The Predator has some nice features that include what is overlooked when you consider 'horsepower potential' any given cylinder head has. It was hard to take those off and put on the lowly -1 stuff.

the pushrod to lifter Clearnce looks a little scary Al

It is close for sure, but can slide a piece of paper in there The picture makes it look much closer than it is, should be plenty of room there but time will tell for sure. Consequences of a big pushrod and a tie bar lifter. Should have gone to a keyway deal but this is just a bracket engine. Not anything crazy for sure.

Thank you for the instructions. I will post a pic or two of what I come up with.

Awesome seeing the progress! Think you'll have it together in time for the May 5th heads up race at Milan?

That's the plan, much to do!

I love the old DC valve covers, but then again I'm pretty hopeless in that regard. Very confident it will be a screamer, whichever combination is chosen.

Could you explain why you used the insert verses a heli-coil?

Thank You

In a word, that insert is more robust than a heli-coil. I left it up to the person that machined the head to make the call on what to use. From what i have HEARD the threads tend to rip-out when using no insert and just tapping the aluminum. So while a guy is here, may as well put something in there.

To minimize the confusion on a few posts. This was my old engine BEFORE REPAINTING by Gdemon, reconfigured mechanically from the way i used it in a few ways. These are the valvecovers he is using.

I have always heli-coiled pretty much everything aluminum (and even some old Stage 5 cast iron) but after seeing your pictures i got to thinking maybe heli-coils weren't always the way to go. i have both types on hand.

Thank you for the reply.

I did the same thing as Sean with inserts. Actually Time-Serts. The reason for doing mine was to move the T&D bed plate outward .060" towards the valves. Since the Time-Sert is a larger diameter it made sence. The holes were offset bored. Then the inserts were able to be installed with no welding of te original holes.
Doug

So just for clarity here, I'm not sure where Doug's heads were initially machined (on what centerline) but if you move MINE, TOWARDS THE VALVE, it crashes the pushrod into the head! I'm just clarifying for anyone who might convert their heads to paired rockers with bolt-down stands. I can tell you we are using the same lifter seat height. A taller lifter seat would move the pushrod away from the head. ANOTHER VARIABLE is if the rockers had a different pivot but had the same ratio. But we also have the same rocker bodies! I can only assume with confidence that my original point of reference was on the same plain as the factory holes used for the original 5 'pedestal' holes. your results may vary lol

Mine were mounted in the original plane. Some of the original holes were just drilled deeper. When we moved them .060" toward the valve they only required minor trimming for the pushrods.
Doug

On my B1 heads, with T&D paired (5/8 shaft) rockers, I had to enlarge the pushrod holes away from the valves. Scott Koffel told me ahead of time this is needed, but not with the long single shaft rocker system.

Not sure what some of this has to do with the price of tea in China!? I can tell you on these heads now, with this cam, lifters, pushrods, 1.6 pivot/1.7ratio TD rocker system and 5.344 valve length with an .080" lash cap the centerline for the rocker bar hold-downs needs to move some away from the valve to allow for more lift. Getting the sweep adjusted optimal, moves the pushrod further into the head AND BOLT/STUD besides all that moving the centerline towards the valve compromises the angularity on the backside of the rocker. I'm probably sweating nothing here? but with open loads over 1000lbs and rpm over 8000, it isn't going to be a bracket build from my perspective.

To clarify "Getting the sweep adjusted optimal" is done in this case, by milling the rocker bar pad down further. So, it "...moves the pushrod further int..."

Having two different 'near-ready' (piston-rod-head-intake) combos to consider, I choose the one that would be the fastest to commission. I'm using 440-1 Indy's which Jeff CNC'd many years ago, this is using a used flat-top piston (DVW) that was designed for a 4.500 bore and now this KB block is 4.5065. Line2Line is currently coating the skirts and I had Rebco add vertical gas ports to pistons which had lateral ports already. I have to mention Rebco was great to me again, turning them out hours after getting them on the same day! And he's 'cheap'. Scott Brown cut me a new 55mm 4/7 swap cam with about .840" NET lift intake, he's still around and has been helpful as always. Isky also turned around my lifters quickly and reasonable, they are .937 bearing/ .850 wheel offset intake which is a BBC spec lifter body, PICS previous in this thread. I am reusing the 2x4150 (thumper) Indy T/R, Jesel drive and complete dry-sump oil system from my last engine. I had a local machinist friend remachine the pedestal area to make the best rocker geometry I could using the parts I had which are 1.60 pivot 1.7 TD paired rocker system. I had to tickle the heads spring seat about .010 to get .065 from coil bind. My spring loads are marginal light 340/850 and am using titanium 2.25" intake valves. They have about .060 P-2-V with checker springs on the intake and .100 exhaust. I have .045 piston to head cold. Manton is currently making the pushrods 7/16x.168 with a taper at the lifter end to clear the offset lifter body. My block is o-ringed so i surgically removed the SS orings (DIFFICULT!!!) and am currently installing copper then filing down flush to fill the cavity. I hope to make enough HP to run near the chassis cert (8.50) @ 2825lbs when everything is right.

In an act of desperation I put a request for a 55mm thrust bearing on FB and Jim Clarke (aka TS3103) came thru the next day so i could do some mock-up work. Thanks JIM!

Used a SBM hub to position the 'zero' where i could use it and made a new pointer.