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The Camshaft
Our initial plan with this engine was to run the stock camshaft with 1.7:1 ratio rockers. However since we had a brand new, Lunati hydraulic roller cam sitting in our garage, we couldn't help but work it into this project. The Lunati 51023 is actually supplied by Holley in their "efi to carb" Systemax kit. For that reason we weren't even sure if the cam would be a good match for an EFI motor that need to meet emissions.

When we researched the cam a bit more, we learned that Holley simply pulled the cam from Lunati's EFI lineup of hydraulic roller cam. Lunati actually lists the 51023 as " Smooth idle hydraulic roller. Has good low end and mid range torque and horsepower over stock. Power range 2200-5500. "

The cam specifications are 215/224 duration at 0.050" lift, and .522" lift on both the intake and exhaust valve. The cam has a lobe separation angle of 112 degrees. Comparing this cam to the popular FRPP alphabet soup cams, it falls somewhere between a B (224/.480") and E (220/.498") cam. The Lunati actually has more lift than these, but less intake duration. The 112 separation angle and 215 intake duration should keep emissions near stock at idle. We figured it would be a smooth idling cam, with good mid range (2500-4500) torque. The RPM intake should move the torque band up 800 rpm or so and give us a good top end charge.

Assembly
 

1. The Lunati 51023 hydrualic roller (215/224 duration / .522" lift) goes in. We used a slight smearing of camshaft lube on the lobes, and a large bolt threaded into the end of the cam to help guide it into the bore without damaging the bearings.

2. With the cam in place, the retaining plate is bolted down. Be sure to orient the plate correctly, and we like to use a dab of Loctite red to prevent the bolts from backing out. Only torque them to 20lb.ft.

3. The double-roller timing gear and chain go on next. We installed the cam straight up -ensuring the index marks on the cam and crank gears are facing each other and lined up perfectly. If it is off by a tooth, you must remove the chain, turn the crank and cam, and reinstall. One tooth is about 18 degrees- meaning the engine wont start if you line it up incorrectly!

4. With the cam and timing gears installed, we turn the motor over and install the oil pump, shaft and pickup. We used a standard volume and pressure Melling M68 oil pump, because our bearing clearances (.0015" main and .002 rod) were on the tighter end of the factory specs, and a high volume pump would just rob horsepower.

5. It is important to check the clearance from the pickup screen to the bottom of the oil pan. The screen should be between 3/8" to 1/2" from the pan bottom. Too close or too far can cause oil starvation. You can measure as shown here by using two rulers to measure the height of the pickup from the pan mounting surface on the block...

6. ...then measure the depth of the pan. Subtract the height of the pickup from the depth of the pan, and you have the distance the pickup will be from the bottom of the pan once it is bolted on.

Be sure to add about 1/4" for the thickness of the pan gasket. Better yet, when you measure the height of the pickup, lay the pan gasket in place to get an accurate measurement.

7. The other, easier, way to check for adequate pickup clearance is to use a piece of clay or Playdough. Place a 1" ball on the pickup, then install the oil pan and gasket with a couple bolts to ensure it is seated flush against the block. Then remove the pan and carefully measure the thickness of the clay. Shoot for 3/8" to 1/2" clearance.

8. An interesting change made by Ford when they introduced the EFI/roller 5.0L is the longer distributor drive shaft (left) compared to earlier 289-302 distributors. This creates a problem when you attempt to use the hardened ARP oil pump driveshaft (top). The ARP shaft has a barreled body with about 1" of hex section at the top to engage the distributor. With the longer distributor the retainer clip bottoms out at the bottom of the hex portion and prevents the distributor from seating properly against the block. If you use the stock oil pump driveshaft the clip is free to slide down as far as it needs to, because the entire shaft is a hex shape.

9. There are two solutions, if you want to use a heavy-duty oil pump drive shaft. The first is NOT to buy the ARP (154-7904) shaft because it is intended for the earlier 289-302 distributors. FRPP sells a late-model specific heavy duty shaft which has a longer hex portion, to allow the clip to slide further down. (M6605B302)

The other option, if you already bought the ARP shaft like we did, is to simply hack off the 1/2" extension on the distributor shaft, as shown here. It won't have any affect on the strength of the distributor, and we're not sure why Ford made this change in the first place.

10. We replaced the front seal in our "reconditioned" timing cover and installed it on the block, using a Fel Pro gasket and very light spread of silicone RTV on both sides of the gasket to ensure a leak free seal.

11. The oil pan is installed next using the 5.0L specific one-piece rubber gasket. You do not need to use any sealer with this type of gasket, just ensure the end seal portions of the gasket are properly seated into the timing cover and rear main cap grooves.

12. With the pan and timing cover in place, we installed the harmonic balancer. To keep costs down we bought a new stock replacement 50oz balancer ($100) rather than one of the better constructed but more expensive brands. Spread a thin film of moly or oil on the crank hub before installing the damper to prevent it from binding. Torque the bolt to 100 lb.ft. and be sure to install the thick washer under the head of the bolt!
 
(More assembly.)
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Cam Selection
We choose the Lunati 51023 camshaft for it's mild but EFI intended specfications. (View large)


Planning ahead
For under $75 we gathered everything we'd need to assemble the complete engine on the stand, minus valve covers (someone beat us to them). We spent the rest of the day cleaning the parts and then painting them with satin black and Eastwoods "Detail Gray". The parts looked better than new and we saved a ton of time, work and aggravation during the day of the actual engine swap because we weren't relying on dirty parts coming off the motor in car.

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