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- Joined
- Aug 6, 2007
- Messages
- 3,843
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- Location
- Macon/Fort Valley, GA
- Vehicle Year
- 1999
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Type
- V8
- Transmission
- Automatic
- 2WD / 4WD
- 4WD
98 Explorer 5.0L getting it ready to continue Ranger swap or drop it into something else. Next step is getting the engine running and maybe doing a little hop-up while at it. High mile engine and I'm not going to go further into it than the valve covers which I'm swapping for cast aluminum Mustang covers.
While the valve covers are off I am going to upgrade valve springs and maybe swap in 1.7 roller rockers.
Undecided on the roller rockers, but definitely leaning in that direction. Everything I've read says that the rockers will put the lift of the Explorer camshaft somewhere between the H.O. and Cobra cams, also effectively increase duration because it lifts faster. Also has the benefit of decreasing friction in the valve train, allow for faster revving, and move the power band up a little bit. Since I'm keeping the 3.73 gears with a smaller tire, this seems like a good thing for my "street truck" build.
Real question is on the valve springs. Stock valve spring are a big limiting factor of the Explorer heads and they encounter valve float at fairly low RPM. Well I'm definitely goin to lay into the throttle on occasion after this thing gets to running and I don't want valve float to be a limiting factor. So I am definitely changing springs even if I keep the stock rockers.
I've heard good things about Alex's Parts as a budget bolt-on valve spring upgrade for factory Ford heads. Thinking about one of these two kits, but I'm not sure which would be better.
Valve Spring Kit GT40P w/ stock cam and 1.6 or 1.7 ratio rockers up to .515" Lift Max Output 1TS Turbo Supercharged Nitrous
or
SB Ford, GT40p Drop In Valve Springs Kit, Hyd Roller .550" Lift, VSK7h49-13
Explorer cam with stock rockers has valve lift of .4464 Exhaust and .4208 Intake. With 1.7 rockers it has a valve lift of .4743 Exhaust and .4471 Intake.
It sounds like both spring sets should be good with either cam/rocker combo, but I don't know much about things like seat pressure, open and closed pressure. Which would be better?
It's high miles engine, but it was running great last time it was ran so I'm running it. I am only planning to run it 3-5 years before I swap it for a new built engine. It won't have many miles (maybe 5K per year max) and not much abuse before it gets replaced. I don't really want to spend $300+ on roller rockers for a short life engine, and I'll be going back to 1.6 with new engine. As such I'm considering going with a set of those ProForm 1.7 roller rockers from eBay. Figure worst case scenario, I'll be building that new engine a little sooner. Any one run those rockers? Results? Thoughts?
Sorry for the long winded post...
While the valve covers are off I am going to upgrade valve springs and maybe swap in 1.7 roller rockers.
Undecided on the roller rockers, but definitely leaning in that direction. Everything I've read says that the rockers will put the lift of the Explorer camshaft somewhere between the H.O. and Cobra cams, also effectively increase duration because it lifts faster. Also has the benefit of decreasing friction in the valve train, allow for faster revving, and move the power band up a little bit. Since I'm keeping the 3.73 gears with a smaller tire, this seems like a good thing for my "street truck" build.
Real question is on the valve springs. Stock valve spring are a big limiting factor of the Explorer heads and they encounter valve float at fairly low RPM. Well I'm definitely goin to lay into the throttle on occasion after this thing gets to running and I don't want valve float to be a limiting factor. So I am definitely changing springs even if I keep the stock rockers.
I've heard good things about Alex's Parts as a budget bolt-on valve spring upgrade for factory Ford heads. Thinking about one of these two kits, but I'm not sure which would be better.
Valve Spring Kit GT40P w/ stock cam and 1.6 or 1.7 ratio rockers up to .515" Lift Max Output 1TS Turbo Supercharged Nitrous
or
SB Ford, GT40p Drop In Valve Springs Kit, Hyd Roller .550" Lift, VSK7h49-13
Explorer cam with stock rockers has valve lift of .4464 Exhaust and .4208 Intake. With 1.7 rockers it has a valve lift of .4743 Exhaust and .4471 Intake.
It sounds like both spring sets should be good with either cam/rocker combo, but I don't know much about things like seat pressure, open and closed pressure. Which would be better?
It's high miles engine, but it was running great last time it was ran so I'm running it. I am only planning to run it 3-5 years before I swap it for a new built engine. It won't have many miles (maybe 5K per year max) and not much abuse before it gets replaced. I don't really want to spend $300+ on roller rockers for a short life engine, and I'll be going back to 1.6 with new engine. As such I'm considering going with a set of those ProForm 1.7 roller rockers from eBay. Figure worst case scenario, I'll be building that new engine a little sooner. Any one run those rockers? Results? Thoughts?
Sorry for the long winded post...
.
