Resurgence of a F100

And a return....

The GT40 heads I bought are at the machine shop now just getting a refreshing. I'm not putting much into them considering the end goal will eventually be cubes. Have a Comp XE268H and a Hughes 2000 stall in the garage now waiting. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I'll start tearing into the truck. I have to go through the C4, swap on a new steering box, try to clean up some wiring under the hood, while I'm at it. Considering a new distributor...truck currently has a Spectre box store special which from all I've read are totally unreliable. I've had a miss at idle since day one that I've never gotten figured out, and wondering if that's the culprit. Plus timing doesn't seem to be highly accurate....might need to check my balancer and see if the Mark's are accurate. I'm down to 8 degrees initial and still getting some pinging with 87 octane. Anyways, distributors....been looking at the Pertronix Flame Thrower. I have a MSD 6AL and Blaster II coil. But I've heard MSD distributors have gotten crappy recently. All I know is I don't want to go HEI...I hate how those look.

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Sounds like a good plan to keep ya busy for a little while.

I think so. I figure a week of off and on wrenching and it should be back up and running again. Trying to get it done while work is extremely slow, because come March, I won't get another chance to tear it down until next winter.

Opinions on distributors? Read alot of good about the Pertronix unit. I know most will say since you already have a MSD box, coil, and cap, just get one of theirs, but like I said lots of reading is saying their quality has tanked over the past few years.

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You’re still only spinning the motor 5500 or so. Unless the shaft is a wobbler, I’d just keep the distributor you have until the new heads and new crank damper are tested first. The fresh sealed heads, good plugs/wires, cam will run it fine unless the distributor is bad.

I believe the pertronix is a stocker w its electronic module. It would work fine for you. I like the msd pro billet for the curve tuning parts. It’s worked great with the blaster coil.

I’m going to check shaft play when I have it out, but I think it’s good. Like I said, it’s just a cheap parts store replacement that obviously works, but how accurate it is really is a crapshoot. I used it when I built this motor because the previous owner had JUST bought and put it on.

I am checking the balancer though just for piece of mind. I had lots of little things I planned on doing to it this winter, but the weather has just been nasty for the past 2 months and I’ve had too much other chit to do.

What’s the popular spark plug to run with Gt40’s? Currently running a standard set of Motorcrafts set at .044” gap. Should I open them up a little with the hotter spark I’m getting from the MSD box and coil? Plug wires are a set of Ford Racing 8.8mm



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6speedsd said:

I’m going to check shaft play when I have it out, but I think it’s good. Like I said, it’s just a cheap parts store replacement that obviously works, but how accurate it is really is a crapshoot. I used it when I built this motor because the previous owner had JUST bought and put it on.

I am checking the balancer though just for piece of mind. I had lots of little things I planned on doing to it this winter, but the weather has just been nasty for the past 2 months and I’ve had too much other chit to do.

What’s the popular spark plug to run with Gt40’s? Currently running a standard set of Motorcrafts set at .044” gap. Should I open them up a little with the hotter spark I’m getting from the MSD box and coil? Plug wires are a set of Ford Racing 8.8mm



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Click to expand...

My neighbor had a big block chevy in his vega drag car and he swore up and down that ford racing plugs are the best to use but that was 18yrs ago since i have been around that car.

live life full throttle

I bet the .044 is your miss.. that is a gap for injected 5.0s. I fought this a lot , went back to 035 (suggested by an old ford racer with many dyno pulls) and it picked up power everywhere.

The autolite 25 works fine with the ford heads and cheap.

I’m going to pull a plug tomorrow and confirm. Maybe I did set them to .035....hell I don’t remember.

Machine shop called and said my heads are ready. Now I need to get my springs/locks/retainers ordered so I can let him install those. He has the tools to do it a lot faster than I can. Comp Cams HQ is only 15-20 minutes from me so I’ll likely just go there and get them...surely they don’t have stuff marked up big time in their on site shop.

Are GT40 valves 11/32” or 3/8” on the locks? And I’m guessing a 10 degree is what I need over the 7?


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Not sure, I’ve not done much head assy yet.

Forgot to update..

Everything I'm finding says 11/32". Got a call in to CompCams to confirm that.

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All SBF are 11/32" stems. 429/460 and I think 390 are 3/8". This is what CompCams tech line told me anyways. Also didn't know the GT40P heads (4 bar) have shorter exhaust valves than the intakes, requiring a 0.050 difference in the retainers...their kit for the P heads come with 8 standards and 8 that accommodate that 0.050" difference.

Just a little fun fact for anyone that's considering those heads who might see this thread.



I'm ready to tear into this thing. I'm not expecting huge gains, but I'm curious how much nicer it feels with the better heads, cam, and stall.

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Get er done

Apparently the 3 bar heads have that rotator too. Head guy called me to say mine had it. Timing was good because I was going the next day to buy springs/retainers/locks and I would have not had the right stuff. Had to get a set of offset locks to accommodate the .050" difference in installed height.

Realized yesterday I ordered the wrong torque converter. I got the one for a small bell housing C4 with the small.bolt pattern, when I needed the larger 11.5" pattern, so I shipped that back today for exchange. Still need to get my trans rebuild kit too. Going with a TCI kit I think...local place has it for a decent price. I'm a bit nervous about tearing into the C4...never been into an auto before but everything I've read says it's the easiest trans to rebuild. I have the ASTM manual for it so that'll help.

Annnnd....I was going through my spare junk and came across the balancer and AOD flex plate that came with the roller long block I bought originally, and currently running. See where I'm headed with this? Roller block uses 50oz flex plate and balancer...if I found those pieces then I somehow managed to put my old 28oz stuff on this engine. How the hell has it not slung itself apart yet is a mystery, and I don't even have a vibration at all. I'm going to check part numbers on the crank when I tear it down just to make sure someone didn't swap a non roller crank in it before I got it. Weird thing though, the balancer that came with this engine is stamped C9TE, which "should" means it's an early style 28oz. It's been nasty weather here lately so I haven't crawled under and seen what's stamped on the balancer that is on the truck now.

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Good, ya got the converter figured out. We live in town near A1 so it was easy to deal when they made one. The later transmissions are the large bell pattern with a 156t plate if I recall. I think I’ve got the 50oz plate (just get an sfi appvd one) and balancer. Sounds like progress

Should I be concerned about if I've been running the 28oz balancer/plate with a 50oz crank? Seems like I should have had issues because of it, at least a bad vibration or something.

I have the big bell housing with 163 tooth plate. Mustangs and some cars got the small housing and plate, but most trucks got the big setup. I just ordered the wrong friggen converter...total mistake on my part. New one is supposed to be here next week though.

Finally got my heads back yesterday. Got the wrong part numbers on parts TWICE by the techs at CompCams. You'd think if you call the experts, they'd be able to give you correct info on what you have. After 3 trips to get parts, I finally got the right stuff. The builder put the heads together for me while I watched. Even with stock untouched heads, we had to shim the exhaust springs .030" and intakes .060" to get the installed height and initial spring pressures right (or maybe it was the other way around...either way one was 30, the other 60). Heads themselves were in great shape...just needed a good cleaning.

Still gathering random parts. Hopefully it won't be too long before wrenches start turning.

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Edit....

The AOD flex plate I got with the engine is 163t, and it came out of a Mustang. Earlier Mustangs got the smaller plate/housing I believe.

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C4 rebuild kits.... TCI or B&M? Or are they pretty much equal? I can get both locally, about the same price, and pretty much the same components.

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Ok, updates...

Had yesterday off so I ripped the truck apart. Got the engine and trans out, and everything cleaned up. I knew my trans was leaking, but geez was it grimey. Also have a leaking steering box which adds to it I'm sure (replacing that while the engine is out). Got the engine partly tore down last night. Finished that up this morning and got some parts painted until FedEx showed up mid day with some parts I needed to start reinstalling everything. Those weren't supposed to be here until Monday, so I got most of the engine put back together this evening. Cam is in, lifter preload set, timing cover and intake bolted back on. I'll bolt the water pump, oil pan, and headers on tomorrow afternoon then work on getting that steering box off. Trans rebuild will have to wait until Tuesday. Still a little nervous about that, but over read through the ASTM manual I have several times, and it seems straight forward enough. Ended up getting the B&M kit. Still need to clean up some wiring while I have an empty engine compartment...I hate clutter. Going to reroute some of it, and get it wrapped in loom so it looks cleaner under the hood.

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We need some pictures bud! I'm pretty excited to see this thing move along.

Not really that much to see. I painted the block and heads a different color orange this time around trying to match the truck better. Color is closer, but I think it looked better the first time around almost 2 years ago. But I'll snap a few today after I get the rest of it assembled. Most of what I'm changing is internal and unseen.

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