460/503 Engine

[4ACES]

After looking at all of Fords Big Block crate engines I decided to build my own engine. Heavy pistons, stock connecting rods, externally balanced engines,and heavy crankshafts, all played a role in my decision. The 514 is a great engine, but is hard to internally balance as well as get a good connecting rod length to stroke ratio. And do you really need a 4.30 stroke in a 2,700 lb car? I decided to go with a 4.39 bore and a 4.15 stroke which gives me 503 CID. I went with a custom made lightened crank, extra long H-beam rods, and custom made pistons from JE. The crank alone is almost 15lbs lighter than a 460 crank! The pistons are around 100 grams lighter than the TRW units that Ford uses in its 514. All of this helps to make an engine that is easy to internally balance. With a super light rotational assembly this engine revs like a small block.
Here are some other specs on this engine.
Ford motorsports aluminum heads(ported and flowed)
Ford Racing "Victor Jr " intake 4150 flange (port matched)
Demon racing 975 CFM carb
Custom grind solid roller cam (smaller profile than 514's)
Custom made billet aluminum oil pan with windage tray etc.
Stud girdle
Actual independant Dyno test results on 93 octane fuel
641 HP at 6,500
593FT lbs at 4,700
7,200 redline
+550FT lbs of torque from 3,000 to 6,000 RPM
Revs so fast that I went and bought a rev limiter.

[Back in Black]

I would have built a cool motor like yours. I wanted an easy to obtain motor to simplify what is otherwise quite a laundry list of options on my turnkey. The external balance, heavy crank, and other things you mention, are negatives for the 514,..BUT.... it was convenient for my first motor in my turnkey. I can hope.

If and when the 514 bites the dust, I will likely have some good shop make me something like yours. The higher top RPM is perhaps the most appealing...wider powerband I suspect.

Oh, one thing: The 514 (like mine) has Eagle rods now, and ARP bolts.

[4ACES]

The stock "reconditioned" rods that came in the first 514s is the main reason I decided to build my own engine. I'm glad that Ford has upgraded the rods. I'm sure they have had some complaints about ventilated oil pans. One thing that I would recommend is that you dyno test your engine. For two reasons. First, is that you can break in your engine in a controlled enviroment (check for leaks, retorque heads, etc.) Second that you know that you got what you paid for! When you dyno an engine all the bullsh*t stops, and the numbers speak for themselfs

[Venom S]

4ACES-

Like you, I'm going with a 503 ci big block. After talking with several engine builders, I was convinced that the shorter stroke was indeed better.

I'm using the Ford SVO block with 4-bolt center mains, Blue Thunder heads with 93cc chambers and Chevy exhaust ports, custom mechanical roller cam (.659 lift, 282 duration at .050 lift), single plane manifold, and 950 carb.

The reason for going with the single plane (according to my engine builder) is that the engine will make tons of torgue at low rpm already, so he suggested moving the curve up. That way, the car won't spin the tires (as much) and will pull hard after the car gets going.

Venom_S

[4ACES]

Venom_S

Good choice! But you don't need that big of a cam to make this combination work. My engine made 582 ft lbs of torque at 4,000 RPM with a single plane intake. If you're intrested call Philip Joyal at Performance Works in Boise Id. (208) 853-7223. He worked with me on the R+D on my engine as well as building it for me. I do know that after he dynoed my engine that he recieved several orders for the same exact combination. To put this engines power in perspective, it has enough power to run NHRA super gas
times in a properly set up car! Oh by the way, thats on pump gas

[Venom S]

Thanks 4ACES

I will take a closer look and talk with him when I'm at the point in my build. Super Gas, huh!! Awesome!!

Venom_S

[justa6]

Just wondering about your solid roller lifters. Have you talked to anyone about how long they will live? I've got them also but I will have to rebuild them "often". I have to run them because of the RPM my motor turns but I didn't think any of the big motors would run anything but hydraulic rollers.

I'm not a Ford guy but if I were you I'd do some checking around as you don't want to have a failure. I'm planning on buying another set of Isky's (their the best for my engine but may not be for Ford's) and change them out every other season and send them back to Isky for a rebuild. That costs about 11 dollars per.

Everyone I've talked to about this has told me to be careful as the damage is done most by LOW SPEED driving and especially idleing although any valve float will fail them faster also. A rev limiter is a good idea.

4Aces you probably have hydraulic rollers right? If not read the above. Also it goes by spring pressure over the nose of the cam. Mine is around 620lbs not counting the "rev kit" springs over the push rods.

Hope this helps,

[4ACES]

Justa 6

I am running solid roller lifters by comp cams. The cam profile is a custom street grind. I only run .016 intake /.019 exhaust clearance hot. I plan on at least 10,000- 20,000 or more miles on the lifters and springs. This is about the 15th roller cammed engine that I have had. What I have found is that the solid roller cams have a crisper throttle response than the hydraulic roller cams do. the reason for this is that the solid lifters are lighter in weight (they are not full of oil). With the lighter weight lifter you can run a more agressive lobe design, with less spring pressure. The lifters tend to last longer as do the valve springs. A solid roller lifter will last every bit as long as a hydraulic roller lifter. The only down side is the lifter adjustment every 5,000- 10,000 miles. Any competent mechanic can adjust a set of lifters in under 1 hour. Another trick that I have learned is to have your valve springs coated with dry lube by HPC (High Performance Coating). It helps to pull the heat out of the springs and they tend to last almost twice as long.

[justa6]

Hi,

As I said I was told by several Busch/Nascar engine builders here in Georgia that Solid Roller lifters will not last on the street. My motor can't use hydraulic lifters because of the RPM and cam profile but these guys I trust.When I called Isky they said the same exact thing. Apparently the very tiny bearing for the roller just get pounded down over time. MOST of it caused when the engine is idleing. I'm not worried about floating valves as that won't happen as I've got a rev limiter. I'm not saying this to create a fuss but just as a heads up to check it out with your LIFTER manufacturers tech line. Tell him your spring pressure both on the seat and over the nose and ask him how long he suggests running his solid rollers on the street.

It is very easy to change lifters on my motor so I'm going to take their advice as I'd prefer the 11 bucks per lifter to replaceing an LA Billet crank and a very nice set of Olliver rods<G>

Also here is a web site that addresses this issue. I'm not going to use their lifters but check it out...
http://www.schubeckracing.com/

Also if you do call your lifter guys let me know what you find out as I'm still trying to get a handle on this to.

Regards,

[4ACES]

I did have this discusion with comp cams. They told me that on the street solid roller lifters that the roller needle bearings and roller mechanism are the same on the hydraulic and solid roller lifters. The difference is the hydraulic piddle valve and spring. If you check on comp cams web site they show the same springs for either the solid or hydraulic roller cam in the grind specs that I am running. Their tech department told me that my valve train is good for 6,500 RPM with hydraulic lifters and 7,500 with solid lifters and a revkit. A revkit cannot be installed with hydraulic lifters on a BB Ford with hydraulic roller lifters for some reason. Comp cams tech department told me that they have some street roller cams with 40,000 miles on them with solid roller lifters. They do recommend that you check valve spring pressure every two seasons, and that you change them as needed. These lifters are easy to rebuild by yourself. All you need is a bench vise. I plan on changing springs and rebuilding the lifters every two to three years depending on usage. This car is not my daily driver! This is a MILD roller cam not a Nascar/ Grand National cam. A racing cam will not last in a street car regardless of what lifters are in the engine. If you read the information on that web site they dis on all roller lifters. They are trying to sell a product to replace roller lifters in RACE engines not street engines. I would'nt buy their product either.

I need something to do during the long winters anyway I don't mind changing lifters and springs.

[4ACES]

I was talking to a comp cams tech guy friday about a project that I'm helping a good friend with (A 392 supercharged Hemi for a street rod) and I talked to the tech about "camshaft maintainance". One thing that he suggested is to turn over your engine every month to shift the tension to different springs. This is with any high performance ie high lift cam. He recommended that during extended storage to remove the rocker arms to remove tension from the springs.

[justa6]

Good info on turning the motor over. I make sure I start mine and take it out for a ride once per week. In Georgia its cold in the winter but there is always (almost) one day in the week that's sunny and 50 or so. Took it out today as the weather was perfect. Even took the wife with me...

As far as the lifter situation goes here is what I found out from Comp also. The reason I need to be careful is my spring pressure is very high. The cam will be fine but the lifters need to be changed/rebuilt every 1- 2 years (based on my amount of driving and racing). I think what I'll do is buy a new set of Isky's "Red zone" lifter which are just coming out. Better bearing with an oil feed direct to the roller. When its due I'll switch them and rebuild the old ones. Every two years I'll change the springs as this cam profile and 620lbs over the nose will kill them. Another area that needs to be looked at are the Jesel Rocker arms. I'll probably pull the dry sump pan and take a peak at the bearings while I'm at it.

Probably take 2 days "if all goes well"...

Regards,