-
Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.
If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.
Enjoy.
Pretty interesting read. Isn't it amazing these stories only deal with dead engines? If only someone had the guts to give us the lowdown on current engines.
BTW, I know nothing about the problems of the 2.8 head, but a good shop can usually weld up such cracks to be as good as new,
Bill
Rsgwynn1
Silver Level Sponsor
I suspect that a lot of the 2.8's bad press came from its introduction in the 74 Mustang II, a car that Mustang enthusiasts universally hated.
I did find that World Products still makes heads for the 2.9, and I wonder if the writer of the article was confusing the two (related) engines. Jose would know.
I did find that World Products still makes heads for the 2.9, and I wonder if the writer of the article was confusing the two (related) engines. Jose would know.
Jim E
Donation Time
See lots of busted 2.9 heads at the machine shops I hang around. Think the 2.8 is better known for spinning cam bearings than busted heads.
The write up is rubbish for one reason there is no aftermarket head for the 2.8 writer should have do some fact checking.. what a gaff
Alpine fours... crack check those water jackets on the intake side where the block drain is... and we all know what bearing spins here...
The write up is rubbish for one reason there is no aftermarket head for the 2.8 writer should have do some fact checking.. what a gaff
Alpine fours... crack check those water jackets on the intake side where the block drain is... and we all know what bearing spins here...
Of all the 2.8 V6 engines I have dealt with, and that is a ton of them, I have only encountered one that was cracked, and that was already cracked when I bought it. The two closest together exhaust ports cause the head to get hot there. The Sven Pruitt book talks about drilling a hole into the water jacket, where the head gasket has a hole for that location. This supposedly allows miore cooling to that area, to be able to avoid cracking.
I have had the turbo 2.8 so hot, that the bronze guides siezed onto the valves and got pushed out by the rocker pushing the valve open and the guide going with it. These heads never cracked on me, even with this kind of abuse.
I can't say that they don't crack, but if you have a good set on your 2.8 V6, I seriously doubt you'd have any trouble with them. Some guys are down on anything that is Ford. I can't help that, but I can testify of many years and many miles on my Alpinjes, and other's Alpines, without anyone cracking a head.
This guy doesn't know much, because there has never been an aftermarket head for the 2.8 V6. I know where there a few castings that Ford made for racing trucks, but they are no where near to being useable. They haven't been finished machining, or I would have had a set way before now, no matter what they might have cost.
I would guess that those engines that had cracks in them, had been overheated sometime in their life. If the guys that are running V6's, keep water in them, I doubt they would experience this problem.
Jose
I have had the turbo 2.8 so hot, that the bronze guides siezed onto the valves and got pushed out by the rocker pushing the valve open and the guide going with it. These heads never cracked on me, even with this kind of abuse.
I can't say that they don't crack, but if you have a good set on your 2.8 V6, I seriously doubt you'd have any trouble with them. Some guys are down on anything that is Ford. I can't help that, but I can testify of many years and many miles on my Alpinjes, and other's Alpines, without anyone cracking a head.
This guy doesn't know much, because there has never been an aftermarket head for the 2.8 V6. I know where there a few castings that Ford made for racing trucks, but they are no where near to being useable. They haven't been finished machining, or I would have had a set way before now, no matter what they might have cost.
I would guess that those engines that had cracks in them, had been overheated sometime in their life. If the guys that are running V6's, keep water in them, I doubt they would experience this problem.
Jose
todd reid
Gold Level Sponsor
Based on what I have read and seen, the OEM nylon/plastic timing gear is the engine's achilles heel. Replace this with a steel gear and you've got yourself a good engine. In a previous life I worked with electric and telephone utility companies that had hundreds of Rangers in service at any given time - if there was a widespread problem, they would know.
Rsgwynn1
Silver Level Sponsor
I can't imagine why this engine would have had a nylon timing gear. Good lord, given the number of times it spins and the stress on it, it sounds like it would have broken in a week. I have an aluminum gear on mine, though I've heard that steel is even better. What were they thinking of? The 2.9 went to a chain/pulley arrangement.
They went with the nylon toothed gear, for quietness. I recommend having a steel gear made, rather than using the aluminum replacement gears. I have broken two of the aluminum gears in my engines, because the web isn't very strong. The raw casting that it is made from is not very strong, so with the acceleration and deceleration of the engine as it works, seems to fatigue it. A custom made steel billet gear, will last forever and won't cost much more than an aluminum cam gear set.
Jose
Since they are metal to metal, the replacement timing gears do whistle a bit, but I like the noise. It says that I'm a serious player. Way back when, all serious race cars made this kind of noise, and today, you can actually buy gear drive timing sets, that are made to make noise, so your engine sounds BAD.
Jose
P
Pembertoltd
Starter
Bill Blue, you are the winner. The starter was jammed because the engine had become loose from the bellhousing thus allowing it to be off center abit. Since this happend it cracked and tore up the plate with the teeth and the engine had to come out and we replaced the plate. It was absolutely trashed. Lesson learned is to make sure that all bolts are tight and secure.
Bill Blue, you are the winner. The starter was jammed because the engine had become loose from the bellhousing thus allowing it to be off center abit. Since this happend it cracked and tore up the plate with the teeth and the engine had to come out and we replaced the plate. It was absolutely trashed. Lesson learned is to make sure that all bolts are tight and secure.