Big Ford power tips part 2......

In the last post we talked about the basically obsolete "FE" engines. Today we'll talk about the "Thunderjet" series that was used from 1968-1997. There's only two displacements 429 and 460 cubes. Ford Racing sells a 600 hp 514 inch stroker based on the 460 if you want to be King Kong, but if your restoring an old musclecar we'll assume you'll be looking to stay somewhat original and save money. One upside of these engines is they share the same bellhousing bolt pattern as a 351C or the 351M / 400 series. What this means is if you want to build a big-block sleeper Mustang, Cougar, Torino, Ranchero, Montego ( or a "White Lightning" LTD clone ) you won't have to change the transmission. The downside is other than a few Mustangs and Torinos that are pretty rare and priced accordingly-these were primarily a "big car" engine-i.e. Thunderbird, LTD, Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln MKIV-etc, so chances are you'll be doing an engine swap anyway. A word of caution-unlike a small-or big-block Chevy-where you can take a 350 or a 454 out of a truck or an Impala and stuff it in a Chevelle and not even have to change the belts-Fords are not that simple-in other words-the brackets to mount the accesories-i.e. alternator, power steering, air conditioning, etc on a 460 in a pickup may be totally different than a 460 in a Torino, and those will be different from a 460 T-Bird.  And the oil pans may be different from model to model-which means you not only have to change the pan but maybe the pump and the pickup.  Ugh!!  Again-I'm not slandering Fords-but think about this-you can buy a 400 Pontiac out of a 1971 Catalina and drop it into a 1978 Trans-Am and except for maybe the carburator to clear the "Shaker" hood scoop-you won't have to change a damn thing. You can buy a 440 out of a 1977 Plymouth Gran Fury police car and put it into a 1970 Dodge Charger and not even change the air cleaner housing. This is just an irrefutable fact-You can't play musical engines with Fords like you can with GM and Mopar stuff. That aside-if your a Ford guy-the swap-although you'll spend a lot more time chasing parts than you would on a comparable GM project-will be worth it for the massive power infusion your going to get. # 1. Bottom End. The big Ford bottom end is very tough. Unless you run it without oil or go crazy on nitrous infusion, I don't see how you could break one in normal use. # 2. Cylinder Heads. Unless your going hog-wild and just building a "Godzilla" like motor-use the heads that came on your engine. Remember the old saying-"Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"  It certainly applies here.  Ford Racing, Trick Flow, Edelbrock and others all offer aluminum heads for these engines, but the price often tops 2 grand a pair!! For a street engine-that 2 grand is better spent on a cam, carb and intake,exhaust, gears, and maybe a stall converter. # 3. Cams. Follow the cam manufacturers recommendations and you won't go wrong. I know-some of the supposedly "mild" cams have big duration and lift numbers. But you have to remember-this isn't a 327 Chevy or a 340 Mopar-your feeding 429 or 460 cubes. # 4. Induction-the Autolite 4300 is bar none-the WORST 4bbl carb ever put on anything!!  My dad was a Ford mechanic in the early '70's and the cars wouldn't start or run new, and got horrible gas mileage. If you bitched hard enough-Ford would have the dealer put an electric-choke 600 Holley on it and warranty it!!  Whether your using a stock intake or an aftermarket one like an Edelbrock Performer I'd trash that Autolite unit ( or put it in a box in case you ever want to sell the car to someone really who wants the "numbers-matching" doorstop ) and get an Edelbrock or Holley Carb. I personally have never had much luck with Holleys, although other people have good results with them. For me, every Edelbrock carb I've ever put on a personal vehicle or a customer's car has been bulletproof.  # 5. Exhaust. Headers are a must to let the big Ford breathe properly-especially if you've installed an aftermarket cam and carb and intake. Again-don't be scared of the big tube sizes offered-it's not a 350 Chevy were scavenging the exhaust from!! Use 2 /12 or 3 inch pipe and Turbo style mufflers. Mastermind