FE vs Roush vs Blueprint
Need guidance from my Cobra gang.
I currently own a RT4 BDR with 427 Iconic motor with less then 600 miles on it. So far, I like the motor and the car. I'm now looking to add to my stable, a SFP S/C that has a Ford 450CI 437 HP FE Motor. I'm not a gear head and have no idea about what's a good, dependable, "not to worry" about engine that would not need a lot of TLC. The SFP car will see no track time, but will be a weekend driver, to club events, car shows, etc...I want it to look and SOUND tough. I like the idea of a "big block", just so it fills the engine compartment but not at the expense of needing higher maintenance. Small block is fine as well. Bottomline, is a Ford 450CI 437 HP FE Motor a good dependable motor that will need no special attention. Engine built by Southern Auto. Thanks in advantage for sharing your years of experience. |
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simple answer; yes
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in the header you list Blue Print. Why?
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Well it certainly won't hurt itself only making 437 hp.......wow......
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You do not want solid lifters. They require periodic valve adjustment. Solid roller lifters have a short life and a very short life if the valves are not adjusted properly.
FE rocker arms require better than OEM, when heavy valve springs and high lift cams are used. Not all high performance rocker arms are a good setup. You want a good builder who know what works and specializes in FE engines. The factory blocks have a poor oil design. A good builder, who specializes in FE engines, knows what modifications to make. The factory blocks were designed for a rope seal on the rear main seal, so cutting the groove did not require a perfect circle on the same center as the crank. Modern seals do require a near perfect circle on the same center as the crank. A rope seal is designed to slow a leak, but cannot stop it from leaking. If you pack a rope seal too tight Friction will heat the crank until it turns blue. There are several other places FE engines are prone to leak from. Very few FE engines are leak free and most of those will leak sooner or later. It is just a matter of how bad will the leak be. If I wanted an FE I would not go to a mass produced engine shop. I would look at a smaller, detail oriented shop, that specializes in FE engines. Blykins who just replied above, is such a shop. The link to his website is in the footer of is reply. Honestly from some of what you said, I am not certain a FE is what you want. All engines have some issues, but the FE was designed in the 1950's. To say it is not in the same ball park as a modern engine is an understatement. It's more like a baseball park compared to a tennis court. |
I will say that FE powered Cobras, as a general rule, are pretty easy to work on as compared to new cars. My auto shop text books from my classes in the 70's are actually quite timely for a lot of the issues that you face. In fact, I would say the Cobra is the easiest car to work on that I've ever owned. The main hardship is that everything is within a quarter inch of everything else.:LOL:
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Olddog, Thanks for your input.
I've been doing due diligence on the FE and what you describe I've been hearing and reading about. I'm going to continue to seek as much info as I can on the FE and on this particular big block. Any experience on how often (after how many miles) will the FE valves need to be lashed? I read about the "tapping" noise that solid lifters can produce. Any input on the noise factor? |
Solid Lifters
The only thing that sounds better than a high horsepower engine is a high horsepower engine with solid lifters. Love the sound of the gentle tapping.
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Patrick's Solid Lifter FE Engine, Idling and Accelerating... |
do a hydraulic roller FE problem solved... if you have a 427 car, put in an FE. If you have a small block car put in a small block...
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Regular old school flat tappet solid lifters are reliable other than two things: the periodic adjustment; ZDP removed from the oil.
The ZDP additive in oil was causing O2 Sensor failures. Almost all, if not all, modern engines are either overhead cams or roller lifters, so ZDP was greatly reduced. The ZDP additive in oil was there to improve wear resistance. Modern oil needs an additive to increase ZDP if a flat tappet lifter is used. This goes for hydraulic or solid lifters. So if you are not a gear head, and want a reliable engine, as you stated in your opening post, I would recommend a hydraulic roller lifter. PS Not all FE blocks were drilled for hydraulic lifters. Some relied on oil splashing to keep oil between the cam lobes and lifters. These blocks will only support solid lifters. |
... unless you find that you have fallen in love with the sound of those solid flat tappets.:cool:
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I personally believe that reliable FE engines exist. They are not rare, no-see-um mythical things. Plenty of them were made. Keep the power goals on the reasonable side, and it just isn't all that hard to have one built. They are more expensive, but they are what went into these original cars, if originality has any meaning to you. |
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I find my wife's antique Singer Sewing Machine, with the foot peddle drive, satisfies my need to hear a mechanical song. |
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http://38.134.118.239/diaper001.jpg |
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