Sucessful Dyno Testing, Vindication, And Culmination Of Years Of FE Experience Pays Off. This Is The Rundown And Summary Of My 428 Stroker Project. I Started 10 Years Ago. It Was Recently Completed, Machined, Assembled, And Dyno Tested By My Friend Jay Zolko In Pennsylvania On Sept 3, 2024. Built Off Of A Rare 428 "S" Scratch Block Which Was Cast With Provisions To Be A 4 Bolt Main Configuration.(Found In A Barn In Southern Missouri) Parts Were Accumulated Over Time, And It Was Put Together And Taken Apart Several Times Before Turning The Build Over To Jays Talented Care To Finally Make The Dream A Reality. It Exceeded ALL Expectations.
ARP Studs, Fasteners, And Stainless Steel Accessory Bolts Are Used Throughout This Build. Several ARP Specialty Fasteners Were Ordered From Doug At Precision Oil Pumps, Such As Special Length Rocker Studs, And Camshaft Retainer Plate Bolts. NO Shortcuts Or Compromises Were Taken With This Build, Within A Modest Budget, Of Course. (A Lie, We ALL Know What FE Stands For.)
This Engine Was Given The Full Blueprint And Machine Treatment. Every Surface Has Been Trued, Blueprinted, And Attended To. Top Corners Of The Block Valley Were Modified On The Corners To Aid In Oil Drainback From The Cylinder Heads.
One Of My Favorite Features/Options Is The "NO Holes" Crankshaft Balance, (Done In A Lathe), Which I Was Lucky Enough To Have Jay Skillfully Do For This Engine. Tungsten Was Strategically Placed In The Counterweights, And Then The Crank Was Turned Down In A Lathe To Achieve A Precision Balance. Side Benefit Was Reduced Mass, And Reduction In Windage. Even With 10 Quarts Of Oil In The Pan, At 7200 RPM, Oil Pressure Stayed Consistant. It Is Smooth As Glass On The Dyno, NO Vibration What So Ever!. (Yes, It Really DOES Make A Difference!) It Has A 3/8" Thick Full Perimeter Steel Girdle, Adding Strength And Rigidity To The Bottom Of The Block, And Securing The Main Caps Better Than The Factory Could Have Hoped To Ever Achieve. Oil Pressure Is Supplied By A Mellings Blueprinted High Volume Oil Pump And Custom Extended Drive Shaft From POP. It Also Features A Canton Windage Tray, Avaid "Galaxie Style" 10 Qt Oil Pan, And A Large Capacity Oil Filter Adapter.
The Block Was Bored For Roller Camshaft Bearings, Lifter And Cam Bores Corrected To Factory Spec, (It Was WAY Off, See Photos Of Rear Cam Plug) And The Block Was Tapped For Screw In Core Plugs Like Those Used On 427 Engines. It Is Bored .033 Over, And Precision Honed, With A Scat 4.25 Stroke Forged Steel Crank, Molnar Forged H Beam Rods, (Which Brent Lykins Was Able To Get For Me When Most Performance Parts Were On Backorder, And Scarce After The Covid Scare And Hard To Get). Its Built With Mahle Flat Top Forged Pistons, With Valve Reliefs And Coated Skirts. The Ring Pack Consists Of 1mm, 1mm, 2mm Steel Rings. Top Rings Were Sent To Total Seal And Had Their "Gas Porting" Option Applied To Them. Rings Seated Immediately Upon Fire Up. It Has 12.1 Compression Ratio. With This Setup, At 34 Degrees Timing Being Optimal, It Will Require C12 Fuel To Keep Everything Happy.
Heads Are Trick Flow Castings With Supplied TFS Valves, (Came With Titanium Retainers And Upgraded Springs), And Jays Custom Spring, Retainer, And Valve Seal Package Swapped On To Them. He Added His Own Performance Valve Job, Precision Port Matched The Heads To The Intake, Did Some Blending, And A Few More Tricks, To Improve These Already Impressive, Out Of The Box Cylinder Heads. Intake Is An EFI Edelbrock Victor, Which Was Originally Port Matched To Trick Flow Heads By Scott Foxwell, Powdercoated Black, And Then Extensively Modified And Precision Port Matched By Jay. Valves Are Operated By A Full Needle Bearing Harlan Sharp Rocker System Modified For Trend 7/16" Pushrods. Oiling Is Through The Pushrods.
The Cam Shaft Is A Steel Billet, Solid Roller, From Comp Cams, Cut To Jays Custom Design And Specifications (Dont Ask, I Purpously Dont Know Its Exact Specs. That Knowledge And Expertise Is How He, Brent, And Others Make Their Living,And Support Their Families, So That Information Is Propriatary. Give Him A Call To Buy One If You Want A Beast Like This. Very Personable, Courteous, Professional, And Knowledgable About What He Sells And Reccomends. Fair Pricing As Well) Lifters Are Lunati Branded Morel Pressure Fed Solid Roller Lifters, Modified To Oil Through The Pushrods, And Ride In Custom Bronze Lined Lifter Guides. Ignition Is Supplied By A Crank Trigger Setup That Jay Built, And Installed With Parts From Several Sources. The Distributor Is An Edelbrock/Mallory For The EFI System, Which Is Currently Blocked Off. This Engine Is Being Ran Old School, But With A Modern Custom Pro Fuel Double Pumper Carb. Sourced From Jay Specifically For This Build. (950 CFM I Believe.) Coil And Ignition Box Are MSD, As Well As The Custom Cut To Length MSD Wires, Testing Was Done With And Without The 14" 3 " Tall K&N Filter With Pleated Top Lid. No Appreciable Difference In Power With Or Without Air Filter Assembly. Engine Runs On C12 Racing Fuel, 34 Degrees Timimg (Locked In) And 30 Wt Driven Break In Oil. Wix Racing High Capacity Oil Filter Is Used On The Dyno Pulls, And Will Be In The Vehicle. The Engine Is Equipped With A High Flow Electric Waster Pump By Means Of Jay Browns Adapters For Use With Factory Alternator And Power Steering Brackets If So Needed, Modified Medice 1" Valve Cover Spacers, Powdercoated And Detailed "Cobra Jet" Aluminum Valve Covers, Jay Brown 2 Piece Finned Timing Cover. The Custom Bracket For The MSD Coil Was Designed By Jay Zolko. Many Other Custom And One Off Details.Complete The Engine.
I Couldnt Be Happier With This Build, And Will Have A Bunch Of Fun With The HP And Torque It Puts Out. Jay Was 110% Great To Work With, And We Had Fun Seeing What We Could Wring Out Of This Almost 60 Year Old Block, Using Todays Technology And Aftermarket Parts. His Skill And Experience Is Second To None, And I Highly Recommend His Shop If You Live In The Area (I Live 1000 Miles Away From His Shop, No Big Deal) I Sold The Galaxie It Was Intended For Before The Engine Was Completed, So Plans Are In The Works For Something Befitting To Install It In. Below Are The Specifications And Details As Best As I Can Provide And Post Them
Here Is The Dyno Video, And The Write Up Of The Build By Jay Zolko
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/wa8q4hpADwkhhAMb/?mibextid=WC7FNePerformance Summary:https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F7Ldnz3HQ/
Cubic Inches: 463 Dyno brand:Superflow
Power Adder: None Where dynoed:Zolko Racing Engines, Annville Pennsylvania
Peak Horsepower:761.3 @ 7300 rpm
Peak Torque:635@5700
Horsepower and Torque Curves:
Engine Specifications: Factory Iron Ford 428 S Scratch Block, 4.163 Bore. 3/8' Perimeter Girdle Installed, Tapped For Screw In Core Plugs. (Early S Scratch 428 Block, With Present, But Un Machined Factory 4 Bolt Main Provisions. Rare And Unusual For A 428 Block Casting.) See Narative And Summary For Other Modifications
Block brand, material, finished bore size, other notes: Ford S Scratch 428 Block 4.163 Bore Honed With Torque Plates and Main Bearing Girdle Torqued In Place...3/8" Perimeter Main Bearing Girdle... Lifter Bore And Camshaft Bearing/Tunnel Correction To Factory Blueprint Specs....ARP Main And Head Studs
Crankshaft brand, cast or forged, stroke, journal size:Scat 4.25 Forged Steel. Lathe Balanced, "No Holes"
Connecting Rods brand, material, center to center distance, end sizes, bolts: 6.7" Molnar H Beam BBC Rods, Sourced From Brent Lykens
Piston brand, material (caster, hypereutectic or forged), dish/dome volume, static CR:Mahle Forged Flat Top With Valve Reliefs 12.1 :1 1mm, 1mm, 2mm, Steel Rings, Top Rings Modified By Total Seal. File To Fit Rings, Ring Gap Set By Engine Builder Requires C12 Race Gas, Best Power At 34 Degrees Timing
Main Bearings, Rod Bearings, Cam Bearings brand and size:Sealed Power And King. Standard Size Cam Bearings Are Custom Roller Bearings, Similar, But Not Exactly The Same As Those Used In 385 Series Racing Engines.
Piston rings brand, size, other notes:Gas Ported, Sealed Power 1mm, 1mm, 2mm
Oil Pump, pickup, and drive: Mellings High Volume, Blueprinted By Precision Oil Pumps, And Dissassembled, Checked, And Reassembled By Jay Zolko. Special ARP Drive To Accomodate Large Pump Drive, And 3/8" Girdle
Oil pan, windage tray, oil filter adapter: Aviad Galaxie Road Race Pan, Canton Windage Tray, 3/8' Thick Full Perimeter Steel Girdle, High Capacity Custom Oil Filter Adapter, Larger Fittings, Multiple Pressure Port Options. Requires Non Stock Ford Filter.
Camshaft brand, type (hyd/solid, flat tappet or roller), lift and duration (adv and @.050"): Comp Solid Roller, Steel Billet Dual Drive Dowels And Modified Cam Gear. Fuel Pump Eccentric Retained, ARP Bolt/Washer. Block Has Roller Camshaft Bearings Installed And Lifter Bores And Cam Location In Block Machined To Factory Specs. Lash .014 Intake, .016 Exhaust(Propriatary Lift And Duration Specs, Zolko Racing Engines. Contact Them To Review And Purchase)
Lifters brand, type:Lunati Branded Morel Pressure Oiled Roller Lifters, Modified For Pushrod Type Oiling Blueprinted Lifter Bore Locations And Bronze Lifter Guides Installed
Timing chain and timing cover: Trick Flow Steel Timing Gears And Chain. Torrington Bearing Installed, ARP Hardware, Precision Oil Pumps Plate, Dual Camshaft Drive Dowels Installed (Ordered Cam With This Option From Comp Cams)Jay Brown 2 Piece Finned Custom Timing Cover. Custom Fuel Pump Block Off Plate
Cylinder heads brand, material, port and chamber information: Trick Flow Specialties... Aluminum...Custom Valve Job And Blending...Some Other Chamber/Port Clean Up Work, Fully And Precise Port Matched To The Intake Manifold... Custom PAC Valve Springs, Retainers, And Smaller OD Valve Seals To Accommodate Smaller Diameter Valve Springs... Modified For Better Oil Drainback... ARP Studs And Fasteners Used In Assembly...Longer Than Normal ARP Rocker Arm Studs For TFS Heads Sourced From Precision Oil Pumps.
Cylinder head flow in cfm at inches of lift (28" H2O pressure drop):
Intake Exhaust
.100 .100
.200 .200
.300 .300
.400 .400
.500 .500
.600 .600
.700 .700
.800 .800
Flow bench used, location:Zolko Racing Engines, Annville Pennsylvania. Airflow Numbers Have Been Recorded, However I Do Not Have Them To Share.
Intake valve brand, head size, stem size:11/32
Exhaust valve brand, head size, stem size:11/32
Valve springs brand, part number, specs: PAC Small Diameter. Specs Not Available
Retainers and locks brand, part number, specs:Tool Steel Retainers And Locks, To Accomodate Smaller Diameter Than Supplied Valve Springs.
Rocker arm brand, type (adjustable or non-adj), material, ratio Harlan Sharp Full Roller Shaft Mounted Rocker System. End Stands Modified For ARP Head Studs, Ball Style Lash Adjusters, And Trend 7/16 Pushrods
Rocker shafts and stands, brand, material:Steel, And Aluminum, Modified For Clearance
Pushrods brand, type, length:Trend 9.800 .165 7/16 Diameter, Oil Through. Ball/Ball Design
Valve covers, brand, type:Modified Medice 1" Spacers, Powdercoated And Detailed Cast Aluminum "Cobra Jet" Covers Used With Header Type Crank Case Evec Caps And Hoses
Distributor brand, advance curve information: Mallory, As Suppplied With Edelbrock Pro Flow 4 System. Swapped To Black Cap. Used As Spark Distributor In Current Configuration, Can Be Attatched To An MSD Box, Or Run With Sequential Fuel Injection. No Advance Mechanism. 34 Degrees Locked Out Timing Through MSD And Custom Crankshaft Trigger Ignition Setup By Jay Zolko. MSD Racing Coil, With Custom Bracket, Painted Black To Look More Proper Than Factory MSD Blue
Harmonic balancer brand:
Water pump brand, type (mechanical or electric):Electric. Jay Brown Adapters For Use With Factory Alt And PS Brackets
Intake manifold brand, material, porting information: Edelbrock Victor EFI , Pro Flow 4 Currently Set Up To Run 4150 Carb. Fully Port Matched, And Finish Ported. Including 2" Open Spacer And Plenum Modifications By Jay Zolko.
Carburetor(s) brand, type: Pro Fuel Systems, Modified And Spec'ed By Jay Zolko 4150 Flange Double Pumper 950 CFM?
Exhaust manifolds or headers brand, type: Hedman Hustler 2 1/8" primary Tubes, Crank Case Evac System Installed And Used During Testing
