I could use some advice, or please point me to a previous thread. I haven't been on for a while.
Last year I rebuilt my bugeye, and I bought a rebuilt 1275 engine that for various reasons I've had to tear down after 200 miles. The more I uncover, the more I find that I cannot trust what the builder did, so I'm treating it as a used engine.
I have an unidentified reground camshaft that I'd like to replace. There seems to be a lot of slop in the chain drive so I would replace the set, and the tappets as well. Springs- not sure... I'm trying to do the work myself, but I've never done this before, so I could use guidance.
The pistons are AE 21251, which provide an (original) 8.8 compression ratio. The head and block were supposedly milled, but I haven't obtained measurements on how much. When I ran the engine last year the hot compression readings were around +/-168 PSI.
A decision to make before replacing the camshaft- replace the perfectly good pistons with something in the 9.8-10.0 compression ratio area, or keep the 8.8 pistons. Using high test or a fuel additive is not a concern- this is a weekend car. I just want it accelerate, and I need the power for the 3.9 rear end that I just put in.
I'd appreciate thoughts on whether it is worth going to a higher compression ratio, at the otherwise needless expense of new pistons? I want to get the most out of the engine for street use, but without sacrificing reliability. I'd hate to spend the money on the cam without maximizing the impact, and I'm willing to replace the pistons if it will make a noticeable difference.
The bigger question- depending on the pistons, what cams are best in each case, and whether and when to increase to 1.5 rockers. Obviously I'd like to keep the stock rockers if possible.
The camshafts I'm looking at are the Kent 266 or the Swiftune SW5-07, but I'm not clear on the applicability regarding compression and lift.
Thanks for the help.
Michael
Last year I rebuilt my bugeye, and I bought a rebuilt 1275 engine that for various reasons I've had to tear down after 200 miles. The more I uncover, the more I find that I cannot trust what the builder did, so I'm treating it as a used engine.
I have an unidentified reground camshaft that I'd like to replace. There seems to be a lot of slop in the chain drive so I would replace the set, and the tappets as well. Springs- not sure... I'm trying to do the work myself, but I've never done this before, so I could use guidance.
The pistons are AE 21251, which provide an (original) 8.8 compression ratio. The head and block were supposedly milled, but I haven't obtained measurements on how much. When I ran the engine last year the hot compression readings were around +/-168 PSI.
A decision to make before replacing the camshaft- replace the perfectly good pistons with something in the 9.8-10.0 compression ratio area, or keep the 8.8 pistons. Using high test or a fuel additive is not a concern- this is a weekend car. I just want it accelerate, and I need the power for the 3.9 rear end that I just put in.
I'd appreciate thoughts on whether it is worth going to a higher compression ratio, at the otherwise needless expense of new pistons? I want to get the most out of the engine for street use, but without sacrificing reliability. I'd hate to spend the money on the cam without maximizing the impact, and I'm willing to replace the pistons if it will make a noticeable difference.
The bigger question- depending on the pistons, what cams are best in each case, and whether and when to increase to 1.5 rockers. Obviously I'd like to keep the stock rockers if possible.
The camshafts I'm looking at are the Kent 266 or the Swiftune SW5-07, but I'm not clear on the applicability regarding compression and lift.
Thanks for the help.
Michael