Thread: What engine would you guys build?

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So you guys know we need to build a new engine for our drag car. Our latest motor is a 377 SBC, 13.7 Mahle, 6" Eagle rods, steel 3.48 crank, splayed 4 bolt, Brodix track 10 heads, Enderle bug catcher on alchohol. We lost a roller lifter and took out a valve, piston and holed a head, nothing that can't be fixed. But, since we are going to spend money on the Brodix heads again
I had thought of going with the SB2.2 heads instead on the 377. Then I thought might as well go for the inches and build 434 using our 400 block with block filler for stability. The feedback I get is that it is a waste to build a 434 without a good aftermarket block as the 400 walls would get to thin going out to 4.170+ although our 377 has 4.155 now. Then there is also the possiblity of using our spare 400 .30 block and building a 406 with the SB2.2 heads. Still might since we have most of the pieces.
BUT...
Since it is a Mustang I toyed with the idea of building a Ford motor.
A guy I work with has a 70 351 4v Cleveland motor that he will give me if I get it out of his way. I read a couple of engine master articles on the Cleavors and It sounds like those heads can be made to flow pretty well. probably on the order of the Brodix- upper 280+, definitley not like the 380+of the SB2's.
The draw back is that I don't know much about Fords and I don't have any ford parts. So maybe that is not such a good idea after all.
What do you guys think?
Here's some parameters:
Stay with a SBC , want to run 9:90's all day long, but still stroke an occasional 9:00 just to know that we could, no nitrous- been there done that, stay with the bugcatcher but either gas or alchohol.
What do you think?
John

In the late '70's we had a '68 Mustang that we put a 70 Cleveland into. Weighed 2800 when done, engine had no super mods, just a good machine job, Gapp and Roush prepped heads, Crane hydraulic cam, Torker intake with a 750 Holley, headers, good ignition, Top loader 4 speed, and 9 inch rear with 4:88's. It ran low to mid-11's with those simple mods. That Cleveland converted me to being a Ford fan, they can be built to perform very well, and on the street I surprised a lot of BBC's.

The '70 4 barrel would be a great engine to pick up IMO.

Don

Don,
I might pick up the motor just to have it.
I started making a list of the changes to the car that would have to be made to run a ford engine. Aside from the obvious- Motor plate, bellhousing adapter for the glide, and headers, the other parts that we wouldn't already have include- intake for the injection hat, rods, Pistons, valvetrain, pan, electric water pump, and all of the small parts. It would be more expensive than buying a after market block and building a 434.
I guess I can get more bang for the buck by staying with a chevy.
John

I ran a crate Ford BB stroker with a set of SCJ heads in my Maverick for a couple seasons. Throttle stopped it back to 9.90, it was consistent as anything could be!!!! Why strain a skinny block when you can loaf with a big block!!!!?

id build a 331 but ths just my mini mouse way of doing things

No matter what you build pay attention to the rpm's,cam profile.
I alway's try and run the biggest engine you can and then limit the rpm's.
The most consistant engine wins every time.
In other words I would not try and build a 10,000 rpm sbc instead I would look at a 540/565 BBC with a std. 24.5 degree head on it.
Buy shaft mount roller rockers and keep the rpm's at 7,000 and don't run a .800 lift cam but instead run a cam that is mild say .675/.700 lift.

Eric,
Well there is always that. We ran big blocks for years in our S/C RED. I guess we could again.
We went back to a small block in the S/G car because it seems everybody was running BB. We have a friend with a 502 in a LUV who keeps pestering us to go BB. Kind of funny that we ran him all out, no throttle stops, for fun one Sunday and he only beat us by .017. 502 to a 377. SB's can run with the BB. Although, I must admit he was MPHing us big time on the big end.
Yeah, I know we had to push the little block much harder to run the same as a BB. Thats why were are in pieces and he is still out there cruisin the 1/4.
We really ought to go back to a BB. Maybe we will, I don't know. I know you and Pat are Mega inch afficianados and you are very successful at it. Maybe the reason you run such big motors is to be different from the rest of the herd. I know that is why Gasser runs small blocks because he wants to be different. Maybe that is why we run them also. But maybe we should buck the trend and build something really different, like a turbo'd 500 caddy.
One thing tht I will say about the big block cars in all of the super classes is the fact that most of them run so fast they have to literally throttle stop them to idle at 100'. Nothing aggravates me more than to see two 572" diggers capable of low 7's, running 8.90s at 185mph and yet they look like the puked their guts just off the line.
So, just what do you run a 632 in anyway?