Build Literature

[Coubra]

June was a tough month.  Finally got our GT500 on the track (Blackhawk Farms) and proceeded to blow it up - and I have no intention of repeating this disaster.

Are there any recent publications on best build/construction practices for FEs?

[Gaugster]

Sorry to hear this. Anything recent would be in the YouTube format. Check out MyVintageIron perhaps? Barry's two books and Jay's are great. Hard to consider them recent but the basic engine platform hasn't changed either. The exception being Jay's new products. I don't think anyone is writting anything like a "How to make 3000hp twin turbo intercooled E85 FE stroker" but I'd love to be wrong.

[Coubra]

Barry's two books and Jay's are great.

Titles?  Where to find them?

Not looking to build a monster - street & occasional track car.

[jayb]

You can get my book at the link below.  There are details in the book about the six different dyno mules used for all the intake testing:

http://www.fepower.net/GFEIC.html


Also, here's a link to a copy of the 390 stroker build I did for Car Craft several years back:

http://www.fepower.net/Articles/CCFE.pdf

[Gaugster]

Barry's two books and Jay's are great.

Titles?  Where to find them?

Not looking to build a monster - street & occasional track car.

Just Google Barry Rabotnick and his two Ford FE books should pop up. I got mine from Amazon. I bought Jay's book from his website link he provided.

[wayne]

Tips on building a fe (fairlane) engine by Jim Dove on line with Jays and Barrys books are all you need

[cjshaker]

The most knowledgeable gathering of information for best build/construction practices, bar none, is this forum. After that, Barry and Jay's books.

What caused the failure of your GT500 engine? It's easy to do everything right on a build, but if you're using 50+ year old performance parts (like a crank, rods etc), short of doing aircraft level structure analysis, a failure can still happen.

[Coubra]

Thanks guys!  Ordered Barry's two books.  Already know what induction/fuel system's going on it - Edelbrock Pro-Flo 4 EFI.  Had it on the engine before and thought it did really well.  Actually know pretty much how it's going together - just need to make sure it doesn't cough a rod again.

[wayne]

Did it brake the rod or a rod bolt was it a stock rod or after market.

[Coubra]

Some background:

Just installed a remote oil filter and oil cooler and after the install had lower oil pressure. 

Got four laps in with good temp, oil pressure 35 psi, ran strong, no noise.  Started down straight and about at pit road entrance got a loud pop with smoke coming out from hood. Maximum RPM that day was 5836.

Took block apart and found the two rods/pistons that let loose (#2 & #6) did so without a problem as a result of valves contacting pistons - no valves contacted any pistons.  #2 & #6 - The rod bearings are gone and the bearing mount surface is black, as in, they were really hot from rotating on the journal without a bearing.  One is still on the crankshaft and the block (original to car) is junk.  But like I said - no noise or indication that there was a problem.  Main bearings and other rod bearings are good.

Unbolted cam gear and found sheared off gear pin.  All the pushrods and rockers are okay. There's lots of bronze filings in the oil filter and the cam is stuck in the block.

Attempted to get cam out - put slide hammer to it and wouldn't budge. Turned block upside down and found chunk of wrist pin locked between cam lobe and block.  Punched out wedged piece of wrist pin and cam rotated easy.  Cam bearings in good shape. 

Possible sequence?: rods let go after bearings cook out (no/not enough oil?), wrist pin gets between lobe & block, cam locks up and shears cam pin with crank still going.

How the hell did no valves hit pistons with the end result of push rods & rockers untouched?!!! "Lucky" I guess.

This is the Eagle rotating assembly that was used: 
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/esp-158004160

Edelbrock ProFlo4 EFI, Edelbrock Performer RPM heads. custom Comp Cams cam (.622/.617 lift, 113 lobe separation, & 228/234 duration), valve springs, roller hydraulic lifters, Harland Sharp rockers, Canton oil pan & windage tray, Melling HV oil pump, ATI harmonic balancer, Canton remote oil filter adapter with a Mishimoto cooler.  TKO-600 Tremec with an aluminum Science Friction flywheel and an Atomic Twin clutch.  The accessory drive system is a Billet Specialties assembly and the headers are modified Hooker Super Comps that exit to a custom 2.5" exhaust system.

The block assembly was machined, balanced, and assembled by a local shop that I trust four years ago.  There's less than 100 hours on this engine.  The weekend before the track event my wife & I took a 90 mile cruise with no noise or problems.

I understand that 35 psi oil pressure isn't optimal, but oddly began with the remote oil filter/cooler install.  Had it to do over I'd disconnect the the remote setup, put a filter on the engine , and run it to see what the pressure is.  Hindsite is 20/20...

That's why I want the build literature. (and any other help)

[cammerfe]

Any indications showing on the thrust bearing? I've been told that loading the crank toward the front can have bad effects on the 2-6 journal. Don't know why that's true, but had result such as you describe happen on a dyno when small-block drive spud, with the longer pilot nose, was inadvertently used during set-up. The thrust bearing was NOT destroyed, but it showed the loading. I lost two cylinders and had block-skirt damage on both sides.

KS

[WConley]

35 pounds of oil pressure is no bueno for hard running at rpm.  That kind of pressure gives insufficient oil flow to carry heat out of the bearings. 

I think you need to look really hard at that remote oil filter installation.  Did you cross up the lines?  If so, the anti-drainback valve in the oil filter will impede flow.  My money is on that problem.

I'm sorry to hear about your original 428 block.  That's a tough one    Good luck finding the culprit.

Edit:  Here's a nice little write-up on how a remote system should be routed:

http://mississippi-mud.com/thread-20091.html

- Bill

[cjshaker]

35 psi at idle, or at speed? 35 at idle is not terrible, if the pressure comes up with RPMs. With the other bearings looking good, I'd find it hard to believe it was a oil pressure problem, UNLESS there was a crack in the bulkhead, or trash in the cam to crank journal oil feed hole, or the crank itself, which would starve those journals. Have you checked the block carefully? There's been more than one occasion when guys have had a bulkhead crack that starved a pair of journals.

[WConley]

Doug - I'm reading 35 psi while running at speed.  OP also noted that oil pressure had dropped after his remote filter install...

[gt350hr]

    Any time a cooler/extra filter(s), plumbing is added there is increased restriction and oil pressure drops accordingly . You need a 427 style pump with a 100 psi relief spring ( or more) so the "net" pressure after the cooler/filter stuff is 65-70 at the gauge. Volume isn't the issue.
Taking out 2&6 is a little odd in that oil starvation usually shows up in 1&5. Welding the rods to the crank will destroy ANY rod regardless of origin. That happened first here. Increased stroke increases the need for oil pressure as well.
    Randy