BajaF250

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Sat May 11, 2013 5:39 am

Ok, I stopped by and talked with Greg at Total Performance and he'll do my intake manifold for me next week. So, I'll pull it off today, get it cleaned up, check it for straightness and bring it down to him on Monday. He can have it ported and hot tanked, looking like it just came out of the casting mold in two days. That, in-and-of-itself, should give me another 25hp... just to give the old Lightning motor a touch more pep. I'm going to design and build some custom headers to capitalize on flow characteristics for the future stroker motor I'll build. I should have it back together by next weekend and running!

Quailhunter · Post by **Quailhunter** » Sat May 11, 2013 5:58 am

Tom I hope I'm thinking what others are and that is it's great to have you back on GFB. You bring life to this site!......... Now, carry on!

AussieRod · Post by **AussieRod** » Sat May 11, 2013 4:58 pm

Agui-E7TE wrote:Gotcha! Intake removal isn't very fun but on the plus side, you can check your valve covers to see if they are leaking. I'm pretty sure Minty Green's engine doesn't leak oil though

Are you adding a spacer between the plenum?

Sorry, but I missed this before. Tom, I would consider a spacer between the upper and lower. The heat transfer is incredible in stock form. For example, Mick's XR8 Falcon recently received a new reman engine with AFR 165 heads, E303 cam and the Explorer (cast GT40 style) intake mainifold. With the AFR heads having screw-in studs, we had to find a stock EFI style set of valve covers to fit over the rocker gear, but clear the intake. The problem was, the taller cover hit the bottom of the upper, so I installed a 3/4" TFS GT40 phenolic resin spacer kit and that fixed all the clearance problems, and showed the heat issue. Now, after a spirited drive, I can open the hood and put my hand on the upper intake, and it IS hot (100 - 120F), but I can keep my hand on it, and the lower is lava hot (200+F). The difference in heat transfer is amazing, and definately a benefit to NOT heating the air charge. I also moved the ATS from the lower intake (it has no threaded hole there for it) to the rubber intake tube behind the MAF and it has made a noticable difference to torque and HP. Just my $0.02.

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Sat May 11, 2013 5:27 pm

AussieRod wrote:
Agui-E7TE wrote:Gotcha! Intake removal isn't very fun but on the plus side, you can check your valve covers to see if they are leaking. I'm pretty sure Minty Green's engine doesn't leak oil though

Are you adding a spacer between the plenum?

Sorry, but I missed this before. Tom, I would consider a spacer between the upper and lower. The heat transfer is incredible in stock form. For example, Mick's XR8 Falcon recently received a new reman engine with AFR 165 heads, E303 cam and the Explorer (cast GT40 style) intake mainifold. With the AFR heads having screw-in studs, we had to find a stock EFI style set of valve covers to fit over the rocker gear, but clear the intake. The problem was, the taller cover hit the bottom of the upper, so I installed a 3/4" TFS GT40 phenolic resin spacer kit and that fixed all the clearance problems, and showed the heat issue. Now, after a spirited drive, I can open the hood and put my hand on the upper intake, and it IS hot (100 - 120F), but I can keep my hand on it, and the lower is lava hot (200+F). The difference in heat transfer is amazing, and definately a benefit to NOT heating the air charge. I also moved the ATS from the lower intake (it has no threaded hole there for it) to the rubber intake tube behind the MAF and it has made a noticable difference to torque and HP. Just my $0.02.

Hey Rod,
Great input and I wish I could... but adding a spacer between the upper and lower intake would drive the upper plenum into my firewall... remember, this motor wasn't stock in this truck and it barely fits. So, I dont' have a lot of excess space on the top end. I'll see what I can do, but It's pretty darn tight. Not quite ready to start cutting the firewall. Mucho change coming down the pike, so I don't want to take any temporary steps just to have to turn around and change it all up in the near future. But, you point is well made...

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Sat May 11, 2013 5:28 pm

Quailhunter wrote:Tom I hope I'm thinking what others are and that is it's great to have you back on GFB. You bring life to this site!......... Now, carry on!

Hey Rob,
Thanks and mucho appreciated... but maybe just a little overstated perhaps? But, what are friends for! Hehe... :d

So, NORRA next year? You up for it? Not much left to do on the "Old Ford," just a cage... that'd do it...

Post by **SteveG** » Sat May 11, 2013 8:43 pm

BajaF250 wrote:Hey Rob,
Thanks and mucho appreciated... but maybe just a little overstated perhaps? But, what are friends for! Hehe... :d

Amen!

Quailhunter wrote:Tom I hope I'm thinking what others are and that is it's great to have you back on GFB. You bring life to this site!......... Now, carry on!

For sure!

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Sun May 12, 2013 7:45 pm

Ok, pulled the intake off the motor... pretty clear where the issue was... normally when you get the bolts out you have to pry the lower off... mine... just came off... lifted right up... UGH! No wonder. So, it's off to the engine performance shop tomorrow for a massive cleaning and porting.

Next, I've gotta clean up the intake side of the heads and the oil alley. The intake gaskets are pretty glued and tough to get off... it's gonna take some time to get it all cleaned up.

So hey, I guess I got nothing better to do now!

hobbyturnedobsession · Sun May 12, 2013 8:13 pm

I hate doin the lower intake. Do you use the cork gaskets for the front and rear of the intake

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Sun May 12, 2013 9:26 pm

hobbyturnedobsession wrote:I hate doin the lower intake. Do you use the cork gaskets for the front and rear of the intake

Hey Randy... Yeah, I hate it to... dirty... but, it does allow a good look at all the pieces and parts to make sure things are working right and to get things cleaned up.

Nope, don't use a gasket any more... just use RTV... has always worked perfectly... the cork or rubber gaskets always leak.

hobbyturnedobsession · Sun May 12, 2013 9:31 pm

Yeah i hear you. Thats exactly what i did for the same reason. I know thats how alot of engine builders do theirs on carb'd engines but i was a tad timid when i did it on an efi intake.

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Mon May 13, 2013 9:06 pm

Ok, got the intakes, upper and lower, off to the machine shop... should be all cleaned up and ported in a couple of days. I also dropped all 8 of the injectors off for cleaning, rebuilding and flow bench and spray pattern testing. A few hours later, got a call that they were all done! Nice... all 8 injectors checked out perfectly and are rebuild and tested... ready for pickup! Wow, that was fast!

yikes · Post by **yikes** » Tue May 14, 2013 7:45 pm

You continue to amaze Tom! Sixty pounds lighter and fast as fast can be. Haha!

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Wed May 15, 2013 5:46 am

Hehe... wish it were so!

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Tue May 21, 2013 6:54 pm

Man, I'm slow... well, got all the parts back and all cleaned up and painted. I spent many hours with a Q-tip making sure I cleaned up the lifter/oil galley to clean it up from any potential dirt/sand, old gasket material contamination. Although I was very careful with keeping everything covered and sealed, the initial lower removal will always contaminate the oil galley... so, clean, clean, clean! Pays in the long run.

Got the lower intake manifold installed, sealed and torqued. Then I got all of the components installed, injectors, fuel rail, engine wiring harness, water plugs and sensors, etc. So now, I'll just wait overnight for everything to set and setup/dry... then I'll retorque the lower and then install the upper. I'll then fire it up and see if it works!

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Wed May 22, 2013 8:26 am

Man, those pictures really bring to light the need to paint the engine compartment/firewall... hmmm, maybe next engine swap...

yikes · Post by **yikes** » Wed May 22, 2013 9:01 am

Haha! Evidence that no trailer was involved in the transportation and use of this truck.

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Thu May 23, 2013 6:33 am

It's all back together... just need to fire it up... should be tonight when I get home!

flyinbronco · Post by **flyinbronco** » Fri May 24, 2013 3:16 pm

yikes wrote:Haha! Evidence that no trailer was involved in the transportation and use of this truck.

Yeah too big to fit on it.

BajaF250 · Post by **BajaF250** » Sat Jun 08, 2013 8:25 pm

I've finally had a few minutes and got the BajaF250 back up and operational... Finally!!!!!! Just a little late though! Completely missed the 500... but at least I got to head down and enjoy it. Hit HPR and spent the night there... very nice.

Post by **SteveG** » Sat Jun 08, 2013 8:53 pm

BajaF250 wrote:I've finally had a few minutes and got the BajaF250 back up and operational... Finally!!!!!! Just a little late though! Completely missed the 500... but at least I got to head down and enjoy it. Hit HPR and spent the night there... very nice.

Woohoo! It feels good to have an operational truck again, doesn't it? Man I hate having dead cars...

BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250

Re: BajaF250