Resident Engine Builder Published on Engine Labs

[SSdynosaur]

Lykins Motorsports selected by Engine Labs for a feature article for his work on a 352FE (text and video).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMHlunUcVyc

https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-tech/dyno-testing/brent-lykins-531-horsepower-naturally-aspirated-352-ford-fe-engine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brent-lykins-531-horsepower-naturally-aspirated-352-ford-fe-engine

[WerbyFord]

A superb writeup on a superb effort.

The YouTube is very "real" too, just sounds like real talk out in the shop.
The discussion on shortage of parts is significant and hopefully will be a memory soon as those things change.

The fact that this was done on a pump gas 10.3 compression ratio is significant too.
Well done Brent and congratulations!

[Gaugster]

Awesome! Glad to see the FE getting some more exposure. Congrats Brent!

[FAULKDADDY]

After watching the build and reading the article. I like JJ even more now.  Great job Brent. 

[My427stang]

Awesome

For those wanting to look at my big belly, it's in picture 1 with the gray sweatshirt on    Between my two and Brent's two, we spun 4 motors those two days and still had time to go for steak dinner and maybe mexican one day

That was the extent of my affair with JJ though, Day one and pit crew carb and intake swaps...it was all Brent after that.  That is/was an excellent build and gald to see it getting some press!

[jayb]

I got a kick out of the last reader comment, "Do I see some sort of adapter to allow use of a 351C manifold?"  FE Power, still flying under the radar...

[turbohunter]

I got a kick out of the last reader comment, "Do I see some sort of adapter to allow use of a 351C manifold?"  FE Power, still flying under the radar...

We all gotta work on changing that.

[machoneman]

Great news! Go Brent!

[shady]

Very Nice.

[blykins]

I got a kick out of the last reader comment, "Do I see some sort of adapter to allow use of a 351C manifold?"  FE Power, still flying under the radar...

Did anyone see the other comment? 

"The poorest engineered of all of the 60's engines to come out of Detroit. A wedge style combustion chamber with symetrical intake ports. The worst lubrication system and an extremely heavy engine block for its diminutive 352 cubic inches. Only an emotional "Ford lover" would build this joke of an engine."

That was from a big dork named Dennis Moore, who apparently is a professional armchair engine builder.  Either that, or a Chevy guy. 

[67xr7cat]

I got a kick out of the last reader comment, "Do I see some sort of adapter to allow use of a 351C manifold?"  FE Power, still flying under the radar...

Did anyone see the other comment? 

"The poorest engineered of all of the 60's engines to come out of Detroit. A wedge style combustion chamber with symetrical intake ports. The worst lubrication system and an extremely heavy engine block for its diminutive 352 cubic inches. Only an emotional "Ford lover" would build this joke of an engine."

That was from a big dork named Dennis Moore, who apparently is a professional armchair engine builder.  Either that, or a Chevy guy.

Is the Roddy Dangerfield of engines... just cannot get no respect... LOL

Honestly all the 1950's designed engines - FE, MEL, SBC, Pontiac, BBM, etc... are pretty bad if compared to modern stuff, but they all have some interesting design features. I'd say the FE was one of the most historically significate engines of the 60's. 

[Joey120373]

Did anyone see the other comment? 

"The poorest engineered of all of the 60's engines to come out of Detroit. A wedge style combustion chamber with symetrical intake ports. The worst lubrication system and an extremely heavy engine block for its diminutive 352 cubic inches. Only an emotional "Ford lover" would build this joke of an engine.     

Did not see that one, and I was looking for it. Comments on the YouTube vid or the article?

I still don’t get it, and you beet me to the Rodney Dangerfield reference. This engine dominated lemans for years. Yet guys still call it poorly engineered? Not to mention the tunnel port or SOHC  that was decades before it’s time…. Sigh, just cant get no respect…..

Try going to the junk yard and grabbing a 351 Windsor or 70s era 350sbc and getting 530 HP on stock heads, willing to bet it just ain’t gonna happen….

[Rory428]

"Wedge styled combustion chambers, and symetrical intake ports", you mean like a Chevy LS? Then add the shaft rocker arms, symetrical exhaust ports, and the 427 FE's cross bolted main caps, makes you wonder why Chevy chose to copy such a "joke of an engine". Seems like Mr. Expert is unaware that Ford offered any FEs with more 352 cubic inches of displacement.

[blykins]

Did anyone see the other comment? 

"The poorest engineered of all of the 60's engines to come out of Detroit. A wedge style combustion chamber with symetrical intake ports. The worst lubrication system and an extremely heavy engine block for its diminutive 352 cubic inches. Only an emotional "Ford lover" would build this joke of an engine.     

Did not see that one, and I was looking for it. Comments on the YouTube vid or the article?

I still don’t get it, and you beet me to the Rodney Dangerfield reference. This engine dominated lemans for years. Yet guys still call it poorly engineered? Not to mention the tunnel port or SOHC  that was decades before it’s time…. Sigh, just cant get no respect…..

Try going to the junk yard and grabbing a 351 Windsor or 70s era 350sbc and getting 530 HP on stock heads, willing to bet it just ain’t gonna happen….

I know....and the "worst lubrication system", which on a top oiler is essentially the same as a SBC.  Coincidentally, this "worst lubrication system" held rock solid oil pressure to 7500 rpm with nothing more than a few restrictors and blending in the oil pump/block feed hole. 

That comment was on the Ford Muscle Facebook page:

https://www.fordmuscle.com/tech-stories/brent-lykins-531-horsepower-naturally-aspirated-352-ford-fe-engine/

[chilly460]

I got a kick out of the last reader comment, "Do I see some sort of adapter to allow use of a 351C manifold?"  FE Power, still flying under the radar...

Did anyone see the other comment? 

"The poorest engineered of all of the 60's engines to come out of Detroit. A wedge style combustion chamber with symetrical intake ports. The worst lubrication system and an extremely heavy engine block for its diminutive 352 cubic inches. Only an emotional "Ford lover" would build this joke of an engine."

That was from a big dork named Dennis Moore, who apparently is a professional armchair engine builder.  Either that, or a Chevy guy.

I just had to snoop his page, that guy is an A #1 world class asshole.  Sorry.  I'm not even indicting his political views, he refers to "rural americans" disparagingly dozens of time, a true elitist prick. 

[Royce]

My sister-in-law has a line she uses when she runs into these types .. conceited. know it all  braggart (numerous in the corvette crowd)   She will say:  "I am sorry your penis is so small"

[chilly460]

Think the guy is just one of those strange socially awkward types.  He throws shade at all types of designs on his page, but his pet vehicles are stock mid 80s S10 and Blazers.  Odd duck. 

[Gaugster]

Couldn't resist...

[Joey120373]

That guy,….. wow, would comment but I live in rural fly-over country, and I happen to disagree with him, so there fore I am not anywhere near smart enough. So I’ll just leave alone, gotta remember to not feed the trolls.

Great work Brent, can’t wait to see the next version, those new pistons look like they should do the trick.

[WerbyFord]

I got a kick out of the last reader comment, "Do I see some sort of adapter to allow use of a 351C manifold?"  FE Power, still flying under the radar...

Did anyone see the other comment? 

"The poorest engineered of all of the 60's engines to come out of Detroit. A wedge style combustion chamber with symetrical intake ports. The worst lubrication system and an extremely heavy engine block for its diminutive 352 cubic inches. Only an emotional "Ford lover" would build this joke of an engine."

That was from a big dork named Dennis Moore, who apparently is a professional armchair engine builder.  Either that, or a Chevy guy.

There's some iffy engineering in the FE (exhaust valves too near the edge, washboard & ledge in the exhaust port, backwards valve cover bolts) but that is pretty minor stuff and NOT what Dennis Moore mentioned.

Ford's big 352 mistakes had nothing to do with the engine, which by the way was from the 1950s, not 1960s as DM seems to think.

1958 brought out the
Ford 352
Chevy 348
Mopar 350 & 361
All similar "big blocks" of the day, all low-priced affordable car market.
Heavy? The 352 was about 40 lb heavier near as I can figure, but also had a taller deck.

Ford's mistakes (other than the trivia I just mentioned) were corporate mistakes, not engine mistakes:
1. 352/300hp was WAY overrated as we all know. Shoulda been rated about 260-270hp. I guess Ford wanted the 352/300 to "make" 300hp to replace the 312/300 F-code of 1957 which was not going to happen with the corners that were cut along the way.
Chevys base 348-4v was only rated at 250hp, just about right on. The 352/300 was stronger but not 50hp stronger.

2. Chevy and Mopar offered their new "Base Big Blocks" but also lots of options, right from 1958:
348/250-4v base
348/280-6v
348/300-4v solid
348/315-6v solid
These all Gonkulate darn near their ratings, which may be why there are a lot of NHRA 348 wins and very few for the 352/300.

Mopar had options too:
350/275-4v
350/295-4v
350/305-8v aka Christine
361/305-4v
361/320-8v
The Gonkulator feels that these were a bit overrated (maybe 5% on average) but at least there were numerous OPTIONS, even in 1958.

Sadly, FoMoCo repeated this same blunder in 1966, with the 390GT:
1. Overrated at 335hp. Good engine, just rated too high - a trap that began in 1958.
2. No options other than the unobtainable 427. FoMoCo parts bin was overflowing by 1966 so no excuse this time.

I think DM was just jealous and making stuff up. But hey, without the good old Ford-vs-Chevy-vs-Mopar rivalries, this era of history wouldnt be complete!

[67xr7cat]

Well if we want to pick on the FE I'd say the narrow rod journal and half a head intake biggest issues. Now the whole intake other than harder to seal and r&r actually was a plus as it allowed a better transition to the head.

Seems either you like the FE or you don't.  Nothing from the 60's or 70's will make 1.5hp/ci without a bunch of work. Of course the hemi and canted valve stuff not as hard, but still needs some rubbing. Now a days with a coyote, gen 3 hemi, or ls fairly easy do. A 6.0l ls can do 530hp with just a cam change.

Just is what it is. I have an old autolite box with the racing GT40 car logo on it. Always found it cool and says it all about ford racing and the FE back in the 60's.