ok ive got the on going prob with the heads ticking like crazy. ive tried everything to get them 2 stop like engine flush, thicker oil, lukes oil. so i have decided 2 replace the heads alltogeather and buy new. also going to replace oil pump 2. does anyone know prices on the heads and where 2 get them i tryed world castings but there was no prises so i orded a catalog. is there any other place that has replacment heads that are better than stock like an upgraded one ?? thanks the redneck 88bii 4x4 2.9

 

Posted by Pat Kunz on April 20, 1998 at 14:26:13:


This tip comes directly from Sven Pruett's book How to Build and Modify Ford 60 degree V6's. If you really want to do this tip I highly recommend that you get this book, I beleive that Vanir still carries it. This weeks tip is on free floating rocker assemblies. This sounds pretty exotic but its really a pretty simple mod that will cost you probably under 200 bucks, got mine done for 150 I believe. The parts required to do this modification are new rocker shafts, Aluminum to be made into spacers, possibly new pedestals if the old ones are pretty worn, and some new roll pins, and last but not least a good machine shop. The modifications include changing the rocker arm to shaft clearances by quite a bit, chamfering the oil holes in the shaft, running aluminum spacers instead of the springs, and thats about it. now I will give you the specs.: Shaft to rocker arm clearance .0025-.003in. (stock is .0013in.) rocker arm bore diameter should be around .7836-.7842in. Aluminum spacer to rocker arm side clearance of .010-.015 for each roker arm that, that spacer is used with so .020-.030in. for the rocker arms between the pedestals. (stock is 0 clearence between spring and rocker arm, it actually rides up against it). With the increased rocker arm to shaft clearances and now a clearance between the spacers and the rocker arm, along with increased oiling to the upper valvetrain. These combine to create a very slick and essentially pretty friction free rocker movement, in fact after the valvetrain is reassemblrd you should be able to flick one of the rockerarms and have it spin arount the shaft numerous times. when compared to a stock rocker assembly its night and day in fact you will probably hurt your finger trying to flick one of those due to the springs actually exhurting pressure on the side of the rocker arm, and the very tight clearance of the rocker arm to shaft on a stock rocker assembly will tend to drag a little. The thing that surprised me the most about it was how much I improved my upper valvetrain oiling, on most 2.9's I can adjust the valvetrain with the valvecover off with the engine running and barely lose any oil spilled off the heads, On mine with the free floating rocker assembly, I tried it once and pumped about half a quart of Mobile one on the ground, I don't adjust mine that way anymore. This modification tends to help most in the upper RPM bands and its a noticeable increase but not as big of an increase as I would say headers would be. Also it seem to rev a little quicker than it did before the change mostly due to the lack of friction in the rocker assembly, and as a bonus they look pretty cool when you have your valvecover off if you run polished aluminum spacers. But if you are serious about doing this mod please get the book becouse it goes far more in depth than I did here.

 

Sounds like time.. too bad I don't have time to do that.

 

did that to my truck free floating rockers guess what no TICKING
looks good to without covers with tuning up

 

thanks ken00 i just found a 2.9 complete engine for 100bucks hehehe it runs fine how sweet is that. so any way what is the name of that book and where can i get it???

 

Sven Pruett's book How to Build and Modify Ford 60 degree V6's, it may be out of print, try doing an internet search.

 

Hey Ken, I have a question for you.. I heard someone talking about a performance modification done by rerouting some vacuums on the 2.9.. have you heard about anything like that?

 

That's an old racing only trick. It only works for high HP engines used for the strip only.
Stay with the vacuum charts. The EEC-IV is very tempermental with vacuum. Don't go messin' with it.

 

Ohioredneck I had the same problem with my 89. I pulled the heads and changed the lifters. Also found blown head gasket. Sent the heads off to the machine shop. They found one cracked head and one good. I used one new head and valve job on the good head. I wish I would have gone with two new heads. I also wish I would have done the rocker arm upgrade while I had it apart. Think I will try to find a set of rockers from the junk yard and and get them modified. Good luck.

 

When I was working on my Bronco II, I found that my rocker arm shaft was plugged up so very little oil was getting out to the rocker arms then down to the lifters. What I did was punch a hole on the end can of the shaft. I then soaked the shaft in lacquer thinner to lossen up the crud and used a welding rod and rod out the shaft till clean. I latter welded up the hole at the end with a mig. I still get tapping now and then but it is alot quiter.

 

Never heard about any gains by messing with vacuum lines, not something I would do.

 

Then I'll mark that off my checklist of cheap mods.