jakeshoe

AS Michael correctly stated the plastic rocker checkers are marginal for checking at best. They don't take into account many of the factors of valvtrain geometry, and they are only made to check for stock ratio. i.e 1.5 on SBC applications. The best method is to buy an adjustable pushrod, or make one using a stock pushrod. Then you adjust the pushrod until you get ideal geometry, and order the proper length pushrods. The rocker arm should be at a right angle to the valve stem at mid-lift. That is if you drew a line from the center of the rocker roller tip if you have one to the center of the fulcrum, it should form a 90* angle to the valve stem at the middle of the lift. i.e. if you have .500 valve lift, at .250 measured, it should be centered on the valve stem, and at a right angle to it. Some of this relies on the rocker arm being properly made (proper length from fuclrum to tip), the heads being properly machined (proper distance from rocker stud to valve guide, correct valve angles) and valve length, seat depth has an effect. Decking the block, milling the heads, cam base circle, rocker ratio, valve length, and lifter type can all change geometry.

Why would you use an inferior product when you can get a custom ordered billet core came with a cast iron gear for ~$25 more? I will not use a cast core on a roller came PERIOD. If I build a motor and someone brings me that cam, they don't get a motor built. I use a custom cam grinder who does most of my stuff. I no longer use Comp at all. Their tech line usually leaves something to be desired too.

If you go with the Comp Cam be sure you custom order it and get it on a billet core. DO NOT use the austempered cast core they sell for a roller cam. Also, roller cam pushrods... better check the length before you spend the bucks, roller lifter pushrod cups and roller cam base circles are all over the place, so check the length before you buy. Crower Severe Duty lifters seem to keep the pushrod cup in the same location as a typical flat tappet so you are more likely to use a near stock length pushrod, or same as you had before with a flat tappet cam...

Good post grumpy but DAYUM man, who did that sleeve on the block pictured? A sleeve is press fit into the cylinder, but the bottom of the cylinder should be stepped so that the sleeve has a positive stop on the bottom, and then pressed in, then the top machined to match the deck of the block. So when it is all said and done, the block and head "catch" the sleeve. So even if thermal expansion lets it slip, it has no place to go. Looking at that pic, it looks like the sleeve was not installed with a step on the bottom. Sometimes a sleeve is not very pretty cosmetically at the bottom, but functionally is fine. Parts of it can protrude past the "bore" but still sit on a step around part of the bore. Some of those pics are of a 400 block, are they all of the same motor?

Gotta have a sparring partner This discussion hasn't been that bad has it?

They SHOULD shorten the Chevy unit, and either use a conversion U-joint for the 300ZX flange, or you can buy the 300Zx flange from JTR, either way would work fine. I had the Chevy driveshaft shortened and balanced for mine at a large truck (tractor rig) place locally. $65 to shorten and balance, about another 35 for 2 new Spicer u-joints installed. I've used them quite a few times and never had any issues. Might look around your area for a large truck repair facility...

The harness for the '55, I do this stuff on rainy days.

The Harley but in the background you can see where the shop is at.

What is SEZ? Car is a 74 260Z, JTR V8 conversion, TH350 with 2800 converter for the moment, possible 200-4R with similar converter later (stealing it from the Chevelle when it gets the 4L80-E), 300ZX R200 LSD rear diff. 408 SBC, Trick Flow 23* heads, Air Gap intake, 800 Demon, block hugger headers, ~11.5-1 comp, solid flat tappet 256/260@.050 on a 108 LSA. Pretty basic strip/street SBC for a weekend fun car. Long story but I bought the car on a whim last August, went from north TX to MO to pick it up, very rust free body, locked up I-6, $575 off Ebay. Plan was to get it going over a 2 week leave but the scheduling of picking up the car from the seller caused me to barely be able to go get it before returning to my job in Iraq. I also bought the 400 from a member on another message board I frequent, it was hurt (Eagle crank) but had all the new parts to fix it. Got the heads from another member, etc.. Pieced it together vie the internet from 9K miles away Finally got home, final assembled the 400, but needed it out of the way so I can work on a LSx motor swap on my dad's '55 Chevy car in his garage until my shop gets finished. (Approx 10 more days WOOHOO!) So I brought the 400 home one evening to just set in the car to more or less store it until I got back to it... Well the '55 has been on the backburner since... Very difficult to manuever the motor around when the garage isn't big enough, hoist is half in garage, half on the sloped drive, etc.. So anyway, I fired the 400 about a week ago for cam break-in, but it's been sitting since. My house has a small poor driveway that I am working on the 260Z in for the moment (although there is a helluva nice 30x50 slab about 150 ft away ) It makes for slow going, that and I went and spent a day pulling the rear mustache bar, axles, etc. from a 280Z to use and then attempted to change the halfshaft U-joints, 30 yr old u-joints. First one went easy, 2nd one wouldn't move even with heat, etc.. trying to do it without a vise or press... After smacking my hand a couple of times trying to drive them out I took them to my local driveline shop. $10 a piece to change is WAY cheaper than an ER bill. Ordered axle nuts today for it. I have some work to do to get it moving under it's own power yet, finish installing the axles, shifter, tidy up the wiring (it's all over the place), hook up the tach, etc.. Also need to get a real ignition system. My main goal at the moment is to have it propel itself into the shop here in about 2 weeks. Then it will probably sit for a few weeks while I get the LSx motor into the '55, so I can disassemble it and have it media blasted. Once I get the mechanical done on it I will turn my dad loose on the bodywork. He likes to do it for a hobby, I am good at it but it gets tedious. WAY too many projects right now. I have to wire the shop, hang lights, build the bathroom, run water lines, install air lines, etc.. when it gets up. Then the '55, 260Z, couple of trans I need to build for buddies and the 4l80 for myself, my '69 Chevelle needs some TLC, and I have a bunch of parts to customize the new Harley (gotta save gas right ) 400 in the way.. 400 out of the way The Z My oldest daughter and dad sanding on the '55. 5.3 motor for the '55.

Typical minimum cyilinder wall thickness desirable on the thrust side is .180", obviously more is better especially in high cylinder pressure apps. It is desirable to fill before ANY machining operation because if it does cause any distortion, it could also affect the main line. Also, If you are bolting a torque plate or head on to simulate stresses, you need to having decking done prior to this. Unless you are completely filling the block to the deck (very unusual), or it is an engine that the head bolts go into the main webbing (Caddy Northstar) a partial fill can be done without worry of the torque plates. The distrotion of torque plates is in the upper cylinder, the filler doesn't get into this area. I SERIOUSLY doubt it would be a problem for the mains but it CAN be a problem for the hone. The honing is the critical procedure because you typically leave ~.005-.007" to hone, You could put the filler in before or after boring it doesn't really matter, as long as it is BEFORE honing. Not after engine assembly. The order of machining varies depending on procedure. Years past, you would true up the mains, then square the deck, THEN bore. Nowadays the boring and decking can be done alternately but the decking needs to be done before honing to use torque plates effectively.

http://www.hardblok.com/info.html Also go download page 2 of their info. In all instances they speak of filling BEFORE machining. Their insructions allow quicker work times. I still usually wait a week prior to machining. Other reasons you fill BEFORE machining or assembly are: Sometimes on an extreme stroker motor you may break through or hit porosity. You want the filler in place before you grind so that worst case scenario you hit it. Instead of trying to pour it into a block with a hole later... And another good one... Why would you want to be dealing with concrete (dirt and water, more or less) on an assembled block... I prefer to do cleaner work than that.

You ready to put your money where your mouth is on the 350 crank in a 283 block yet? I can get it done now that I'm back in the states but if I do it successfully, are you paying?

Last time I posted a response on this BB having to do with machining I was told I absolutely had no idea what I was talking about but I'll risk it again... Disassemble engine, Deburr all the stuff you wish at home. You COULD have it hot tanked first for a cleaner environment but it isn't necessary. Thermal coating could be done at several stages along the way. I would do it before final machining. The machine shop will: Remove cam bearings, gallery plugs, freeze plugs. Visually inspect, Clean the block in either a caustic solution or a "shake-n-bake", which is a thermal and shot peening process. Makes it look like new cast iron. It is now clean and ready for further inspection and machining. Magnaflux, sonic check as necessary. Add block fill as necessary. The first machining operation if needed or wanted would be to align hone or bore the main line. Then the next operation is decking as necessary. Then you would bore, at this point I would do the thermal coating. then hone, preferably with torque plates. Then the block would be jet washed in a hot detergent solution, final rinsed, passages cleaned, pressurized air blown, and oiled.

My advice about BTO mainly pertains to the 200-4R. I know they are not doing what a 200 needs to live and for the money there are better vendors. I've heard some horror stories about their 700's but that is the nature of the beast with that trans... What I've heard is that when you have a problem, they become hard to deal with or even get in touch with... I installed one of their 700's for a customer yeas ago and he was happy with it... Their 700's are probably a decent unit. If you choose a 200 look elsewhere.

T56 is fairly tough as far as torque capacity, but in my experience a manual transmission is usually broken by rough shifting... You can take most of them and put quite a bit of power through them, even the notoriously weak ones, but when you start shifting hard under power, stuff breaks. Or if you have wheel hop, sudden hookup, etc.

The good 200-4R builders are usually well known within the GN community. PTS is a big name and Bruce makes alot of upgraded parts and I've used some his stuff in my builds however I don't do business with him anymore. Chris at CK Performance is my favored supplier for upgraded parts and who I usually recommend for soemone to buy from. There are others I would trust to build one though, Vince Janis, Mike Kurtz of Century Trans (TX), Eric Shertz at Dynotec (NJ), etc.. There are a couple of things with BTO. One just do some research online, you will find out the luck some have had with BTO trans especially the 200's. Next, The weak points of the 200-4R are in most stock forms: Weak 2nd band Direct clutches will fail under power, too small servo not helping the 2nd band at all, pump rings, sun shell, pump stator, input shaft under considerable power, fluid feed, and forward drum, The 2nd band, pump rings, sun shell, and stator are easy normally upgraded items during rebuild. They are fairly cheap and the problems mirror the 700's for the most part. The Servo was a better design (larger) for the GN's and is acceptable for a mild street V8, say 350 lb ft. Maybe more depending on line pressure, and calibration. The main problem is you start putting power to the units the forward drum and directs fail. The directs is an easy fix but almost assures the forward drum will fail. So you need an improved fwd drum that is ~$400 from CK or $600 from PTS... They are the only two companies making a drum I would use. Others are cryo'ing or heat treating the stock drums. (BTO probably does this). The other builders I mentioned use parts from these two suppliers.

I build racing automatics as a hobby/side business. I almost exclusively deal with GM stuff, although I have done some Mopar and Ford stuff for friends. I am not a fan of the 700 or 4L60E. I personally do not believe you could ever RELIABLY put 600+ HP/TQ through ANY trans based on this design. Could you build one and baby it behind that kind of power, yes, but as grumpyvette stated if you are taking to a track with slicks, it's gonna go bad quick. They have issues that there is no real fix for. However at the 350-400 flywheel HP area, they are fine with proper upgrades. Vette servo, good clutches (the stock 4L60E Borg Warner Hi-Energy are great in most applications) valve body mods, proper pump setup, etc... My suggestion is not to use BTO for a 200-4R. There are a few good 200-4R builders out there that I would use but BTo isn't one of them.

The 700 can be built to handle 400HP/TQ, but at that level in a Z car why not use a 200-4R? It fits in the place of a TH350, uses the same driveline, the crossmember has to be 6" to the rear of a TH350 location (approx same as Th400 location) it is lighter, smaller, and actually has more capability as a hi-performance unit than a 700 if you want to spend the cash. The 700 has a few unfixable issues no matter the builder. 3-4 apply design for one. What you save on install costs for the 200 you can invest in better internals (mainly needs a upgraded forward drum).

Having to use a wrench to install some spark plugs is pretty standard with headers....

I chanced it and bought the Ebay chrome street rod headers. I believe several vendors are selling these now. They fit perfect in the 260Z with angle plug Trick Flow heads, JTR mounts, etc.. I think I paid $75 shipped and they seem to be well made 1 5/8" with the thick 3/8" flange. This is the type I used: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-CHEVY-CHROME-HEAVY-DUTY-HUGGER-HEADERS-1-5-8-TUBES_W0QQitemZ8042254287QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I disagree that he would be happier with too much stall than too little. I would always go with a lesser stall for a street car than too much. Too much stall makes a street car feel slower and mushy. In this scenario a 2500 converter would be fine, even with the ligthweight car and relatively low torque of the motor, it will be enough to loosen up stall to allow decent idle. You COULD spend bucks and get a 9.5" or 10" converter built to a ~2800 so that it would be efficient yet still flash. I would call PTC and see what they recommend.

What you have to remember is, the advertised rpm range of most cams is based on a 355 cube motor. If you take the cam in question in a 355, it is a decently, fairly mild cam, in a 283 it will be a different animal, you are looking at almost 1000 rpm difference in the peak power, so any advertised ratings are out the window. You are correct, the lighter car will require less converter, and it will also make the flash stall of a converter less.