valve shim source

[pstrbrc]

I'm finishing up the head for my wife's Contour, and I'm about to take it to the local machine shop for a 3 angle valve job and a light surface cut. But I'm thinking...
Solid lifers and shims means that the valve job is going to take somewhere between 1 and 16 valves out of clearance. Which means I'll need at least 1 more shim, even if I get lucky and get most of the clearances set by juggling shims. But here's my problem:
I'm 53 miles past the end of the world. The "local" Ford dealer (53 miles away) doesn't stock any shims, and wants $20 apiece for them. Is there any place else beside Ford? Anyplace online?

 

[striker2]

talk to Bill Jenkins at Team Ford Parts. Hes a member here and there are posts floating around with his info.

 

[amc49]

Have a close look at your intakes/seats, I was able to merely lap mine back in and use same shims @ 90K miles. That'll save you some maybe. I made a fixture to bolt to side of 6 inch grinder using a cast iron valve guide as a pilot and custom ground my exhaust tips on grinder after they were ground on faces. Told guy who did seats/faces NOT to do tips so I could do them. Ended up requiring NO SHIMS AT ALL. Engine runs perfect 40K miles later. If valves and seats ground at 45 degrees then shop guy could add amount taken off each valve and seat and take 1/2 that total off valvetip and clearance would be fine if it was in the range before. Good machinist can do that no problem. That if done means no mixing up of valves, they must go in their respective holes.

 

[pstrbrc]

Thanks, AMC, I was wondering about that. Yeah, the head on the broke engine would be questionable, since she (TOWMBO) blew a radiator hose, which seems to have warped the head, and then I've let it sit for a year. :shocked:
But the one I'm freshening up looks clean inside, so I was going to try lapping the valves tonight, then look at the surfaces with a magnifying glass. But I hadn't thought about having the tip of the valve ground! I'm still thinking of the work I've done on pushrod engines, where the valve stem tip was a bearing surface for the rocker tip. Always hated to mess with the surface there! But since these valve stem tips only deal with compression and no shear, this should work.
Thanks!

 

[amc49]

My intakes were primo, but exhausts needed refacing, they go through hell with unleaded fuel. When setting up valve clearances DON'T go any closer than the tightest number, maybe even better to go to middle of range. Unlike many valvetrains which we accept will loosen with use, these often TIGHTEN UP with time and use from valve (especially exhaust) receding up into head as seat/valve wears. Some of the minimum clearance also disappears in the cam bearing clearances as springs/lobes push cam around in them. You don't want to get anywhere near zero clearance or valve held open will make motor go away. Bear in mind too, not much can be removed from tips before too close to valvelocks. Concord, huh, I had a '78 232 six, put a Jeep 258 in it with a 727 Torqueflite in it. I used to race AMC '68-'70 AMX, 390 or 401 cu.in.

 

[pstrbrc]

I wondered if that's what AMC stood for.
My Concord was a genuine Grannie car. The 258 will get a .060 over bore, a 4.0 crank and rods, making it a 233. Then I'm building a belt-driven turbo (using a truck turbo compressor, I won't have to drive it at more than 4:1!)
Planning on putting a satchell link rear suspension ('cause I want to, that's why!) and I have to figure out what I'm going to use for a transmission, 'cause I want a manual, and I have a 2.54 AMC 15 rear end that I want to keep. Not exactly a drag racer, but it will be a long distance traveler. But I got to get the Contour and the Kawasaki done first!