| Engine
Building |
|
Balancing
Revealed
 FordMuscle
takes you step-by-step through the rotating assembly balancing process.
We'll demonstrate that while attention to detail is important, the
procedure is something every FordMuscle'r can understand.  |
Roddin'
Real
 OEM
Connecting Rod Preparation, Reconditioning and Balancing.
FordMuscle takes you through the process of preparing, reconditioning
and balancing OEM connecting rods. |
Build
a 331 Stroker
In the past several years small block Ford
stroker engines have become all the rage.  Every
machine shop and specialty parts house advertises some sort of stroker
kit selection, the most common being the 302 based 347 kits, but even
427 cubes are now available from the 351 Windsor blocks. So when time
came to decide...
Part I: Introduction and Prep.
Part II: Assembly
Part III: Results |
421
Horsepower 347 Stroker
 The
days of one horsepower per one cubic inch are long gone. In fact with
today's engine technology that is barely respectable at the wheels.
We get the build secrets for a 421 rear-wheel horsepower, 347 cubic-inch
stroker, from one of HCI Motorsports... |
Stroker
Motors Explained
More displacement and greater leverage means
more torque. This concept is  obvious
when you compare the torque ratings between factory small block motors
and factory big block motors. However, nowadays it is not necessary
to suffer the time and switching costs of leaping... |
400
Horsepower 302 Buildup
What does it take to make 400+  horsepower
out of a 302? Sure a supercharger or nitrous will do it, but we're
talking naturally aspirated. In the next three issues we will show
you that a well built 302, for no more money than a standard...
Part I: Short Block
Part II: Top End Assembly |
Build
a 5.0L Engine
Typically when you see engine build-up projects
in magazine,  they
are aiming for one thing -performance. And up until now, we've been
just as guilty as the others, by focussing all of our projects towards
a goal of running some set ET or making 'x' amount of horsepower...
Part 1: Shortblock assembly
Part 2: Longblock assembly
Part 3: Install and Track
Testing |
2V Or
Not 2V: Build a 4.6L Mod Motor
When it comes to Ford's "modular" motors the 4.6L 2V is
often quickly dismissed for it's four-valve cousin by those in search
of serious power. However there are many who have embraced the two-valve
motor... |
Build
a Streetwise 460
Forbes magazine just  published
their annual "Billionaires" issue. To no surprise we didn't
make the list and we're certain neither did you. This means that when
we embark on building next seasons bracket motor, or perhaps the new
mill for your street machine...
Part I: Bottom End
Part II: Top
End
Part III: Break-in
and Dyno Testing |
351C,
351M, or 400 What's the Difference?
Most Ford enthusiasts are well aware of the
 351
Cleveland engine, and its short, but well known, history. However
there is confusion regarding the 351M and 400 engines.The 351M and
400 engines were derived from the 351C, and are all considered part
of Fords "335 series" of engines. The 400 engine... |
Building
a Monster 460 Stroker
It's not often that we get to cover  seriously
high powered Ford motors. We're not talking about 500 or even 600
ponies, no, we are talking about the four-digit range. So when our
friend Kim Danielson, an prominent horsepower junkie in Arizona, presented
us with the opportunity to cover the buildup of his A460-based 524
cubic inch beast... |
351M/400
Find Performance Within "The Other" Aftermarket
FordMuscle consolidates the best resources for getting the most out
of a 351M/400. Working closely with TMeyer Inc. we prove that there
is performance to be found for these motors within an aftermarket....
|
Project
460
That's right, a 460. Not just any 460, but
 Ford
Racing Performance Parts, 535 HP crate engine. This bad boy is going
to be stuffed between the shock towers of the '69 Mach 1, and backed
with the same C6 and Emerald stall converted that were behind the
428. Can we run 10's?...
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Shock Tower
modification
Part III: Problems
Part IV: Tuning the
Race Demon Carb.
Part V: Track Results |
Build
a 428cid FE Motor
Our 1969 Mach 1 project car originally equipped
with a 390 cubic - in FE motor.
With a cam, heads, and intake the 390 had produced timeslips in the
low to mid 12's - not bad for a stock bottom end. However the engine
had seen better days, so we decided this was a good opportunity to
increase the...
Part I: Introduction
Part II: 428 Short Block
Assembly
Part III: Final Assembly
and Track Testing
Part IV: Track Update
Part V: Project FE is
Dead! |
| Camshafts |
351C
Cam Swap
A few months back we featured the 351 4V
Cleveland powered 1973
Torino, owned by FM staff member Jon Mikelonis. We didn't reveal too
much about the engine in that article because we knew we would have
plenty of opportunities in future coverage of that car. Well here
we are, as we anticipated, with a detailed cam swap project for the
Torino... |
Dude...Don't
Be Retarded
 Even
if you're installing an off-the-shelf camshaft, we'll show you how
important it is to verify intake centerline. This article explains
the
difference between setting your timing gears to "crank gear zero"
and installing a cam "straight-up". |
Checking
Piston to Valve Clearance
Chances are when it comes to wanting more
 horsepower
from your engine, you have, or soon will, turn to a new camshaft to
do the trick. There is no secret about camshaft ugrades; the properly
selected cam specs, more duration and/or lift, can make significantly
more power than a stock cam... |
How
to Perform Crazy Fast Cam Swaps
How many of you have changed a camshaft?  Looks
like most of you are raising both hands. Changing cams is one of the
core skills of any power addict. Most of us have done more cams than
we care to count. We all probably would agree that the worst part
of the job is having to pull the intake manifold in order to remove
the lifters...
|
How
to: Roller cam conversion
There is a reason why late-model 5.0L engines
have so much more torque than their carbed  counterparts.
Sure part of that is the long runner EFI intakes, but some of the
power can be attributed to the roller cam technology Ford adopted
in 1986. This article shows you how to convert your early flat-tappet
blocks to accept a roller... |
"Cam
You Help Me?"
 A
look at what happens when you call a cam manufacturer's tech line
for a recommendation. Selecting a camshaft is a difficult decision
for even the most veteran enthusiast. We all want to get that perfect
cam which meets our goals for peak horsepower, broad torque, smooth
idle quality, or a variety of... |
| Power
Adders |
Blower
Porting - Optimizing the Cobra's Eaton Supercharger
 The
03-04 Cobra engine is a beast thanks to the Eaton supercharger. However,
there may be more to gain by increasing the efficiency of the roots-style
supercharger. We install a ported Eaton and compare the before and |
High
On Carbs
Supercharge your Carbureted Motor
 Atkins
fans put down your steak filets because we're gonna boost your carbs.
Recently we came across an excellent deal on a 5.0L supercharger kit.
Too good to pass up, we picked it up without any real....
Part I: Mock
Up
Part II: The Pressure
Mounts
Part III: Tuning
For Boost
Part IV: Breaking
the 500 RWHP Mark |
Thinking
Inside the Box
 Nitrous
kits have had their shortcomings when it comes to fuel atomization
as well as system installation. ZEX however has made some major improvements.
We take a close look at their innovation and install their EFI wet
system... |
Nitrous:
Bottle Feeding Mod Motor
Project '01 Mustang  GT
gets a horsepower boost with the help of a NitrousWorks system. We
decided the best way to test the effects of nitrous oxide would be
to throw it on our Project '01 Mustang GT. Of the cars in the FordMuscle
stable, it needed it the most. While Ford's 4.6L 2V motor is rated
at 260 horsepower... |
| Fuel
Injection |
|
DIY
EFI Part I
 Here's
everything you need to know about converting from carburetion to mass-air
fuel injection. However, we're going to make it look less than obvious
with a unique set up from Mass-Flo EFI. Their specialty is vintage
looking EFI systems which retain the classic four-barrel carburetor
underhood... |
DIY
EFI
Part II: Getting it to Run
 The
EFI conversion on our Project '67 Mustang is complete. However unlike
what you usually see on those popular automotive reality TV shows,
our projects have real issues. We reveal all of our shortcomings and
frustrations in this article....
Part III: All Systems
Go, Finally! |
Innovation
or Insanity?
351C EFI Conversion, in a Pantera!
Ford muscle enthusiast. Let's face it, in this hobby getting what
you want out of your project often times requires invention and innovation.
Perhaps there is no better example of this than Thomas Tornblom's
desire for a fuel-injected 351 Cleveland..... |
Mass
Air Conversion
We convert our Project "Big & Ugly Work Truck" from
speed-density to mass-air to reap the benefits of sequential electronic
fuel injection (SEFI) and adaptability to future engine modifications.
Speed Density is Ford's earliest method of electronic fuel injection...
|
5.0L
Surging Idle Fix
Every owner of a 5.0L EEC-IV controlled engine  has
probably experienced, or one day will, the dreaded "idle surge".
Ford terms it the rolling idle, but either way its annoying as hell
to watch the idle stick at 1500, then drop to 700, then float to 1000
and so on. Or perhaps you've just got strange and annoying EEC gremlins
and you're at wits end. Well we've... |
|
| Engine
Tuning |
|
Air Fuel for the
Old School
 Don't
let software and information overload prevent you from buying an Air
Fuel meter. FM breaks down even the most stubborn "old school"
Ford man by using only "real-time" (no data logging) air
fuel data to dial in a carb. |
Double Vision
With the cost of wide-band oxygen sensors
dropping in recent years, more and more enthusiasts are utilizing
wide-band devices for tuning their cars. We got a hold of FAST's new
dual-sensor kit for install. |
Devil's Advocate
 The
Diablo Predator puts EEC-V tuning in the palm of your hand. It is
funny to think that twenty years ago, when Ford Mustangs were introduced
with computer controlled engine systems, many people felt it signified
the end of hot rodding. "EFI and EEC controlled engines will
be too complicated...
|
Take the Guesswork
Out of Carburetor Tuning
FordMuscle uses the Innovate Motosports LM-1 Digital Wideband Air/Fuel
Ratio Meter to tune our carbureted 1972 Mercury Montego. We prove
that tuner technology isn't just for the EFI and import crowd. Bog,
flat spot, hesitation, stumble, and surge.... |
Air-Fuel Meter Shootout
Air-fuel meters are fast becoming an ubiquitous item amongst serious
enthusiasts. However, with so many meters on the market how does one
begin to select the best one for their needs? We've compared the most
popular ones in this article... |
Super Tuning
 Use
Data Logging to make power.
Data is defined as a collection of facts from which conclusions may
be drawn. When speaking of engines, a tuning decision (e.g. should
I jet up or down?) must be based on a variety of good data (such as
the air-fuel ratio is 14:1 at 5000 rpm)... |
| Other |
|
Fitting Flare Up
If you want to separate yourself and your car from the amateurs you
have to stop using cheap rubber hose and clamps to plumb the vital
fluids to your motor. That stuff works and gets you by, but it is
not classy and has major limitations in durability and more importantly,
safety. |
More
Of Get in Line!
Fuel system upgrade from tank to carburetor.
 With
all of the pages dedicated by automotive magazines (FordMuscle not
withstanding) to glamorous "air flow" parts such as heads,
intakes, cams and power adders, it is easy to forget the fundamentals:
It is fuel, not air and not the engine, that contains the... |
| |
New
Kid on the Block
Dart's new SBF block. Until recently  one
of the major advantages of being in the "Chevy" camp has
been the availability of all sorts of aftermarket engine components
-namely heads and blocks. If you're building a bow-tie powered race
car, there are a handful of companies, besides GM, that can sell you
a brand new engine... |
