Foxbody Mustang Piston to Valve Clearance and Pushrod Length Checks

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Foxbody Mustang Piston to Valve Clearance and Pushrod Length Checks

Рет қаралды 6,785

2 жыл бұрын

Matthew walks you through the procedures required to check for piston to valve clearance issues and select the correct pushrod length on a 5.0 Ford from 1990 Mustang using AFR 165 heads and a Trick Flow Stage 2 Cam with Stock pistons. The video includes a discussion and demonstration of the tools and procedures needed, actual measurements for this particular setup, and a bonus weight comparison between the Stock E7 and AFR 165 Cylinder Heads.

Пікірлер: 48

@kenanderson9331 2 жыл бұрын

All useful information for any of those doing a 5.0 rebuild but also helpful tips for any rebuild as well. Thanks Matthew for sharing your experience with us keyboard warriors.

@tecmotiondyno 2 жыл бұрын

I know these technical articles never get a pile of views, but hopefully they help someone who really needs it along the way.

@mavmo192 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the informative video and not turning it into a 3 minute opening rock spectacular!

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm not a film maker, and I'm not that photogenic, especially at work where I get dirty, so I try to stick to the how-to content. I even stopped putting that intro in front of the videos because I think it just distracts from the content, and the real measure of whether you are going to like and subscribe or comment is the content itself. By now, everyone knows it helps small youtubers out to like, comment, share, and subscribe, so going on and on about it or extending the video with needless musical interludes or whatever is almost counterproductive. Anyway, thanks for watching and I'm glad it helped you out.

@MongrelsGarage 2 жыл бұрын

Great Video Matthew! Ironically I am working on the same thing...lol you beat me to the punch! Lots of great information.

@tecmotiondyno 2 жыл бұрын

Gotta be ahead sometime!

@DaOnE51T Жыл бұрын

Informative video. Subscribed. Perfect timing because I have to check my piston to valve clearance on a SBE 351w with Victor jr heads and a tfs stage 3 cam.

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Glad to be of help. If you do a meticulous job when you put the engine together, you will be set up for a great result at the end.

@UFOGHOSTHUNTER Жыл бұрын

Great upload. Thanks for weighing the heads at the end of the video.

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. I think I might do a few more "what does it weigh" videos, but maybe as shorts, so keep your eyes open. I have one on a 9" Ford center section on the channel right now actually!

@UFOGHOSTHUNTER Жыл бұрын

@@tecmotiondyno Sweet ‼️⚖️

@vrm86gt 2 жыл бұрын

Good info!

@Streetfox5.0 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome Channel

@tecmotiondyno 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@frederickhairston3823 Жыл бұрын

1986 gt 4 eyed fox body all stock piston e6ze-6110-ba forged or cast.

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

I was not quite sure what you were asking here, but the stock pistons in an 86 Mustang 5.0 are forged. They are flat tops with no valve reliefs and the heads are one year only, which makes those cars a lot harder to modify than the 87-93 versions.

@thefoxlife3431 Жыл бұрын

Great video👍. I’m replacing springs and valves on my GT40P heads. Would I use the same process to find push rod length on pedestal mount rockers?

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

The pedestal rockers are not adjustable, so this is not the correct procedure for them. If you have to adjust the geometry of those rocker arms, you will need to use shims. In most cases, if your spring installed height is the same as stock and the rockers are stock or the same geometry as stock, the stock pushrod length will be right. The Ford Service Manual or equivalent is your best guide for setting up the pedestal rocker rocker arms.

@renc3920 4 ай бұрын

Terrific tutorial as usual, Matthew. Thank you! I'm just about to install my slightly ported gt40p heads, 1.7 roller rockers and a TFS-514 (Track Max/ Stage 1) cam. (and all the perepherals, water pump, chain, etc) I purchased TFS springs that are good to .540 lift and the cam with the higher ratio rr's puts my total exhaust lift at .540 - so I'm definitely going to do the play-doh procedure. My question to you is do you think I'll experience any issues with my springs at .540 max lift and my exhaust lift being .540 (.510+.030=.540) ? Valve float etc? Or do you think TFS says .540 but there's a little bit more there? I'm hoping I'm good or I'd have to do one of two things, either go back to the stamped rockers @ 1.6 and my lift will be dropped .030 to .499int .510exh or get a smaller cam to run the 1.7's. Both ideas suck. What do you figure?

@tecmotiondyno 4 ай бұрын

Watch very carefully for coil bind in your testing. The installed height of those springs will make a difference too. If it were me, when I got the engine at max lift I would check the coil clearance with a feeler gauge to see how much wiggle room, if any, you really have.

@kingsautonspeed Жыл бұрын

👏👏👌

@robster94gt Жыл бұрын

Would love to have you do the HCI on my Mustang - I don't trust anyone around here - but Alberta is a long way from Ottawa :)

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

I do draw cars from a long way away here, but that might be a bit much!

@stenjohnson6149 Жыл бұрын

Perfect! I’m planning an bump up for my Factory Five Cobra. 5.0 with AFR165’s,TFS stage1 cam, TFS street burner intake with crane rockers. It looks like I shouldn’t have a clearance problem. I’m using the same head gaskets too! Opinions? Thanks!

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

I'd be shocked if you had a clearance problem with that if the pistons are stock 87+ 5.0 HO, but it is always advisable to check the clearance. I've set up a lot of those FFR Cobra/Roadsters and it doesn't take big power to make a really quick car out of them. My preference would be the TFS stage 2 and the Performer RPM II followed by the Holley Systemax, but the parts you are talking about are pretty well matched to each other. TFS Track Heat heads would be a good choice too.

@stenjohnson6149 Жыл бұрын

@@tecmotiondyno My build is what Dave Smith calls a “proof of concept” build. Based on a $500 93 fox body donor. It has evolved a bit over the 94k miles I’ve put on the clock. The block already has the cam and intake, and am finally getting rid of the choke point in the system. Your videos are exactly what I’ve been looking for! Thanks!

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Be sure to watch my cylinder head install video for this project. There is a very popular video out there that I know guys use, but the advice in it could not be more wrong! Mine will show you the right way to put the heads on.

@garyvanhoosier2472 Жыл бұрын

Great video, 2 questions though what c.c were those heads and what was the compression ratio? Thanks in advance !👍😎

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

The heads are 58cc AFR 165’s. The pistons are the stock 1990 pistons. Stock compression was 9:1, with these heads it is bumped up a little though I did not calculate it. Say 9.5:1 or so.

@garyvanhoosier2472 Жыл бұрын

@@tecmotiondyno Awsome that you I have the same heads with a smaller cam .512 lift 218/212 duration @ .05 . I will check the length of the push rods regardless. I suspected it would take different length push rods than stock,now I know. Stock 1989 block for now. Greatly appreciate it, thank you ! 👍🤘😎

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Glad I could help. If you pay attention to these checks when you build the car, you will set yourself up for success.

@garyvanhoosier2472 Жыл бұрын

@@tecmotiondyno 100% agreed !!

@chevroletbelair1 Жыл бұрын

I have a 289 strokered to 331 Do you always have good results with this method? (Geometry of the rockers) With the comp cams light springs my Howard's link bar lifters plungers will collapse before the valves open so no good messurement. Then i tried you're method with the original springs and on my promaxx heads i get 6.550 and 6.650 because of the valves being grinded down on intake or exhaust( forgot witch one) Do you ad or minus the 0.050 from the preload on the pushrod?

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Generally, this method works fine, and it does avoid the possibility that the plungers in the lifters collapse even with light checker springs. To be extra certain, you can measure the amount of travel your lifter plungers have and halve it, but .050" is a good ballpark for half the travel on the plungers in lifters like these Ford Racing replacements. If you get good pushrod geometry with a 6.550" measurement using this method, and using a compressed version of the actual headgasket you will use, then subtract .050" from the measurement to specify a 6.500" pushrod. The reason for this is that when you compress the lifter all the way, the measured length will be longer by the extra .050" that should not be present when the engine is actually running with oil pressure.

@chevroletbelair1 Жыл бұрын

@@tecmotiondyno Bit if you got the length minis the half of plunjer travel. When you install the pushrod for driving and so you have to put the rocker to zero lash and then turn 1/2 turn to get a preload. (I now my plunjer from lash to fully pressed in Is 2 turns of the rocker nut) bit when setting i only turn 1/2 turn for backlash . Isn't the pushrod a bitt to large then ? Half way the lifter is 1 turn rocker nut

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

@@chevroletbelair1 if you have that much travel you probably want to use 3/4 turn of preload. The basic procedure here is to figure out the difference between the preload setting and the totally collapsed setting of your lifters and add that much to your checker pushrod when you check it with the lifter fully collapsed. This amount may vary from application to application. This isn’t a measurement that needs to be as precise as bearing clearance and most commercial pushrods are only available in .100” increments so you are always going to be a little off.

@robertc1220 10 ай бұрын

On a1990, Mustang installed a comp cam xe264hr 512 lift ,blown head gasket bought afr 1472 165 heads already installed, afraid to start will valves clear Pistons

@tecmotiondyno 10 ай бұрын

I don’t want to make any promises here, and I always suggest a piston to valve clearance check as shown in this video. I can tell you that this particular 1990 mustang engine used the TFS stage 2 cam (installed straight up), which is very similar to the comp XE274HR, the AFR 165 heads, and the stock pistons/rods/crank with a fel pro 1011-2 head gasket, and it had enough clearance and ran fine. That is not a guarantee that your results will be the same.

@robertc1220 10 ай бұрын

@tecmotiondyno Thanks, I just got ahead of myself, and I think it will be good. Was just hoping you installed a comp cam xe264hr

@tecmotiondyno 10 ай бұрын

@robertc1220 That cam is smaller in every respect than the TFS stage 2. Though I want to be clear that I take no responsibility for your setup, I can say that I would be very surprised if it didn’t work.

@robertc1220 10 ай бұрын

I'm glad I ran across your channel, I'm old-school, do my own wrenching, and your experience is appreciated. Anything can go wrong. I got ahead of myself and wouldn't hold anyone accountable for advice. Thanks again

@scott5.0hh44 Жыл бұрын

Just wondering what might be different with my current situation. I have the afr165 heads with 1.6 roller rockers. 6.350 tfs push rods with comp lifters. The head gaskets are the 1011-1. I bought a xe274hr cam and couldn’t get enough ptv clearance. I am using checker springs and a solid roller lifter when checking. I have been turning the crank and finding the closest spot. With it straight up I get 66 on intake and 115 on exhaust. I decided to shelve the xe cam for next years short block. I got a tfs stage one and the only way I can get the required ptv clearance is to set it at 2 degree retard. I get 84 intake and 104 exhaust. Any suggestions?

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

The first thing to do is check your piston to deck measurement. I have heard tell of some Ford blocks with a machining mistake where one bank ended up with the pistons at +5 or +10 thou (above the deck when at TDC). This can have a more dramatic affect on the P/V clearance because of the valve angles and the way the factory reliefs are cut. That’s the place I would start.

@KingJT80 Жыл бұрын

TF heads you probably would have cleared. thats why theyre "twisted valve angle work with certain cams in stock 5.0 shortblocks

@GatesRapes Жыл бұрын

Then there's bearing wear, rod stretch, weak valve springs, to be concerned with!

@tecmotiondyno Жыл бұрын

Probably not valve springs with brand new heads. The other stuff is an issue, but with a car with low miles, a well known history, a good compression test, and a good pre-upgrade dyno test, these other things are less of a factor. The steps in this video apply even to a totally fresh engine too.

@angry408w7 2 жыл бұрын

so you are running a .008 head gasket based upon the numbers you stated dont quit your day job.

@tecmotiondyno 2 жыл бұрын

Actually the test was performed with a .047" gasket, but the actual gasket that will be run is .039", which is an .008" difference. Allowing .050" for the full compression of the lifter and adding in the .008" thicker head gasket means you should set the pushrod checker .058" longer than the actual pushrod, which is exactly how this test was done to verify the setup for an .039" head gasket and 6.400" pushrod.