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Pure Guess?

You can buy a E bay $25 bore scope attachmentment thatll connect to a phone or a lap top. They work great.
Doug
 
It’s sort of like Schrodingers cat in the box theory.

If you don’t look inside.......it can be anything you want it to be.
 
How much was the bill? That will give us a good idea what's in it.Maybe
 
I would fire it up, break it in, and go from there.
 
Neat project!

That cam fits the description of what you wanted: street with a little strip activity. Should have maybe 9-10 compression and about 2000 stall for that cam. Assuming the engine builder knew what he was doing... there is a guess for you.

I think the heart of the questions you should ask yourself is 1) do you trust the engine builder? 2) if so, will it still drive you crazy not knowing the details of the build?

If you just gotta know then tear it down to the short block. There is no other way to really find out.

FYI - I have purchased two unknown build engines in the past and got one on a trade. I just broke them in and ran them. It always bugged me a little not knowing the builds, but then when I eventually had to tear down the trade engine because I had over-revved it, I found that finally knowing what the build was didnt change anything for me. All three are still in cars 10-20 years later and purring along.
 
Neat project!

That cam fits the description of what you wanted: street with a little strip activity. Should have maybe 9-10 compression and about 2000 stall for that cam. Assuming the engine builder knew what he was doing... there is a guess for you.

I think the heart of the questions you should ask yourself is 1) do you trust the engine builder? 2) if so, will it still drive you crazy not knowing the details of the build?

If you just gotta know then tear it down to the short block. There is no other way to really find out.

FYI - I have purchased two unknown build engines in the past and got one on a trade. I just broke them in and ran them. It always bugged me a little not knowing the builds, but then when I eventually had to tear down the trade engine because I had over-revved it, I found that finally knowing what the build was didnt change anything for me. All three are still in cars 10-20 years later and purring along.
Thanks #41.
My main concern now is where the timing
should be set so this engine will start at
first hit. Since this engine has been
sitting for so long, I'm concerned about
the cam lube integrity. If the cam wipes,
so be it. That's when I'll pull a few things
off to see what the guts are.
Based on the builders cam selection
(to run this thing on pump gas), it's
a fair "assumption" that the engine has
something close to 9:1. That's all I was
asking for. I trust the builder's decisions
as he's built a couple other engines
for me in the past. His grandson billed me
$1800 for a complete motor due to no
itemized bill for parts and machine work.
As stated earlier- the reason I installed
a "mystery" motor on this chassis was
for ease of transport. It's been worked
on in three different states.
Thanks to all for posters' opinions. I'll return
to this post with a report of how the
break-in went.
 
Could always pull the intake and smear on some new cam lube. Pretty easy to do. Be sure to prime the engine oiling system and rotate the engine over slow so you get oil up to the rocker shafts. If it has low compression pistons, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20* advanced will get you close to where it will want to be I think n timing.
 
Could always pull the intake and smear on some new cam lube. Pretty easy to do. Be sure to prime the engine oiling system and rotate the engine over slow so you get oil up to the rocker shafts. If it has low compression pistons, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20* advanced will get you close to where it will want to be I think n timing.
Thanks BLK 68 R/T,
I'll follow your advice. The builder broke
In the other two engines he built for me.
This will be the first I've done on my
own.
Buy the way, FYI, the block is 1968 and
the heads are 452's, which I'm sure had
a little taken off to square them up. The
trans is a 727 1976 HP with a shift kit,
and the converter is a Hughes 2800
based on their recomendation.
 
That's a pretty lazy cam, I wouldn't be to worried about wiping it. And if your fretting pull the intake and goop the cam up.. 440 intake is easy..Its also easy enough to pull a valve cover off then you will know what heads look for the casting number open/closed chamber. You can then count coil diameter and how many coils and likely figure out the springs. The scope is a great idea if you want to know the pistons and it may say have some legible stampings but do it now. Easier to read fresh.
If its a open chamber heads shoot for all in 36-38. If it pings simple back it off. I haven't seen much to really worry about, it sounds like a mild motor.
 
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That's a pretty lazy cam, I wouldn't be to worried about wiping it. And if your fretting pull the intake and goop the cam up.. 440 intake is easy..Its also easy enough to pull a valve cover off then you will know what heads look for the casting number open/closed chamber. You can then count coil diameter and how many coils and likely figure out the springs. The scope is a great idea if you want to know the pistons and it may say have some legible stampings but do it now. Easier to read fresh.
If its a open chamber heads shoot for all in 36-38. If it pings simple back it off. I haven't seen much to really worry about, it sounds like a mild motor.
452 heads, so they are open chamber mid 70s castings. Should have valve seats for unleaded fuel from the factory I do believe. Even if they were trued up on a mill, they are probably still around 85cc on the chamber volume I would guess. I’m gonna guess closer to 8.1:1 or 8.5:1 on compression.
 
Thanks BLK 68 R/T
I'll follow your advice.
I should have mentioned earlier that
the block is 1968, and the heads are
452's, which I'm sure had a little shaved
off to square them up. The trans is a
1976 727 HP with a shift kit. The
torque converter is a Hughes 2800 (11")
based on their advice with the assumption
the compression ratio is close to 9:1.
Had a lengthy conversation with their
tech on the phone. They said I could
exchange it if the stall is too much.
 
doesn't anybody think he should use a good break in oil and good fuel wouldn't hurt
 
If it has dual valve springs I would pull the inners to break in.
 
Fill it with a good break in oil, then pre-lub it mechanically with a drill and rod, set it to TDC, make sure the rotor is point to the #1 terminal on the cap, make sure the firing order is correct on the plug wires, flame it up, set the timing, run it at about 2000 rpm for 20 or so minutes and Bobs your uncle...
 
Fill it with a good break in oil, then pre-lub it mechanically with a drill and rod, set it to TDC, make sure the rotor is point to the #1 terminal on the cap, make sure the firing order is correct on the plug wires, flame it up, set the timing, run it at about 2000 rpm for 20 or so minutes and Bobs your uncle...
I watched a video of some dyno, engine building expert, cant think of his name, break in a 440. Said 2200 rpm for 20 minutes and have break in oil with a LOT of zinc in it. Smoked like a locomotive for the first few minutes while the manifold paint burned off..,...lol.
 
Hi STMP,...Find someone with a Katech Whistler Compression Ratio Tester...Screws into a spark plug hole & with engine on Bdc & turned to Tdc, the Whistler will sonically measure C/R ratio with good accurately .....
 
I always start at 20 degrees base to break in an engine. It'll never be under load. So the more it has in it the cooler the exhaust will run. I'd bore scope the cam and lifters as well to make sure that lube is still where it should be.
Doug
 
Thanks #41.
My main concern now is where the timing
should be set so this engine will start at
first hit. Since this engine has been
sitting for so long, I'm concerned about
the cam lube integrity. If the cam wipes,
so be it. That's when I'll pull a few things
off to see what the guts are.
Based on the builders cam selection
(to run this thing on pump gas), it's
a fair "assumption" that the engine has
something close to 9:1. That's all I was
asking for. I trust the builder's decisions
as he's built a couple other engines
for me in the past. His grandson billed me
$1800 for a complete motor due to no
itemized bill for parts and machine work.
As stated earlier- the reason I installed
a "mystery" motor on this chassis was
for ease of transport. It's been worked
on in three different states.
Thanks to all for posters' opinions. I'll return
to this post with a report of how the
break-in went.


I strongly disagree with the fair "assumption" of something even remotely close to "9:1"
and,
* given the vintage timeframe
* Camshaft selection
* and historical dollar value that was Invoiced
I would also strongly suggest most probably High 7's to low 8's to 1.... with a clean and successful fireup/breaki-in rife for huge liabilities on an unknown engine.

Good luck with it, as I believe you will need it..... but probability is around 90% of high 7's to 1 as those were the most commonly used Pistons in those days.... with anything better costing HUGE money above.... and given those high 7's to 1 Pistons were in fact being "advertised" erroneously as "9 to 1" back in those days
 
photo-1.JPG
I strongly disagree with the fair "assumption" of something even remotely close to "9:1"
and,
* given the vintage timeframe
* Camshaft selection
* and historical dollar value that was Invoiced
I would also strongly suggest most probably High 7's to low 8's to 1.... with a clean and successful fireup/breaki-in rife for huge liabilities on an unknown engine.

Good luck with it, as I believe you will need it..... but probability is around 90% of high 7's to 1 as those were the most commonly used Pistons in those days.... with anything better costing HUGE money above.... and given those high 7's to 1 Pistons were in fact being "advertised" erroneously as "9 to 1" back in those days
I'm throwing the dice on this one, that's
for sure. But the builder knew what I was
after, and selected a cam (way back when)
that would keep the running pressures
low enough to keep the engine from
detonating. The two other engines he
built for me, while not 'wild' builds,
they perform very well. Ie....a half block
long burnout in a CJ7 with a 360 and
Quadratrac...the other, a 350 for a stock
car dirt tracker, the latter being a different
horse, he knew my preferences. If the
current build performs as well as those
two, I'm gonna be a happy camper. He
thought I was nuts for building a high
profile 4x4 with a 93" wheelbase. I
appreciate your input, and I'm half-way
inclined to agree with you. But I knew the
builder. (the reason why the grandson let
me have it for $1800) and due to not
knowing what the internals were.
 
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