390 Stroker on the Dyno

[drdano]

Sweet!  Did you happen to get a video?

[Lenz]

Jay, appreciate the writeup and detail.  It's very good to see the potential for these heads when "fed" in this manner.  Shows much can be achieved in basically "out of the box" configuration with only a spring change as I had hoped.

Even though they eventually become the limiting factor the numbers generated make for a very healthy street thumper.  Its info and data like these that help in planning my next (inevitable upgrade.

[jayb]

Jay I noticed you are running the carbs "reversed" from the normal Ford setup, would this affect the numbers any because of fuel dist? Just a thought.

I don't think so, although I suppose it is possible with the 450 carbs because they are vacuum secondary carbs.  The plenum of the tunnel ram is supposed to help equalize the shot to the runners, so I kind of doubt that it had a big effect.  On the 660s, they are square bore, mechanical secondary carbs, so there wouldn't be any effect with those.

[Ford428CJ]

That is really cool Jay!!! I had to share your write up. Thanks very much for posting it!

[jayb]

Jay, excellent writeup, and a nice Father-Son project!  A question on the heads; were they run basically out of the box except for the springs?  Any additional valve seat work over what Edelbrock provides?

Btw that Weiand tunnel ram looks right at home. 

Thanks,
Bruce

My understanding is that the heads were run with the factory valves and factory valve job, and that the entrance to the port was cleaned up with a cartridge roll.  You know how the entrance of the Edelbrock intake ports is machined for the first tenth of an inch or so, and then you get into the cast part?  Sometimes there's a ledge there, and that was probably cleaned up.  Otherwise, new springs, spring seats, retainers, and locks were all that was done.

I agree, by the way, that the FE looks awfully good with a tunnel ram...

[jayb]

Sweet!  Did you happen to get a video?

No, but we may run it again this weekend.  If we do, I'll be sure to get one.

[bn69stang]

Nice build Jay , thanks for posting all the results ..Bud

[jayb]

Just to be clear, I don't get the credit for building this one.  A couple of local friends of mine did all the work.  I picked out a cam for them, and helped them a little with the stroker kit, and that's about it.  They did a great job, IMO - Jay

[Qikbbstang]

Jay interested in your opinion of running different headers with different motors in the dyno room. You obviously do not run the same header or shall I say have the one size fits all "shop header" that goes on every dyno'd motor . Obviously your doing the Mexican Hat Dance with dozens of headers for your book helps with being able to run different header configurations, but it surprises me that more FE specialists don't offer up running the same header or at least a similar header to what their customer will be running.  When running a header that the owner will run vs a shop header, how much could a tune (jetting, timing) be potentially harmed when the customer drops the dyno tuned motor into his own chassis with his own headers?.................

[57yblock]

I just read this post and enjoyed it very much. Now I have a question how do you think, or have you ever tested a similar combo with Edelbrock 750 carbs?  I have a combo much like this one only with more compression and a flat tappet cam and I have put the 750 edelbrock carbs on it for the "nostalgia" look that I am aiming for with my 466 (385 series) engine that is going into my 63 this summer. I know its not an FE but I do the best I can with the limited budget that I have to live with. . I guess I am asking how much hp am I going to lose with the 750 ed's versus a pair of generic 750 Holley's.

[jayb]

Jay interested in your opinion of running different headers with different motors in the dyno room. You obviously do not run the same header or shall I say have the one size fits all "shop header" that goes on every dyno'd motor . Obviously your doing the Mexican Hat Dance with dozens of headers for your book helps with being able to run different header configurations, but it surprises me that more FE specialists don't offer up running the same header or at least a similar header to what their customer will be running.  When running a header that the owner will run vs a shop header, how much could a tune (jetting, timing) be potentially harmed when the customer drops the dyno tuned motor into his own chassis with his own headers?.................

I don't like using dedicated dyno headers just for the reasons you mention.  I try to find a header that is similar to what will be going in the car.  As far as tuning, though, unless the headers are radically different between the dyno and the car, I don't think you'd be talking a big difference, especially on an engine under 600 HP.

One reason why some shops use dyno headers is that they fit the dyno.  My dyno has been modified to allow use of most headers, but I had a set of Crites headers once that just would not fit; they were too tall, or hung down too low, and I couldn't get them mounted on the engine without interfering with the dyno cart.  If you are running a dyno shop, do you want to screw around with every different header style you come across to try to make them fit?  Probably not, and I'll bet that's why a lot of shops have dedicated dyno headers.

[jayb]

I just read this post and enjoyed it very much. Now I have a question how do you think, or have you ever tested a similar combo with Edelbrock 750 carbs?  I have a combo much like this one only with more compression and a flat tappet cam and I have put the 750 edelbrock carbs on it for the "nostalgia" look that I am aiming for with my 466 (385 series) engine that is going into my 63 this summer. I know its not an FE but I do the best I can with the limited budget that I have to live with. . I guess I am asking how much hp am I going to lose with the 750 ed's versus a pair of generic 750 Holley's.

I hate those Edelbrock carbs, Phil    I lost 20 horsepower over a pair of factory 600 Holleys on a 425 HP motor when I tried them.  I don't know how much you will lose on your engine, but I don't think they'll perform as well as a Holley...

[57yblock]

I have a pair of generic holley 600 carbs that I modified many years ago to have mechanical secondaries. And if these don't work I will have to rebuild them and give them a try. I ran this engine with these edelbrocks on my test stand and they started and idled fine. But haven't dynoed this thing yet. I will have to ask Ron if he has a set of  holleys or maybe even use my one 750 and buy another one as it is just a 3310 750.

[Qikbbstang]

Wish I could understand the steel distributor gear with the steel roller cam.  Not long ago it was run a bronze gear with a steel roller cam. I believe stock Fords ran cast iron against cast iron. But why is a cast iron gear against a steel cam a recipe for disaster?  Just can't grasp why steel to steel works and bronze to steel works and cast iron to steel does not?

[Faron]

Like materials, work best  , Bronze is a self sacrificing deal and it works ( for a while ) the Steel ( steel compatible is a better description  ) came out after Bronze , and Composite is also available , BUT very Pricey , I have no life span info on them