Edelbrock Victor small block head……

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So many good pushrod companies out there. And I’ve probably used the big three several times with zero issues. I run 5/16 pushrods on my small block stuff but I spend a lot of time getting my geometry right and of course that usually take a correction kit by out favorite geometry guy.

B3 Racing Engines LLC - Performance Engine Building and Mopar Valvetrains
 
So over the past day or two now I've read Mike's articles on valvetrain geometry and about raising the rocker shafts and such. It had dawned on me that when I got the rocker kit from Hughes, it came with shims for that very thing. I found them last night and plan to put them in and see if things line up better. I'll share the results soon.
 
So over the past day or two now I've read Mike's articles on valvetrain geometry and about raising the rocker shafts and such. It had dawned on me that when I got the rocker kit from Hughes, it came with shims for that very thing. I found them last night and plan to put them in and see if things line up better. I'll share the results soon.

Wrong move. Those shims will cause you more trouble than you have now.
 
So over the past day or two now I've read Mike's articles on valvetrain geometry and about raising the rocker shafts and such. It had dawned on me that when I got the rocker kit from Hughes, it came with shims for that very thing. I found them last night and plan to put them in and see if things line up better. I'll share the results soon.


As PBR said, don’t use those things.

Mikes spacers are different than those. His actually FIX the issue. At best that Hughes shim only fixes part of it.
 
The Hughes shims are best for small adjustments. On my current particular engine, I would have had to stack them 5 high at a min. I called Mike up and he ride me right up with a single shim per stand that fixed the issue.

The issues we face are further stacked against us when the block and head are milled in which both of mine were done enough to create some havoc. I was getting close with the Hughes shims, but stacking them 5 high was out.

Mike is an excellent guy and great to work with.
 
@T. Fritz are you sure you don’t have just a regular set of edlebrock heads? Can you post a picture or 10 of your engine please.
 
Yes I am 100% sure I have the Victor heads, they're unmistakable.

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Nobody, I was trying to achieve as high of compression as I could with the 318 naturally aspirated as I could and those heads had the smallest chambers so that's what I went with. I ended up getting that sucker up to 11.43:1 CR in the end. Reason I was after compression was because i was trying to do a 400hp NA build and upon some research I had found that between airflow and too low of compression normally, you can really wake those things up.
How did it end up performing on a 318 ?
 
How did it end up performing on a 318 ?
Id love to say but I never got it all to work quite right before it broke a valve and literally punched a hole through piston 3. This bending of pushrods has been an ongoing problem even with that 318.

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Can be no mistaking on this picture and it show you why Hugh’s spacers suck for the job needed. Hugh’s spacers take you up and towards the spring. You need the right kit to take you up and away from the spring centering you rocker on the valve top.

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That’s why I questioned it. The valve angles are different and unless you had a piston made for the 318 you’d crash valves. It all makes sense now. Thanks for the pictures.
 
That’s why I questioned it. The valve angles are different and unless you had a piston made for the 318 you’d crash valves. It all makes sense now. Thanks for the pictures.


Yup, that head has a 15 degree valve angle and most SBM heads are 18 degree.

That’s a sure way to get the valves and pistons having violent intercourse.
 
That’s why I questioned it. The valve angles are different and unless you had a piston made for the 318 you’d crash valves. It all makes sense now. Thanks for the pictures.
You could probably guess by the second picture but those pistons USED to be flat tops lol
 
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The cylinder next to it was on its way to eating a piston as well.
 
Did you check PTV clearance on the new set up? I know you said you bore scoped it and all…but it’d be good to be sure.

Also, what cam were you running on the 318? Did you degree it? My Victors have almost .200 valve drop (don’t remember exactly at the moment) on the exhaust…that exhaust timing event would have to be pretty far past TDC, especially with the valves laid more towards vertical, where you gain some clearance (hence the decent valve drop numbers). Bit of a head scratcher (see what he did there..?)
 
Did you check PTV clearance on the new set up? I know you said you bore scoped it and all…but it’d be good to be sure.

Also, what cam were you running on the 318? Did you degree it? My Victors have almost .200 valve drop (don’t remember exactly at the moment) on the exhaust…that exhaust timing event would have to be pretty far past TDC, especially with the valves laid more towards vertical, where you gain some clearance (hence the decent valve drop numbers). Bit of a head scratcher (see what he did there..?)
I was using the same cam that is now in the 340, .513int/.498exh and I've already checked the PTV clearance when I put it all together, I don't remember the numbers anymore but there was plenty all the way through the cycle of the cam.
 
Here is a pic of where i drilled the inner holes using a long series 17mm cutter Wayne at Edelbrock said i would be fine done about 4,000 street Km's just pulled it down to check couldn't find any issues 426 R3 block had to open up the push rod holes for 3/8" smith bros push rods running 18 thou all round on the crane ultra pro lifter's very quite

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So over the past day or two now I've read Mike's articles on valvetrain geometry and about raising the rocker shafts and such. It had dawned on me that when I got the rocker kit from Hughes, it came with shims for that very thing. I found them last night and plan to put them in and see if things line up better. I'll share the results soon.

Another good source is to call Valley Performance and machine in Ionia Mi
They have experience with the Victor heads and Hughes rockers
 
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