Mustang 331/327 build
 

Alright, this build is finally underway.

Ron (94cobra69ss396) and I pulled the motor out today and tomorrow I will start disassembly and some cleaning of the parts that will be reused.

The plan (as of now, subject to change, void where prohibited, etc etc) is to check the cylinders to see if they are out of round - if they are, the block will be bored .030" over and will be 331ci with either the CHP street fighter or pro street (depending on $$) stroker kit. If the cylinders are still in good shape, I'm going to go with a 327ci with the pro street kit.

As a few of you guys already know, we came up on a killer deal on a Paxton Novi 2000 blower, so that'll be going on. I've already purchased new 180cc aluminum heads, but I'm still on the lookout for an intake manifold and have to purchase a new cam and a few odds and ends before it can be finished.

I don't really have a timeline on this right now because fall semester starts in 2 weeks, but I'm hoping for the car to be on the road again by November or so...:drink:

That thing is going to be a monster. I need to get the whipple on the Cobra ASAP.

Oh, and a friend is looking into doing a giant dyno day on November 20th. Kind of a domestic muscle car shootout. Try to have it ready by then :)

Don't bother Sean. You will still be slower than everyone else the way you drive.

Good luck Eric, I look forward to seeing and hearing this monster!

Here are the pictures from the first day.

Awesome. :drink:

Looks like you got a nice start on it.

Ron, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the stock block only good for 500whp or so (not the bottom end, but the actual block)? Eric's car should be well over that I'd imagine...

That's what people say but the ones that break the block are the ones revving them high. We're building this simular to the 302 in my Cobra and are going to keep the RPMS at no higher than 6000 and only 10 PSI of boost. I figure with the 331, a little larger heads and a better cam that that he will probably make somewhere around 470-480 at the wheels on pump gas and 510-520 rwhp on race fuel.

Even at that his car will be faster than my Cobra because it will have more power and is a little lighter.

This one was running fine on 12 PSI with water-meth injection. I added the water-meth injection after melting a piston, but the block was fine. I also kept it under 6000 RPMs.

What did it make with the roots blower? I'm making 436rwhp on pump gas and 471 on VP110.

What kind of compression are you going to set the new motor up at? Something in the 9-9.5 to 1 area?

CHP shows the compression at 9.2:1 with the 58cc heads and a 4.030 bore. However, I don't think the block is going to need to be bored. I think we'll be able to just do a hone on it but Eric will have Speed-O-Motive confirm that when he drops off the block. I'm kind of hoping it doesn't need the bore so that the cylinder walls will be thicker for a little more strength.

On that engine dyno, it made 556 HP with 8 PSI of boost. I never put it on a chassis dyno. After running it for a bit, I slapped on a smaller pulley and melted a piston when I tried to tune it on the street (should have gone to a dyno tuner). I was able to hone the cylinder and replace the piston. So I installed the water-meth kit. I took the car to a dyno-tuner and couldn't get it to work. He kept telling me I was having spark blow-out. I left in frustration and figured out I had installed the injector nozzle backwards. So I tuned it myself on the street and was able to run 26* of timing.

So, I guess the answer to your question is, I don't know. I would guess somewhere ~500 to the wheels. I know it was a monster!!

Wow, that's alot of timing with boost. I only have 16* at 6000 on the pump gas tune. That thing must have had a ton of torque with the 427 and a roots.

I think Eric's engine is going to be real fun in his car. I see third gear burnouts in it's future! Or maybe a broken T5.

As long as he doesn't put sticky tires on, I think he'll be fine. If he does put sticky tires on though, then I see a broken T5 :judge:

Ron, what's the curb weight on that thing, like 3000lbs? It's going to be a beast when you're done...

I'm not sure. I know that the LX is supposed to be the lightest body style next to the LX notch back.

me likey foxes

I'm pretty sure it's about 2900.

Power to weight ratio is lookin pretty good :drive:

I looked it up the curb weight online and it comes up as 3300. We'll have to weigh it once it's done.

Yeah, that's the beauty of water-meth. I melted the piston at 22* without it.

Actually, it was a 347 and it definitely had plenty of torque.

Sorry, that was a typo. I knew it was a 347. My fingers just naturally type in big block.

Coupes are barely that light, i think they are around 3000-3100lbs

4cyl coupes are 2750, GT verts are 3300... mine is somewhwere in the middle

Where's the update from today and yesterday?

I'm on the freeway - it's difficult to update from here.. I'll upload new pictures tonight and do an update.

Waiting (semi)patiently for an update :)

Wow, that's some traffic.

:thumbs_up:

Let's just say I'm prepared to start a rant about the freeway problem in the BS Lounge right now...

So quick update and then pics when I have a chance...

Yesterday morning (aka noonish) I started disassembly of the engine... and got it down to how it sits right now - block w/crank, rods, pistons, cam still in and oil pan still on...

I had Ron look at the upper portions of the cylinder walls to see what he thought, and we came to the determination that the block is still in pretty good shape for 200,000 miles and I might be able to get away with the 327.

Today, I called Speedomotive only to find they are extremely arrogant and don't want to deal with the low budget diy-er... I was looking at about $2700 when all was said and done to walk out with my short block assembled as a 331. They told me they will not let a factory Ford block leave their shop without being bored because they have yet to find one which matches the original block blue prints. So 327 is out as of now...
So my alternative option was to call Rancho Engine Machine and get a quote for just the machining and do the rest of the work myself... They quoted me about $300 for a hot tank, bore and hone, cam bearing install, freeze plugs installed and pistons pressed onto the rods. Adding in the cost of the Coast High Performance kit with a girdle kit, flywheel and the current offer of free balancing - I'm looking at a total of about $1500 to have an assembled 331 block, plus the reward of doing it myself.
So that's the story - I'm pulling the trigger on that one. Everything should come together relatively quickly this fall and hopefully in time for the next Dyno pull that you mentioned, Sean

That sounds awesome. I can't wait to see the finished product :)

He's coming over this morning to pull the rest of the short block apart so that he can drop the block off at Rancho Engine & Machine.

Try- Larry's Performance / Track Pro -in Bellflower. He gives amazing deals on shortblocks, and will work with you.

Do your own compression calculations though. :leaving: I'll bet he would get you out of there for less than $2K.

Eric already dropped the block off at Rancho Engine and Machine to have it bored over. We are going to do all the assembly at my house so we'll check everything then.

Cool, I have piston ring pliers and an adjustable pushrod if you guys need either.

I have a ring compressor so we're good there and I think we'll be be able to use the stock length push rods. He bought heads that use the stock pedestal mount rockers and the cam is about the same size that I used in the Cobra. If anything we'll only need to re-shim the rockers like I did on the Cobra but I'll let you know if we need to borrow your adjustable push rod. Thanks for the offer.

You have the piston ring compressor but do you have piston ring pliers? I have snapped a few old piston rings trying to take them off without the pliers, I would hate to see it happen to a new set going on.

I've never used pliers before. I've always just installed them using my thumbs.

Maybe you've done it enough times where it doesn't matter. I have trouble doing that. These make it pretty easy.