New project 1965 mustang

TRBenj wrote: Riley wrote: A friend of mine saved a customer some money by buying a new LH crate engine and changed the rotation himself. I think all he did was reverse the pistons and rods, and the firing order. I don't think he had to even change the cam shaft. There must be different methods to the SBC as they're so versatile. That may have worked great right up until they tried to start it! Cam is (engine) rotation specific... Even though they spin the same way. Small blocks are set up just like big blocks.

I just spoke with him and he did replace the cam and chain with a RR cam and gear. I didn't remember that part. He reversed the rods, to minimize piston slap, although interestingly he is dismantling a PCM 454 RR engine right now and he says the rods were not reversed, so he says PCM converted the engine the "cheap way", by just changing the cam and gear.

PCM or whoever reversed the rotation... I believe he said it was the wrist pins and the 454 out of the '86 is what he is dismantling right now. He says they're backwards. I'll be over there Thursday, maybe I can get a picture. I do remember him showing me why and how he was reversing the rods on the new SBC, but that was a few years ago.

I am guessing he means that he'd spin the piston and rod combo around 180deg in order for the offset wrist pin (on the piston) to match the engine rotation. (Rods themselves should not care about rotation). Pistons that don't have offset wrist pins should be installed the normal way (valve reliefs will be in the right spot).

Like I said, PCM wasn't converting engine rotations, the long blocks were coming from the engine manufacturers. I don't think GM would have done that... I am guessing someone else had been inside that 454 and didn't put it back together quite right. Did it still have the original Pcm silver paint on it?

Thought about it more- rod orientation does matter, bearings are chamfered. Common sense says that the rods should not be spun around based on rotation, but I'll let someone more knowledgable field that question.

quinner wrote: Discussions like these remind me of how much I miss @79Nautique, he always made that Rabbit hole very interesting!

I was thinking of 79 as well. Dave and I are going over to Jim's Thursday to borrow some equipment. Perhaps Jim can explain it to Dave and Dave can translate it to Tim... I just know he reversed all the pistons and rods when he switched rotations... If Jim knows what he's talking about, I suppose it is even more critical on a RR race engine...

OK so off topic of what you guys are talking about. I just watched the engine when it rotated by the starter and the flywheel spins clockwise and so dose the rotor butten and the fireing order of the valves are righthand also so there for it is all correct a right hand engine. Dose that ancers your questions.

We will see what's up when I get it fired up I'm not pulling pistons or rods just to check. So far everything checks out fine.

Jonathan, no one is suggesting you do that. You've confirmed the rotation and that's good enough.

OK so for ******* and giggles I got a fire extinguisher some wire and some ether.... i installed the new distributor and quickly wired up the power supply to it and gave a shot of ether down the old carb and she fired right up. Just for a sec tho..... I just wanted to here it fire

Even if it was just for a sec I'm so glad I got to here it fire up today.... I got this wireing down pat now and just need to pickup more wire and connectors I will do that tomorrow sometime.

Hollywood wrote: wtf it's only 3:30

Lmao but I only ran some wire to a battery really rigid just to fire it up.

Duane in Indy wrote: While you'r at it, throw the starting fluid as far as you can throw it!!!!!!!!!!!   Might be OK for diesels but NOT for gas engines.

I know this that's why I put a small shot oil in each cylinder and cranked it over before I did that..... I am a mechanic don't forget that.

I did not get anything done today as I was stuck at work all day so I brought one of the burnt up valve covers to work and was able to clean it up its back to normal now nice and shiny. Nothing a little never dull and a wire brush could not handle. My carb spacer should be inn tomorrow some time. Hope to get the carb all hooked up and some wireing done.

big?

neutral safety switch? interrupter in the starting circuit so you can't fire it up in gear.