2.8 cam

[prestonrucker]

so what is the difference between a 77 2.8v6 and the 84 2.8v6 from the tech library it says they are the same but if you look them up on comp cams website it gives two different cams.

 

[schmoo]

the newer engine has larger cam bearings and journals.

 

[prestonrucker]

ok thanks... didnt want to order one and end up with the wrong one... bought a 77 2.8 out of a mustang for my truck... at least thats the year he told me it was. is there any way to check it and find out if 77 is the correct year?

 

[Angie]

Hey preston, I am getting my 77 2.8 cam reground custom at a shop here (plus lifters refaced). the guy is really good and when talking to him he said that mainly the older 2.8's use a cam from the 2.6 motor. here is a website for them. they will custom grind your shaft and will be cheaper than CompCams. I wish that I knew about them before I bought a 410 compcam last year for I could have gotten the same grind at half the price. check them out.

www.coltcams.com

 

[Angie]

Yes preston there are ways to check it out. how much of the motor have you tore apart? and on the intake does it say 77 on it anywhere? on the heads it should also say 77. i will look on the block for my casting numbers and see if I can find the block number for you to compare.

 

[prestonrucker]

i havent looked on the heads yet and it came with the offy intake... thanks for the help ill check out that website. are they fast?

 

[Angie]

i havent looked on the heads yet and it came with the offy intake... thanks for the help ill check out that website. are they fast?

offy intake? 4 bbl? no idea if you can tell from a aftermarket intake, sorry I thought you had original one. on the heads, under the valve covers you will/should see the castings on it. if you see a set that has 77/ with other numbers, write it down and post them in here and I will cross reference your numbers with mine.

As for the cam place, they are located 15 minutes from me. he does 95% of all his business from mailings, so he is greatful when he actually gets to meet his customers. When I dropped off the cam for him to grind he said he was roughly 3 weeks out on the job. he done it up in about 2 1/2 weeks. I had to drop off the lifters for him to grind, so I still have the rest of this week to wait. If you are going this route, send the lifters with the shaft so he can do both, ($4.00 per lifter for refacing) unless you are buying new lifters. I didn't know till he told me that he had to redo the lifters other wise the cam would cook the faces off the lifters and destroy the cam in 15 minutes. do some research into that aspect. and one other thing if you go this route, buy high performance break in oil that contains ZINC in the additve. the new cam needs ZINC to coat the break in. oils years ago had the zinc in them, today the oil companies DON'T add ZINC. with out Zinc on a fresh ground cam you will destroy the cam and the lifter faces. (flat surfaced ones) rollers don't matter.

cheers

 

[Angie]

Hey preston, i took a couple pics of the block and heads #'s if you want to see the numbers let me know and I will post them up for you to cross reference.

 

[Hotrodlincoln]

Find the vin stamp on the block . If it starts with 7 it's a 77. 8 is 78, 9 is 79, 0 is 1980. In 81 Ford switched to the 17 digit vin. The tenth digit specifies year and it starts with B for 81 IIRC. I don't recall if they put the whole VIN on the block after 1980, I know Chevrolet didn't for most of their stuff in the 80's, so you count backwards from the last digit. The 8th digit from the end is the one you need.

 

[prestonrucker]

Hey preston, i took a couple pics of the block and heads #'s if you want to see the numbers let me know and I will post them up for you to cross reference.

yea that would be nice to see.

 

[Angie]

here is the block numbers, these are found on the rear end of the block

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n69/ru_ready_4_r_n_r/77block.jpg

head numbers.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n69/ru_ready_4_r_n_r/77castingnumber.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n69/ru_ready_4_r_n_r/77TM.jpg

 

[enginepaul]

I think those are casting numbers, not part numbers and I don't recognize those block numbers. Usually the E means:
Truck (cab over engine) 1970-73; Pinto1976-80; Escort 1981-later
A part number would be something like: D7RE-1234-AB
E=1970's
7= the year in the decade (1977, in this case)
R = imported from Europe
E = Pinto
Then a four digit part number plus the suffix.
If you want to know if you have a car or truck block, measure the cam bearings; if you trust the person you bought it from - well just ask.
The VIN is the Vehicle Identification Number and will tell you what was originally in the vehicle.
A good parts person at a Ford dealer may be able to help you.

 

[Angie]

Thanks Paul, that pretty much confirms the motor I am building up, it is from my 78 (made jan 78) pinto I was just using those numbers for him to compare with. I will look again for more numbers. cheers