 |  The Comp Cams roller rockers...  The Comp Cams roller rockers are bolted down, and the valves are adjusted. |  As a general rule, the top-end...  As a general rule, the top-end components are the source for most of an engine's power. If you have to skimp, do it on bottom-end components. Just make sure you don't overbuild the top end without making sure the rotating assembly can take the added stress. |
 Once the intake is bolted...  Once the intake is bolted down, the guys add the CSR electric water pump. |  Carl matched the intake and...  Carl matched the intake and the flow characteristics of the heads with an 825-cfm Demon carburetor. Fresh out of the box, these carbs offer big power and tremendous durability. |  We were just about finished,...  We were just about finished, when out comes Carl's Whistler. What's that, you ask? We did too. Apparently, this device can measure final compression ratio by running air through a spark-plug hole in the cylinder head. Ours came out to a dead-on 11.0:1. We told you Mr. McQuillen had some trick toys to play with at his shop. |
Dale says that a new CNC-ported version of this head will be available soon. It will flow 300 cfm/200 cfm at 0.700-inch lift and sell for $1,550.
While Franky had looked for ways to save money on his engine pieces, he realized he couldn't scrimp with the engine assembly. He wanted only the best when it came time to get his small-block Ford put together. That led us to Carl McQuillen and his McQuillen's Racing Engines shop. Carl has been a fixture on the performance scene for several years, and we've been looking forward to working with him and his talented crew for quite a while. Not only have they built race engines for top heads-up, street/strip, and circle-track teams for decades, but Carl has also been working on several engineering projects with General Motors, Delphi, and John Deere. When we first walked into his surgical ward-uh, we mean engine assembly room-we were presented with one of the most detailed, clean, organized, and brightly lit motor-building facilities we'd ever been in. This is a top-notch company, and we were honored that Carl let us hang out for a day and take some pictures while his team completed the job at hand.