Last week we dynoed the 428 Cobra Jet engine I will be installing into my 1959 Meteor (Canadian Ford) 2 door sedan, replacing the original but very tired 332 2 barrel FE and 2 speed FordOMatic. This was a real low buck build, based on a 1974 428 CJ Service short block I bought over 30 years ago.
The block is still standard bore, and retains the cast `428 Super`marked pistons, on the original C7AE-B big bolt rods, and the original 1UB crank. The block was just jet washed, align honed, surfaced .002, and honed. Basic cast rings installed on the cleaned up rods.Heads are a pair of dead stock C8OE-N iron CJ heads I bought in 1975 (for $175.00), with just a basic valve job on the factory valves. Only changes are a very mild Oregon Cam solid flat tappet cam (.518" lift, 228 duration at .050, lobe sep 114, Int lobe centerline 110, exhaust centerline 118, .025 valve lash. Did not degree, just lined up the dots. Intake manifold is an untoughed Edelbrock Performer RPM, with a Holley 750, distributor a stock truck Duraspark, connected to the dyno (Super Flow 901). Used a pair of rusty, dented up 6114 Hooker headers. In reality, the main reason for the dyno session was to do the cam and lifter break in, install the innser valve springs, and ensure there were no leaks or other concerns. All went well.We didnt really do any HP tuning , just wanted to see whatI had. I am not really very dyno literate, but after the break in period, the dyno would not load down properly, my buddy at first suspected a clogged water inlet filter, which was fine, so he couldnt really get any really low RPM data. (The day after he found the problem, something to do with a stepper motor valve had slipped on the shaft for the water brake) Anyhow, after cam break in, we made a few pulls, starting at 3600 RPM, as the dyno would run away with the valve issue at lower RPM. I was hoping for somewhere between 350 to 400 HP, ended up with 382 HP at 4600 RPM, stayed over 370 HP until 5300, still had 362 at 5600 RPM, so hardly a peaky beast. Even more happy with the Torque, at 3600 RPM it had 462 ft/lbs, peaked at 465 at 4000, and stayed above 400 until 5000 RPM, so it should haul the fairly heavy 59 around pretty nicely. It idled down to 600 RPM quite nicely. Oil pressure was a bit higher than I expected, 65 psi at hot idle, stayed steady at 85 psi hot during the pulls. The high pressure may drop a bit in the car, I will be running Brad Penn 10-30, the break in oil was Joe Gibbs BR 15-50, all I could find locally.
For those thinking the numbers are weak, keep in mind that this is the same dyno that had my Fairmonts 428 at 518 HP (ran 10.03ET at 132 MPH,at 3100 pounds), my 427 at under 550 HP (ran 9.97ET at 132 MPH), and my flat tappet pump gas 331 SB Ford at 485HP (ran 10.28 at 128 MPH in my 85 Mustang, at 3050 pounds). All 3 of these engines ran pretty much exactly what my trusty Moroso Power Speed Calculator predicited they should at those weights.
Plugging the 382 HP 428 into the calculator (at 3800 pounds), says the 59 SHOULD be able to run 109 MPH in the 1/4 mile, and in a well setup chassis be capable of cracking the 11.9s. Since this will be a mildly geared, far from optimal chassis setup street cruiser, I will be happy if I can get into the 12.80s at 106 or so MPH, which is pretty close what my very similar mild 428 CJ ran in my 70 Mach 1 in the mid 80s (actually ran a best of 12.52 at 109 MPH). Both cars with 4 speeds, a 2.32 low close ratio in the Mustang, 2.78 low gear wide ratio for the 59. Of course, dynos, calculators and wishing are just guidelines until the rubber hits the road, hope to have the 59 ready for the road by late summer, see what it really runs then.
