I took some general check measurements on the cam, just to verify lobe dimensions and journals. All looked good. I knew Straub and Clay Smith have a business relationship (may be in the same facility). This was stamped on the cam - I remember that in my cam research the CS version of this cam was very close.
My experience with Straub has been very good. They responded quickly to questions and also held up shipping my order while we were gone. It arrived the day after we got back - perfect.
I believe Straub used Crane roller rockers but they've recently gone with Harland Sharp, which are what I received. No issue just a comment.
I gapped the rings today - I honestly have to say that the HF sharpener-turned-ring-grinder is fantastic. Can't see any reason to get a manual version or spend hundreds for a name brand.
I took about an hour to set it up and to practice on 6 or 7 old rings. You just need to have a very light touch with that spinning diamond wheel. Grinds are very clean, I did use some 600 grit to lightly clean the edges but hardly any burring. The biggest thing was ensuring the grinding faces were parallel - every ring ended up with perfectly squared ends.
Shooting for .019 on the top ring, most were .019 to .020. One was .021.
Second ring going for .021, most were .021 to .022. A couple got to .023.
All in all, I'm good with the results , based on the ring gap info Grumpy has posted.
I'll get to the shortblock now, I'll install the cam first though as it's easier to get a hand in to support it without the crank in place. In the meantime I'll take the heads in.
At the very beginning I looked in depth at info you guys provided especially about having a plan and ensuring tolerances were in order. At this point I'm satisfied with the tolerances and clearances - I keep a data binder as a record of what I've done , including measurements, receipts etc.