Took the crank back out of the block and fit the cam to the cam bearings. My method is to mark the cam journals with a felt tip marker, then install the cam as far as it will fit into the block, then rotate the cam and remove it. The journals that are too tight will wipe off the felt tip markings, and the corresponding cam bearing will have a bright shinny surface where the excessive contact occurred. I then scrape the bearing using a bearing knife, remark the cam journal with the felt tip, and redo the procedure.
The cam initially fit about half way into the bearings, with #4 and #5 (the last two) showing contact. I worked them, each time the cam fit further into place. Finally #2, #3, and #4 showed contact and I worked them. When completed all the cam journals touched their bearings to some degree. Cam with cam gear attached turns a little stiff by hand which is the way I leave them ready to run.
Next went to the cylinder heads. I lightly lapped the valves to the seats to leave a contact pattern on the valve face so the 30 degree back cut on the valve face can be correctly located. The exhaust seats are only lightly cut, waiting for the porting to be completed then do the final seat cut.
First photo shows the cam in the block with left hand journal felt tip mark showing, and right hand journal the felt tip mark has been wiped off meaning this journal needs the bearing enlarged for more clearance.
Second photo shows the 75 degree cut below the intake valve seats 45&60 cuts. The 60* cut needs to be kept a minimum of .10 inch wide according to the sources I found., so doing that set the location of the 75* cut. The 75* cut takes the place of the Mopar template porting saving much time. This cut will be blended into the bowl down toward the valve guide boss. The hardened exhaust seat on the right is ready to be blended into the bowl. Kept the OEM 2.08 intake valve for port throat velocity, and went to a 1.81 exh valve for improved flow so wont need that long exh duration. I know it wont be the HP king.
I went with OEM cast iron heads for cool summer day drivability. I know it left HP on the table, that's life in the west.
My location is at 5200 ft elevation. There can be frost any morning during the summer months. Having a heat riser passage to heat the intake manifold really helps. Some drives can take you from 3500 ft to over 10,000 ft all in the same day. Aluminum heads cool off so quickly if you stop at the store for 30 minutes, and theres no heat riser passage on AL heads. I had tried an air gap intake manifold on the small block that this BBlock is replacing; the SB engine just never was completely happy, would run great for part of the day..mid day usually, but run rough morning and evening even with a hot air pickup tube. For the big block the intake manifold is just like an air gap, so I wanted to improve drivability thruout the day. ON my work truck already had the iron heads, and swapped back to OEM intake with heat riser passage open (but no heat flap). The truck runs great every day so thats the direction I'm going. ON the internet some folks run hot water thru the intake manifold cross over passage, I thought about it, just don't want to go that direction at this time.
Here is one of the web sites I'll be following for the head porting:
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/howto/mopp_0106_how_to_install_ported_stage_v_heads/
