"To FE or not to FE...

[Seymour Snerd]

Alan,
It is a NOS 427FE block built by Keith Craft. ...Grady

Thanks. I ask because in my recent discussions with Keith Craft they kinda discouraged me from building a 427, mostly because I'd have to use an original 390 crank, etc. So rather than incur that expense and risk I was headed for a modern after-market crank which means I'm immediately at 454 CI minimum. So my particular interest is in whether, if I went back to the idea of building something more faithful to the originals I would give up anything (drivability, low-end torque, etc.) by running the shorter-stroke motor.

So, I take it you have no complaints about starting, idling, low-end torque and all that other "under 70" stuff?

 

[Steve C]

Alan,

Give me a call.

Unless someone is going to take apart your engine and measure all the internals they will never know what the displacement or internals used. Unless you go with an original block, original front cover/chain pumps, original dry sump pan, original bellhousing, originall T44 and do away with A/C so you can mount a oil tank where the A/C evaporator is (and if you do that good luck in running the oil lines front to back) you aren't 100% replicating. Too you have a cable shift not rod shift.

What is it you are trying to do?

In my case (as Paul from Olthoff's has told you) I designed my SHELBY Al block with the best internals and am over 427 CI. With the new Al blocks lots of advantages and IMHO the SHELBY block is best of them. If you want I can tell you all components used and why but, I went with big cubes, mild compression, cam that allows low idle and great street maners(no bucking like my high strung Cobra) and LOTS OF TORQUE (not HP that only come on at high RPM). Also important to choose best ratios for your transaxle.

I strongly recommend you take advice from Olthoff or Rick Muck and Keith (if you decide to have him build your motor). You should also take advice from the SPF dealers as to the Transaxle and ratios, clutch, bellhousing, need/desire for a swirl pump fuel system, ect. I'm a big proponent of an external clutch slave as well vs an internal hydraulic.

Steve

 

[Seymour Snerd]

Steve --

The short answer is obvious: I'm trying to find out what it's like to own and drive a short-stroke FE. Have you owned or driven one? OK then.

More generally I'm playing with ideas about how to proceed with my roller. There are a lot of choices to be made, and they're almost all entirely reducible to matters of taste vs money. Thus, I absolutely refuse to engage in arguing the pseudo-logic of assertions like yours regarding who can tell what from the outside of an FE block. Building a GT-40 is crazy but fun, having an argument like that is just a painful waste of time.

And by the way this is the last time I'm going to make that point.

But, don't panic; after all, it could be worse, I could be asking about the dimensions of a 426 Hemi.

BTW anybody know where I can get the blue prints for a 6-71 blower? You think it would mess up my aerodynamics?

 

[Rich E.]

Alan,

I started to reply but then I realized that what I wanted to say has been said by others only more eloquently.....

However, like others have said, I fear your powerplant options may be limited based on what your roller came designed for. I gather that unless you decide to manipulate your chassis the dimensions just won't allow an FE. If I may ask have you considered a 351 based stroker? I can't really think of a downside especially when you consider gear ratio options and the low weight of our cars. Hell.... with the right ratios you can make a 4 cyl feel like a powerstroke!

Anyhow good luck with your build

Rich.
FYI, my stroker makes 548hp/ 561tq. I leave from a stop in 2nd most of the time and my cam is completely happy in traffic.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

I fear your powerplant options may be limited based on what your roller came designed for.

No that's all resolved via Olthoff. The parts I need are either already in country, or in the case of some smaller bits will come from the factory.

 

[DaveM]

Steve C- sent you a PM

 

[Mark]

New MkII will be delivered tomorrow with FE kit. Have ordered ZF through Dennis O. Plan to source the RM-6058 - Big Block Ford to ZF bellhousing from from Quicktime. Have read the various discussions on internal vs external release bearings, and haven't yet decided. For the FE-Quicktime Bellhousing-ZF combo, what is the optimum Flywheel, Clutch & Pressure Plate combo?

Thanx
Mark
P2187

 

[David]

Have to ask this. To my untrained ear an FE 427 sounds completely different from a SBF stroked to 427. No sure why the sound it makes isn't relevant in this discussion.

Or am I imagining things?

 

[jwk333]

Sorry, off topic question- so deleted.
JWK333