347 build

[SlimeGold 69 15]

I'm getting started on the 347 for my Stang. I found a NOS 5.0 roller block and ordered a Eagle 347 kit from Summit. It's on backorder but I have time to start prep work. Follow along if your interested. I will post pics, info and problems that I run across (none I hope). I know 347 builds have been beat to death in magazines and other places but I'm on a budget and building this at home in my basement. So if your thinking about building one and if your like me and don't have unlimited funds and connections, this may help. Just give me time...It's not going to hapen fast.

 

I puchased a 347 block-notch tool from Hawks Racing on ebay for $34.00. Works slick (I hope) and that's where I started. Eliminates the need for a mock-up of the crank,pistons and rods to see what needs clearanced.

 

I had to remove a small part of the block first. It's just a jig tab that Ford uses for first time machining of the raw block . It's beside the oil pump mounting pad. Just cut it off with a saws-all or dremel tool.

 

Next I put the notch tool into place per the instructions provided and marked the bottom of the cylinders.

 

After all where marked, I used a dremel tool with a small stone and started grinding. I smoothed around each notch with a sand paper roll. I'm also going back with the dremel for a deburring of the whole block.

 

When the stroker kit comes in (next week), the block is going to the machine shop first for cleaning, slight honing, cam bearings, plugs and a deck square check. I may send the pistons, crank and rods also to check measurements. The kit is pre-balanced to 28oz.

 

The final product will be 342 (standard bore), Comp roller cam, AFR 185 heads.

Edited October 11, 2009 by SlimeGold 69

[jnet4jt 10]

Just a quick question, did you go with the 331 pistons and 5.315" rods? Just wondering, My buddy with a 72 mav used this and seems to be very happy with it. It's pumping out around 450-475 hp (according to the desk top dyno and cam quest). Let me know how it's all going together. I'm going back and forth between a 347 or a 418 for mine. the problem is I don't have a 351 block or anything else to go alonge with it (parts or money).

Edited October 10, 2009 by jnet4jt

[SlimeGold 69 15]

No. I'm going with 347 pistons and 5.4 rods. The wrist pin will be in the oil ring if that's what your asking. I was thinking of a 393W first. I even bought a windsor block but in the end decided on the 347 because my car already has a 302 and things like headers, pullies,PS and alt brackets and intake will switch over to the 347 without issue. Plus I found a new 302 roller block and that sealed the deal. My 85 351 windsor block would need a more expensive small base roller cam conversion plus it's wore out and I'm not sure it would even clean up with a 30 over bore. So in the end ,cost solved the question of a 302/347 stroker or 351w.393/408 stroker for me. Now if I was building a car from the ground up then it would be hard to pass up a big windsor stroker. Kits for them are about the same price as 347's. I hope to see around 400 HP when all is said and done.

Edited October 11, 2009 by SlimeGold 69

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Parts..woo-hoo!!! After waiting over a month for my backordered Eagle kit, it came yesterday. All the parts look good and are spot on measurement wise. I will get the block to the machine shop week after next.

[rockhouse66 22]

I did a similar build using the Eagle forged kit and ported 351 heads. Are you sure that this is balanced to a 28 oz. flywheel? I ask because when I bought mine, it was only available neutral balanced.

 

The notching template is a pretty neat piece; sure saves a lot of trial and error mocking up the actual parts. I also ran a main stud girdle and windage tray, so some more notching was required to get everything to clear.

[stangme428 33]

nice stuff man!! looks good!!:tongue_smilie:

 

Parts..woo-hoo!!! After waiting over a month for my backordered Eagle kit, it came yesterday. All the parts look good and are spot on measurement wise. I will get the block to the machine shop week after next.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Are you sure that this is balanced to a 28 oz. flywheel? I ask because when I bought mine, it was only available neutral balanced.

 

 

Yeah, I'm 100% sure. My kit is just a "street performance" kit. I noticed that most of the hard-core Eagle kits (Racing and Pro-Street), that have all forged parts with the H beam rods are internal neutral balanced. My kit came with the spec card of where they balanced it and notes the 28oz external. Made sure of that before I ordered from Summit also.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Got the block back from the machine shop yesterday. The deck was cut just a hair to true it up, the cylinders where honed with 500 stones for moly rings (less than a .001 removed for piston to wall clearance of .0025), installed cam bearings and they tapped the front oil gallery plug-holes for screw in plugs. I gave it a good bath/scrubbing and a little paint. Next I'm going to start cleaning the pistons and rods, putting them together (floating pins) and the long job of getting the ring gaps in spec.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Today I washed the pistons, rods and crank. Put the rods and pistons together, file-gapped all 16 compression rings (.018 top gap and .022 bottom), ringed all the pistons and installed the crank. Bearing clearance was .002 on the mains and end-play is .006. It's going together smooth so far and the Eagle machine work has been spot on. Tomorrow I'm going to knock all the pistons in, check bearing clearance on all 8 and check deck clearance. Should end up being close to zero decked.

[Fordrevhead 29]

Today? Wait, how do you do this on a Wednesday? That's at least half a days work! Looking good though! Cant get any tighter on the endplay! You'd actually want less if you were boosting it.

 

Sounds like you know what you are doing but once the pistons are all in and bearings gauged I like to use a torque wrench to rotate the entire assembly, gives you a good feel to make sure there's no "tight spots."

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Today? Wait, how do you do this on a Wednesday? That's at least half a days work! Looking good though! Cant get any tighter on the endplay! You'd actually want less if you were boosting it.

 

Sounds like you know what you are doing but once the pistons are all in and bearings gauged I like to use a torque wrench to rotate the entire assembly, gives you a good feel to make sure there's no "tight spots."

 

 

LOL..yeah it took about half a day and I played hooky from work, some things are more important than a job ya know...sheesh.:whistling:

 

The .006 is a little close for end-play but the only boost it will see is from my right foot, so I think it will be fine.

 

That's a good idea on spinning it with a torque wrench. How much torque should it take to spin it? I can spin the crank with my little finger so there is no binding there as of now.

Edited December 10, 2009 by SlimeGold 69

[SlimeGold 69 15]

The short block is together minus the cam, oil pump and pan. All rod clearances checked out and piston to deck averages around .008 down in the hole. With a thin head gasket, quench will still be OK. The block clearance jig worked out good. Plenty of clearance at the bottom of the cylinders with the half-nickle size notches. Next I'm going to order the cam from Summit.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Well I hit a snag and now it's got to all come back apart:crying:. I checked the piston to deck clearance on the passenger side of the block and all are between .006-.008 down...good there. But last night I checked the driver side starting at the rear and found the rear cylinder's piston to deck was .007, but the next one was more, then the next more until the last cylinder that ended up with .017 down in the hole. So the deck on that side is running up hill .010. So I'm taking it back to the machine shop to get it right. This sucks but I have plenty of time and the .010 will make a diference in compression and quench, so it needs to be corrected. Pre-assembaly mock up would have found this but I got in a bit of a rush.

Edited December 13, 2009 by SlimeGold 69

[stangme428 33]

nice ... attention to detail ... good find.:tongue_smilie: doing it yourself you know its done correct...!!

[SlimeGold 69 15]

nice ... attention to detail ... good find.:tongue_smilie: doing it yourself you know its done correct...!!

 

Exactly. I hate that it's off, but I want it right.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Got the block back yesterday and it's back together. It is 100% zero decked now. The machine shop did a great job and didn't charge me anything. A mock-up is the only way to assure a even deck clearance between all cylinders and I didn't blame them for the deck problem and offered to pay, but they are good people to deal with.

 

After X-Mas I'm going to buy the cam, oil pump and pan to finish up the bottom end.

[Fordrevhead 29]

nice... did you say what cam and heads you were going with?

[SlimeGold 69 15]

I'm going with a Comp Cams XE-274 roller. Not sure about the heads. I would like a set of AFR 185's but don't know if I can swing the $1500 price tag. I found a set of Edelbrock RPM's for $650, used with about 5K miles on them. They look nice and in G/C so I may just grab them and do a port/polish.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

I went ahead and got the Edelbrock heads and air gap intake. I gave $700 for both heads and intake ( they are around 1 year old with 5k street miles on them). I have been busy the last 2 weeks working on the heads. I tore them down and checked all the guides, springs, valves and seats. They checked out excellent. I did some porting work to clean up the runners, bowls and chambers, installed new valve stem seals, lapped the valves and cleaned the hell out of them. They are just sitting on the shortblock for now untill I get the cam and valvetrain ordered next.

 

One downfall of the whole deal was the intake was painted with about 5 coats of Grabber Green. I used stripper and scraped for 2 days getting the paint off. Under the runners was a dog to get clean. Thank God he didn't paint the heads to match. I'm going to sandblast it to get in looking new again.

Edited January 1, 2010 by SlimeGold 69

[Fordrevhead 29]

nice job on the intake, that's a real pita... it might have been a deal breaker for me. I've been there done that! I'd like to build a stroker someday. Oh, Happy New Year!