Thread: Retro Engines Program MEL engine

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The MEL (Mercury Edsel Lincoln) engine series ran from 1958-1968 in 383-410-430-462 CID sizes. The MEL has a 4.90 bore spacing, and a 4.325 stroke aftermarket crank was available. The MEL has a deep skirt engine block like the Y-block and the FE, and the MEL has an angled block deck surface with flat faced cylinder heads like the 401-477-534 Ford Super Duty and the Chevy W series 348-409. As part of the Retro Engines Program, I suggested that Ford offer a MEL crate engine with the 534 Super Duty bore and stroke. 534 MEL specs : 4.50 bore x 4.20 stroke, 2.25 intake valve, 1.875 exhaust valve, 1.75 piston compression ht, 0.010 deck clearance, 7.14 con rod length (1.70 rod ratio), 11.00 block deck ht. 534 MEL features : forged pistons, billet or forged con rods with oil hole up the beam for the pin and 7/16 cap screw rod bolts, billet or forged crank, cross-bolted main bearing caps. I encourage any of you who want to see Ford come out with the 534 MEL to contact them at www.fordnewideas.com

If nobody even runs a 430 or 462 now when there are vast piles of them that get scrapped because can't be given away, so i think it's far fetched to believe theres any market.

Those engines will go bigger than that quite a bunch cheaper. Offset the crank and use 440 Mopar rods and you can have a cheap 500+" engine... getting bearings, gaskets, an intake and stuff is the next problem.

Tom P, the 534 MEL is intended for anyone, with a classic Ford pickup especially, who wanted to drop in a 534 Super Duty, but couldnt because of the engines size and weight. The MEL engine series more closely resembles the Super Duty than any other. Thus, the 534 MEL gives them nearly the same thing as a 534 Super Duty, in a smaller and lighter motor for a more feasible engine swap.

I hate to say it Gary but from the looks of this and your other posts the demand for these engines boils down to a total of 1.

Kind of brings to mind the 427 SOHC Fords and autolite inline 4 Barrel. Neat peices of engineering, visually appealing, and good preformance.

Unfortunatly, extremely expensive, no aftermarket following, and (partially based on those 2 points) no realistic demand.

Well i sure don't agree with using a Chevy because it's more popular. That's a cop out.
On the other hand i can't imagine anyone wanting to use a 534 SuperDuty truck engine in ANYTHING! Sheesh, the thing weighs as much as a whole pallet full of smallblocks and puts out less horsepower than one.

But like i say, if nobody is using MEL's now when they can be bought cheap, what makes you think there's any market?

The 534 caught my attention. I have a Ford 534 Industrial Engine in my 1974 Bluebird motorhome. I'm looking to find any and all information about this engine. Can you assist?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Curt Sprenger

Curt, there are two different 534 induction systems - the single plane used on Super Duty trucks and the dual plane used on 534 industrial engines later on. The single plane intake manifold looked like a sideways shoebox with one transverse rectangular plenum leading to both heads thru a large rectangular opening at each end. Inside each single plane head was one large passage that looked like the inside of a typical cast iron exhaust manifold. The mixture went from the single intake outlet to the middle of a longitudinal passage in the head that split off into four branches at the intake valves. The dual plane induction system is conventional. Single plane intakes fit only single plane heads, dual plane intakes fit only dual plane heads, there is no interchangeability - not even close. Exhaust manifolds remain unchanged from single plane to dual plane heads.

Hey! I'm usin a 430 engine for my 60 lincoln and need some parts for it. How about one of you who are throwing some out get aholt of me. Pete

Originally posted by Mike P
I hate to say it Gary but from the looks of this and your other posts the demand for these engines boils down to a total of 1.

Kind of brings to mind the 427 SOHC Fords and autolite inline 4 Barrel. Neat peices of engineering, visually appealing, and good preformance.

Unfortunatly, extremely expensive, no aftermarket following, and (partially based on those 2 points) no realistic demand.

Robert Pond is casting 427 blocks that are cammer specific. They are selling on ebay. New cammer heads are in the process as I understand. Timing covers,camplugs and some of the other cammer bits are also repoped. I'm sure within the next year or so it will all come together hopefully. G.

Hey G, take this add to your local Blue Oval dealer and see if the offer is still valid:

Dave that's a good idea!!! The local Ford parts guys alway cringe when I go there anyway. They are young enough to not know better also LOL, G.

If they can sell you an SOHC for $3400.00, let me know, I'll take a couple, too !!!!

My Ford parts guy wanted a copy of it!!! He's a geezer, so thought it was hilarious!!!!