Author Topic: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445  (Read 25185 times)

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cjshaker

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #15 on: April 20, 2020, 08:21:56 AM »
Seems strange that an intake that had been on for some time would suddenly start leaking, unless it was the intake gaskets. I can't see anything else suddenly causing that issue unless the intake developed a crack someplace.

I can see why Fox body Mustangs are so popular; the darn things have a curb weight of over 400 lbs less than my Mach 1. My car, finished, was 3460 without driver, and with my light ass being 140 lbs, that still makes it almost 600 lbs! That's a pretty good chunk of ET right there!
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #16 on: April 20, 2020, 01:00:31 PM »
When we pulled the intake you could see on the left bank especially 7 and 8 were the two that were having the problem. So we put the CJ manifold we had laying around and fixed the problem. Were going run it, just to see what the car will do and then replaced it with a trick flow track heat.
FEs fit real nice in a foxbody lots of room. The C6 is a little tight, but works good. Can't wait to get her on the track.
Clint

My427stang

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #17 on: April 20, 2020, 01:31:38 PM »
When we pulled the intake you could see on the left bank especially 7 and 8 were the two that were having the problem. So we put the CJ manifold we had laying around and fixed the problem. Were going run it, just to see what the car will do and then replaced it with a trick flow track heat.
FEs fit real nice in a foxbody lots of room. The C6 is a little tight, but works good. Can't wait to get her on the track.
Clint

Sounds like it's late to need, but we modified a CJ manifold by making all 4 barrels the same size, then cutting into 2 ovals, like a modern manifold.  Once doing that, you will see the lower plane has a sharp corner where it turns toward the cylinder bank, blending that corner, or even cutting a 45 to help it turn is a big benefit.  We ported it heavily too, and it held 520+ HP to 6000 rpm on a 461 in a 237@.050 single pattern cam 114 LSA.  In hindsight, I wish I would have cut the plenum divider down too, but regardless, it turned out real well.  Something to consider if you decide to chase more power and are willing to grind on some old iron
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Ross
Bullock's Power Service, LLC
- 70 Fastback Mustang, 489 cid FE, Victor, SEFI, Erson SFT cam, TKO-600 5 speed, 4.11 9 inch.
- 71 F100 shortbed 4x4, 461 cid FE, headers, Victor Pro-flo EFI, Comp Custom HFT cam, 3.50 9 inch

mbrunson427

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #18 on: April 20, 2020, 02:57:30 PM »
Ross, I think this is kind of what you're hinting at, cutting the center divider out and everything. This manifold was storied to have been prepped by HM, but nothing other than a story to back that up.





Mike Brunson
BrunsonPerformance.com

Rory428

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #19 on: April 20, 2020, 03:22:14 PM »
Yes, the FOX body cars are very light to start with, my 78 Fairmont 2 door sedan was about as bare as they come, 4 cylinder, 4 speed manual, manual steering and brakes, no rear defogger, no day/nite rear view mirror, 1 Pinto style door mirror, no stainless trim around the door frames, it was also the only Fairmont of the 8 that I have owned, that had black plastic inside door handles and window cranks. (all the others had chromed metal). No rubber bumper guards, hood ornament, radio delete,if it had ANY factory options, I don`t know what they would be. When I bought the car in 1986, (it had came into the dealership I worked at as a trade in), I took it to a truck scale, and with 1/2 tank of gas, and the spare tire and jack in place,  only weighed 2680 pounds ! The Fairmonts were the first of the FOX body Fords, and much magazine conversation revolved around how the FOX cars were very focused on weight reduction. Thinner sheet metal, thin window glass, aluminum bumpers F&R, lots of holes punched into the body structure and chassis, the revolutionary (for the time) modified strut front suspension with an aluminum rack and pinion etc.    My Fairmont is still wearing all its original steel body panels, its aluminum bumpers (with energy absorbing cylinders and bracing removed), stock window glass, although I did remove the steel guard beams from both doors), removed the heater assembly and misc un needed bits and pieces. And although I did install a tubular front K member when I put the small block in a few years ago (didn`t want to alter the original Kmember that was modified for the FE), it still has the heavy factory lower control arms and coil springs in the stock location. It still has the stock dashboard, door panels, full carpeting, although the stock seats were replaced with a pair of plastic buckets. They certainly do make a decent platform for a race car, and at the time, they were dirt cheap and readily available. Now nice examples are getting harder to find.
1978 Fairmont,FE 427 with 428 crank, 4 speed Jerico best of 9.972@132.54MPH 1.29 60 foot
1985 Mustang HB 331 SB Ford, 4 speed Jerico, best of 10.29@128 MPH 1.40 60 foot.
1974 F350 race car hauler 390 NP435 4 speed
1959 Ford Meteor 2 dr sedan. 428 Cobra Jet, 4 speed Toploader. 12.54@ 108 MPH

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2020, 03:46:27 PM »
My427stang, thanks for the tips on modifying our CJ intake, but we just want to see how the car runs using that manifold. We know it's not going to be enough. The engine is cam to pull to around 6500. We're going to buy a Trick Flow track intake, hopefully it won't be to much.
We have the car pretty well gutted. It's has a Kirky drag seat and a 8 point roll bar. We know there is some more stuff that can be deleted. Still has all the stock glass and would like to replaced the the rear hatch with a fiber glass one ( If they make one ). It is a fun car especially being power by an FE, it turns a lot of heads.
Clint

My427stang

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #21 on: April 21, 2020, 07:41:47 AM »
Ross, I think this is kind of what you're hinting at, cutting the center divider out and everything. This manifold was storied to have been prepped by HM, but nothing other than a story to back that up.


I typically don't cut that far, I do a notch like you see in modern intake, my thought is that it equalizes pulses more than it really allows cross port airflow, but who knows.  Generally seems to help.

Here you can see how we modified the top, and you can see how close the lower bank is to the plenum floor. This is pre-porting as you can see that 90 degree edge.  As far as the divider, if doing it again, I would have likely put a maybe .750 deep by 2 inch long divider cut and blunted all edges

---------------------------------
Ross
Bullock's Power Service, LLC
- 70 Fastback Mustang, 489 cid FE, Victor, SEFI, Erson SFT cam, TKO-600 5 speed, 4.11 9 inch.
- 71 F100 shortbed 4x4, 461 cid FE, headers, Victor Pro-flo EFI, Comp Custom HFT cam, 3.50 9 inch

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #22 on: April 27, 2020, 02:43:31 PM »
It looks like you did a very nice job on the intake. Why did you stay with the CJ manifold and not update it with an aluminum single plane? We just order a track heat for our 445.

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #23 on: June 08, 2020, 03:04:40 PM »
Well were finally taking the Mustang to the track on Wednesday for test and tune. Remember we were having a problem with the intake sucking oil, so we put an old CJ manifold on to see if that would cure the problem and it did. We have a Tick flow track heat for it, but were curious to see what the CJ manifold would do. Bandimere is having all Ford day Sunday so we want make sure were ready. Best run with the Holley Street Dominator is 11.58@ 117mph and that's with it sucking oil. Can't wait to see what she'll run now with it just burning 110 and know oil. I keep you guys posted. Clint

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #24 on: June 11, 2020, 12:29:33 PM »
Ran the Mustang last night, and it ran pretty good. We only got 3 runs in. First run it turned a 11.75 @ 115 mph, next run 11.68 @ 116 mph and last run it ran 11.80 @ 114 that run was mostly driver error the car ran well. We can definitely feel the lack of flow from the intake at the top end. It struggles to hit 6000 rpm at the traps, but it does have more bottom end coming out of the hole. Fun Ford day is Sunday so we are going to run the set up we have now. Our gold now is just be consistent and win some races. Clint

mbrunson427

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #25 on: June 11, 2020, 01:02:41 PM »
I think I'm going to run down there Sunday and watch my uncle Doug run his '64 Fairlane. What does your car look like? Doug's '64 is aqua w/ a white top.
Mike Brunson
BrunsonPerformance.com

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #26 on: June 11, 2020, 02:54:37 PM »
Our car is a light blue 79 Foxbody mustang. The paint on the car is not very good. Just look for enclosed red trailer hook to a 2017 white 6.7 powerstroke. There will be a 69 red Ranchero and yellow and black bronco there also. Just ask for Clint. Hope to see you.

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #27 on: June 18, 2020, 12:48:31 PM »
The Mustang ran good at Fun Ford day, we didn't run any faster then we ran last Wednesday, which we weren't surprised. The outside temp was 93 degrees so the track was well over 100, but the car never missed a beat. Our first and only elimination round we drew a track veteran and he spanked us good. There was plenty of FE powered car running very strong. All in all it was a good day of racing, because we drove the car off the trailer, raced it and then drove the car back on the trailer. Next is to put on the Trick Flow intake and take her back to the track and see what she does. Clint

My427stang

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #28 on: June 18, 2020, 01:00:56 PM »
It looks like you did a very nice job on the intake. Why did you stay with the CJ manifold and not update it with an aluminum single plane? We just order a track heat for our 445.

I think I missed this one, this was for a hidden stroker in a concours-driven 68.5 CJ 4 speed 4.30 car.  Owner wanted stock.  I learned a few things on that one, but made good power

Here's the write up
http://fepower.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=7690.0

and a pic on the dyno during some experimentation


---------------------------------
Ross
Bullock's Power Service, LLC
- 70 Fastback Mustang, 489 cid FE, Victor, SEFI, Erson SFT cam, TKO-600 5 speed, 4.11 9 inch.
- 71 F100 shortbed 4x4, 461 cid FE, headers, Victor Pro-flo EFI, Comp Custom HFT cam, 3.50 9 inch

MrRupp

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Re: 79 Foxbody Mustang FE 445
« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2020, 01:10:26 PM »
We notice more torque in the hole, but ran out of breath at top end. The CJ intake was stock and not ported. The only reason we used it was to see if it would cure our smoking problem which it did. What was cool was the fact the engine was cast iron from the intake manifold, heads and block and still run 11s at altitude. Clint