NO FE at engine masters?
 

Am I right or am I right? Was there not a single FE at the engine masters this year?

I would have thought Keith Craft could have given these guys a run for their money.

Why? I mean, the hp numbers are right in FE territory and so are the rod / stroke combos. Talk about inventing the wheel.

This was a natural for an aluminum headed SO w. a stroker crank with a good intake and a dominator / predator carb.

Discuss anyone??

I don't believe an FE falls with the gidelines of the Engine Masters specs.

Re: NO FE at engine masters?
 

I think most competitors in that contest think of it as advertising.
As advertising, you need to justify the expense against the expected benefits.

There are a lot of Lima-builders, all competing against each other. There are relatively few FE-builders, sharing a limited market. If I was building Lima's, and wanted to get the word out, I'd enter the contest for its promotional value to increase my marketshare. If I was building FE's and basically didn't have to look for incremental business, why would I waste the money and time on such a contest?

A better question would be: the contest isn't limited to professional builders; why didn't someone else who had just had or was in the process of having an engine built, enter the contest? The answer then is that the contest's rules suck. They don't allow for things like weber intakes, or efi or cammer heads or a lot of other features that seem to be common in FE builds, here at least.

No FE's%/ Probably for the same reason no flatheads were entered.:rolleyes:

You know how to bore/stroke a flathead to 470 cubic inches!!!??
:eek:

FE motor where not allowed due to the cost. It was in the rules. There was more to that then just cost. The other possiblity is that the builders of the FE motors are not getting the numbers they say they are. I like RW dyno numbers for true readings and if you can get 1/4 mile times and numbers that just adds to the proof. My 2 cents. I have not heard of a stock body street driven cobra on a motor without any additive run in the 9's yet. Wayne T has run 10.1 and Dave S. 10.28. These 2 have the strongest motors I have seen at the R&G. I am still waiting for the first 9. Cobra was not designed for the 1/4 mile but weighting 2500lb should help in getting to this number. Who's next?? Rick Lake

Sent inquiries to the Engine Masters Challenge Tech/Program Directors and Jon Kaase, winner of the Challenge, regarding the FE question.

Jon Kaase Racing Engines web site;

http://www.jonkaaseracingengines.com/

Copied from the 2003 Rules:

ENGINE
Any normally aspirated, domestic V-8 big-block engine is acceptable. Maximum displacement is 470.0 cubic inches. Power adders such as superchargers, turbochargers, nitrous oxide, or other such devices, are not allowed. Factory small-block engines and Olds Diesel-based engines are not allowed. Traditional Pontiac V-8 engines are acceptable.

ENGINE BLOCK
Any commercially-available cast (iron or aluminum) engine block is acceptable. Engine block must retain OEM cylinder bore spacing. Lifter bores must retain OEM angle (+ or -1 degree) and OEM diameter (+ or - .005-inch) as originally cast. Engine blocks must retain OEM deck height or lower (exception; Chevrolet Gen V and Gen VI "tall-deck" blocks are acceptable). Aftermarket tall-deck blocks, including the World Superblock, are not allowed. Block must be equipped with solid engine mounts.

The answer is simple, the 385 series engine is better.

There were no rules against building a FE engine.
The cost to build a FE was not a factor.
If you look at Kasse's winning engine, the spec (bore, stroke, rod length, etc.) are much closer to a FE than a 385 series engine.
I would guess there are 2 reasons a FE wasn't built.

1) Contingency money. The engine builders enter this contest for the adverisment and the fact that if the builder can manage to use parts from all the sponsoring companies he stands to make over $100,000 if his engine wins.
More of the sponsor companies make competitive parts for 385 series engines than FE engines therfore the builder stands to win more money by building a 385 than a FE.

2) There were no FEs simply because no one built any.

Unfortunatley I see the Engine Masters contest evolving into a pro-only contest. Can you imagine spending $25,000 to build an engine that is basically useless except to run on the dyno;
13.2 to 1 compression ratio on pump gas? Flat tappet cams that are gauranteed to go flat in a matter of hours?
If you lose, you can't sell the engine to a street guy and a race guy is going to expect more power and reliablity for the price you would have to charge for the engine just to break even.

Things are going to have to change or all we will see are dyno queens and the same 2 or 3 guys winning all the time

--mike

Reply from Engine Masters Challenge: FE
 

Reply received from Scott Parkhurst Program/Tech at Engine Masters Challenge:

" We would have welcomed FE engines for our Big-Block 470ci Engine Masters Challenge last year, but we recieved no entries for FE engines. This year's 410ci battle is for small-blocks only (Windsor/Cleveland).

_Where were you guys last year? "

I too would have liked to have seen an FE in the Engine Masters Challenge. If anyone is interested in building an FE to compete in the next applicable Challenge, please contact me. I would like to look into setting up a contingency program.

Carroll Shelby Enterprises has products in nine (!) applicable contingency categories: Engine block, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, pistons, rocker arms, timing chain, balancer, water pump, and valve covers.


Chris Weisberg
Carroll Shelby Enterprises
(310) 538-2914