Mustang Info

The challenge was laid out to me by the crew here at power TV: put together a potent naturally aspirated Ford Windsor based engine to topple the 666 horsepower mark for the in house Project 666 Mustang. In addition, it needed to be reliable as it creeped past the 7,500 RPM mark through all the gears. Not the simplest task, but not an unreasonable goal either. I took the challenge without hesitation, because not only have I put together thousands of engine combinations for customers here at Pro Power, but I thought it would be exciting to design the right combination of cubic inches, compression, and induction to meet the needs of the project.

Numbers were crunched, and a nasty 427 cubic inch is what I ended up designing. I wanted to make sure we had a big bore (4.125”) with a fair amount of stroke (4.000”) and 427 just happens to be a really cool Ford displacement to have in between your frame rails. We needed a good amount of air flow and the right mechanical roller camshaft to make the power in the proper RPM range.

The Dart aluminum block filled with goodies from Lunati and JE sits on the engine stand ready for the top end parts to complete the long block.

This segment, as the title implies, is part two of a three part story covering the buildup of our 427 Windsor engine. In part one, we covered all of the parts and construction of the short block which included a Dart Aluminum 9.500” deck block as a base. We added the rotating assembly using a Pro Series Lunati crankshaft, Lunati Superlight 4340 connecting rods, and JE custom domed pistons and rings all riding on a set of King bearings. We also degreed in our custom Comp Cams roller camshaft, timing set, and roller thrust plate. Then we added the TCI Rattler balancer to keep it balanced with a Melling Select oil pump to keep everything lubricated. ARP fasteners held all of it together with the appropriate gaskets sealing up the crank and timing cover.

For the second part of our story, we are ready to add our top end parts: heads, lifters, rockers, pushrods, head gaskets, head studs, intake manifold, and valve covers. Here are the components that we chose:

• ARP Stainless Intake Bolts: 454-2101
• Cometic MLS Head Gaskets: C5483-040
• Comp Cams Endure-X Roller Lifters: 890C-1
• Comp Cams Roller Lifter Link Bars: 838L-1
• Comp Cams Ultra Gold Roller Rockers: 19044-16
• Dart Head Stud Kit: 66130121
• Edelbrock Super Victor EFI Intake, ported by Wilson Manifolds: 29245
• Felpro Intake Gaskets: 1262R
• Felpro Valve Cover Gaskets: 1684
• Pro Power Prime One 1pc Pushrods: 858700M
• Trick Flow High Port Race CNC Cylinder Heads: 5170T010-C01
• Trick Flow Fabricated Aluminum Valve Covers: 51400804

I chose all of the correct components to complete the long block and continued with the expert help of Ronnie Wilson from Specialties Machining for the long block assembly. Later, in part three, the engine will get expertly placed into the Project 666 Mustang which will be tuned on the dyno so we can see the results of all of our efforts.

Stud Service

With our short block complete and sitting on the stand, Ronnie quickly got to work screwing in our head studs that would secure the heads tightly against our Dart aluminum block with the high cylinder pressures that our 427 would see. This was no regular set of head studs, but a special set that had arrived directly from the shelves at Dart Machinery. I had previously found the installation instructions for our aluminum block on Dart’s website while I was hunting for the parts we would need for this project. To my delight, the website clearly stated in black and white what the exact stud specifications for this block were.

Ronnie Wilson tapped the head dowels into place then began screwing the Dart special studs into the deck of the block.

The Dart aluminum blocks use a special bottom length head stud that is ½” in diameter with a 1.780” overall length including a .300” long special bullet end. It was as simple as a phone call to the Dart techs to set us up with the correct stud kit for our aluminum block and Trick Flow High Port Race CNC heads. Their black oxidized stud kits are top notch, manufactured from the finest chrome molly steel. They are available with standard hex or twelve point nuts and have the correct dimensions on the bottom to fit the aluminum block.

It is important to use the correct stud for the block and heads being used. In this case, the Dart aluminum block required a special bullet nose for the block end of the head studs.

With the perfect studs in hand, Ronnie from Specialties Machining began screwing them into the block. They were then hand tightened into the block because a stud is designed to securely “clamp” the heads into place by utilizing force throughout the entire stud instead of stressing the threads in the block like bolts typically end up doing. Studs are really the best choice for high combustion pressures and for evenly distributing the clamping on the heads since they help keep the heads even and they reduce the chances of head gasket failure.

Cometic MLS gaskets are the latest in sealing technology. With the multiple layers of steel, Cometic can provide gaskets for Windsor Fords in varying thicknesses from .027″ to .120″ thick.

Seal of Approval

Of course, we didn’t want the head gasket to fail on a performance engine like our 427 project, so we knew it was important to use a high quality gasket. Cometic has been one of the leaders in head gasket technology with their MLS (Multi Layer Steel) head gaskets, and it is the most popular gasket we sell at Pro Power. Their head gaskets feature two embossed viton coated stainless steel layers sandwiched around another variable stainless layer inside.

The gaskets are designed to work with any type of material block or cylinder heads, and they are available in a variety of bore sizes and thicknesses. They require no retorque after initial tightening. The gaskets are a great alternative for high sealing with high cylinder pressures and don’t require any o-rings or special work to seal water and oil passages. The nice thing is that not only does Cometic have a superior part, but as a catalog item, the 4.155” bore x .040” thick gaskets were already in-stock on the Pro Power shelves.

Cometic gaskets are available in a variety of bore sizes to fit correctly on any size hole, plus they require no sealer for water or oil and they do not have to be retorqued.

Rolling On

Although it may have seemed that we were ready for the heads at this point, Ronnie pointed out how he preferred to drop the lifters in next because it was easier with the heads out of the way. Ronnie had pre-assembled the Comp Cams Endure-X lifters with the appropriate link bars and slid them down onto the solid roller custom Comp Cams camshaft with some assembly lube.

The Comp Cams Endure-X lifters feature their patented captured link bar which, as Ronnie pointed out, always go towards the valley of the engine. Ronnie likes to use a good amount of assembly lubricant when installing the lifters to ensure low wear on first start-up.

The Comp Cams Endure-X mechanical roller lifters were chosen because of their excellent features for our application. I wanted to use a lifter that would have great endurance, and these lifters had all of the proper features. First, they had EDM Oil Injection Technology which introduces a consistent full flow of oil to the needle bearings around the roller wheel. Next, they had tool steel axles and precision sorted bearings which means a long life at 7500 plus RPM. Also, the lifters were available in a tall design which keeps our push rod and flex down to a minimum as well as having a cut away body to reduce overall valve train weight. With the lifters, studs, and gaskets already on the block and waiting, Ronnie was then ready to install the cylinder heads.

Let it Breathe

For any engine, the cylinder heads are very relevant to how much power can be produced. The engine is merely an air pump, and the more air you can get in, the more power the engine can make. For our 427 incher, though, the volume of air was most important because it would be naturally aspirated. Blowers and turbos force air under pressure through any size hole deep into the cylinders. However, naturally aspirated engines require the air to be drawn into the cylinders. Intake and exhaust ports have to be very efficient and be able to hold enough volume to feed 427 cubes at 7500 RPM without choking down the power. The ports, valves, and chamber must be optimized for maximum airflow. That is one of the reasons I chose the larger 4.125” bore: to unshroud the intake valves as they opened next to the cylinder in order to allow more airflow.

The entire intake and exhaust ports are expertly CNC machined for optimum flow at Trick Flow. The exhaust ports measure out at a massive 95cc flowing 250 plus cfm of air. Note the dual bolt pattern on the exhaust face allowing use of big tube headers.

There are literally dozens of small block Ford heads out there in the aftermarket, and many of them are a great design out of the box. These out of the box heads, however, simply didn’t fit our needs. In years past, for an engine like this we would buy a pair of shelf heads, round up the appropriate parts for our roller cam, and ship them off to a head porter to tweak them out for better airflow. This typically takes a lot of time and money to ensure that the engine ends up with the proper airflow characteristics. What a relief to no longer have to do that!

With Trick Flow and their line of CNC ported cylinder heads, we no longer had to waste time and energy. For years I had used their High Port heads with great success, but now they conveniently offer that same tried and true head with full CNC porting at a great value. The heads are available in several configurations with 58cc or 70cc chambers, as well as bare or assembled for hydraulic or mechanical roller camshafts. Plus, Trick Flow keeps them stocked on the shelf ready to ship whenever they’re ordered so that an engine project of this magnitude won’t get stalled for weeks waiting on the head porter.

Plus, the heads flow great numbers:

.100-inch lift: 70 cfm intake, 58 cfm exhaust
.200-inch lift: 144 cfm intake, 113 cfm exhaust
.300-inch lift: 214 cfm intake, 161 cfm exhaust
.400-inch lift, 267 cfm intake, 208 cfm exhaust
.500-inch lift, 302 cfm intake, 233 cfm exhaust
.600-inch lift, 320 cfm intake, 245 cfm exhaust
.700-inch lift, 333 cfm intake, 255 cfm exhaust

When dry fitting the heads to the block, Ronnie found a small amount of interference between the dome on the JE pistons and the chamber. With a few minutes of “massaging”, he was able to get the heads to fit the dome perfectly.

I had previously picked out the correct part number heads that came with 58cc chambers, bronze valve guides, interlocking ductile iron seats, and huge 225cc intake runners. These heads are completely assembled with 2.080” and 1.600” stainless steel valves and 1.560” roller springs with 240lbs of seat pressure and 600lbs open pressure which is perfect for the custom Comp Cam sitting in the block.

The heads are also put together with titanium 10 degree retainers, machined locks, viton seals, spring cups, ARP 7/16” large rocker studs, and 5/16” guide plates. The CNC ports and chambers intake airflow measures up at 335cfm at .700” lift, and the 95cc exhaust ports flow 257cfm which means that the Trick Flow heads are capable of supporting exceptional amounts of horsepower. Better yet, these flow numbers were achieved with a tiny 4.030” bore. Typically, going up to the larger 4.125” bore found on our Dart block increases airflow by approximately ten percent! The best part is that they come ready to install and with the right parts for this 427 project.

The engineers at Trick Flow really did a great job of offering a head with the correct parts for racing engines. The 1.560″ dual springs are setup at 240lbs. at the seat and 600 lbs. open, and they come complete with ten degree titanium retainers.

With heads in hand, Ronnie gently slid them into place over the studs first on the passenger side, then on the driver side. He had previously checked fitment in his dry assembly of the block and made sure that the valves had plenty of room to open in the notches of our JE pistons. Torquing them tightly to the block was the next step, which he did using Dart’s 12 point nuts and hardened washers. Next up were the rocker arms and pushrods.

Now with the chambers clearing the domes and the lifters in, Ronnie carefully put the Trick Flow heads into place on the block.

Pushing It

We couldn’t do anything regarding push rods until we actually got the engine to this point in order to measure for the exact push rod length needed. There are many variables that dictate push rod length: camshaft base circle, lifter height, block height, cylinder head, valve length, rocker arm, etc. All of these different components can change which length push rod is needed for each particular engine. After some quick measurements with our rockers and an adjustable push rod, Ronnie came up with the length we needed of 8.700”.

Ronnie purposely left the guide plates and studs off of the heads until they were on the block. That way he was able to align them perfectly before torquing the rocker studs into the heads with thread sealer.

The Project 666 Windsor engine was going to see 7500 RPM and had about 600 pounds of open spring pressure. That meant that we could use a good quality 5/16” push rod. If higher spring pressures and RPM were in the future, an upgrade to 3/8” diameter rods would be necessary. Luckily, we stock the Prime One chrome molly push rods in every .050” in length from about six inches to over nine inches. We whipped out sixteen of them from the shelf bin, and Ronnie slid them into the Comp Cams lifters.

Not Grandpa’s Rocker

Our rocker choice was no problem since we were dealing with Comp Cams. They now offer a new series of rocker arms labeled “Ultra Gold” that are perfect for this Ford engine. They are a premium series of aluminum rockers that are precision CNC machined to strict tolerances that yield unrivaled quality and ratio accuracy. The Ultra Gold rockers are proven to withstand extremely aggressive spring pressure and lift and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

The Comp Cams “Ultra Gold” rocker arms aren’t just pretty, they are pretty strong too. These rocker arms are more than capable of holding up to the 600 lbs. of spring pressure on the Trick Flow heads and are mounted over beefy 7/16″ ARP rocker studs.

Ronnie placed the 1.6 ratio rockers onto our 7/16” studs and over the push rods. He then went through his valve adjustment routine. Of course, the Comp Cams Ultra Gold rockers fit with no problems since they are clearanced for up to a 1.650” valve spring diameter. Ronnie then made the intake and lash adjustments according to the cam card in an orderly fashion and in no time had the valve train in place and rotating beautifully.

An old pro like Ronnie from Specialties Machining knows how to adjust the valves quickly and accurately. Our Comp Cams custom roller required .026″ lash. After adjusting, the Comp Cams rocker nuts get locked into place with the inner set screws.

Intake the Fresh Air

Next up was our big bad intake manifold. An engine like this one needed to breathe, and nobody directs the fuel and air mixture into the ports like Edelbrock. Their Super Victor intake manifold for the 9.500” deck was ideal for the induction needs of our 427 project. We are planning on eventually adding a carburetor to the top of this engine, but just in case fuel injection is in the future, Edelbrock offers an EFI version of this intake that is pre-machined for fuel injectors and fuel rails with an elbow bolted to the carb pad.

Extensive porting work was done to this Edelbrock Super Victor manifold by the Wilson Manifolds crew to maximize airflow and mixture. Note the fine polished look inside the plenum.

Luckily, the guys back in California just happened to have an intake on hand that was not only the same Super Victor that was needed, but it also had been fully ported by the artists at Wilson Manifolds. This was indeed a great find because the ports and plenum had already been opened up to maximize airflow and just happened to be the same size as our ports on the Trick Flow CNC ported heads.

Ronnie cleaned the intake up and then lowered it between the heads. Sandwiched between the heads and intake were a pair of Felpro 1262R intake gaskets that Trick Flow recommended to match their ports. After checking for a perfect fit, Ronnie then torqued the intake down tightly with ARP stainless steel hardware.

Ronnie torqued the Edelbrock intake to the heads with Felpro 1262R gaskets and ARP stainless steel intake bolts.

Covering Up

To clear the roller rockers and also for a great racy look, we got a pair of Trick Flow fabricated aluminum valve covers. These covers are not only lightweight, but are also very tall for clearing all types of rockers and stud girdles. Also, they are mounted through tubes that are welded in from the top of the cover to the rail for rail stiffness and great gasket sealing. They are finished in natural aluminum with an embossed Trick Flow logo which makes them look awesome. Ronnie installed a pair of Felpro rubber valve cover gaskets in between the Trick Flow tall covers and tightened them down over the rockers with the supplied cover hardware.

The fabricated aluminum Trick Flow valve covers are really light weight, and the wide open tall space inside clears most valve train hardware with ease.

This completes the coverage of part two of the Project 666 long block build at Specialties Machining. After crating up the incomplete engine and shipping it out to the Power TV garage, the missing oil pan, carb, and accessories will be added to it so that it can be dropped into the Project 666 Mustang. Part three of this story will really get exciting when the nasty 427 is placed on the chassis dyno to see if the combination we chose will achieve those elusive 666 plus horsepower numbers we are aiming for!

The Nasty 427 long block is together and looking fast on the stand. A few minor parts will complete the engine so it can be flogged on the dyno in the Project 666 Mustang.

Sources:

ARP
Phone: 800.826.3045
www.arp-bolts.com

Cometic Gasket
Phone: 800.752.9850
www.cometic.com

Comp Cams
Phone: 800.999.0853
www.compcams.com

Dart Machinery
Phone: 248.362.1188
www.dartheads.com

Edelbrock
Phone: 800.416.8628
www.edelbrock.com

ProPower Performance Parts
Phone: 954.491.6988
www.propowerparts.com

Specialties Machining
Phone: 954.942.5202
www.specialtiesmachining.com

Trick Flow
Phone: 330.630.1555
www.trickflow.com

Wilson Manifolds
Phone: 954.771.6216
www.wilsonmanifolds.com

Proform has a new carburetor that they just recently released. The new Lightweight All Aluminum Street Series Carburetor are all ready to run and feature aluminum float bowls with fuel level windows, and changeable idle air bleeds.

Official Release

PROFORM’S NEW LIGHTWEIGHT ALL ALUMINUM STREET SERIES CARBURETORS!

Roseville, MI: Proform/Specialty Auto Parts, U.S.A., Inc., has just introduced their comprehensive line of ready to run all aluminum Street Series carburetors. Mechanical secondary carbs with electric choke are available in 600-CFM (#67254), 650-CFM (#67255) and 750-CFM (#67257). Vacuum secondary carbs with electric choke are available in 570-CFM (#67253), 670-CFM (#67256) and 770-CFM (#67258). Each Proform aluminum Street Series carb includes metering blocks pre-calibrated for today’s performance engines. These carburetors, while lighter than the street carb competition, are still far more affordable.

These all new carburetors feature changeable idle air bleeds for easy calibration changes if needed. Four corner idle on mechanical secondary carbs help fine tune engines with aggressive camshaft profiles, and the changeable idle feed restrictions further expand idle adjustment capabilities. Service and tuning components are available from most performance parts retail outlets.

These lightweight carburetors also feature aluminum float bowls with fuel level windows, so float level changes do not require the removal of the sight plug. The bowls come with 3/8-inch inverted flare fuel inlet fittings which will accept all conventional dual feed fuel lines compatible with Holley® four-barrel carbs. To preview these aluminum carbs and all their internal and external engine parts and tools visit www.proformparts.com.

For additional information contact Proform/Specialty Auto Parts, U.S.A., Inc., P.O. Box 306, Roseville, MI 48066, 586-774-2500, Fax: 586-778-7775. PROFORM, parts that PERFORM!

• Lightweight aluminum design
• 3/8 inch inverted flare fuel inlet fittings
• Changeable idle air bleeds
• Many different CFM options

Contact Information

Proform Parts
Phone: 586-774-2500
Web: www.proformparts.com

Today is a big, big day for the Mustang. After a short but dominating run, the FR500 series of factory racers are being retired to make way for the new kid in town. That new kid is the Boss 302R, which will make its racing debut today at the Grand Am opener in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Mustang Source is reporting that the Boss 302R is ready for its Grand Am debut, and practice laps show it has outpaced all of its rivals thus far.

Picture: Ford

The Boss 302R makes use of Ford’s new 5.0 liter V8 engine. With 412 horsepower and 390 ft-lbs of torque in stock form, the Boss engine has been stripped of superfluous equipment like air conditioning, equipped with a better exhaust and a high rise intake. It is a bold move to take an untested engine and thrash it about the road course, but the risk seems to be paying off.

There will be 17 Mustangs in total competing in tomorrows race, and of those, four will be Boss 302R’s. The rest will be the outgoing FR500C’s, likely to be the Boss’s main competitor. During practice laps the fastest car out on the track was the #16 Boss piloted by Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell took top spot. They managed to make it around the Daytona track in 1:59.215 at 107 mph. It was just one of seven cars to tackle the track in under two minutes.

We are really looking forward to this season and we’ll be sure to let you know how the race turns out tomorrow.

The term “looks can be deceiving” came true to the new owner and builder of this ’69 Mustang Fastback, or “Project 57”. Even though he bought this car that looked in great shape, underneath the paint was a little rust – but not enough to stop this determined builder.

Visit Pro-Touring to see more of this builder’s projects.

The plans for “Project 57” are a 406 with a C6 tranny, mini tubbed with 315’s in the rear and a triangulated late model rear end. This fastback will recieve disk brakes all round, and a Checkered Flag Racing front end installed to make this pony sit low and mean.

The wiring and old shocks were all removed in order to get the finishing look this builder wants. One of those rusted components that needed to be cut out was the floor board, and it was completely replaced. The new floor pans will be designed and made by the owner as he plans on doing his own custom interior.

Since he is fabricating his own rear frame, he is going to install lower control arms from a ’05-’08 Mustang. Some measuring and good fabrication skills will be needed to make those work. He is also fabricating some shock mounts to mount his rear QA1 shocks to this Fastback.

After the major fabrication was done, he started to do some cosmetic sheet metal work. The engine bay was fully covered, around the engine, with sheet metal. He also shaved the handles off of both doors to get the smooth look. The car is almost done, but there is still a lot of work to be done by this determined builder.

If your a racer or a car builder that is looking for a little something new for your Ford, it’s here. Two new crate engines from Ford include th

While many have heard of Justin Burcham from his excellent racing achievements in the Factory Stock racing classes, as well as his achievement of producing the first S197 2005+ Mustang to break into the 8-second zone, one of Justin’s many other prides is JPC (Justin’s Performance Center) Racing. He established JPC in 2001 to provide customers with a friendly performance facility with customer service second to none. Well as business started blooming the old facility was lacking the space they needed, so recently they embarked on a new adventure to build an all new 11,000 square foot building just a short trip down the road and the move is now complete and JPC is open for business today.

For more info you can visit their website at jpcracing.com, or give them a call at 866-JPC-RACE (866-572-7223).

Photos: JPC Racing

The increase in square footage is what JPC believes will offer the best service to their customers. Only 5 minutes away from their old shop the new address is 301 Serendipity Drive in Millersville, MD. So what does JPC offer for their customers? The all-new 3,000 square foot speed shop, chassis dyno and tuning center along with their installation center where they are capable of anything from custom exhaust to chassis upgrades, engine builds and supercharger installs. Their customer waiting area even features couches and a satellite TV system!

When the work is completed on your car, JPC will invite you to watch the chassis dyno and tuning sessions from the observation area. While JPC has been known for their Mustangs, their new performance center will also cater to those with the LS-Series of GM motors as well as the late-model modern Hemi cars from Chrysler. That is not all they do however, so give JPC a call and see what they can do for your very own personal hot rod!

Half a decade is a long time to go without making any money. Imagine if you, dear reader, hadn’t earned a single buck in the past five years. You’d probably be living in a cardboard box in an alleyway somewhere, picking up cans for spare change. Ford, GM, and Chrysler have all been operating in the red for years now, but only the Blue Oval made any money in 2009.

In fact, according to CNN, Ford made a nice chunk of change in 2009, raking in $2.7 billion in profits thanks to restructuring, Cash for Clunkers, and much better cars.

As you may recall, Ford was the only one of the Big Three to avoid a government bailout last December. This improved their perception with the car buying public. The government also launched the Cash for Clunkers initiative, and while the Ford Explorer was the most traded-in vehicle, the Focus was among the most purchased cars under the program. This certainly helped boost sales as well.

But perhaps the biggest help was Ford’s vastly improved lineup of cars. A decade ago Ford was looking pretty crummy (see; Contour, Taurus, first-gen Focus). 2010 is looking like a huge year for the Blue Oval with the Fiesta, SHO, 5.0 engine making a comeback to the Mustang, and other big happenings. Now it should be noted that after taxes, Ford pretty much broke even. But compare that to 2008, when Ford lost over $7 billion. CEO Alan Mulally expects to post an even bigger profit in 2010. We say, it is about time!

Anyone with a tired Fox Body learns to deal with some of the inherent flaws of the time. Time is definitely not on the Fox platform’s side, but luckily there are plenty of aftermarket companies that can help you revitalize your Stang. One of those companies is B&M. A name synonymous for muscle-cars and hot rods, B&M has a rich history of producing some of the most advanced shifters and shifter components around.

A B&M shifter had already been previously installed in our project car. However, over the test of time and 100,000 some odd shifts, it was about time for an upgrade. So, it only made sense to replace the older shifter with one of B&M’s flagship products….The T5 Pro Ripper. Follow along as I do an installed of a Pro Ripper shifter on a Fox Body – step by step.

The B&M Pro Ripper Manual Shifter (PN – 45070) is a work of art. While providing smooth and precise shifts to the T-5, it also reduces shift throw considerably and seems utterly unbreakable. The Pro Ripper has unlimited adjustability by way of its 3 piece top stick and allows the user to mount the shifter virtually anywhere. I’m all about comfort in whatever car I drive and don’t think that a brazen street beast needs to be a hassle to drive. That’s why I was looking forward to installing the Pro Ripper in our project car.

New B&M ripper on the left, old B&M shifter on the right.

The project ’85 Mustang for this job is by no means a street beast, but anything that can help that T 5 shift smoother and shorter is a welcomed addition.

When shopping for an aftermarket shifter, be sure to check that it fits your application. Thankfully, B&M makes purchasing their products quick and easy with an application search on their homepage at bmracing.com. When beginning the installation, be sure to check out the instructions provided because there are plenty of well illustrated pictures depicting each step of the installation process.

The Pro Ripper Shifter includes:

• CNC machined stainless steel stick assembly
• Fully adjustable stick design
• Stainless steel collar
• Spherical glass filled nylon pivot ball
• Transmission fill plug in base

According to the manual, the installation of the Pro Ripper should take around an hour. However, once you open the box and see the ridiculously detailed instructions inside, you will realize that this estimate of time is quite generous.

Some of the Tools You Will Need

• 8, 10, and 13mm Sockets
• Hex Wrench
• Ratchet Driver
• Wrench
• RTV Silicone

Before beginning the installation of your Pro Ripper, remove the old shifter from the car and inspect the area where you will be attaching the new piece. Perform any necessary clean-up at this time.

Next, follow the assembly instructions very carefully and make sure to Loc-Tite the hex bolts in order to prevent the pieces from backing themselves out.

Once the Pro Ripper is assembled, use the provided shifter cup to replace the old worn out one. This will help ensure smooth and concise shifts.

The next step is to lower the shifter base into position, making sure to RTV the base before securing the Ripper to the transmission.

The Pro Ripper comes with some beefy adjustable Jam Nuts and softer springs, in order for you to customize your Ripper to your liking. Personally, I like a somewhat stock feel with a short throw, so I kept the soft springs in the base itself and opted out of replacing them with hard springs as per the instructions.

Following the instructions, you have the choice between a High Stick with a longer throw, or a Low Stick with a shorter throw. When you get to this step, be sure that the throw itself doesn’t get interrupted by anything on your center console.

Now that you are in the clear, attach the upper stick to the corresponding holes. In my particular case I went with a High Stick/longer throw since this will come in handy while downshifting those long straights! Making sure to Loc-Tite the button head bolts first, proceed to attach the threaded adapter to the upper stick and repeat the Loc-Tite process to prevent any of the screws from backing out.

The B&M Pro Ripper not only looks stunning, but it outperforms the stock shifter by a mile. The quality CNC machined stainless steel material, limitless adjustability, and overall darn good looks make the Pro Ripper a true winner when it comes to rugged street/strip performance!

Now that the Pro Ripper is installed and the ball shifter is mounted, that little T-5 won’t know what hit it!

Source:

B&M Racing
Phone: 818-882-6322
Site: http://www.bmracing.com

Ford has put Australia’s Falcon on notice. After CEO Alan Mulally said the Blue Oval would be pursuing a single, global rear-drive platform, it looked as though the Falcon’s days were numbered. While 60 percent of Falcon owners opt for a V8, sales of the iconic car have been hit dramatically due to gas price increases.

But the Falcon isn’t dead yet. CarAdvice reported back in June that its spy photographers caught a Falcon with a supercharged engine tooling about during testing a few months ago.

Picture: Car Advice

From the pictures, it does indeed appear that there is an intercooler opening in the grill. The photographer also reported that the Falcon accelerated very quickly, and there was the distinct sound of a supercharger whine. The current Falcon performance engine, the 5.4 liter BOSS, doesn’t mean stringent Euro4 emissions standards which go into effect Down Under soon.

That means the engine under the hood of this Falcon is likely Ford’s new 5.0 engine. Strapped with a supercharger, it would very easily crank horsepower to over 550 ponies. Ford keeps reminding us that it is going global, so it makes sense the new 5.0 engine would find its way to Australia. The Falcon is also supposed to be the first rear-drive passenger vehicle to get an EcoBoost engine. The question is, will the supercharged 5.0 find its way back to America eventually? The new Shelby is getting a 5.4 liter engine, but the details about it are still hush-hush. But for now, it looks like the Falcon gets a stay of execution.

Anyone who has ever participated or even watched a drag racing event knows the risks involved, especially with the latest developments of putting almost unfathomable amounts of power through such small tires. Well late last year Tim Lynch announced he was looking to sell his street car, a 7-second LX notchback ‘Stang with twin turbos that has undergone many changes over time. An offer during a test session at SGMP sent the car to a new home.

The pictures of what took place happened one pass after the sale, and they are almost hard to look at for us Mustang lovers, but they were posted on Yellowbullet. It is believed that the car got out of the groove and by then the driver was just hanging on hoping not to hit anything. Unfortunately luck was not with him that day.

Photos Courtesy Of: Sladek360

What exactly happened is something only the driver knows better than any of us, but it definitely could have been worse – and the car does appear to be repairable assuming there isn’t any structural damage to it. So who is the new owner? While there is no official word from the owner, rumor is that it was Texas Limited Street/TT5 racer Joe “Jojo” Melton. Hopefully his intentions are to fix the car up and get it back on track, as it was a magnificent car with a unique license plate; “7SecLX.”

Aside from the misfortune what we do know is a killer small block combination lies under the hood assumingly unhurt from the incident. The combo had changed many times under Tim’s possession – the most recent of which being a 369” 8.2” deck (302 based) motor with Trickflow twisted wedge heads and twin 76mm turbos. A combo that was stout enough to push this pony to the 7’s on multiple occasions with a small 28” slick and still remains docile enough to be taken out on the street for a burger or a cruise night.

While the future of this car is undetermined to say the least at this point we can only hope to see it back on the track soon, and most of all we are glad no one was hurt.

Ford snatching Ken Block from Subaru’s rally team is causing heartache for WRX fans the world over. Mr. Block is one badass driver known for his Gymkhana videos and daredevil antics behind the wheel of Subbies. But for 2010, he will be driving for the Blue Oval.

The Monster World Rally Team has just released this video on Youtube showcasing Ken’s new Fiesta. How do they get the paint splatter like that?

Picture: Monster World Rally Team

We already knew that Block was going to be driving a Fiesta for Ford. M-Sport, Ford’s go-to-guys for rally racing, built the Fiesta for Block and dubbed it the Fiesta S2000. The naturally aspirated 2.0 liter engine cranks out 280 horsepower and 192 ft-lbs of torque. Not quite the level of power displayed by the Pikes Peak Fiesta racers, but still impressive none the less. The Fiesta S2000 also gets an all-wheel drive system, something we are hoping makes it into production cars sooner rather than later.

Block will be taking the Fiesta across the world, participating in events like the World Rally Championship and the X-Games. The Fiesta debuts this year, culminating in over a year’s worth of promotion and social networking activities to launch the new car (from old Europe). We are looking forward to a Fiesta RS in the future, something with Ford’s patented EcoBoost technology to titillate our lead foot, and we will definitely be watching Block as he goes on to conquer the world of rally racing…in a Ford.

Following in the rich tradition of previous Ford factory built Mustang race cars like the 1968 Cobra Jet, the Boss 429 and the FR500S Mustang Challenge car, Ford Racing and AAI (aka the Mustang Plant) started work on a production run of 50 Cobra Jet Mustangs. Two years ago, Ford Racing built 50 Cobra Jet Mustangs at Ford vendor facilities, but the 2010 edition of the car returned home to Flat Rock, Michigan.

For a complete 2010 Cobra Jet build picture gallery, CLICK HERE.

ALSO CHECK BACK IN A FEW WEEKS FOR THE FULL BUILD VIDEO!

In 2005, AAI started building the S197 version of the Mustang and to date has produced over 800,000 units, a number thats pretty impressive considering its a two door sports car. All V6, GT and GT500 models are manufactured on the main line and the build team knew they wanted to be a part of the historic car. While impossible to build on the high volume main line, the 2010 Cobra Jet was built on the AAI pilot assembly line where the plant performs new model training and workstation development. The pilot assembly team is made up of seasoned main line technicians and welcomed the challenge of building such a high profile Mustang.

A 2010 Cobra Jet starts out life as a “prepped” body-in-white 2010 Mustang. Prior to arriving at the Cobra Jet line, a 2010 shell was produced on the main AAI body line and painted Performance White. After paint the unit is sent to Watson Engineering in Taylor, Michigan for an NHRA legal 8.50 e.t. 10-point chromoly cage install. Watson Engineering also installed the rear back seat delete panel, firewall cover plates and transmission access panels. After the cage and body updates were complete at Watson, the body was shipped back to AAI for another trip down the main assembly paint line to coat the cage and interior Performance White in preparation for the Cobra Jet line.

There are two Cobra Jet assembly lines that merge into one assembly line after the car is built into a “roller”. When the Cobra Jet body hits the first build station, the line technician removes the doors for easier access to the interior. The composite cowl hood is also removed to access the engine bay. All installed parts are binned near the station where they will be installed. A computer terminal also provides the technician with build information specific to each car.

Station 1 of the Build

The first part installed on the car is the main wiring harness for the electronics. An electrical bulkhead panel is installed on the passenger side firewall and the battery cable is routed towards the trunk for the electrical kill switch that is mounted on the rear of the quarter panel per NHRA specifications. One cool thing about the Cobra Jet build is that the only parts installed are go fast or safety related items. The body is void of insulation and other sound deading material that weigh a car down. Ford Racing engineers also kept wiring to a minimum to save weight.

After the cabin wiring harness is installed, the battery hold down bracket and Aeromotive Stealth Fuel system is mounted in the trunk. The Stealth Fuel Cell developed for the Cobra Jet is a 6-gallon aluminum racing fuel cell with an Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pump and filter inside the cell unit.

Once the trunk is squared away with the kill switch, fuel cell and battery mount, the technician lifts the body with an overhead hoist to access the floor pan. On the underside of the car the technician installs the upper control arm mount, driveshaft loop, lower radiator support, rear shocks, brake lines and fuel lines. The radiator support (shown above) is a tubular item and weighs a lot less than the OEM Mustang unit.

Station 2 – Interior and Engine Bay Parts

After the underbody is complete in Station 1, the car moves onto Station 2 for interior assembly and engine bay parts install. The first item installed in Station 2 is the carpet as well as the rear interior panels and rear shelf cover. The OEM factory headliner is also part of the Cobra Jet build to complete the plush interior of the factory built racecar. The Cobra Jet 10 point cage has also been pre-certified by an NHRA chassis inspector so the new owner can roll the car right off the trailer and into the tech line.

For the IP (Instrument Panel) install, a preassembled unit complete with Auto Meter Monster Tach is installed. The panel also features the fuse box right where the passenger airbag cover used to be for easy access in the event a fuse blows. Once the IP is in place, Automatic equipped Cobra Jets have a Hurst Quarter Stick shifter mounted to the transmission shifter bracket. One interesting thing Ford Racing engineered into the 2010 car is a removable panel to access the transmission servo and shift linkage.

Once the IP and carpet is installed the line technicians move to the front of the car to install the radiator/fan unit, intercooler heat exchanger and intercooler pump. For an intercooler pump Ford Racing selected a 55-gallon per hour Meziere unit to help intercooler cool the air charge.

Since the pilot assembly line does not move like typical assembly lines, the cars are moved from station the station using large overhead lifts. The lifts are used in the first three stations to place the bodies on adjustable skillets. The skillets can be adjusted to a comfortable height for the workers at that build station.

After the cooling system is mounted the manual brake booster and proportioning valve is installed in the drivers side engine bay. These units were built exclusively for the Cobra Jet and help save a lot of weight in the car. The CJ also has a line lock for locking the front brakes in the burnout box. There are over 100 unique part numbers for the Cobra Jet build so the crew has had to juggle inventory, Just In Time parts shipments and parts availability throughout the 3 week build.

Installing the Supercharged 5.4-liter in the Cobra Jet and Drivetrain

While the Cobra Jet features five engine options, during our visit they were building 5.4L derivatives. The 5.4 Liter Cobra Jet engines are being prepared to meet the chassis at the decking station. The engines are built at the Romeo Niche line 60 miles north of Flat Rock and shipped to the plant in batches. For 2010, Ford Racing offered two versions of the engine. A cast iron block 5.4 liter Supercharged “base” mill or an aluminum block 5.4-liter “Super Cobra Jet” powerplant as an optional upgrade.

All 5.4 Liter Super Cobra Jet engines arrive from Romeo on a engine pallet and are topped with a Ford Racing 4.0 Liter Cobra Jet Supercharger, Ford Racing engineered FEAD (Front Engine Accessory Drive), Cobra Jet Cams and Ford Racing Blue Valve Covers. Once on the engine prep line, technicians install American Racing Headers long tube headers, flywheel and the transmission. For 2010, Ford Racing made four race transmissions available, a race prepped C4 automatic, a 2 speed C2 automatic, a Tremec 6 speed, or a full race Liberty 5-speed unit.

After the engine is prepped for “decking” it’s placed in a movable fixture for attachment of the lower k-member, steering rack and lower control arms. Once the k-member, lower control arms and front spindles are attached, the drag struts are installed complete with Strange Engineering lightweight brake rotors and two piston calipers.

While the engine/front suspension is being prepped, the rear axle is being readied for installation. The Cobra Jet 9” unit is built by Strange Engineering and shipped as a ready to install item complete with rear disc brakes. For 2010 Cobra Jets, Ford Racing offered a 4.11 rear gear ratio for the automatic cars and a 4.29 gear ratio for the manual transmission package. Once the engine and rear-end are ready, a technician moves the engine onto its decking skillet and the rear end onto its own dedicated lift.

The Cobra Jet body is then lifted via the overhead hoist and placed on the “Moon Buggy” for engine and rear end installation. Once placed on the moon buggy the engine is lifted into the Cobra Jet engine bay. Two steel rods are used to “locate” the engine and cradle to the engine bay before lifting the entire assembly into the car. Once the engine and cradle is in place, the four engine cradle bolts are torqued to spec. The transmission cross member is then installed on the transmission and attached to the frame mounts.

Once the engine/transmission is secure in the chassis, the technician then moves to the rear end assembly and lifts the unit into the chassis. The upper control arm and lower control arms are attached and tightened to spec. The Cobra Jet uses spherical rod ends at all attachment points for adjustability. After the rear end is mounted the anti-roll bar system is installed. The Cobra Jet anti-roll bar unit was designed by Ford Racing and Team Z Engineering and is credited for making the car perform so well on the strip.

After the suspension is in place the Dynotech 1-piece driveshaft is installed. The production Mustang GT500 has a 2-piece drive shaft good to around 600 horsepower. With the Cobra Jet producing a bit more and engineered to take repeated 7,000 RPM launches, a beefier Dynotech unit was selected.

Wrapping up the Build

The final step after the decking station is the installation of the wheels and tires. The Cobra Jet has unique Weld Competition front 15 x 3 wheels complete with a Cobra Jet Snake machined into the wheel spoke. Tires on the 2010 Cobra Jet car are from Hoosier and the rear tire size for all the cars we saw being built were 30×10.5×15. All “Super Cobra Jet” equipped Cobra Jets get 30×10.5×15 rear meats while Manual optioned cars get 29x11x15 rear slicks. The other base 5.4L, as well as the three naturally aspirated engine variants, come with a Stock Eliminator legal 30x9x15″ slick.

After the car is a “roller”, it’s lowered down on the ground and the engine is dressed and starts to receive its own unique items. The fuel lines, engine wiring harness, intercooler reservoir, radiator reservoir, coolant lines and front fascia are all installed at this station. Once the engine bay is complete the technicians moves to the interior of the car to work on the steering gear installation, steering wheel, and switch panel.

After station four the two Cobra Jet lines merge into one as the cars are rolled into the safety belt, seat and console installation area. Belt mounts are already welded into the crossbar so the RJS safety belts are already mounted per NHRA tech rules. The Cobra Jet seats start out as basic Mustang V6 seats and an outside vendor installs the submarine belt grommet in the lower seat section and recovers the seat front with unique Cobra Jet logoed material. The headrest also includes the Cobra Jet logo for that added touch.

With the interior now complete, the doors are installed on the car as it passes through the final build station. Sure you could do without power windows but its cool hitting the window down switch to pick-up your time slip after a 9 second pass. Not to mention Ford doesn’t even offer roll down windows in any Mustang. After the doors are fit the front and rear glass is installed and the car begins to take on a finished look.

The final station is where the massive Cobra Jet throttle body, air inlet tube and K&N filter are installed. After the air intake unit is complete the car is ready to be moved to the alignment area for first start, final check and alignment.

Once on the lift, a Cobra Jet build team member starts the car for a systems check. All gauges are monitored for accuracy as well as engine sound. Once everything sounds acceptable the car is shut down for final calibration and prep.

While the car is on the lift the front and rear suspension is checked for alignment. To adjust the rear suspension, the alignment techs use the adjustable panhard bar to center the rear end. For front end alignment, the tie rods are adjusted to bring the suspension into front to rear alignment specifications.

After alignment check the cars are pushed to the decal application area for their unique Cobra Jet decal package. The base Cobra Jet decal package includes; Cobra Jet quarter panel script, CJ fender decal and 5.4-Liter Cobra Jet hood decal. This station is also where the cars get the optional Cobra Jet side decal package applied. If the owner wants a plain white car, the decals are placed in the trunk for the owners safe keeping.

While we were at the Cobra Jet assembly the build team was averaging 3-4 cars a day. Considering the complexity of some of the part installs and the hiccups that always arise the team appeared enthusiastic to be a part of the 2010 Cobra Jet program. While we don’t know if any of the 50 cars will win a NHRA National Event like John Calvert’s 2008 Cobra Jet, the 2010 version has several improvements over the first model. We’re anticipating many of these cars will hit the track early this year and, with some hard work from the racers, don’t be surprised if one dips into the 8 second zone. Impressive considering its a turn-key Ford Factory built car.