For those of you who are just stumbling upon Project Repeat Offender, here's a quick recap. We recently hatched the idea of building an in-house Mustang to run in NMRA/Tremec True Street competition, which is a class that
Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords created decades ago and has been a sponsor of ever since. The class is aimed at licensed and insured street cars that can endure a 30-mile cruise, and after a brief cool down period, make three back-to-back passes on the quarter-mile. The top runners in this highly successful event have dipped well into the 8-second mark, so we have our work cut out for us.
We sourced a number of engine...
We sourced a number of engine parts for this build from Ford Racing Performance Parts because they had all of it sorted out for its crate engine. This made it much easier for us to get the right components for the job, and we know that they are quality parts at reasonable prices. Here we grease up the FRPP oil pump (PN 10833) prior to installing it. We also used the FRPP oil pump pickup, shaft and oil pan that are used in the crate engines.
In the past several issues, we've gutted our "old-ass-beige" '85 coupe, had Real Speed Racing install an S&W Race Cars roll cage, bolted up a Steeda Hardcore suspension, and mounted a quartet of Aerospace Components' killer brakes. This month, we have assembled our powerplant and put it on the dyno to show our readers what sort of steam it's making.
Back in the Aug. '10 issue of MM&FF, we documented the specifics of the Boss 351 block, and spelled out the FRPP CNC-ported Z304 cylinder heads that we would also be using. After talking with Ford Racing Performance Parts' Jesse Kershaw regarding the induction requirements of the 427, we phoned Edelbrock and ordered one of its Super Victor intake manifolds. You simply can't go wrong with the tried and true performance that Edelbrock delivers, and it seemingly has the market cornered when it comes to big Windsor intake manifolds.
We also tapped Quick Fuel Technologies for one of its trick Race Q 850-cfm carburetors. The Race Q is an all-new fuel mixer from Quick Fuel Technology (QFT) that starts with all-aluminum construction, and includes several components that are optional on many out-of-the-box race carburetors.
Our Boss 427 short-block is...
Our Boss 427 short-block is ready to assemble right out of the crate. To seal the heads to the deck, we are using Ford Racing Performance Parts M-6051-R351 head gaskets made by Fel-Pro. These are graphite gaskets that feature a 4.125-inch bore for large-cubic-inch engines like ours.
For our 427, we will be using a custom hydraulic roller camshaft that is similar in specifications to the one FRPP uses in its crate engines, just a little larger. The FRPP crate engine camshaft offers a split duration 242/248 at 0.050, with valve lifts of 0.576-inch on the intake and 0.600-inch on the exhaust. The custom grind that Comp Cams supplied starts with a split 248/254 duration at 0.050 and ends with a single pattern 0.609-inch valve lift (with a 1.6:1 rocker ratio), on a 110-degree lobe separation angle. It's a healthy hydraulic roller profile that we hoped would raise the power level a bit over the FRPP crate engine.
With the parts list spelled out, the motor was assembled and we had it strapped to the dynamometer at Holbrook Racing Engines in Livonia, Michigan. Whether it's NHRA/IHRA Pro Stock engines or sportsman small-blocks, Holbrook has decades of experience building some of the meanest powerplants ever to sit between two frame rails.
Fel-Pro also provided our...
Fel-Pro also provided our water pump gasket, while Comp Cams provided one of its 7138 billet timing sets; Summit Racing hooked us up with ARP oil pump bolts (ARP-150-6901) and cam bolt (ARP-154-1001).
Carbureted engines often respond well to additional spacers between the carb and intake manifold, and Holbrook began our testing with a 1-inch spacer. We sourced a couple different ones from Edelbrock and plan to test a larger one once the engine is in the car.
After the break-in procedure was complete, the first pull netted a stout 589hp at just 6,000 rpm. Torque peaked at 552 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. The air/fuel was a bit fat, so a small jet change was made and then the engine was pulled to 7,000 rpm. Horsepower peaked at 597 at 6,600 rpm, and torque increased slightly to 556 lb-ft.
A few more tweaks and we saw horsepower top out at 609, while torque rose to 561 lb-ft. Up to this point, the engine was run with a water temperature of no more than about 120 degrees. We wanted to see what the engine would do when it was hot, so we had the Holbrook crew make some pulls at about 160 degrees, which is probably more indicative of what we'll see after a 30-mile cruise, and the engine baking under the hood for 30-45 minutes. We've got a badass Flex-A-Lite cooling system going in the car, so we'll have to see what we can do with the coolant temperature in the staging lanes.
FRPP recommends Comp Cams...
FRPP recommends Comp Cams Pro Magnum Retro-Fit hydraulic roller lifters (PN 8931-16) to get the job done. This is what they use in the complete crate engine.
The Z304 cylinder heads went...
The Z304 cylinder heads went on easily and are secured via head studs (PN M-6014-Boss or ARP 155-4001). The intake ports are generous in size, but force the pushrods over a bit, which requires a rocker arm with an offset pushrod cup. FRPP offers these under part number M-6564-F351, and they feature a 1.65:1 ratio.
At the time of this build,...
At the time of this build, the FRPP rockers were not available, so we sourced a set of 1.6:1-ratio rockers from Crower Cams. These rockers (PN 72812X-8) offer the proper offset on the intake side as you can see in this picture. They were originally designed for the FRPP N351 cylinder head, but also work in this application.
Kershaw at FRPP also recommended...
Kershaw at FRPP also recommended this Innovators West harmonic damper (PN 204). It's a 6.5-inch piece for internally balanced engines, and it accepts the stock 5.0L-style four-bolt crank pulley. To point us in the right timing direction, we are using an FRPP timing pointer.
We loved the Meziere water...
We loved the Meziere water pump that we used on project Stolen Goods, so when it came time to pick a trick, yet dependable and high-performing water pump, we went to Meziere again. Where we used the pump with the idler pulley before, we went straight for the non-pullied billet aluminum unit (PN WP311B) anodized in blue. We also sprung for the matching billet water neck (PN WN0023B) as well.
We're using Edelbrock's Super...
We're using Edelbrock's Super Victor intake manifold on our 427, which is a single-plane intake designed for a basic operating range of 4,500 to 8,500 rpm. We had to head to the local parts store for a few intake manifold water jacket fittings. One plugged up the heater hose supply, while the other provides a home for our temperature sending unit.