Favorite Ford V8 Engine

[pbrown]

What is your favorite Ford engine? Here is the complete list of Ford V8 engines. I listed 16 of them in the poll options.

Lincoln Liberty
Flathead V8
Lincoln Y-Block (317/341/368)
Y-block V8 (239/256/272/292/312)
MEL V8 (383/410/430/462)
FE V8 (332/352/360/361/390/406/410/427/428)
58 Super Duty Truck (401/477/534)
Windser V8 (221/255/260/289/302/351W)
385 V8 (370/429/460/512)
Cleveland V8 (351C/400/351M/Boss 351)
Modular V8 (4.6/5.4)
Triton V8
96 Jaguar AJ-V8
96 Yamaha V8 (3.4/4.4)
Cosworth DFV (3.0 racing engine)
Navstar Diesel V8 "Power Stroke" (6.0/6.4/6.9/7.3)
ADJ-V8 (3.6 diesel)
2008 Boss/Hurricane (6.2L)
2008 4.4 Turbo Diesel

[ralphscott]

I guess it all depends on the application. Loved the Super Duty diesel in my F250, Love the 5.4 in my Expedition, Love the 351C in my Mustang and Certainly love the 428 in Lil Cobra I voted for the FE since this forum is based on our Uniques.

Ralph

[Brent]

Looks = FE
Expense = Windsor
Horsepower = 385 series
Towing = Powerstroke

[pgermond]

Real hot rods don't have valve covers :D

[TAGCAVE]

There is NO replacement for DISPLACEMENT.

Rodney

[Naumoff]

Your favorite ONE. Not for separate applications.:)

[Brent]

I guess I don't have a favorite ONE.

But I do know its not painted orange and it has no bowtie on it. (-;

[JeepSnake]

Ya know, Brent just touched on a gripe I have with cars these days: engine paint color! Laugh if you want to, but as if cars weren't characterless enough on the outside today, they even went and took away the variety in engine colors! How exciting is flat black??? (Yes, I know that the Ford smallblock was black with chrome or gold valve covers early on; that was distinctive. I'm talking about every car on the road now!)

(And yes, I have heard the argument that flat black radiates heat better, but really, I don't think that radiation heat transfer dominates the cooling equation here!)

Ford Blue, Hemi Orange, Chevy Orange, AMC "Blue", Olds Gold, Chevy I-6 blue, those gold valve covers on a Ford - looking at the engines alone used to be a treat!

[YerDugliness]

My favorite isn't in the choices. I like the Windsor block with Cleveland heads, called a Clevor. The Cleveland blocks made by Ford didn't have very good oil routing and often the mains were starved for lubrication, but the Windsor block has better oil routing. The Windsor heads, however, can't match the canted valve Cleveland heads for smooth torque production and overall power potential, so a Clevor combines the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, sourcing an intake manifold for this combination is getting difficult, but there is a source coming online toward the end of the year.

The Clevor won big time at the 2006 Engine Masters competition, with most entries using CHI heads from Australia. For those who may want to see how the SBF whipped arse on the FE's, here is a link: http://www.popularhotrodding.com/enginemasters/challenge/2006/0610em_2006_challenge_results/

There was even a 351/400M that did surprisingly well, but didn't make the winner's podium.

Doug

[JeepSnake]

True, true - I had a magazine article not long ago where some company was making manifolds along with aluminum heads for the Clevor combo. They had developed a head they called the "3V," with a port size between that of the factory 2V and 4V iron heads.

Wish I could remember the company's name; I'm sure I've thrown the magazine away by now. Doh!

[Naumoff]

My favorite isn't in the choices. I like the Windsor block with Cleveland heads, called a Clevor. The Cleveland blocks made by Ford didn't have very good oil routing and often the mains were starved for lubrication, but the Windsor block has better oil routing. The Windsor heads, however, can't match the canted valve Cleveland heads for smooth torque production and overall power potential, so a Clevor combines the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, sourcing an intake manifold for this combination is getting difficult, but there is a source coming online toward the end of the year.

The Clevor won big time at the 2006 Engine Masters competition, with most entries using CHI heads from Australia. For those who may want to see how the SBF whipped arse on the FE's, here is a link: http://www.popularhotrodding.com/enginemasters/challenge/2006/0610em_2006_challenge_results/

There was even a 351/400M that did surprisingly well, but didn't make the winner's podium.

Doug

Doug, Now your getting personal. Talking bad about a FE is like talking bad about my mother.
She may not be able to whip a young punk's a$$ anymore but you better show her some respect.

Tony :mad:
2525 Fawn Lane
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Cell 410-474-2701



;) :D

[Brent]

It is all relative.

And I am surely not here to argue.

The FE is the most unique Ford and it also has the most personality, but, it will NOT make big horsepower no matter what you do. Limited parts and technology are the culprit. ( Argue all you want but it is true)

Bill Parham is a genuis with FE engines, yet, he spends 25K on an all aluminum stroker FE with the best parts money can buy and he gets 750hp.

I have built and raced a 385 series engine that made 1056hp with a single carburator!! It is NOT hard to do. Bill Parham has forgotten more than I will ever know.
Heck, a Ford 514 factory crate motor makes over 620hp with cheap parts.

The Clevor makes great power and will run at 8-9K rpm all day long. It is the circle track choice for sure, but, it will NEVER make 1100hp with a single carb and no power adders.

[Naumoff]

I have a freind with a 1200hp 600cu.in. carburated 385 series engine in a 64 Falcon going 7.20s only thing stopping him from going any faster is the aerodynamic of the Falcon.

If you read my post it was not saying the FE makes more horsepower.
I am just saying give the old girl some respect.

Besides didn't you see my wink and smiley. :D

[Brent]

Totally agree.

Falcon and aerodynamic, thats funny.

[YerDugliness]

Doug, Now your getting personal. Talking bad about a FE is like talking bad about my mother.
She may not be able to whip a young punk's a$$ anymore but you better show her some respect.

Tony :mad:
2525 Fawn Lane
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Cell 410-474-2701



;) :D

No disrespect meant for the old gal, rest assured. My apologies to your FE.

Do I owe your mother an apology, too?

Doug

[YerDugliness]

True, true - I had a magazine article not long ago where some company was making manifolds along with aluminum heads for the Clevor combo. They had developed a head they called the "3V," with a port size between that of the factory 2V and 4V iron heads.

Wish I could remember the company's name; I'm sure I've thrown the magazine away by now. Doh!

The Australian company was CHI Heads. Here's a link to their website. http://www.chiheads.com/ In the Engine Masters competition, 5 out of the top 6 were Ford Clevors (in the words of our fearless leader, it was "...a thumpin'"). Four were CHI headed,and the fifth may have been--it didn't say. They offer the manifold, too, but it's very high rise--like a Funnelweb.

The lone non Ford in the top 6 was an entry from Jon Kaas, who has done pretty well for himself with a canted valve SBF head of his own design in this same competition in the past. This year he was competing with a Pontiac. There was a very small difference between Kaas and the first place winner.

Here's a closer source for canted valve high performance Australian heads from another manufacturer: http://www.ausfordparts.com/ Their literature claims to have adequate flow to support over 600 horsepower--out of the box. According to Lawrence at the website the company will begin marketing a manifold for the combination around the first of the year. These guys are right here in the U.S. so you don't have to worry about sending your hard earned money overseas.

It's the way I'm going for my SBF.

Doug

[Naumoff]

No disrespect meant for the old gal, rest assured. My apologies to your FE.

Do I owe your mother an apology, too?

Doug

Did you say something about my Sainted Mother? ;)

[YerDugliness]

I have built and raced a 385 series engine that made 1056hp with a single carburator!! It is NOT hard to do. Bill Parham has forgotten more than I will ever know.
Heck, a Ford 514 factory crate motor makes over 620hp with cheap parts.


No argument there, Brent. The key is the canted valve arrangement, which the big block 385 series of engines shares with the small/mid block 335 series.

The Engine Masters competition changes the "challenge" every year, moving around displacement limits, etc. This past year I think (!) the limit was in the 425 CID range (I'm sure that's not exact, but in the range). I've often wondered why nobody enters a 385 series motor, but in all truthfulness I do not recall seeing one run this year. There was even a Chrysler hemi in there if my memory serves me correctly (definitely questionable).

Myself, I would like to see them open the displacement limit up a bit. I would like to see the 385 series guys enter--I think they would kick some serious A$$!

As far as the 385 being a good choice for a roadster replica, I'm not sure. I live in the Houston area and there is one party here who has been trying to sell a 385 powered replica FFR for about a year. Obviously there have been no takers, and the price is below $50K. Perhaps it is too nose heavy, I don't know--perhaps it is just that originals were never built with a 385 motor. That doesn't seem to stop people down here from selling roadster replicas with SBC motors, though (as distasteful as I find that!!).

Doug

[YerDugliness]

Did you say something about my Sainted Mother? ;)

Wouldn't think of it!!!