Patrick T. Pat Lets look at you statements, lets start with Gessford Machine
I have know George for 14 years, went out to his track, visit the boys and ladies there too. Neil is the #1 machinist there and does about 90% of the motor work now and has been doing it for the last 7-10 years. With the track, George has little time for shop work. Niel has stated that DEPENDING on what rotating mass is in the bottom end, how high an rpm range, and HOW loose the bearing clearance is has alot to do with
oil pressure. Also weather the motor has FE rods and crankshaft or a stroker kit with BBC rods. Also the clearance on the rods and mains come into play. What
oil weight you are running and additives. Last and most important, how abusive are you going to be to the motor??? RPM limit. Neil, (master machinist) has run from stock pumps with 60# springs for street motor in stock form to 7,500 rpm buzzers with loose bottom ends and 100# HVHP pumps. They like also to run W10-40 to straight race #50
oil in there motors again depending on usage of motor. Idling is a questionable issue because of valvetrain and how must oil is getting to the back of the motor at idle. 30 psi on the gauge doesn't mean same on the back rod bearings of 4,7,&8.Georges motor ever breaks and he throws the keys to the boys and said rebuild it. The motor is Georges car was one of the last ones he build about 10 years ago.
Joe at Danbury, ERA gets about 75% of their motors from him. He's been building FE for ERA for the last 20 years. I must have caught him on a bad day. I went there to see about building an FE motor and came away with little info, didn't seam to have time for me, and didn't have any info on the Shelby blocks and about building one. Today is a different story after the first 50+blocks where fixed from a number of machined problems in the castings. O'hay, Gessford corrected alot of these problems and passed on the fixes. I have CSX#58 and also CSX#428 blocks. Back to Joe, explained about what I was going to do with car and wanted basic maintainance. Basic answer was what ever you want. I can get this from my other half and it will not cost $15K to do. Ended up build my own motor with some help on clearances, blueprinting short block and assembly. Because of autocross and road course racing, larger oil system with just under 13 quarts of oil, a 100# HVHP blueprinted oil pump and proper warmup procedure. 7 years on the all 452 bottom end and no problems with it. starting year #8 with 482 stroker and bottom end is still looking like justed assemblied. Torque motors don't need to be pushed as hard as HP motors. 6,000 rpm limit with the correct gearing and trans gearing to get the most from an mid range torque motor
Bottom line, if you have a truck load of money there are plenty of guys out there to help you send it. If you have this much money, some people don't care about this stuff. If you spend 20+ years saving nickles, dimes and quarters to build a dream, and send the other 25+ years wrenching on motors you learn what works and what doesn't. I have been told by your godish people the high pressure will prewear out bearings. I am still waiting to see that first set of bottom end bearings. Every body talks but nobody shows, kind of funny like. Last note Barry R. was layed off from his job at F-M bearings. In the first engine masters he did real good with an FE and this got him on the map. This is how he makes his living now with building and selling parts. I brought my stroker kit from him and would recommend to anybody buy his kits. The clearances where spot on and this motor runs great. Jay Brown has the time, a couple of dynos and money to build and test FE motors and SOHC ones. 2 time champ of Drag week. Have read both books cover to cover. I agree with alot of the info but also question some too. At least I am up front with people and don't have to cite info from other threads. Same info today same 10 years ago. It's a real shame you don't see that ERA Chas is not as understanding as you think. As far as a grenade with him, he would pull the pin and stuff it down your pants and wave bye-bye to the village fool. You have a nice evening. Schools out and closed.
Rick L.
Jeez, Rick...
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