FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: blykins on June 02, 2020, 05:52:59 AM
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I'm 99% Ford. I can count the number of Chevy engines I've built in my lifetime on 9 fingers. I've never turned a screw on any Mopar stuff.
But I will say that I have a soft spot for Pontiacs....only have built 3 of them but I like them.
What about everyone else?
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Allis Chalmers gas and diesel back in the day, I few Buda diesels. Detroit diesel and of course lotsa Cummins. Way back, a few flat head Ford v/8's.
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Used to do a lot of Rat motor and of course usual small block Chevy builds in Vegas, non-existent in Omaha area it seems. Lots of Chevy builders for the dirt track guys here, but haven't had one come through in 10 years for a street/strip build
Brent knows that a long long time ago, I was into Ponchos, had a 389, 400, 455, but other than a buddies 400 GTO, also not much walking through the door. I do like them, very easy to work on and run pretty well. At that time I was a fan of the Ram Air IV repop cam on the street, it seemed to wake anything up, although there is certainly better now.
Omaha is an odd place, decent car scene in terms of seeing them out and about, but no real racing and no good income from it. Machinists focus on farm, truck and general stuff. Ironic that it's the least car-centric place I have lived and where I am going to end up retiring from the military.
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I’ve owned a couple of mid ‘60s Pontiacs, but never got to do any engine work on them. But they still hold an interest in my automotive world.
I’m currently rebuilding the Max Wedge stroker to go in my ‘63 Dodge 330, after blowing a head gasket.
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I’ve owned a couple of mid ‘60s Pontiacs, but never got to do any engine work on them. But they still hold an interest in my automotive world.
I’m currently rebuilding the Max Wedge stroker to go in my ‘63 Dodge 330, after blowing a head gasket.
One of the best little engines I ever built was a stroked 400 Pontiac. Came out at 434 cubes, had some Kauffman high port heads, a little 229/229 @ .050" hydraulic roller, and a Performer RPM intake. Crazy thing made 600 hp at 6000. Stupid easy.
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Long ago, I built up a supercharged 392 Hemi for my brother's pal Kenny. Ken had a dream for a '67 Plymouth in pearl white with a black vinyl top. While he worked on the body, my brother Jim gave me a hand with the the engine. Ken had picked up a bunch of 392 engine parts from a Chicago Tribune ad placed by an Allied Van Lines storage facility. We three all went to look at the parts, surrendered to the Allied agent for non-payment of storage fees. I was stunned to find heads, a short block unassembled, a 6-71 blower manifold, steel rods and pistons, rocker assemblies and more.
IIRC, the agent wanted $500 (!) but as I kept pointing out how much work it would take to assemble it, Ken was able to get the whole shebang for about $225 or so. Later, we fell over laughing when we realized that all the machine work had been done and with a piston check, the about 8.5-1 C/R was perfect for a well-overdriven 6-71 on pump gas.
Later, Ken did shell out some serious simoleans for the new blower, blower drive and accessories from a famed Chicago area supplier. The dual Holley carbs, linkage and carb-to-blower manifold weren't cheap either. Anyway, we got it running after I poured over build specs from mainly old Chrysler manuals and hot rod magazines (way before the 'Net!). Fired it up and it ran great except when hot and at idle, the oil presssure was only about 18-20 lbs. After some more reading about the 392 oiling system, I pulled the ditzy and low and behold, I missed an oil galley plug in the back china wall area. With some real contortions w/o pulling the engine, I was able to thread in an Allen plug and was rewarded with 50lbs. pressure.
The car ran like a raped ape, Ken even drove it to a Car Craft sponsored show in Kansas where it later appeared in the magazine! Not just a pic but a small write up as one of the very first blown cars to travel such a distance yet be tame enough to drive all over town. And lordy in 2nd or 3rd (Torqueflite) this car was blazingly fast!
I'll admit that of all the engines I've put together, many non-supercharged race engines too, this was the most fun engine to put together and it was pretty unique for the era. Now, where is that late(r) model 426 Hemi I've always wanted to build!
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I'll list them in order...
#1 FE
#2--
#3--
That about covers it. ;D
I used to mess with flatheads with my dad, but that's been a while. Got rid of all my small block stuff years ago because they don't interest me anymore. I do occasionally help a friend or two with their small block Fords, but that's pretty much it. I do miss working on the flatheads. Got 3 complete engines left that I'll be getting rid of because I don't have anything left to put them in. I still think they're one of the coolest engines out there though!
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They're almost as common as SBC now, but I like the Windsors. Not much imagination needed to build a pretty stout one, and compared to the FE they're simple and cheap. I've had this 408 forever, still trying to figure out what to put it in....I need to stop messing with FE's for a minute to let the budget breathe and get a cheap recipient. 570hp/535lbft with a hydraulic roller and pump gas.
(https://i.postimg.cc/vBDW6JDV/23-FA3218-2-D61-4-E42-AFC2-0-B1-BC0-A52610.jpg)
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LOL, I've worked on a total of one (1) 396 in the way-back. Mostly 302, 351C these days. I did a bunch of bolt ons and trans work on my 79 Trans Am to make the Olds 403 run better. The aging mostly stock 302 in the Falcon would still run off and leave it in a drag race lol. Done some bolt ons, tuning on an old VW in the way-back also. But mostly Fords. My first tune up was the family 292 in my moms 57 Fairlane, after dad passed. So I'd been 11 at that time. As a kid, I also did a bunch of hacking with lawn mower engines - there was a mower "junk yard" place across the tracks from my house and I'd score cheap cores of unknown motors, the mount them on the go cart. "Honing" was 400 grit + WD-40, "shaving a head" was 220 and 400 on a table saw table top. I even ran the thing on a butane torch cylinder for a while, the throttle was the knob on the torch head. Blown head gasket? How about blowing a head right off a motor. Ah, good times.
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I started off with a '56 Fairlane Victoria with 292 Y Block, and loved it. Dated my wife at college in that car, and bought a new '66 Mustang when we got married. Worked SBFs until I bought my '69 Fairlane Cobra with 4 speed, and was hooked. Next, Shelby GT-500 with CJ, and had CJs ever since, but kept several mustangs/fairlanes with Windsors. I raced 302W/351W up until the '86 GT mustangs came out, and installed a 351W with EFI in that. Still have that car with 383W. I raced my '69 Mach I with 428 CJ/427MR/452MR for about 30 years as a bracket car. As many of you know, Royce B got me back into Y Blocks, and I am hooked on how easy they make power. I am building a 289 W and a 292 Y for this year's Masters of Motors competition because I really do like the way these engines respond to hot rodding principles. Joe-JDC
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Did a fair amount of big block chevys. Played with many things in the diesel world. Especially when diesel pickups came about. Did many power upgrades on 90’s Dodge pickups. I’ve actually been wrestling between a 428 and a 5.9 Cummins for my 1975 hiboy. The 428 will win, but it’s very tempting to do a p-pump 5.9.
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Wellll, I do have a certain fondness towards Ford 385 series motors. :)
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I've done flatheads and windsors in the past. The flathead was by far the most expensive and least powerful. :o Looked great though. 8) Outside the V8 Ford realm I've fallen into cycles. I've built several XS650 parallel-twin motors the past 10 years. The last was a first-year 1970 XS-1 motor for my restoration project. Love the dickens out of this bike, by far my favorite cycle build thus far.
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Before my strokes i never said no to a work that gave me an profit
so i have built a lot of Volvo B 18-20,-21-23-230 I live in Sweden
so that's natural
Mercedes Diesels and gas engines. Ford Model-T-A-B, flathead, Y block to 460
Chevy six, sb, bb, 409. Olds Diesels :-[. Even a couple of Studebaker champion
flathead sixes for my Snow weasels. Triumph twins, and a lot of 2 stroke 50 cc engines
as a kid. But no Pontiac, helped disassembled a couple. I want to build a Pontiac and a
Olds engine
Have a flathead a 400 Cleveland, my own 447 FE, a chevy 400 sb in the
works now but slow progress due to bad healt
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The "other" engine family I mess with is the 429-460 '385' series engines. Great engines, almost non destructible, makes more power than the FE [sorry guys] and they are cheap...so cheap the last 4 460s that came to me were free, can't get much cheaper than that. Cheap to build as well. I have 3 460 powered vehicles, one car and 2 V-drive hotboats. I have also messed with Cummins 855" N series engines that powered my 68 and my 89 Kenworth when I was working, [now retired] I've built a few Y-Blocks, Ford Inline 6s, SBFs, Clevelands, an Oldsmobile for my 21' daycruiser jetboat, a few SBCs and BBCs. After all these years I still love the FE, mostly because of the race history and heritage. After all no Chevy can lay claim to have won Le Mans 4 years in a row.
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I even ran the thing on a butane torch cylinder for a while, the throttle was the knob on the torch head. Blown head gasket? How about blowing a head right off a motor. Ah, good times.
......and you still managed to make it into adulthood. ::)
I have one small block chevy and 4 FE's for a complete rebuild/assemble over the last 30+ years. Worked on most everything I've owned to keep it going.... lawn mowers, weed eaters, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, and a BMW. Always bought used cars and tried to pass them on while there was still life in them. Do dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers count??
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After all no Chevy can lay claim to have won Le Mans 4 years in a row.
I've always thought that one of the most impressive things about the FE is that its won every major form of racing. Nascar championships, NHRA (from Top Fuel to Super Stock) and Road Racing. I can't think of any other engine that has that accomplishment.
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I was born into Fords and racing. My dad was a mechanic at Meyer and Welch, when I was born. For those that don't know (1944 era) Meyer and Welch (Louie Meyer) owned the Novi Indy car and the engine was dynoed and maintained at the Veron, CA plant.
Edit:
I forgot to say that Meyer and Welch, was the authorized Ford rebuilder for the LA area and my dad had ALWAYS been a Ford guy.
Regarding Pontiac, It may have been designed after the Lincoln 317/368 engine. It has almost the same bore centers and valve arrangement but a shorter deck and no skirt. Same bore centers as the FE, too. Maybe that's why Brent and other Ford guys like them :)
My first engine, was the FH (48 Merc Club Coupe), I worked on it when I was 14, when it was owned by my best friend and sold to me the next year. It was stock, other than bored 3/16, to 3 3/8.
I became a mechanic at 18 and had a 144 CI Falcon, I overhauled it and put at least 2 clutches in it and rebuilt the tramission twice (with my dads help). I bought a 58 Edsel, 410 MEL that year then 2 years later, I bought my '60 Galaxy, with a 223 and put a 300 HP 352 in it, with a cam and the Edsel Cruise-a-matic. The 6's 3.54 rear helped me beat more than one of the 389 GTO's with it.
In those years, as a Mechanic, I worked on all the 60's cars, including the aluminum Buick and Olds, as well as my best friends 324 Olds, with a 471 blower and a Herbert roller, in the chopped and channeled '32 Ford.
I was a mechanic in the Army, too and worked on everything from 5 Ton 600 CI turboed Multifuel's, to the 154? CI 4 cyl, Ford engined Jeeps.
I bought my first SBF, in '67, when I came back from VN (saved the money while there), a '64 Fairlane, Sport Coupe, factory 271 HP, top loader with 9" rear. Then after getting out, I later sold my '60 Ford and bought my LR, modified it with with with a Herbert cam and TRW, pop up pistons. Then a 65 1/2, 2+2 271 HP Mustang.
From there I bought my Brabham, Formula Atlantic car and rebuilt the Cosworth DOHC, several times, upgrading it. Learned cam timing with that.
In the 80's I sponsored a Open Comp, SBC. Although I didn't directly work on the engine, I modified and built several things for it and sold a water pump that I made for SBC and front drive systems for both V belt and 3/8 pitch timing belts. So, I learned a lot about them and in those days, that's where the money was.
I've also done Nissan 240 SX (KA24E) engines, for myself. I like those cars, a lot.
But, now, I'm hooked on 302's. I'm building one 306, with a 4340 crank and two more, lower end 332's, with cams from 260 to 218 duration.
My focus has, since my Formula Car years, been HP per CI and HP per pound so, it's hard to beat a all out SBF.
I also collect tractors, for my own enjoyment and tractor pulls, not just Fords, either. I also have Ferguson, Allis Chalmers and Oliver but, I haven't rebuilt any of those engines. Not looking forward to it, either!
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I was born into Fords and racing. My dad was a mechanic at Meyer and Welch, when I was born. For those that don't know (1944 era) Meyer and Welch (Louie Meyer) owned the Novi Indy car and the engine was dynoed and maintained at the Veron, CA plant.
Regarding Pontiac, It may have been designed after the Lincoln 317/368 engine. It has almost the same bore centers and valve arrangement but a shorter deck and no skirt. Same bore centers as the FE, too. Maybe that's why Brent and other Ford guys like them :)
My first engine, was the FH (48 Merc Club Coupe), I worked on it when I was 14, when it was owned by my best friend and sold to me the next year. It was stock, other than bore 3/16, to 3 3/8.
I became a mechanic at 18 and had a 144 CI Falcon, I overhauled it and put at least 2 clutches in it and rebuilt the tramission twice (with my dads help). I bought a 58 Edsel, 410 MEL that year then 2 years later, I bought my '60 Galaxy, with a 223 and put a 300 HP 352 in it, with a cam and the Edsel Cruise-a-matic. The 6's 3.54 rear helped me beat more than one of the 389 GTO's with it.
In those years, as a Mechanic, I worked on all the 60's cars, including the aluminum Buick and Olds, as well as my best friends 324 Olds, with a 471 blower and a Herbert roller, in the chopped and channeled '32 Ford.
I was a mechanic in the Army, too and worked on everything from 5 Ton 600 CI turboed Multifuel's, to the 154? CI 4 cyl, Ford engined Jeeps.
I bought my first SBF, in '67, when I came back from VN (saved the money while there), a factory 271 HP, top loader with 9" rear. Then after getting out, I later sold my '60 Ford and bought my LR, modified it with with with a Herbert cam and TRW, pop up pistons. Then a 65 1/2, 2+2 271 HP Mustang.
From there I bought my Brabham, Formula Atlantic car and rebuilt the Cosworth 4 cam, several times, upgrading it. Learned cam timing with that.
In the 80's I sponsored a Open Comp, SBC. Although I didn't directly work on the engine, I modified and built several things for it and sold a water pump I made I made for SBC and front drive systems for both V belt and 3/8 pitch timing belts. So, I learned a lot about them and in those days, that's where the money was.
I've also done Nissan 240 SX (KA24E) engines, for myself. I like those cars, a lot.
But, now, I'm hooked on 302's. I'm building one 306, with a 4340 crank and two more, lower end 332's, with cams from 260 to 218 duration.
My focus has, since my Formula Car years, been HP per CI and HP per pound so, it's hard to beat a all out SBF.
I also collect tractors, for my own enjoyment and tractor pulls, not just Fords, either. I also have Ferguson, Allis Chalmers and Oliver but, I haven't rebuilt any of those engines. Not looking forward to it, either!
You know, I think I like Pontiacs because all the cars are nice lookin and the engines run good, but they're not belly-button Chevys. Seems like Pontiac gets a thumbs-up from almost any crowd you run into. Yep, bore spacing is the same, the front cylinder is on the passenger side like a Ford, so you load the piston on the road with the rod chamfer facing the same way as a Ford, and the distributor turns the correct direction. :)
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LOL, I've worked on a total of one (1) 396 in the way-back. I did a bunch of bolt ons and trans work on my 79 Trans Am to make the Olds 403 run better. The aging mostly stock 302 in the Falcon would still run off and leave it in a drag race lol. Done some bolt ons, tuning on an old VW in the way-back also. But mostly Fords. My first tune up was the family 292 in my moms 57 Fairlane, after dad passed. So I'd been 11 at that time. As a kid, I also did a bunch of hacking with lawn mower engines - there was a mower "junk yard" place across the tracks from my house and I'd score cheap cores of unknown motors, the mount them on the go cart. "Honing" was 400 grit + WD-40, "shaving a head" was 220 and 400 on a table saw table top. I even ran the thing on a butane torch cylinder for a while, the throttle was the knob on the torch head. Blown head gasket? How about blowing a head right off a motor. Ah, good times.
Not blew the head of the engine but....Me and a friend built a car/ go cart with a 2 stroke 2 cyl Archimedes engine with the flywheel where you had a knot on a rope and twisted it around the flywheel to pull start it. we could not find the carb to the engine so we put on a Norton Dominator carb with velocity stack and all 8). It would not start so we searched for some starting fluid to spray in the carb no luck...
Aha why not use the gaswelder bright idea ::) I sat in car, held the throttle open. Friend gave it a good dose of oxy/acetylene and pulled the rope. when he was halfway through the pull,, KABOOOMM it backfired so hard. It pulled in the rope, friend flew over the engine a flame shoot out of the velocitystack,probably contained most of the fuel we had pulled in the crankcase trying to start it earlier. Burned my face , curled my hair, blew out the crankseals was dark at night so all i could see for a while was a great ball of fire ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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First engine I ever built from scratch was a 460 for my 78 F-150 that I bought new and still have. Used an engine out of a Lincoln and kept the block, crank, and rods. Junked the rest. Had a set of early 69 429 heads that I used. Friend of mine was a machinist at a local shop and guided my thru it. 0.030 over with TRW flat tops, comp cams 260H cam. adjustable rockers, rebuilt NAPA duraspark. Assembled it in my dad's outbuilding with his help and hauled it in a lawn cart to the driveway, that was scary, and had an engine hoist I rented and installed it myself. It's still running today and has way more power than what I ever dreamed it would.
I love FE's because of the history and have a 511TP for my 66 Fairlane and several other 427's.
Right now I have a 48 Ford F3 I am into. It has a 226H flathead 6. I recently built a set of headers for it and also installed a Ford Model 94 2 barrel on it. It's a sweet running engine.
Also have some 385 stuff, bunch of Cleveland's, ford flathead V8, got rid of my Y block-gave to friend for his truck and recently sold my willy's GPW stuff to a guy for his jeep collection, also have some Ford Modular 4.6 parts, ported heads, kellog 3.8 stroker crank and bunch of high end parts for it. My garage is basically fully of engine parts.
I'm a Ford guy but I like other stuff too. I think an old hemi would be cool to build and put in a rat rod. I have my eye on a 1949 Pontiac straight eight right now. Just needs to get cheaper for me to bother with it. I just love messing with old engines. Maybe it's a disease ;D
garyv
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I've always though a 322 Buick, straight 8, would be a awesome build in a T-Bucket, with a 37, floor shift trans.
The early Hemi's are great. I had a 271 DeSoto engine, that My dad threw away when I was in the Army. The 330 and 341 DeSoto's would have been fun to play with. They were about 100 lb lighter than the 331 - 392's Chryslers. Gotta bore em out, too :)
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I almost forgot, I have a Stihl 036 Pro chainsaw. I’m putting an 044 cylinder, a 038 super piston, to make basically an 044 that’s several pounds lighter. Silly, but it shows if you’re a hot rodder at heart, it spills into everything.
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Everything.
I've had everything from a Brigs and ScrapIron to EMD's here (my neighbors love me!). I perfer Fords, they are what I work on the least because they seem to work pretty well LoL at least for automotive stuff.
Currently I've got a low buck 390 I'm slowly putting together for one of my pickups with a 360 that's loosing a cam lobe. Also have a 12v 5.9 Cummins for my 77 CrewCab. A F162 Continential, A L10 Cummins that's being hot rodded a little and a KTA Cummins that I'm waiting to get the crank back for. Waiting for space is a 489 Chevy, 2 3406 Cats and a "special" 8v92 project for a land speed truck and a Lycoming O435.
I work on whatever shows up, some things I try to avoid like a Duramax. I'd rather go to my real job than work on one of those.
Special place in my heart for an FE as I have my Dad's HiBoy pickup which was one of the first things I really got to work on or drive. I also like stuff that is a little different and/or takes a little thought to make work and an FE is both of those.
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I bought a '69 AMX 390 4 speed, Big Bad Blue, and thought they were really cool cars until I found out how useless that back area was without a seat or even a good flat spot to carry packages. Almost bought another one used several years later to install a Boss 302 in, but decided against that as well. Everything else has been Ford until they messed me over with my 2005 F150 Super Crew. The one car I wish I could get back would be my 69 Fairlane Cobra with ram air, 4 speed, and my '56 Fairlane Victoria. A fellow has it in Tennessee and has completely restored it and added a continental kit. Yuk. Joe-JDC
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Small lawn engines. Honda motorcycle. Sbc, bbc, bbf, IH,sbf,some Corvair, Detroit diesel, continental , straight sixes, ford diesel, jd, whatever it takes from doing well digging, 55yrs old now Need to do a boss nine to replace the tunnelport in the 70 Mach now. Just need time and $$. Fabrication part is not an issue. About forgot the Waukesha and moline. I’m sure there’s more that I’m forgetting
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I have built all of the Ford V-8 families with the exception of the 337 flathead and the Super Duty line. Add in a V-12 Lincoln Flathead. Now, I have just dipped my toe into the Mod world with a 5.4 4 cam that is getting the retro treatment, carb and points ignition. Have helped on a couple of Deere 2cyl.. Involved with a 354 Hemi.. There are a few bucket list engines: 308 Hudson, That 337 Lincoln Flathead,V-8 60..215 all Aluminum Olds. Wisconsin air cooled V-4 (just cause they sound cool under load). Ultimate would be a Ford Indy 4 cam or a Foyt Coyote. Cosworth DFV. 4 cyl Offy
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I`ve had a 70 Pontiac GTO since 1973, I bought it with 30,000 miles on it. 2nd owner. I ran the hell out of that 400, even had the engine rebuilt by Pontiac under warranty and put a 421 4bbl Quadrajet in it with the 400 heads and the ram air IV cam in 75. Its still in it. Runs as good as when I built it. 4spd car 3.50 posi, ram air exhausts and cherry bomb mufflers. Still gets up and goes. Have never replaced the rear brakes but on the 3rd set of frt discs at 110,00 miles. I learned to shift the motor as the brake from my dad still do in all my standard shift vehicles.
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In addition to FE, the engines I have around are 385 and 335 series. MEL, FT and 351w. Currently working on a 460 to 545 mild build for a 79 F-350 crew cab. Also a 351w for a 69 Cougar Eliminator. On my list of things to do in the near future is an 8v71 for a 71 MCI MC7. Then eventually, a Waukesha diesel in an Oliver back hoe, Mack 673 in a B series.
Back in the day, a few friends had Pontiacs. We used to fool around with them a bit. I had a Buick 350 in a 72 Skylark. Not sure what was wrong with the oil pump pick-up screen or how lock washers ended up in the oil pan. After 4 hours of driving on the highway the engine would stall and a big backfire would happen. Then coast over to the breakdown lane and clear out a piece of washer from the oil pump gears which are accessible from the timing cover. Put a new roll pin in the distributor and drive for another 4 hours. I try to avoid engine with rear distributors. Though, I'll make an exception for Pontiac. Today I had the pleasure of terminating the ends of a set of Taylor wires on a 72 Chevy K10. I'm still in pain from laying over the engine and not sure why I agreed to doing something beyond transmission.
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Besides a handful of FE's, I have built a few flatheads, a couple of Windsors, a rather fun 300 Six, a 325 ci Dodge Hemi, a 266 IH V8 (nearly as expensive as a Flathead for the same amount of power), and am responsible for keeping an all original (un-opened) Packard 327 Straight 8 in proper running order.
I am currently playing with forced induction on a MEL and a 6.9 IDI. I also have a 332 Lincoln Y out of a '60 C-600 that I would like to do something with, not sure what yet, but it is stewing in the back of my mind.
I have an odd itch to build a gnarly 392 IH just to do something different. Did someone say torque-rise?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4664/28374429329_174a6020ea_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4825/44596790340_f4d39cf512_c.jpg)
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I started with the Y-blocks in the 60s, then to the FE (all flavors). ran the same 289 in the brackets for 10 years or so, now back to y- block, with a supercharger.
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Mechanic for over 40yrs so I've worked on about everything. As far as builds go, I stay with Yblocks and FE's. Love to tinker with the classics like early Hemi's and Nailheads. Not a fan of the SBC though.
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I even ran the thing on a butane torch cylinder for a while, the throttle was the knob on the torch head. Blown head gasket? How about blowing a head right off a motor. Ah, good times.
......and you still managed to make it into adulthood. ::)
I have one small block chevy and 4 FE's for a complete rebuild/assemble over the last 30+ years. Worked on most everything I've owned to keep it going.... lawn mowers, weed eaters, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, and a BMW. Always bought used cars and tried to pass them on while there was still life in them. Do dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers count??
I claim divine intervention.
>Me and a friend built a car/ go cart with a 2 stroke 2 cyl Archimedes engine with the flywheel where you had a knot on a rope and twisted it around the flywheel to pull start it.
That was our push mower motor. The flywheel on top had smooth sides and my dad stopped it by idling the motor and placing his palm on the side and just stopping the motor. Rope start. I put another motor on it after I sent the original to some comin-to-Jesus RPM and the rod came out the side. So that's why there's a govenor.
>Wellll, I do have a certain fondness towards Ford 385 series motors.
I'm still bummed that the 68 429 I scored was junk, rust blown out cylinder.
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I've always though a 322 Buick, straight 8, would be a awesome build in a T-Bucket, with a 37, floor shift trans.
The early Hemi's are great. I had a 271 DeSoto engine, that My dad threw away when I was in the Army. The 330 and 341 DeSoto's would have been fun to play with. They were about 100 lb lighter than the 331 - 392's Chryslers. Gotta bore em out, too :)
Yeah, those 392's were heavy indeed! I still remember years later that it took a real man (hah!) to lift those assembled iron Hemi heads onto the short block! Christ, they were heavy and we worried about both the engine stand holding up or breaking the rented engine hoist! As to boring, we didn't need to but racers, even on nitro, did go an easy .080 over to 'save' a torched block and still had strong bores.
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I only dabble in two types, the FE and the Windsor style small block. I own 289, 302, 360, 390, 427 and 428 engines. Nothing else and that is amongst six vehicles, three of which were not available with either type. But no correct flathead is going in my 53 truck and no six for the 62 Ranchero or four banger for the Consul Capri. I have had other types but didn't dabble!
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I like Lima fords (2.3 turbo)
I also like Buick straight eights and small block fords
I am building a new stroker engine for my pinto it’s a 2.65 liter with a Volvo 16 valve head!
I’m hoping it will make about 750 horsepower it’s turbocharged my borg Warner EFI 9180 flows 94 lbs per minute and I have 2000 cc injectors
That head flows 295 cfm at .460 lift and 240 on the hot side with the same lift!
It should do exactly what I want it to!
The Buick straight 8 is in an Auburn speedster replica and it’s coupled to a T56 transmission
That one is a long way off of completion
Anyhow that’s my game
Thanks again
Dave
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I like your style Dave! Neat and eclectic stuff.
I developed an appreciation for the 2.3L Lima back in the late 80's. I had a girlfriend who had one in a Mustang, and she tried her best to kill it. I recall two occasions where she pulled up with a rattling valvetrain, and I had to add five quarts of oil! The thing just wouldn't die :D
I bet that Auburn is fun!
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I have not driven the auburn yet
Heck I haven’t even fired that engine and I built it about 10 years ago
I would really like to get the intake finished and light a fire in that thing!
I am building the intake it’s basically a 2x4 aluminum tube that connects to 4 runners
For the carbs I have 3 stromberg 97s
This will be a 225 hp low rpm machine but should be plenty enough to push that replica car
I’m excited about it as well
Thanks
Dave
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I started with Y Blocks in the early 70s, got into 351Cs in the mid 70s, but after my first FE in 1977 (66 Fairlane GTA 390,ran 12.6s and 110 MPH with a stock torque convertor), pretty much nothing but FEs until I got a free 78 Fairmont 302 around 1990. (Thanks TomP!). eventually got that Fairmont into the high 12s with the stock short block, then when I wanted to build a NHRA Stocker, the 85 Mustang 302 4 barrel looked decent, and I was able to build my entire 85 Mustang for less than I probably would have had to pay to find an even 1/2 way decent 68-70 Mustang project car. And after getting the wagging finger when the FE Fairmont got into the 9 second range, a buddy made me too good a deal on his old 331 " small block Ford to turn down. This flat tappet, pump gas SBF has gone a best of 10.15@129 MPH, less than 2 tenths slower than the 454 FE had gone. So I guess you could say I kinda like SB Fords too. Funny, don`t much care for the 351W engines, and despite owning a 429 4 barrel Thunderjet car in the early 80s, just never got too enthused about those large heavy engines. Maybe if I was looking for a whole lot quicker performance , a 460 based engine would be considered, but at my age, I doubt I will want to go much faster than maybe mid 9s (assuming I ever upgrade the roll bar and safety gear), so for me, the small block and FE are more than adequate.
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I started off with a love for the Datsun in the early 80's. I owned a 69 SSS 510 and later installed the L series 280Z engine. I mastered adjusting SU carburetors because of the 510 and the 2000 roaster.
I have also built a few R2800 Pratt and Whitney and Packard-Merlin V12s.
As for current tinkering it's just the FE in the Shelby and maintenance on my Saab Aero Nordic Edition. ( GM Turbo V6) The Lincoln and the BMW are still under warranty.