MEL 430 Engine Specifications

[Theo]

O.K. that's what I was suspecting, but I wasn't absolutely sure. Your data sheets and photos of the pistons are excellent info.
I will edit and copy to other sections too, but must leave my desk for now.

[Theo]

I merged the piston design related posts of this thread with this sticky thread here
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67
Please post further comments on pistons there or create a new thread.
Thanx

[Theo]

Spcs. list updated w. valve spring and camshaft data according to Rick's documents

[Shelby#18]

Ditto.
Seems they skipped the align honing.

Theo, the reason for not doing the align honing was that after polishing they concluded that it was in such good shape there was no reason to do it.

[Theo]

Right, I realized it by reading the clearance numbers the other day but forgot to add it to my comment. I was also deeply blueprinting minded which in fact includes all sorts of other machining processes to do the term "Blueprinted" justice.
On a street engine it is not necessary to do all steps of blueprinting if not vitally needed. In this case I would call it a normal rebuild or in some cases a partially blueprinted engine.
I strongly recommend Rick Voegelin's book I mentioned in the book section. I believe you will like it especially if you plan to do a few other projects in the future. People who spend a lot of money on their restoration project deserve to become knowledgeable enough to make the right decisions on what and by whom the work is going to be done.
I live close to Berlin which is a highly industrialized 3,5 Million citizen city. Finding a good machine shop was not easy and it was even more difficult to find a machine shop that had the machines you needed for specific jobs.
There was no machine shop that had a long honing mandrel to do a main align. I had to travel 500 miles to an other city to get this particular job done.
It's not that all shops have all the tools and you're best off doing some research like asking them what machines they have before you start business with a shop, but first you need to know what you want and what to ask. That's were a self education in the fore field comes into play. Books are great resource to start with.
Thanks for the clarification.

[Shelby#18]

I strongly recommend Rick Voegelin's book I mentioned in the book section. Books are great resource to start with.

O.K., O.K., I get the message!! Ordered the book today, should be here within 4-5 days. Theo, I guess some guys you have to beat over the head with a piston slug or two...

All the best...
Rick

[Theo]

Looks like I was (am?) a pain in the neck. How embarrassing.
Hope you like it though. At least you'll become an expert. I promise...#

[Chris Craft crazy]

Keep talking Theo, we're listening.

[Theo]

Erh,..Incoming fire has the right of way ......but tracers work both ways.

[Theo]

This set of values have been merged to the specification chart.

Year 1958 MEL Valve Intake ...............2,140"- 2,150"
Year 1958 MEL Valve Exhaust............ 1.770"- 1.780".

Year 1959 MEL Valve Intake................2.080"- 2.090"
Year 1959 MEL Valve Exhaust.............1.770"- 1.780"