Hi
We did a lot of blown FE's at Ford racing at at local Drag Strips so I will share some stuff. I have also built,crewed and Crew Chiefed winning blown HEMI's over the decades, for the old school Nostalgia cars from the 60s, many guys on these teams all talk tune up race by race, if a little of it helps a FORD then great.
We were lucky to have won many races by using a lot of old FORD tricks and old parts like yours, with modern key parts.
This is always a team effort and I hope that yours is too.
First, just from the post. The block is poured with epoxy or a similar block fill
This was not done in the 60s. An example would be for a much higher power target
The FORD team blown fuel funny cars, and the SOHC engines, ran a water block, and water heads
That is slang for you added water to the block and heads
That would help pull away heat, but also, sometimes signal if you pushed out, or began the 'torch' a head gasket.
Credit the late great Dale Armstrong for sharing with some friends his trick. At the very very end of running stock blocks blown for maximum effort, he quietly told me in around 1970, due to the FORD team we were on, he actually added fine cement based grout.
And it helped. So your epoxy is a good way to stabilize the bores and decks. Plus, ALKy seems to send the cooling system less heat than gas, so that helps you.
All blown race engines are not 8.5, but on alky, you can run 8s with just 8 to one
The Funny cars from the 60s, and many of the fastest Dragsters from that era, could be as low as 6 to 1, and many were 7 to one
The thinking always falls into 2 camps it seems
The Tommy Grove style tune up was awesome, it lived great, and is was very reliable. He ran low compression for a smart reason, more fuel, he will tell you, can fill the cylinder, Less piston, more chamber volume, so more fuel, and he will say...I liked to build a bigger bomb
That always made me laugh. He says, I used to like firecrackers, so I figured, more fuel,is like a bigger load of gu powder
The PINK SOHC's, ask Ed, did best around 7 to 1. They flew. I grew up watching so many of them locally.
8.5 to 1 on Alky will be stout man. You spin that blower up and hang on
Now we have a 390
So this is a wedge
So what heads? Running a blown wedge is not the same, cam and timing wise, BUT, you can make huge and reliable numbers with a wedge, no doubt.
Blown 390s and 406s on Gas were popular in the early 60s, and they ran in the old K88 or Dragmaster chassis, high gear only. Google a K88 or Dragmaster. Short wheel base, light, fast
The Nelson brothers from San Diego County, down by CROWER.
So this sounds like your build?
If you both have not done blown FE's, keep studying
I need to know if you have a maximum blower over drive rule
In Nostalgia Nitro, the NHRA Heritage class we all run, the max is 18 over
So check that
You going to be the Crew Chief?
The 8 8.5 is good, but, strong aluminum rods and good blower pistons are key
I would check out VENOLIA, they do some of the fastest blower pistons, for many top teams, or ARIAS. They have real talented tuners on the tech desks, big name guys Dads and so on
Many good blown pistons are there
Top ring , stainless
No pin lock, you want buttons. They eliminate the tru arcs and hold the pin centered
I need to know, any street use?
Many around here do short blasts with aluminum rods
VENOLIA has tough ones. They make the ones with ALAN JOHNSON, and they can handle 10,000 HP. They are gorgeous
You have Right Rods, many choices, running a RAT SIZE? Or 392 Chrysler?
The trick for the FORD blown stuff, the fastest stuff, was turning the FE rod journals down to the 392 CHRYSLER size
On ALKY, a RAT with modest boost is just fine.
ALKY is so easy on parts
Ask any Nostalgia Blown Gasser, it is kind of a old deal, it is very hard to burn a piston on alky with a 6-71 unless some , well, it is tuned by the wrong guy
Look into a Magneto
The fuel system is key
Enderle, Hilborn and others can be a huge help
For a race tune, email me. We have friends that win
On the cam, many fast Blwon FE's and Rats run a ENGLE
CROWER is huge
ISKY has old winning grinds tha live and fly We have set new records with old ISKYS and ENGLES
Many can help
ENGLE is a blown specialist, so is HOWARD, ISKY and CROWER
Need a gear drive to compete
Need a pump, barrel valve, injecter, nozzles, lines, bypasses, fuel shut off
You also really really need a smart fuel tank
You do not want to launch this old guys, and then uncover the supply line down track
The fuel rushes to the back of the tank, so, no cavitation allowed
You do not want to swallow an air bubble and hurt it, going dead lean
I am very VERY happy to hear about this
Running water heads is fine, gone 6 flat that way with iron heads even
Like Jay and your pals suggest, an aluminum head radiates more heat, you want to run studs for sure and a hardened washer, what is great is, the aluminum head is weldable if you hurt it, lighter, so it actually move the C of G back and helps the launch,(center of gravity of, front weight less, rear weight more,,,,when you scale the car(weight the front wheel weight, then rear, they crack less, but, we had a trick for winning some Nostalgia races
Running an aluminum water block, then you divorce the coolant
That means, no water transfer holes in the head gaskets. The iron water heads.
Also won with a billet aluminum block, and only iron water heads.
So a solid iron head on a Dodge, can go 240 MPH plus in a light rail, but aluminum is great, and fixable
You will need a soft copper head gasket
I would o ring the heads if you get to adding a lot of blower
The intake shape is key, you may want to investigate a Delta Plate
That is a plate, below the blower, above the intake, with a small training opening. These are a trick way to even the fuel flow
More when you guys get closer
I would look into port nozzles
On the 2 pathes to power
You have high static, less blower, and low static, more blower
Garlits was famous for higher compression and a lot of blower. He mastered how to tune and win this way. Safer is less static, or base compression.
This all depends on how fast you want to go, and how on top of the tune up you know how to be
No front dampener, use a degreed hub
Proud of you guys. We grew up around straight axle cars, guys even ran them on the street
Nice look Add a tilt front end....fiberglass, and have to have fender wells,,,,or fender well headers, pointed down at an angle
Want a big box style oil pan too, you extend the pick up to the back, so on a hard launch, she stays covered and pressurized
Cool man !
Have fun
Thanks guys
Fun to think like Ford friends and engineers and racers
BEst
T
Have fun
Tom
