WOT 428 power improvment sugjestions?

[Drew Pojedinec]

...and with the crappy Edelbrock springs.

[bluef100fe]

Sounds like your getting about as much rpm as your gonna get out of thAt cam... As mentioned Jay brown test that cam a lot in a 0.030-0.040 over 428 dyno mule the hydraulic lifters couldn't control the valvetrain after about 5500 rpm if my memory serves me... He experimented with a set of solid lifters on that cam and that extended the rpm range a few hundred rpm and the engine made more power in the upper rpms which is where you need it for pulling.... I don't doubt you can turn your engine 7000rpm but it ain't making any power up there... And it beats the crap out of the valve train... I personally would try some bigger tires maybe 33 inch to get your ground speed up a little if your unwilling to go into the engine...

I pull a similar truck combo but my rules aren't nearly as open. Our class rules require us to run all factory iron.. So I'm using 406 shorty galaxie headers/ 428 iron intake and solid flat tappet cam with factory rockers... And a single feed truck style holley carb... C6 and roughly 3000 stall standard gear set  np205 in low range and 4.86 gears with 33-12.5 on 16.5 rims... Truck will normally run 5800-6200 rpm on a good track and run up to 6600-6700 on a loose one... Class champ last two years... And the only FE in the class

Anyway good luck hope you can get your FE to the front somehow...

[price5113]

Great catch Cody on the lifters! I would definitely DITCH those juice lifters for solids. Hopefully you have adj. rockers? The thinner oil I was thinking about I believe is Royal Purple or Redline 0-20W or 0-30W. Might be worth a try..........................

[machoneman]

I guess it's time to ask this question:

is the tach accurate?

Is another borrowed tach available to check #1?

[NIsaacs]

I guess it's time to ask this question:

is the tach accurate?

Is another borrowed tach available to check #1?

I just bought a new one with the shift light because like you I wondered about the old one, It was an old Yellow Front special but apparently it was ok because the new one will go to 7k also.

Nick

[NIsaacs]

.... I don't doubt you can turn your engine 7000rpm but it ain't making any power up there...

... Class champ last two years... And the only FE in the class

Anyway good luck hope you can get your FE to the front somehow...

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I am getting there. What is your class weight? Looks like we are geared the same only smaller tires. I still have my 35's that I took off when I was working on the drive train to up the power before I started working on the engine side of it, so I will probably try those after a few pulls with some slight tuning mods.

 I have one 390 that pulls in my class and a 428 something in a Super Stock truck that are regulars, then probably one once in a while that will show up. Most of the Fords that compete in the top 10 are 460 based or 454 Chevy's and one v10 Dodge that does ok. The one that always gets first is running a 557 and the second place guy is running a 478 so the top two are nasty.

I am running the stock push rods and non-adjustable rockers. I figure my power peaks around 5800 because with a heavy sled that's about where it wants to run. However with a small sled the r's are scary, even with the old D2 heads I took off. The cam I was running before this one was a 280H Comp with comps matching springs, I did not like that one. It pulled ok but at the sand drags valve float occurred at 6200 like clock work.

Nick

[My427stang]

I think you are at the end of that cam too, however, 3/8 fuel line is considered too small for many of our drag racers and you are doing the same thing but moving 3 times the weight or more, I'd say you need more fuel.  It may not get you significantly more now, but it'll be needed for any gains

[plovett]

I think you are at the end of that cam too, however, 3/8 fuel line is considered too small for many of our drag racers and you are doing the same thing but moving 3 times the weight or more, I'd say you need more fuel.  It may not get you significantly more now, but it'll be needed for any gains

I don't know much about pulling, but I from what I do I tend to agree with the above.

Pulling involves extended full-throttle-heavily-loaded conditions which I think could tax the fuel system more so than a 1/4 mile drag car.  And changing to a good solid flat tappet cam can net you power gains throughout the  entire rev range for a minimal cost, along with higher rpm capability.    Upgrade those two areas for maximum power/cost.

JMO,

paulie

[NIsaacs]

I don't know much about pulling, but I from what I do I tend to agree with the above.



JMO,

paulie

I wonder if a drag car with a low slung gas tank a long ways from the carb, might suffer from this issue more so than with a pickup with a high profile seat tank that is a lot closer to the carb? Just a thought.

Here is a video of my last pull, enjoy.

Nickhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8CWzqq2kw

[ScotiaFE]

If you open it up for a cam, I recommend a good valve job with an intake valve change to a 45* seat.
A mild port match to the intake and the same with the exhaust.
These are the cheap upgrades.  Really.

[My427stang]

I wonder if a drag car with a low slung gas tank a long ways from the carb, might suffer from this issue more so than with a pickup with a high profile seat tank that is a lot closer to the carb? Just a thought.

Here is a video of my last pull, enjoy.

Nickhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8CWzqq2kw

The size of the fuel line isn't there to overcome G-force or distance, it's there for volume.  However, it's not just the line, it's the pickup, filter size, all the fittings, so if you start making big power, I have no doubt you'll need it.

Go look at the two big guys you talked about, see what they are running for line size, takes a minute to peek under.  My guess is they run 1/2 inch.

Again, I doubt it will MAKE significant power over what you have, but I'd guess you are at the limit of the fuel line unless you designed a return setup and jacked the pressure way up, if you make any more power, my hunch is you'll run out of fuel on the top end. 

[NIsaacs]

I just checked with my BIL and he agrees with you. He is pulling  in the 6200 lb Super Stock class with a 496 Chevy and 1150 Dominator with a 1/2" line and black Holley pump, also using a fuel cell mounted in the bed up front.

Nick

[Ford428CJ]

I would run clear super or 100LL stuff. You might lose power if you ran 110octane. A little too slow burning for your app maybe. Dyno will tell you for sure! Some people make the mistake of having too much octane for the app. JMHO

[jayb]

Wes is right about that, my Ford GT ran 121 MPH at Drag Week in 2006 on pump 92 octane.  I tried some Rockett Brand 100 octane unleaded in it at one track, and it slowed down to 118 MPH!  I was amazed at that difference...

[NIsaacs]

Yes, I have heard and read that. That just because some is good more is not always a good idea. That if you don't have enough compression, too much octane can slow the flame down too much. I use the Torco 110 mixed half and half with pump premium, Torco said that will give me 100. I always worry about detonation so I would rather error on the plus a little because with open headers I would never hear it. The FE seems to like a lot of timing so I tend to let it have it, lol

Nick