Comp Cams sent us a set of...
Comp Cams sent us a set of new hydraulic roller lifters, as well as its hydraulic roller hardware kit, which includes the spider and dog bones for our valve train components.
With a dyno session behind us, we loaded up the GT for a quick trip to Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida, for some quarter-mile fun. Our GT had been sitting so long that the tires were dry-rotted and not even worthy (or safe) of being run on the dyno; we swapped them out for a set of Weld Draglite big 'n' littles wearing Toyo Proxes slicks and front runners. We used this setup most recently on our Mercury Capri project and it has provided plenty of traction for mid-12-second e.t.'s. While assembling the Street Smart Windsor, we reinstalled what looked to be the stock 5.0L clutch, as the clutch disc was true and still had a good amount of material on it. The pressure plate was in decent shape as well, and a new clutch wasn't really part of the engine buildup.
Knowing we had a stock clutch and some very tall (and stock) rear gearing, we couldn't expect great 60-foot times without sacrificing the clutch, and therefore quarter-mile e.t.'s times would not be optimal either. Still, we gave it a go. Our first run, starting with a 2.14 60-foot time, culminated in a 13.81 at 103.78 mph. Since we hadn't put hardly any street miles on the car prior to or after the engine swap, this was just an easy pass just to get acquainted with the car. The stock gears had us crossing the finish line in Third gear at about 4,800 rpm. Shift points were made at 5,500 rpm, as we knew the engine was making power at least up to that point.
As mentioned in our previous...
As mentioned in our previous articles, we went with Comp Cams Ultra Gold aluminum stud-mounted, roller rocker arms in a 1.6:1 ratio.
Our second pass was the best of the day. The short time dropped to 2.00 seconds flat, and two powershifts later, we arrived at the stripe with a 13.06 at 106.32 mph. Confident that there was a 12-second slip available, we pulled the car around for another try. While loading the clutch to get a smooth but quick launch, we could feel that it took a bit longer to grab and recover, and drove to a 2.02-second 60-foot time. On the 1-2 shift, clutch slip occurred, but recovered on its own-we took it easy on the 2-3 knowing that the extra load of the taller gear would mean certain death for the clutch. The clocks read 13.30 at 103.31 mph. With a better rear gear and a new clutch, we would expect to drop short times by two tenths, which would put our quarter-mile e.t. around the mid-12-second range. Not bad for a naturally aspirated Fox Mustang with a stock idle.
The following week, we found ourselves taking the GT back to Ramsey's Performance for another dyno session. We had found some bad spark plug wires that could well have been causing the poor tach readings, and the shop had ordered a new lead to hopefully cure the problematic reading. The changes worked, and our first pull netted 307 rwhp and 359 lb-ft of torque. The air/fuel ratio looked very good, so Ramsey opted to make an ignition timing adjustment, moving our initial timing from 16 to 18 degrees. The Windsor responded with 306 rwhp and 358 lb-ft of torque.
After the valves were adjusted...
After the valves were adjusted using the exhaust opening, intake closing method (E.O.I.C.), the Trickflow lower intake was bolted on. The lower manifold is probably the easiest place to spot a 351, as it is much wider than a 302 piece. We secured it with new ARP chrome-moly intake bolts (PN 154-2001, $24.95).
We then decided to go in the opposite direction by moving the ignition timing back to 14 degrees. The Street Smart small-block liked what we were doing, offering 310 rwhp and 362 lb-ft of torque. Ramsey then decided to try 12 degrees; his change netted 312.88 hp and 365.30 lb-ft of torque. Allowing for a relatively efficient 15 percent drivetrain loss, our 312 rwhp comes out as 359.8 hp and 419.75 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel.
In the end, we met our goal of 350 flywheel horsepower and, what's probably more noticeable, nearly 420 lb-ft of torque. While our idle quality is not quite as smooth as stock, it is very mild, and we think we can smooth it out a bit with more tuning on the DBX97B meter. We've heard it idle smoothly without the meter plugged in, so we'll keep hitting the keys. The engine drives smoothly and you can lug it at 1,200 rpm without it bucking or surging, which were also goals for the build.
Ford Racing Performance Parts'...
Ford Racing Performance Parts' SFI-approved balancer went on next, secured with an ARP chrome-moly balancer bolt. It's a 12-point piece that retails for $19.95.
At this point, we could pull it back out, toss in some good pistons with bigger valve reliefs, and bring the lift up on the camshaft a bit to improve power output. We could also stroke it for more cubes at the same time. We're pretty content with the power output now, but if you would like to see us pursue this combination, then drop our editor a line at evan.smith@sorc.com. If we get enough interest, we might just keep going with it.
In the meantime, we've got a few other non-engine-related stories using our GT. It sure is nice to have a lot of horsepower on the street, but it doesn't have to have a lumpy camshaft or a power adder to be fun. Windsor power will get the job done.
For injectors, we went to...
For injectors, we went to Ford Racing Performance Parts for a set of its 30-lb/hr pumpers. Part number M-9593-BB302 gets you an EV6-style injector that will snap right into your factory fuel rail and harness. The plastic fuel rail crossover lines will need to be lengthened/replaced. Be sure to specify high-pressure fuel line when getting it from your local parts store. We went with a 5/16-inch line and high-pressure clamps.
Our 5.8L-specific distributor...
Our 5.8L-specific distributor from Mallory was supplied by Summit Racing Equipment, which also sent us a set of Mallory spark plug wires.
Holcomb Motorsport set us...
Holcomb Motorsport set us up with this 255-lph, in-tank fuel pump (NIC41952, $119.95) on the right, as well as a Kirban adjustable, billet fuel-pressure regulator (PN DK5005, $79.95).
It seems as though stock 5.0L...
It seems as though stock 5.0L engine mounts last about as long as it takes to drive the car off of the lot. If you want to gain hood clearance, Holcomb sells these 351W-swap solid-drop mounts (PN OT6000), which sell for $49.95 a pair.
The BBK 351 swap headers bolted...
The BBK 351 swap headers bolted right up, as did the oil pan, pickup, and dipstick kit that we got from Ford Racing Performance Parts. You'll lose your factory low oil-level light, however.
On the driver's side, it's...
On the driver's side, it's near impossible to get a regular spark plug socket on the No. 6 cylinder spark plug. We cut about a quarter-inch off the end of one and it fit right in. You can also use a box-end wrench, but we couldn't get that to work once the engine was in the car.
With BBK Performance supplying...
With BBK Performance supplying the headers and X-style midpipe, we contacted Dynomax for the rest of the exhaust. It sent us a 2.5-inch setup with stainless steel LX-style tips (we plan to convert the bumper cover down the road), as well as a pair of the company's brand-new VT series mufflers.
The VT series uses a backpressure-activated...
The VT series uses a backpressure-activated door in the muffler to keep sound levels low at part throttle, while offering unrestricted wide-open flow when the hammer is down. Dynomax should have complete VT series exhaust systems by the time you read this.
We mentioned last month that...
We mentioned last month that we planned to try the RHS valve covers that we received. To our surprise, they fit with just a few modifications. There are two spots on the under side of the Trickflow upper intake that must be filed down, and then the throttle cable bracket must be modified.
Here you can see the corner...
Here you can see the corner that we knocked off of the throttle cable bracket. It's still plenty strong and now clears the valve cover with room to spare. No intake spacers were needed.
Our GT produced a solid 312...
Our GT produced a solid 312 rwhp and 365 lb-ft of torque. Allowing for a 15 percent drivetrain loss, that's 359 hp and 419 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel. With the way the horsepower just sort of levels out, we think we've reached the maximum airflow potential of the camshaft.
Sans hood, we ran our Windsor-powered...
Sans hood, we ran our Windsor-powered GT at the track to a best e.t. of 13.06 at 106 mph. That's with 2.73 gears chugging to a 2.00 60-foot time. Throw in some 3.73s and you have a solid 12-second ride.
To make sure our 351 had the...
To make sure our 351 had the easiest time breathing, we contacted Anderson Ford Motorsport and ordered one of its Power Pipes for our application. Part number AF-0112A ($232.66) netted us a 4-inch pipe and the couplings that would connect our Trickflow Specialties 75mm throttle body/Summit Racing EGR spacer combo to our Abaco DBX 97B digital mass air meter, which we got from AFM as well.
Here's our mean-looking, smooth-idling...
Here's our mean-looking, smooth-idling 359ci powerplant. Aside from some minor differences here and there, the 351W dropped in like it was meant to be there.
Anderson Ford Motorsport can...
Anderson Ford Motorsport can preload the appropriate tune into your Abaco meter, but it's very easy to load it yourself using the free software from Abaco. From there, you can play with the metering curve until your heart's content.