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FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: NIsaacs on August 28, 2017, 05:38:55 AM

Title: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: NIsaacs on August 28, 2017, 05:38:55 AM
Since I didn't pull this year I will share my brothers truck. He has been pulling this truck for 35+ years with a 400m, in one configuration or another, from box stock to Pro-Stock. He lost #7 rod on the first pull of the season this year so he missed most of the pulls. His current engine is 434 with CHI top end, about 600 hp. Keep in mind this class allows 565 cid. 1000+ hp engines. I think we can all relate to being the underdog at some time or another in our quest for fun in motorsports.

This video is in Bozeman, Montana 08/26/17. He pulled to a 4th place finish with a field of 9 trucks, the 10th truck broke down unloading it. If anyone is interested after clicking on the link, click on the uploads of the poster and you can see all 9 videos of his class.

He wants to get back up to the top of his class so he has ordered a 565 from a vendor on this site.

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

Nick



 
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: blykins on August 28, 2017, 06:17:05 AM
Nick, I may post some build pictures of the new engine as it progresses.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 28, 2017, 09:48:50 AM
Sounds good. 

Was just at local fair pulls last Saturday night.  Jr Pro stock Tractor,  modified tractors(jet, multi eng), Modified 4x4 truck, Pro stock tractor, and Pro stock Semi.  They are all fun, but I like the semi's the best(just cause I'm a truck guy).  Of course they are last to pull and makes a long night sitting on those alum bleachers!!!  The competition was tough in Pro stock tractor and Semi.  Just when one would get a good lead, the next would put 5 ft on the last.  Had the crowd going!

Here is a friend that used to run 4x4 truck with 410 ci limit(this is a windsor motor).  The chevy guys just hated him as he would dominate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Oz5Yyt9XE

I used to be see the dyno pulls.  It would to 10K rpm and tip just at 800 hp with single carb.  That motor is now resting in my friends drag car and hope to make some shakedown passes this fall.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: cjshaker on August 28, 2017, 06:47:25 PM
He wants to get back up to the top of his class so he has ordered a 565 from a vendor on this site.
Nick

FE or 385?

That 10k rpm smallblock sounds wicked!
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: cattleFEeder on August 28, 2017, 06:54:57 PM
That 10k rpm smallblock sounds wicked!
That baby is hitting some high notes, nasty.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 28, 2017, 07:43:35 PM
Ya.  You should have been in the shop when it was on the dyno!!  That motor was cubic money.  Trick Flow Jr prostock heads.  Titanium rods.  Money no object=anything to beat the chevy boys.  In truck pulling rpm is everything.  The higher you spin it the more wheel speed=more momentum=more distance.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: machoneman on August 28, 2017, 10:21:51 PM
Ya.  You should have been in the shop when it was on the dyno!!  That motor was cubic money.  Trick Flow Jr prostock heads.  Titanium rods.  Money no object=anything to beat the chevy boys.  In truck pulling rpm is everything.  The higher you spin it the more wheel speed=more momentum=more distance.

Now those are some mighty rare SBF heads! Would love to see a pic or two.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: NIsaacs on August 29, 2017, 04:51:00 AM
Nick, I may post some build pictures of the new engine as it progresses.

Thanks Brent, I would like that and the dyno sheet when it is done, that would be cool.

CJ, it is a 385, he is blind loyal Ford all the way but not an FE fan, lol

BG, that is one nasty little Windsor, I figured when I watched the video it would bog on the big end but it didn't. Thanks for the post/video.

Nick
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: blykins on August 29, 2017, 05:00:47 AM
He wants to get back up to the top of his class so he has ordered a 565 from a vendor on this site.
Nick

FE or 385?

That 10k rpm smallblock sounds wicked!

385 series....Profiler heads, Oliver rods, Bryant crankshaft, titanium valves, sheet metal intake with two Braswell 1400 cfm Dominators, Jesel rockers, all dry sump, etc. 
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: mbrunson427 on August 29, 2017, 07:55:57 AM
Pulling has always been interesting to me. I have a few friends that do it and it seems like they find more performance in unique changes. Example : My one friend took and modeled the frame of his truck in solidworks, found a few places that seemed to be flexing too much, welded some gussets in, apparently made a HUGE improvement.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 29, 2017, 08:04:48 AM

Now those are some mighty rare SBF heads! Would love to see a pic or two.

When Brian Kungle built a newer version, they sold that motor to a friend that put it in a drag car about 7? yrs ago.  He wanted to get out of racing and my buddy bought the motor last fall.  He got a big pile of parts, including another set of bare heads.  Yes, there were only about a dozen sets of those made back when.  Crazy, tall looking small block head.  Rick Smith used to come around back in the day to the shop I use. 

Here is my only shot at truck pulling.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z5imOgfVhM

It was a fun run kinda thing during a local truck show.  They put the sled up on the race track and the vintage trucks took a turn at it.  It was a blast, even with the stock, normally aspirated 187 hp the old Mack had back then you could really feel the sled dig in at the end.  My truck pulled as far as friends Small Cam Cummins, so I was happy.  I definitely see the fun in pulling.  Just don't have the funds for another money pit hobby!!  Besides breaking my trailer pulling vehicle is not in my best interest  :-[.  I put a 237(turbocharged) in it a year ago and it has MUCH more gumption then it ever had.   
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: machoneman on August 29, 2017, 08:40:04 AM
Ya.  You should have been in the shop when it was on the dyno!!  That motor was cubic money.  Trick Flow Jr prostock heads.  Titanium rods.  Money no object=anything to beat the chevy boys.  In truck pulling rpm is everything.  The higher you spin it the more wheel speed=more momentum=more distance.

Thanks! Didn't know that rpm is life in truck pulling.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 29, 2017, 10:09:15 AM
From what little I have learned, that seems to be it for most classes.  Get wheel speed, that translates into momentum for the truck/tractor.  That momentum is what carries the sled down the track.  The faster you get it going, the farther it will go before stopping the vehicle.  All that "Newton's Law" stuff.

If you listen to pullers, they get started, wheels spinning, then once they feel the truck moving, they go WOT.    The more usable RPM you have, the more wheel speed you can carry.  The hard part is making a motor that will turn enough RPM.  They don't really make peak HP at that high rpm, but it lets the truck pull down into the power band at the end of the track when it gets tougher to pull.   I'm sure all the classes have different approaches, but you don't really want to "stall" the tires at the end of the track.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: cjshaker on August 29, 2017, 02:15:06 PM
It's definitely a balance between wheel speed and grip. Too much grip and parts start flying everywhere!
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 29, 2017, 03:22:37 PM
At 10K rpm........LOTS of things can go wrong........
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: NIsaacs on August 29, 2017, 06:35:39 PM
 

Here is my only shot at truck pulling.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z5imOgfVhM

It was a fun run kinda thing during a local truck show.  They put the sled up on the race track and the vintage trucks took a turn at it.  It was a blast, even with the stock, normally aspirated 187 hp the old Mack had back then you could really feel the sled dig in at the end.  My truck pulled as far as friends Small Cam Cummins, so I was happy.  I definitely see the fun in pulling.  Just don't have the funds for another money pit hobby!!  Besides breaking my trailer pulling vehicle is not in my best interest  :-[.  I put a 237(turbocharged) in it a year ago and it has MUCH more gumption then it ever had.
[/quote]

That is one cool Mack truck, thanks for sharing. I cut my eye teeth in a '63 Mack Log Truck with a 205 Thermodyne engine and Quadruplex (5x4) transmission. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter! Then in '77 I moved from Montana to Arizona and bought a '72 R model with the 237 engine and same tranny. My most favorite truck that I owned was a '82 Mack SuperLiner with a big cam 3 400 and 13 speed with 4.63 gears, it drive like a car.

Nick 
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 30, 2017, 08:09:42 AM
Ya, I've had this truck for 15 yrs  now.  Been a long term kinda restoration project/trailer puller for my race car.  Had the stock 187 hp til I found a 237 cheap and threw it in.  Makes for a nicer trip being able to keep speed on the hills.

In all the years, I've stretched it 5ft with air ride, added the 42" bunk,  added a 4 spd aux(so it is triplex+4 spd), changed to 4.10 rear gears, air conditioning, air steering, cruise control, air starter.  I have a pair of NOS door shells but waiting to find a nicer cab to put them on.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: NIsaacs on April 16, 2018, 05:34:54 AM
Quick update, but not really! Out of respect for the owner and builder, all I am going to say is, this 565 looks like it is going in an aircraft!! I know if it were mine, I would be in the dyno room on dyno day....Nice!!

I am thinking that for the first time in 40 years, the truck is going to take a spanking!

Nick
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: scott foxwell on April 16, 2018, 07:37:54 AM
611 BBF I did a couple years ago... made 1440/1030, 385 series platform, Thor heads, on C16 gas. Truck was undefeated it's first season, ran 650 class. Turned it 8800-9000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnNgkl2_3rs&feature=youtu.be
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: machoneman on April 16, 2018, 08:31:17 AM
Thx for the vid. That's an amazing top # of rpms for a 611, far higher I believe than most big CID engines usually go. Did learn though that rpm's are the way to go in truck pulling. 

611 BBF I did a couple years ago... made 1440/1030, 385 series platform, Thor heads, on C16 gas. Truck was undefeated it's first season, ran 650 class. Turned it 8800-9000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnNgkl2_3rs&feature=youtu.be
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: scott foxwell on April 16, 2018, 10:11:26 AM
Thx for the vid. That's an amazing top # of rpms for a 611, far higher I believe than most big CID engines usually go. Did learn though that rpm's are the way to go in truck pulling. 

611 BBF I did a couple years ago... made 1440/1030, 385 series platform, Thor heads, on C16 gas. Truck was undefeated it's first season, ran 650 class. Turned it 8800-9000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnNgkl2_3rs&feature=youtu.be
Wheel speed is king in pulling. Owner wanted to go big cubes with more stroke but we talked him out of it. 4.65 bore a 4.5" stroke with 6.8" rod. Had good parts...60mm cam, .937 lifters, 1/2" pushrods, stainless rockers...all the good stuff. Took a year to build.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: blykins on April 16, 2018, 11:46:15 AM
Quick update, but not really! Out of respect for the owner and builder, all I am going to say is, this 565 looks like it is going in an aircraft!! I know if it were mine, I would be in the dyno room on dyno day....Nice!!

I am thinking that for the first time in 40 years, the truck is going to take a spanking!

Nick



(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/897/26597701217_426baa883c_c.jpg)
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: machoneman on April 16, 2018, 11:54:31 AM
Wow, anybody see a Pro Stock 2018 Mustang?
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: TomP on April 16, 2018, 04:51:48 PM
Do these classes only have a cubic inch limit and not other restrictions? A local Comp racer used a Sonny's 5.3" bore space Hemi with a short stroke and 5.1"+ bore to make a high revving 600 cube engine. When the rich guys find that loophole in pulling you will need a hundred grand per engine to keep up.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: scott foxwell on April 16, 2018, 05:55:03 PM
Do these classes only have a cubic inch limit and not other restrictions? A local Comp racer used a Sonny's 5.3" bore space Hemi with a short stroke and 5.1"+ bore to make a high revving 600 cube engine. When the rich guys find that loophole in pulling you will need a hundred grand per engine to keep up.
Not really. My 611 put a lot of very well known big name "hundred grand"  engines on the trailer. Not because it made more power, but because the guy who owned it knew how to get it to the ground. It made really good, usable power, not just a big peak number.
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: NIsaacs on April 16, 2018, 08:09:00 PM
Do these classes only have a cubic inch limit and not other restrictions? A local Comp racer used a Sonny's 5.3" bore space Hemi with a short stroke and 5.1"+ bore to make a high revving 600 cube engine. When the rich guys find that loophole in pulling you will need a hundred grand per engine to keep up.

No Hemi's in the Pro-Stock or Pro-Mod class, at least out west. Pro-Stock is 565 limit and Pro-Mod is 650. Smaller Pulling Tires and limited chassis mods in Pro-Stock v/s Pro-Mod. Super-Mod, Hemi and blowers are allowed but smaller cubes max.

Thanks for sharing the video Scott, that is a good pulling puller, for sure!

Nick
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: mbrunson427 on April 17, 2018, 10:57:10 AM
I was watching Scott's video and it took me to another video, I said hey that's Dave's truck! It's our friend Dave Bamber, he's pretty serious into the pulling stuff, builds engines for some of the guys. I believe he won the OTTPA in 2017.

Skip to 4:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syPSM-S7Djw
Title: Re: 1978 F-250 Pro-Stock Sled Puller/Boss 400
Post by: NIsaacs on July 01, 2018, 08:06:51 PM
First pull on the new engine (556). He went up 3 ratios in the drop box from his 400 and needs to go about 3 more. The power is amazing and will hit the rev limiter at will. It is so smooth (before the rev limit) it don't sound like it is turning what it is (not tellin, Lol) We think it might be due to the firing order. We are sure Brent knows why.


The track was really poor so every one was short, but he got a 5th out of 9, so not bad for new truck.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQdPvD4iohI

Nick