The small-block Ford is an...
The small-block Ford is an ideal engine for a Ford street rod project-as strange as it sounds, it's nice to see a Ford in a Ford these days.
As you may recall, we recently did a story called "Crate Creations" (October 2007), which was in reference to a couple of engine builds we're doing for upcoming STREET RODDER project vehicles. The first installment referred to how many choices there are available to us in this regard, and how Editor Brennan chose a couple of affordable, base model factory small-block crate long-blocks (a 350 from Chevrolet and a 351 from Ford) as the foundations for those project vehicles in question.
Like we said in our first installment, it'd be interesting to chronicle not only what it takes to transform a pair of factory long-block crate assemblies into complete and running engines, but to perform a series of tweaks and upgrades to 'em (utilizing a combination of OEM and aftermarket parts) after the initial assembly and test running. We began by assembling the Chevy first and tossing it on the dyno for some preliminary baseline numbers, and we'll do the same here with the 351 Ford.
Our starting point for this...
Our starting point for this build was a Ford Racing crate engine (assembly PN M-6007-J58).
As with the Chevy engine in the first installment, this time around we chose an affordable entry-level Ford long-block as our starting point. Specifically, we chose a Ford Racing crate engine (assembly PN M-6007-J58). This 5.8L 351-cube long-block is a 240 hp @ 3,800 rpm assembly that's rated at 340 lb-ft @ 3,200 rpm. It's an 8.5:1 compression ratio engine that includes an E6TE-9424-DA 2V aluminum intake, a V-belt-style standard-rotation mid-'70s-style cast-iron water pump with left-hand inlet, an aluminum timing chain cover with fuel pump mount, fuel pump block-off and eccentric, a pair of E5AE-6090-CA cylinder heads without Thermactor air passages, a high-torque flat-tappet cam E7JE-6250-AA, a full sump oil pan, a Duraspark distributor, coil, and spark plug wires. As an aside, the block is hydraulic roller cam compatible as well.
It's a great starting point for a respectable and affordable powerplant, as we mentioned earlier, and here we'll dress it with a mix of aftermarket and OEM parts with some help from our pals George and Bob Vrbancic of Vrbancic Brothers Racing. So, let's get crackin' on this one, and keep in mind that there's more to come on both of these small-blocks in future issues.
We also chose to initially...
We also chose to initially upgrade the long-block with a few aftermarket goodies like a Weiand aluminum intake manifold, a 600-cfm Holley four-barrel carb, a March Performance billet pulley set, and a pair of Ford Racing Performance Parts chromed valve covers.
The day started with George...
The day started with George Vrbancic providing the know-how and elbow grease while I did all the heavy lookin' on.
The 2V intake was replaced...
The 2V intake was replaced by an aluminum dual-plane Weiand manifold (PN 8023). The Stealth intake sports a square carb-mounting flange and no EGR provisions.
George made quick work of...
George made quick work of the swap and torqued it to spec after replacing the gaskets.
For dyno-testing purposes,...
For dyno-testing purposes, the intake's unused coolant and vacuum ports were blocked with the appropriate threaded plugs, using sealant on all threads.
Though they really have no...
Though they really have no effect on performance, we just couldn't resist installing a pair of Ford Racing Performance Parts chromed valve covers (PN M-6582-R302).
Though the Ford part number...
Though the Ford part number for the covers seemed to denote they were for a 302-cube engine, they fit the 351 without a hitch-plus they look sweet compared to the gray painted covers supplied with the long-block.
Speaking of looking sweet,...
Speaking of looking sweet, we also opted to use a set of March Performance-series pulleys.
One thing you don't want to...
One thing you don't want to forget is a carburetor-mounting stud set. Here you can see Bob threading them into place in anticipation of the carb install.
The carb used on the engine...
The carb used on the engine is a 600-cfm Holley 4160 (PN 0-80457S). It's a vacuum secondary unit with side-hung floats and an electric choke assembly.
With the assembly completed...
With the assembly completed in short order, Bob rolled the stand into the dyno capsule and began to hook it up to the machine.
Both George and Bob double-teamed...
Both George and Bob double-teamed the engine, making all the required electrical, fuel, and exhaust hookups in a matter of minutes.
With the engine fully hooked...
With the engine fully hooked up to the dyno, it was then time to run the engine for a break-in period prior to pulling a load.
The Vrbancic brothers are...
The Vrbancic brothers are known throughout the country for building and testing more than their fair share of record-holding racing engines, and their DTS dyno is a favorite testing destination for racers and magazine guys from all over the Southwest.
After the break-in and a cool-off...
After the break-in and a cool-off session, it was time for the first in a series of baseline pulls.
The above results were achieved...
The above results were achieved at 30-degrees timing, so Bob thought we'd play with the timing a bit to find the engine's sweet spot in that regard.
This time around, Bob reset...
This time around, Bob reset the timing to 35 degrees and gave it another try.
It looked like 35 degrees...
It looked like 35 degrees was a bit too much, timing wise, so next Bob dialed it back to 28 degrees to see if that was more to the SBF's liking.
At 28 degrees, the engine...
At 28 degrees, the engine dialed in at a max of 361.6 lb-ft of torque @ 2,600 rpm, 237.8 hp @ 3,900 rpm, and an average of 337.4 lb-ft and 205.1 hp @ 3,250 rpm.
To rectify the rich condition...
To rectify the rich condition of the carb in this particular instance, Bob opened up the high-speed air bleed from .031 to .033, effectively varying the amount of suction (vacuum) required to initiate fuel flow and leaning out the mixture a bit.
With the high-speed air bleeds...
With the high-speed air bleeds opened up, Bob reverted back to 30 degrees of timing for a final baseline pull.
Keep your eyes peeled, since...
Keep your eyes peeled, since now that we have some accurate baseline numbers on both the Chevy and Ford, we'll be back with some upgrades on both to see how much performance we can gain utilizing some easy and affordable adjustments and component changes.