time it's off the trailer. She's getting low on fuel anyway.

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[KJQ6945]

I got premium for .70 cents off today at speedway. $2.40 a gallon with my speedy rewards card.

 

[churchmouse]

Lol when I go back to the track it will for sure get the premium treatment.

Actually, the only reason I didn't do it then was because I was still dailying it and wanted as good of mileage as possible... Now that it has only driven 80 miles this year, I'll probably just do it the next time it's off the trailer. She's getting low on fuel anyway.

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Set the timing for premium and go have a ball.

 

[femurphy77]

Set the timing for premium and go have a ball.

Yup, you're shackling yourself before you hit the go button.

 

[churchmouse]

Yup, you're shackling yourself before you hit the go button.

Back in another time when fuel was full of lead and you could get Sunoco 160 at the pump we had a technique for setting the timing. Being young and underfunded with all my money in the cars I owned sometimes my cheap timing light would not work.
Warm the engine. Pill the vac. advance and plug it off. Mark the distributor position on the manifold so you can see it. Run the timing up until the starter complained and back it off just ever so much. If it would start with out hitting back you were there. Go ring it out. Mark the block. That is race mode. Put the dist. back and hook up the vac advance. That is street mode.
If you put a light on it in race mode you were right at 36/38 degrees on the centrifugal advance. Maybe 40....

Remember these were 3 peddle cars.

 

[jeffsqartan]

I really can't remember what I set the timing at. I wanna say 13 or 14. I can obviously check it.
But I was looking around to see if I could find out what the max is most likely going to be. I'm seeing anything from 14-18* is maxed out on a 302, even with 93.
Should I drain the rest of the tank into a bucket, filler up with premium, and bump the timing a couple degrees at a time until it pings? And when it pings, will it ping during the initial set, or should I take it out and run it up in RPM to listen for pinging?