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Messages - Tommy-T

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1
Non-FE Discussion Forum / Re: Muffler selection
« on: July 20, 2026, 06:29:14 PM »
My Comet has 30" long 3" Cherry Bomb glasspacks. There's no sneaking home with those bad boys on.

I really like the Hooker Maxflo's. Similar to other straight through mufflers, some complain they're too quiet. I had them on my blown 454FE. Hard to make a roots blown anything quiet.
I have Magnaflow Super Turbo's on my 1975 F250. Not too loud but still a nice rumble.

2
FE Technical Forum / Re: Rocker arm to shaft clearance spec ???
« on: July 06, 2026, 02:07:07 PM »
Interesting discussion.
I'm no engine builder but I do assemble my own motors and some for my pals.
My FE motors have seen many street races in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, some track time, and I generally beat them up pretty good regularly. Been doing that since the later 1970's.
I've never measured rocker arm to shaft clearance. If using Ford adjustable rocker arms, most anybody with common sense can "rock" them on the shaft when they're assembling the rocker assemblies and tell when they're ready for the trash can. I've worn out some Dove rocker arms too. The better rockers, Harland Sharp or POP for example, last a good long time.
The rocker arm side clearance can be interesting on a FE motor. I do that by feel as well but if the rocker tip is as close as I can get it over the valve tip and I can feel a drag against the solid spacer or rocker stand, I'll let it fly. I've never seen galling when a slight drag is used. I'd rather be on the tight side and have the push rod cups oiled well than looser on the side clearance.
Since we're discussing this, a stock shaft is adequate with end stands at solid flat tappet spring pressure.
A .060 restriction will flow a lot more oil than most folks realize with hot oil at 50psi.

If this drivel puts me in the hillbilly crowd, I carry that distinction with honor.

3
Non-FE Discussion Forum / Re: F-250 locking differential
« on: June 23, 2026, 04:32:44 PM »
Quote from: TJ on June 23, 2026, 02:20:16 PM
Quote from: pbf777 on June 23, 2026, 10:51:19 AM
 
   
    And the admission (repeatedly) that one is required to do this in order to achieve reasonable effect from the worm-geared assembly is evidence of it's unacceptability in the application.   ;)

 

That's not quite what I said.  I said "...in the rare case...".  I've had one tire on wet grass and one on dry concrete.  Stomped the gas and left rubber on the concrete.

In my application (slow moving heavy loads) I prefer the seamless transition of torque to the tire with traction.  The slip and grab action of a locker doesn't sound like something I want for my application though I can understand why other applications (like racing or rock crawling) wouldn't even notice the slip/grab action.

I think the military hummers also have a torque biasing differential...like the truetrac.  So I don't think there is a one size fits all...choosing the locker or the truetrac is partly personal preference and partly different driving needs.
I have a couple of pals that have Truetracs in the front end of their Jeeps. They like them a lot and they seem to crawl on rock as well as my Lock Right does. They do not make the snap, crackle, pop my locker does. I believe they'd work as well in the rear end but I have no personal experience with that.


4
Non-FE Discussion Forum / Re: F-250 locking differential
« on: June 23, 2026, 01:33:48 PM »
These are fun discussions.
The 3 differentials that I personally are familiar with are the Ford Traction Lock, Lock Right lunchbox locker, and the Detroit Locker.
The Traction Lock is the only one of those that is completely invisible to the driver and they work pretty good. The only downside to a clutch style posi is that when it quits working that is invisible to the driver too...until you notice that only one tire is spinning. In reality a factory style clutch limited slip would probably be ideal for the original poster.
Since the lunchbox style lockers were mentioned I throw in my experience. Yes, having the strength of the differential rely on the cross pin of the carrier seems "iffy". I had a Lock Right front and back on our '87 Jeep YJ and did the Rubicon and most of the other major trails in the West. Never a failure although I have a Detroit in the rear end now because I switched to a 9 inch and had the Detroit on my junk pile. The front still has the original Lock Right and it works fine.
All of my FE powered hot rods have had Detroit Lockers. Mostly because you can buy used NASCAR lockers from Ebay for less than $300. The strength is legendary. My stuff is usually tubbed so the rear end gets stressed every time out. Never a failure.
I will admit that my hot rods and my Jeep would drive crappy with open differentials. The point I'm making here is that the lunchbox lockers and the NASCAR takeout lockers behave nearly identical. They click 'n clack sometimes loudly, and get weird in long sweeping turns. Without reason they will sometimes NOT unlock when going from a stand still to a right turn. That said, it's nothing so abrupt that I wouldn't allow my wife or friends to drive my cars.

5
FE Technical Forum / Re: Over boring a 330FT block
« on: June 04, 2026, 12:58:12 PM »
Bob, tried to PM you, I guess you didn't get it.

A little anecdotal experience.
I have a D4TE block that sonic checked at the machine shop to have at least .100 walls everywhere bored to 4.130.
Got an Ebay sonic checker in the meantime and checked the block after I got it home. Several places under .100, thinnest at .079.
So I Hard Blocked it up to the water pump holes and have been running it pretty hard for the last 2 years. Plenty of street miles with some round trips of 100+ miles. Run it up to 6K rpm often.
I also have a 19x31 Ebay aluminum radiator, engine oil cooler, 5" water pump pulley, and PRW aluminum water pump. Runs very cool (below 200*) according to my coolant temp gauge, and hasn't run over 210* on my oil temp gauge.

Not really suggesting it's the correct way to build an FE motor, but it has worked well for me and would do it again.

6
Non-FE Discussion Forum / Re: What paint do you recommend for a bare floor in a 1965 race car style interior?
« on: May 08, 2026, 12:31:18 PM »
I used Monst'a liner on the floor of my '65 Comet. They have a lot of different color options and it's a roll on application.
Pretty easy installation and not as messy as spray on.
It's been a couple of years now and it still looks good.

7
FE Technical Forum / Re: speedmaster aluminum heads and roller rockers
« on: April 28, 2026, 01:37:51 PM »
This thread is interesting and is reoccurring fairly regularly.
It does put me into a quandary.
I did buy a China RPM for the 360 in my pickup. It fit well and works good. Got it on Ebay for $200 bucks.

My point of quandaryment is, who is my bigger enemy?
Is it the Chinaman who supposedly wants to kill me and send the American economy into a downward spiral?
Or is it the Investment Firm that bought a family owned business (Edelbrock) that's selling an intake manifold that the R&D and foundry tooling was done 30+ years ago and has decided that gouging the consumer to the tune of $700+ is the way to go?
I can't decide.
Flame away.

8
FE Technical Forum / Re: Cooling system that works in traffic
« on: February 13, 2026, 08:04:10 PM »
Quote from: jayb on February 12, 2026, 06:04:33 PM
19X31 aluminum crossflow 2 core radiator (at least 1" core width), two SPAL electric fans, both pullers or one pusher and one puller, depending on fitment issues, 160 degree thermostat with four 1/8" holes around the periphery, and a CVR 55 gpm water pump.  Cools my big SOHC in the race car on Drag Week, never see over 180 unless I'm leaking coolant without knowing it.

First of all, no car is too nice to cut.
The motor in my Comet is a D4TE bored .080 and hard blocked to the water pump holes. It has an Eagle 3.980 crank and zero deck flat top pistons. 11.5:1 compression. I live in the high desert above Los Angeles and summertime temps are around 100* sometimes more.
My cooling set-up mimics Jays pretty well, Ebay 19x31 aluminum radiator, Spal dual 11"paddle fans (very noisy but pull a ton of air) 185* & 195* fan sensors, 160* engine thermostat with 2 1/8" bleed holes drilled. The fan that runs on the 195* sensor rarely comes on.
I have a PRW aluminum mechanical water pump and a Volvo 740 Turbo water pump pulley that's 4 3/4" in diameter. 7" crank pulley.
The car does have an engine oil cooler 11"x13" with it's own fan. I was told that a filled block on the street needed one. Installed a oil temp sender in the sump of the oil pan. Highest oil temp I've seen is 210*.
I beat the silly motor like a red haired step child and drive it to car events that are 100+ mile round trips. Run California cat piss 91 octane gasolene,
This thing runs cool and doesn't do anything weird. It amazes me that a motor I put together with parts I had on my junk pile works well. I was sure that it would be a cronic heater.

9
Member Projects / Re: fe powered 58 rambler american gasser
« on: February 07, 2026, 03:09:04 PM »
Only 2 carburetors?
I hope that the a/c compressor is tucked WAAAY under.

10
FE Technical Forum / Re: BBM heads
« on: November 12, 2025, 12:57:42 PM »
A little off topic to this thread but not totally.
The original or older BBM head is a high quality very nice cylinder head. I'm am absolutely sure that Blair's makeover of that head is an improvement.
My particular heads were the early versions with SI valves, a good valve job, and bowl blending about an inch in. No other port work.
The results were 305@.600 lift. Pretty impressive for valve 'n bowl work.
The work was preformed by Scott Foxwell.

11
FE Technical Forum / Re: Subframe connectors
« on: November 05, 2025, 12:51:29 PM »
Late to the party but I'll add my bit.
It seems a bit silly to add subframe connectors to a Ford unibody without welding them the entire length of floor from one end to the other. The amount of stiffness added compared to just welding, or God forbid, bolting tubing to each end of the subframes is huge.
I usually cut the floor open the entire length of the connector and weld the tubing the entire length and around the front and rear stubs, and reinforce the factory welds and stubs as necessary. If you're going to do it, make it work. I you're worried about cutting your precious car, well...

In 1997, I built a 1964 Falcon Sprint for a daily driver/commuter car. My daily commute included 37 miles of twisty mountain roads through a National Forest. While I had the 2 strips of floor cut out and was fitting the tubing for the connectors, I had a couple of friends stop by and tell me this was WAY overkill for a "driver". Probably so, or so I thought.
About 6 months after I started driving the car I was sitting at a traffic signal and was hit by a raised Ford F250 travelling about 70mph. The car was demolished but the floor never buckled at all. After a lengthy hospital stay and then an inspection of the car I am confident that I'm typing this post at least partially because the entire floor was reinforced.

12
FE Technical Forum / Re: 428 CJ FE Ford Build Ep # 3 .....LINE HONE Part 2
« on: October 16, 2025, 11:44:46 AM »
Quote from: My427stang on October 15, 2025, 11:28:05 AM
Agree completely...and I'd expect on a relatively plastic piston it is even worse than a low RPM cast.

Damn the torpedos!   Knurl everything, check cranks with Plastigauge and set timing by ear!

I'm sure there's a reason that this process won't work, but I'm not sure what it is.
No money for good parts and desperately wanting to make a scheduled "street encounter" will force you to learn "techniques".

13
Non-FE Discussion Forum / Re: Engine gets too hot at idle
« on: September 12, 2025, 12:00:28 PM »
I ass-u-me that you have a 385 series motor. They tend to run a little warmer than FE's, but they can really make big power.

A couple of things I've found that really work.
1) I try to run a 5" water pump pulley and a 7" crank pulley. Folks talk about water pump cavitation. It's talk, nothing more.
2) I run 2 11" Spal paddle fans with shrouds. They come as a kit. The paddle fans are noisy but flow a ton of air.

These 2 things along with a 19"X31" aluminum Ebay radiator keep my D4TE 390 block that's been bored to 4.130 and Hardblocked to the water pump holes nice and cool. Plenty of cruising miles at above 100* this past summer.

14
FE Technical Forum / Re: Holley 80496-1 carb
« on: August 18, 2025, 12:08:23 PM »
I ran a 950HP list 80496 on the 454 inch Hi Riser that was in my Mustang. It was a very early version that didn't have screw in air bleeds. The car was very streetable with what I'd call a mild camshaft but rather high compression. Ran 10.90's and drove all around the Los Angeles area.
Later, when I built another 454 inch FE with an 8-71 blower, I bought another 80496 and ran 2 of them on that motor.
By far the sweetest carb I've ever run as far as street manners along with top end power.

15
FE Technical Forum / Re: Detroit Lockers
« on: June 16, 2025, 10:14:11 AM »
Quote from: cjshaker on June 15, 2025, 09:46:32 PM
Quote from: Tommy-T on June 15, 2025, 05:48:41 PM
2 Things I hate about spools...you cannot push a car with a spool. Once you turn the steering wheel even just a little, the car just stops and it takes 3 guys to get it to move. Secondly, in a parking lot the rear tires will screech loudly when you pull into and out of a parking space.

All of this said, my Jeep and my Comet both have 9" rears with Ebay NASCAR Detroit Lockers. They are cranky to drive and very loud around corners. Both get driven pretty long distances. They are embarrassing pulling into gas stations and such and I have had a few folks ask me what's wrong with my vehicle.

My track diff with 4.88 gears has a spool.

Tommy, just curious, what axle spline count do you run with your spools on the street? I don't have experience with spools, but always wondered how a 31 spline would handle the twisting with big tires. It's just a guess, but I think I would want 35 or bigger with that scenario. I wouldn't even attempt a 28 spline, even an aftermarket. I've wondered if my Strange 31 splines could hold up under a spool on the street.

Also, I've run several Detroit lockers, and none of them behaved like you've described. I've certainly heard the horror stories like you relate, just never experienced it. Are they old lockers? They have changed over the years.

I run the NASCAR takeout Detroit Lockers that are very inexpensive on Ebay. They're tough but cranky.
I've run a spool against Moser and Currie 31 spline axles with no trouble. I'm talking about cars that drive less than a thousand miles annually.

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