BIG SIX BUILD-UP ARTICLE BY FTF

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

This article was published in SuperFord Magazine in 1985. Most of what I wrote still holds true today. Enjoy.

 

[MaxRat]

too small to read but nice...

 

[CNC-Dude]

I'd like to be able to read it full size, can you change the format for us. I noticed you hanging out on Inliners earlier. It seems that our dyno project over there has generated a lot of interest on other forums for inline magazine articles. Our's too will be in an upcoming article. We need more articles on inlines, maybe this we keep the editors interested and continue.

 

[mutt]

cant read it.....maybe you moonlight as an insurance policy writer??

 

[AzCoupe]

This should help. Click on thumbnail, then click image for a full size pic.
Remember to use your browser's back button to continue.

 

[Thad]

Thanks-------

 

[Does10s]

Looks like a STICKY to me!

Will

 

[pacer]

Awesome article!!

 

[eeyore]

Wow, thanks FTF, I told you you should write a book. Just think how much more you've learned in the almost a quarter of a centry since!

I am particularily interested in the in-head studs to support the combustion chamber. I've never seen or heard of anything like that. Very interesting. I assume you preload those to some amount? Is this still a recomended modification?

Also of interest is the cam specs. I realize that these are for drag only motors, but they are so far from what most people are using on street vehicles, that I really think a strong street/strip motor could use alot more than the typical.

 

[russk]

'Flyer:

I have a considerable interest in all inline engines but particularly the 240/300 Ford six. I got hooked on it back in 1967 after reading an article on Ak Miller's side draft weber carb'd 300 ci (stroked 240) build up in the "Complete Book of Engines" published by Petersen in that year.

I just completed reading your great article (for the 3rd time just to be sure all the details registered) and it just reinforced why I think this engine is such an elegant design and has so much potential.

Thanks for the great read and keep up you forum posts as they are extremely important to my ongoing education.

Russ

 

[russk]

'Flyer:

PS: Real men drive altereds. Real crazy men drive FUEL altereds!

I know. I watched Willie and Sush (and many others) race many times at Lions and OCIR back in the day. The question was never who would win. The real question was which lane they'd be in going through the lights . . .

Russ

 

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

It takes a special type of person to climb into a car with a power-to-weight ratio of 2hp/lb.

Even my puny six gets me from 0-to-60 in 2.9 seconds and 0-to-117 in 5.7 seconds - if it goes straight. What a rush for a speed junkie like me.

 

[russk]

'Flyer:

At least you have some wheelbase to help keep you going (relatively) straight. As you obviously know, back in the day, the AA/FA's typically had something like 100" - some even less - with an insanely high center of gravity. But then again, I guess the wheelbase is sort of meaningless when you're carrying the front wheels like the Winged Express would often do at various points going down track. Those were certainly the days . . .

Russ

PS: Just to prove you can always learn something new; I've never heard of (much less seen) positioning bolts down through the head to support the combustion chamber below until reading your article. Sounds like something the likes of Ak Miller or Smokey Yunick would come up with. Are you still doing that with your current engines or is that not an issue with your (rare as hens teeth) current cross-flow head?

By the way, is there any chance that you may get one of CI's early prototype 240/300 aluminum heads to do some "field testing"? Just curious . . .

 

[shmoozo]

'Flyer:

PS: Real men drive altereds. Real crazy men drive FUEL altereds!

I know. I watched Willie and Sush (and many others) race many times at Lions and OCIR back in the day. The question was never who would win. The real question was which lane they'd be in going through the lights . . .

 

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Bruce Sizemore clued me in to the head posting technique when we both worked at Ford / Dearborn.

I do not use it for my crossflow head but I think it is still a valid option if you run CRs in excess of 12:1, or boost.

I would try an aluminum u-flow head on my truck. But on the altered - well, "how ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree."

 

[russk]

'Flyer:

So the "head posting" technique came from Bruce Sizemore. Why am I not very surprised!

I hope you get a chance to test the CI head when it becomes available. While I understand that a U-head design will never (?) perform to the level of your cross-flow head, it would still be interesting to have someone with your big Ford racing experience see just how far the CI U-head can be taken. Given how rare your X-flow head is, and how technically challenging a "composite" head (like Sizemore's) would be, and how REALLY expensive the AJ/SVO billet race head is, the CI head is likely to be the only cost effective solution for most of us mortals.

By the way, have you broken into the 8s yet? Hadn't heard.

Russ

 

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Well, to be honest, I don't see much of a future for any aftermarket 300 head in view of the fact that I just auctioned off an Aussie aluminum crossflow canted-valve head complete with injection, cast valve cover, etc for $399. That really opened my eyes to how limited the market is.

I detuned my race day combination in an effort to contain my head gasket failure issues, which I did, but as a result the car is still running 9.0s. I had intended to take the car out this fall after the points season was done with the motor set back on "kill" when the weather conditions were favorable for running 8s but other pressing projects prevented me from doing that. I also discovered some other tricks I intend to perform on the carbs over the winter which will also help e.t.s.

Sure I could strip off some 200 lbs of non-essential hardware like cooling system, parachute, trans cooler, big battery, etc. and theoretically pick up about four tenths and convert to alcohol for another couple of tenths but I'm a bracket racer - I bracket race, and as such I want to drive the car as it will be for racing conditions.

 

[russk]

'Flyer:

I'm assuming the cross-flow head you sold was for the "small" Ford six? I agree that $399 for the head, injectors, and such seems way below a fair market price. But as you say, maybe the market just isn't there. I really hope you're wrong about the potential demand in the 240/300 head but I fear you could be right. If the economy gets better (not really expecting any real improvements any time soon) and CI does deliver a production head, it will be interesting to see if it actually sells well enough to have made the effort worthwhile and profitable. I sure hope so.

Running 9-ohs on a "dialed back" motor is still pretty stout and I understand that, as a bracket racer, your need to be consistant and predictable is far more important than to squeeze out the last bit of ET. With our inlines (whether Ford, Chevy, Mopar, GMC, or ???) it's very difficult (and way too expensive) for most of us to compete in "class" racing so bracket racing is the logical place to be.

So if I were to field a car at this point, I think I'd be looking at a nostalgia FED or altered running a 240+ Ford. The Inliners D/D[ragster] late stock head and maximum 260ci class on gasoline or alky might be interesting. Of course, bracket racing would be the primary mode of competition as a simple practical matter.

I've always been an altered roadster fan (as I'm sure you've guessed) and if I went that route, I'd really like to aim toward a more vintage, old school look: shorter wheelbase (around 95-105") and the vintage '23T body with a wider rear track where the wheel wells don't extend into the turtle deck - something you might have found in the late '60s or early '70s. Probably would have to fabricate one since I doubt anybody is still making the old school body these days. I understand that an old school car would limit potential performance but at this point in life, it's not so much about going really quick and fast as it is about having (affordable) fun and enjoying the company of other racers at the track.

Russ

 

[CNC-Dude]

Russ,

In speaking to Gary Isbell recently about his H/MP Maverick, he was able to reach pretty deep into the 11sec. 1/4 mile times with his production headed 300 eqiupted car at 10 lbs/ci , and feels sure that with the advances that have been made in the technology of tires and camshafts and head porting, this would be a 10 sec. car today. I just cant understand why more Ford inline racers don't use these engines....

 

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

'Flyer:

So if I were to field a car at this point, I think I'd be looking at a nostalgia FED or altered running a 240+ Ford. The Inliners D/D[ragster] late stock head and maximum 260ci class on gasoline or alky might be interesting. Of course, bracket racing would be the primary mode of competition as a simple practical matter.

... I understand that an old school car would limit potential performance but at this point in life, it's not so much about going really quick and fast as it is about having (affordable) fun and enjoying the company of other racers at the track.

Russ

Its funny you should mention that Russ as one of my "pressing projects" is getting all the pieces together to restore my old (1978) Logghe Stamping car, as pictured in the article above. It needs front-halving after an intimate encounter with a concrete guardrail in 2000. I plan to set it up for Nostalgia racing and make it run 10.0hs. That is as fast as is allowed and not have to get the chassis re-certified every couple of years - a hassle I don't need.

I hope you get a chance to do a 240 FED or altered old school sometime and feel free to bounce ideas off me if you like. A 240 is practically indestructable and reliable as an anvil.