New to the site, saying hello.

[pbrown]

Welcome to our site. I agree that you should be using a Ford power plant in a Cobra replica. There are a few out there with Chevys and they run fine but will be almost unsellable if it ever comes up. I come from a Chevy background myself having built and raced two Corvettes, a Nova, and a Vega (with a big block BTW).

Research some Ford engine options. The Cleveland is a fine engine but the aftermarket has kind of forgotten it these days in favor of the 302 and 351W. Of course nothing looks as good as an FE in a 427 Cobra.

[pgermond]

chevy.........

To clarify, this was in response to Brent's question - "What is a Cheby?" As I and many others have said.... FE is the way to go.

[Brent]

I would LOVE some clarification as to whom this was directed to:

"Fat fingered and dyslexic, dangit going bald too."

[diegokid]

Fat fingered, dyslexic and going bald was in reference to myself, you know cheby instead of chevy, I'm just grateful for checklists. Yes even I make mistakes, however if in 1963 Ford had anything better than a fuel injected 327 and I had one I would have no heartburn with it.


All joking aside I do have a question regarding expansion tanks. Are they needed and did the coolant really expand that much? It seems that most but not all big block fords had them. Since looking around some I have seen older cars and trucks with them. I'll do a search for it here.

[Naumoff]

I just went over this with a friend of mine with his big block Cobra. He Didn't have one and would over a short period of time lose coolant and develop air pockets in his radiator.
His system would not recover the coolant out of his overflow tank or self bleed the air back out of the radiator.

We re-did his piping and put a surge(header) tank on and I removed the petcock on the top driver side of the radiator and ran a 3/8" hose back to the top section of the tank. See my engine pic above and you can see the small black hose going toward the front of the car. The tank has a divider with a one inch hole in it. The inlet and outlet from the system are in the bottom section.

My theory is you want a high point in the cooling system to let all the air naturally come to as well as a space within the closed system for the hot coolant to expand into without loosing it.

A lot of people run there Cobras without the tank and do fine but I wouldn't, small block or big block.
Besides it is period correct and it works. I never have to bleed or burp any air out of my cooling system. Just fill and go.

There are also some other things like drilling a bypass hole in the top of the t-stat which also helps with getting all the air out of the engine but you ask about the surge tank.

[Ed]

Ford used expansion tanks with cross flow radiators because any air expansion room at the top would have made the upper cores ineffective

[Naumoff]

To clarify, this was in response to Brent's question - "What is a Cheby?" As I and many others have said.... FE is the way to go.

Phil, I thought it was spelled Chebbie?

[Naumoff]

Ford used expansion tanks with cross flow radiators because any air expansion room at the top would have made the upper cores ineffective

And there, that is why Ford did it. Thanks Ed, I new it had something to do with expansion.
And you surely want every square millimeter of radiator used in your Cobra.

[diegokid]

Naumoff,
I did a search last night on this site and I think I found the article you are talking about. Thanks for the info.

[Russ Dickey]

Diego:
There's not much that I can add to this thread that hasn't already been said regarding the "problem" with putting a non-Ford engine in a Cobra replica. I can however try to aid with an analogy that I often use to my few bow-tie loving friends:

Imagine going to a car show or race and seeing an absolutely stunning 1963 Corvette Grand Sport replica. As you approach, you notice that the car is asthetically perfect in body modifications, paint livery, and stance. It has the proper wheels, fender flares, hood scoops, etc. As you poke your head in the window, you see that the builder has gone to great lengths to even get the interior period correct. You think, "Wow, what an amazing homage to a racing legend." Just then, the owner approaches and raises the hood..............only to reveal a turbocharged Toyota Supra motor.

That's how I feel when I see a Chevy-powered Cobra. Yeah, I appreciate the creative engineering and workmanship that went into the car, and yeah, I realize that it's probably just as fast as a Ford powered Cobra...but it just ain't right.

For me, having a replica means replicating the originals as best as I can afford, at least when it comes to the major details. But at the same time I say that, I have to remind myself that I've got an FIA with the "wrong" engine (351w), wrong wheels (GT40-style with lugs), wrong shifter (aftermarket Hurst), wrong dash layout (non-FIA), wrong suspension (coil-over vs. transverse leaf), square tube frame, etc., etc. However, even with all those details being incorrect, there's still nothing more flattering to me than when the "average" car enthusiast looks over the car and asks, "Is this a kit or an original?". I'd never hear that if there was Chevrolet orange under the hood and the distributor on the wrong end - because even the average Joe knows that ain't supposed to be there.

But hey, in the end it's your car and you build it however your heart desires. The bottom line is that you are the one who has to live with the car, work on it, and ultimately...enjoy it. So if that means stuffing that brand-x powerplant between the front fenders, than what the heck. When it's all said and done, the only grief you'll have to put up with are from "Cobra-snobs" like me, and from potential buyers when it comes time to resell it.

[diegokid]

What can you wise Ford men tell me about a 400 out of a 1975 Ford LTD?

[RJacobsen]

The 400 M motor is sort of a big block cleveland. probably one of the worst motors Ford ever built IMO. Early models had trouble with cracked oil galleys that Ford was fixing under warranty. You will not likely find any Hi Performance items for this engine for good reason. It has a twin to it in 351 ci. stay away from that one too. However do not confuse them with the 351 Cleveland, a short lived but very respected motor. The 351 Cleveland I consider a small block motor because it shares the same bellhousing as the 289/302/351 windsor motors. The 400/351 M use the same bellhousing as the 429/460. If your keeping track, yes that makes 3 completely different 351 engines. Hope this helps.

[pbrown]

Diego,

Get yourself a Ford Racing catalog. The back of the book have a wealth of engine history that will help you choose not only the right engine but also the right year of block.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

The most popular small block engine Ford made was the 221/260/289/302/5.0. All of these share the same block size. The 260 and 289 can be found in original Cobras. The 302/5.0 is very common in late model Crown Vics, Mustang, and Trucks. It can be stroked to 331 or 347. I have a 331 in my 62 Falcon.

The 351W was introduced in 1969 and is basically the same engine as the previous small block except that the deck height is taller thus the engine is demensionaly taller and wider. It's similar is dementions to a 350 SB Chevy. The 351W is probably the more common small block found in Cobra replicas. It can be stroked to 393, 408, or even 427 ci. I have a 393 sitting in my garage wanting to go into a 289FIA someday.

The most confusing part of the SB Ford is probably the front of the engine. There are about a half dozen timing chain covers, water pumps, etc.

I would try to find a roller 5.0 block or a roller 351W for your project. Either of these will use the one piece rear main seal and roller cam.The roller 5.0 was available is 83 I think. The roller 351W is harder to find and is in 94 or newer F-250 trucks.