Jake LaMont's How to Build A Competitive (and legal) FF 1600 Engine

[Wayne Stambaugh]

I would like to purchase a copy of this book. Currently it is out of stock at Pegasus and I can’t find it anywhere else. If someone has a copy and like to sell it please let me know. Thank you.

[MV8]

https://books4cars.com/bookLandingPages/70_FF_Eng_Prep.php

[Wayne Stambaugh]

Thanks MV8, I have the book ordered!

[Wayne Stambaugh]

MV8, I noticed your are in the southeasrt, I’m not stalking you but am curious. What state are in located in? As you can see I’m in Alabama.

[Wayne Stambaugh]

It appears Jake Lamont’s book is not available at Books 4 Cars either. I ordered the book on Oct 7 and still don’t have it. I just emailed Books 4 Cars and am waiting for a reply.

[IamScotticus]

There are other books on building the Kents, I am surprised Pegasus is out of it.

There is Peter Wallage's book, which is occasionally found online and when, is fairly expensive.  Ive seen it for $1,000.00 on Amazon when the availability was very scarce.  But Ive seen it available for less more recently.  It is a decent assembly book geared more towards the bench top home builder.  For a tear down and rebuild of the same engine and parts, its adequate.  Jakes book is more technical with tricks of the trade.  Its good, but $130 good?  I hate to see you pay that when Pegasus will probably get more prints eventually.

Honestly, If you found Wallage's book for $100, get that and cancel the Lamont book.  I can hook you up with scans later.

https://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Tuning-Fords-Crossflow-Engine/dp/1850109389

With the various Haynes manuals and some Ford repair manuals, you gan get the basic information.  Retro Ford magazine has had numerous articles on building and tuning the Kent based engines.  Too bad they don't have a good library to search.  Ive contacted the publisher and they didn't keep track of where those articles were.

There are a few sites dedicated to the lump:

https://thekentlives.com/tech_engine.html

There is a Face Book group, X-flow tuning.

I do wonder how different an alloy Cosworth Kent block is to an iron Ford block?  Are main cap and head bolt torque values different from iron?

Edited October 20, 2023 by IamScotticus

[Wayne Stambaugh]

Fortunately I don’t have to have the book today. Hopefully I am not going to be inside the engine for a while but you never know. For rebuilds I have always assembled my engines myself and I’m sure that book would be handy when the time comes. I have seen so many people assemble engines by assumptions based on other engines and ended up in a disaster. Troubles usually start during the dis assembly and cause problems during reassembly. 

 

I do have a list of things I want to do before I even attempt to start the engine. The book would certainly have the cam timing information (new timing belt) as well as distributor information. I’d also like to prime the oil system and get the oil pressure up to a running level before I spin it over. Of course the fuel system.

 

I finally got confirmation on when I can pick the car up. It’s going to be sometime this Sunday so hopefully Sunday night I should have something to report.

[IamScotticus]

Neither Jake or Peter's book will help on timing the BDA, only OHV.  Just the lower end basics of assembly.

 

For oil priming consider a pressurized vessel plumbed into an oil port while starter turning with plugs out. 

[Wayne Stambaugh]

What is the best book for timing and tuning? I’m sure not going to even turn the engine over with the starter until I install a new timing belt. I have seen a few pages showing the timing marks and the 3/4” movement in the belt when properly adjusted but that’s all I have.

 

I have worked with a few GM LS engines that require pressure priming the oil system. This is done without spinning the engine over. You force the oil into the block in one place and let it bleed out another. When you have oil pressure on your gauge you are ready to spin it. I’ve always been paranoid about oil when the crankshaft starts to turn.

 

[MV8]

With the existing belt, to collect info, bring Crank to tdc twice, looking for marks and taking pics of the cam pulley positions each time (maybe post those pics for more opinions?). Hand rotate slowly with a 3/8" ratchet and stop immediately if there is any "lock". The valves can be hand levered open to check valve to piston clearance at tdc for each cylinder, with a tool that hooks around the cam (next to the lobe on the un-machined area) about a foot long (probably must be fabricated).

 

Without references/specifications, basics are verified TDC on the crank by checking through the #1 plug hole (don't trust the crank pulley marks), if adjustable cam pulleys are installed, set mid-travel (+/- ) range, both cams on the base circle, with the  exhaust cam about to start up the lobe, intake cam just closed, no belt slack on the side pulling. Again, hand rotate slowly to ensure no valve to piston contact.

 

 

EDIT: this book will probably help: https://www.amazon.com/Ford-pinto-sierra-cosworth-engines/dp/1903706785

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by MV8