Why new Dyno

[Keithc8]

I believe someone ask why new dyno at the shop. Well sometimes they come out with new stuff and options that they did not have when you purchased yours. SuperFlows new dyno has rear mount starters so we do n ot have to hasle with starters every time we get ready to test a engine. The other thing about the new dyno is the fact that you can unhook the engine from the water brake and roll it into the shop if you want to changr something or work on it some where else.
I guess it is like buying a new Cobra when the one you have is just fine. I can also get more for my dyno while it is in good working condition.
I have said this more than one time, I have the cars at the track to back up my dyno's numbers, just look inthe NHRA record books. A 3000 pound car with a 440C.I. Super Stock 428 engine with 10.8 to one, solid roller, single plane intake and a factory 735 carburetor that goes 9.06 at 146, that computes to 740HP not on my dyno but fact. It takes that much HP to go that fast and this same engine made 725 on my dyno.
Then we want to say well these engines may be race engines but not street cobra engines and that is not correct. They idle at 800RPMs, run on pump gas and have hydraulic rollers. That is not how I build a race FE. The one n ice race FE we did last year was 489 with 14 to one high riser heads, single plane intake with a dominator, solid roller and made 870HP, now that is a race engine and this 64 Falcon goes 8.30s at a 157 mph.
Boy there sure are a lot of non believers out there but the fact is we have the people doing this. The engines we build for these Cobras are easy compaired to the 2000HP turbo small blocks and NHRA legal Super Stock engines we do.
I am sorry we have offended so many people with more HP for less money, I guess we should have charged more and there would be no problem. Chris at Shelby told me I was selling these engines to cheap. I am sorry some people have paid more and got less. I think Gary hit the nail on the head there.
I also have no problem goingf to another dyno that is calibrated correctly. This is done with weight on the strain gauge which is the device that measure torque. Anyway subtract 50 to 60HP and we still make more power for the dollar and I thought that was a good thing. I just build what my customers ask for and try to do a nice job in the process.
There is another market we are getting into where the guys are getting charged to much for the power they are getting and we will be geting a lot of that business soon because we will deliver better product for the money. This just happens to be a Chevy engine that is untapped and about 10 years behind the 5.0 Ford.
Lets just trey to get along and have a good time because that is what we are suppose to be doing. Thanks Keith Craft

[A Snake]

Keith,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that there is a difference in numbers on a water dyno as opposed to a friction unit.

When I had mine done (on a water dyno) I was told the numbers would be conservative and they were. A nearly identical build showed almost 60hp more on the old friction unit across town.

I've heard this several times from different sources. I don't personally think that is a bad thing, it just may be that since people like to brag about their dyno numbers, it would be nice to know which is really right.

What would sort it out? Chassis dyno? It would be interesting to know.

Al

[Hotfingrs]

I see the first 3 lines pertaining to the heading of this post...and the rest of the post a continuation of a closed post....I opened this post for a reason, not to get a justification of why you build what you build...Popular Hot Rodding has the engine masters challenge....did you enter?

[Sizzler]

God! Let it rest.

His numbers are his numbers. I think everyone knows that
different dyno's will read differently. That is why the
PopHotRod contest brings all its contestants to one central
location. Not because that dyno is the most accurate, just
so that all the engines get measured on the same dyno.

I think the better measure of an engine builder's ability is
customer satisfaction. Does the new engine mark its territory (Mr. S.?). Does it perform to expectations, never mind what
the dyno says (speed limits were originally set by masking
off the gauges and just asking drivers "do you feel uncomfortable
at this speed? How about now?..."). And most important gauge
of customer satisfaction: do you feel you got a fair price?

[RICK LAKE]

hot fingrs Jack Hot Rodding would not let the FE motors in that challenge. It was in the rules. I think it is like anything else, the rules are bent a way. Hot rod didnot want TP, SOHC, or HR FE motors because the numbers would come pretty close to SVO 460, the Hemi, BBchevy, 455 Stage 1, and Ram air 4-5 motors. There was a limit on the engine build I thought. Chevy brought back the ZL1 motor, Ford pushes the SVO 514 motor, and Dodge has 2 Hemi's. I would buy a FE motor over a 460 for the wieght alone in a Cobra. Shelby block will go to 550 cid. If Ford builds an Alum460 block maybe that will change. You would have thought that with all the replica car cobra companys they would have come up with the FE motor as a crate engine. They are living off the 427 heritage with the new car. I am glad that Shelby and Genisis are maken blocks. Maybe next year Hot Rodding will let the FE's in the game. It would be fun to watch. Rick Lake

[Sizzler]

I think the rules for next year have been posted.
Displacement limit of 410. Sounds perfect for an FE;
large bore, medium stroke, good heads on the large
bore...

[gsharapa]

I sit here and read all these post and wonder if half of you guys have any idea what the hell you all talking about!
I have had some pretty fast cars over the years including 4 Cobras and I just have to say my latest SPF with a Keith Craft small block 427 stroker is about the most awesome engine I've had except maybe one blown engine with a 671 supercharger on it in a 34 Ford Coupe which clearly was not an apple to apple comparision. The thing that really impresses me is Keith's ability to build horse power that is very streetable. There are a lot of engine builders out there that can build some high horse power engines but the driveability on the street is not there. My 427 stroker idles like a baby kitten and drives around like my Lincoln Aviator until you put you foot in it! This motor is 638 HP with a solid roller cam and 950 Divinci carb!

Thanks Keith!

[Keithc8]

Thanks Gary for the complement on your engine. We try to provide as much perfomance as possible without giving up drivability. Most of these guys do not know that we build circle track engins that idle at 900RPM's and turn 8500RPM's and are pulled down to 3000RPM's. These engines are run all year long and the features are 100 laps of all out racing. It is dealing with engines like this not just drag engines that give us some of the information to build high horsepower engines that will be driveable. We are using some of the same camshaft technology in the Cobra engines that we have used hear. You put that together with better flowing cylinder heads and quality machine work and you have a very nice engine. Hope to see you soon. Thanks Keith

[scottj]

Keith,

Speaking of circle track engines; what size engine was Wendell using at Volusia? What heads are on it?

Scott

[Keithc8]

Wendell was using a 417C.I., 9.200 deck, Yates style SC1 heads most of the time. He installed a 375 the last night he was there to test and really liked it. It is built in a 8.700 block and we will probably try to get some more stuff like that done. He said he was not very good there and is not happy with his GRT dtuff right now. I think he is going to try one more car they have being built and see how it works. He knows that there is no one car that is good everywhere. He said that it is normally dry slick there which he likes. He does not like the hooked up hammer down stuff real well. He said they ran the **** out of stuff there this year. Good luck with the racing. Keith

[slithering]

Keith,

For those who are sceptical of your power ratios, perhaps it would be easier for them to accept the idea of mystic words, spoken into the cylinder heads and captured by quickly installing the valve covers!

Slithering

____________________

Why can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet be friends.