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1,000HP Small Block Build - Grand Scheme
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 Our search for more steam...  Our search for more steam brings about a cylinder-head upgrade that we feel will pay big dividends on the dyno. These are the new AFR 225cc castings that we're counting on for next-level performance, as we've taken notice of how well they perform on the NMRA Renegade Mustangs that T-top coupe's powerplant is somewhat patterned after. The heads feature lightweight 2.08 (intake)/1.60 (exhaust) valves and have a combustion-chamber volume of 72cc (the 205s have 58cc chambers). The deck on these heads is 3/4-inch thick, which is perfect for the heavy amount of boost the engine will see as we continue working with T-top coupe.  To the naked eye, intake ports...  To the naked eye, intake ports for AFR's 205 and 225 heads appear to be equal. We eliminated doubt by measuring the ports on both heads.  As you can see, there's a...  As you can see, there's a difference of 0.076-inch (the 225s being the larger of the two, of course).  With the exception of the...  With the exception of the aforementioned pistons, we continue to ride with the lower-end combination that has done our Project Pony's engine well: Scat's forged Pro Stock Style crankshaft, H-beam 5.400 rods, and ARP 2000 Series rod bolts. A.R.E.'s Nathan Hall prepared the fresh short-block in similar fashion to the previous versions of the engine.  Turned over, the short-block...  Turned over, the short-block looks a little odd with the absence of deep dishes in the pistons.  Fel-Pro multi-layered-steel...  Fel-Pro multi-layered-steel head gaskets (PN 1011-1) have proven to be reliable and durable on our high-boost engines, and ARP's heads studs (PN 254-4503) do a great job of keeping the heads on the deck surface.  Nate torques down the new...  Nate torques down the new heads with 55, then 75, and finally 100 lb-ft of torque. Notice the exhaust ports on the AFR 225s. Like the 205s they're replacing, the new heads have 80cc exhaust ports that are raised 0.375-inch higher than OEM, so our JBA headers will bolt right up.  Gaterman makes replacement...  Gaterman makes replacement OEM-style hydraulic-roller lifters for 5.0s and 351W engines. Notice the small washer in this look at the lifter's internals (arrow). Rocco shims each lifter as a method of decreasing the amount of play in the lifter's plunger, making it similar to a solid lifter. Removing as much play as possible helps stabilize and control the valves at high rpm.  We kicked around the idea...  We kicked around the idea of changing the camshaft profile, but ultimately decided to retain the Comp Cams hydraulic-roller bumpstick (0.608-intake/ 0.612-exhaust), as it has served our supercharged engine incredibly well, and Rocco feels it will shine even more with the head swap and other airflow-related changes that are detailed in the sidebar.  The addition of Vortech's...  The addition of Vortech's Igloo intercooler warrants a switch from Holley's SysteMAX II intake manifold, to an R-Series lower manifold from Trick Flow (PN TFS-515L0003). The intake's runners measure 4.625-inch from base-to-plenum deck. After setting Fel-Pro's 1262R intake gaskets in place, Nate drops the manifold over the ARP intake-manifold studs that we've been using since the first build.  Ports on the TFS-R lower measure...  Ports on the TFS-R lower measure 2.00x1.20-inch, slightly smaller than the 2.19-inch ports of the new AFR heads. To overcome this mismatch, Rocco will open the intake's runners up just enough to achieve a spot-on match with the intake ports on the heads.  Once the intake manifold is...  Once the intake manifold is ported, Nate mates the lower with our setup's new intercooler/upper plenum, while Rocco reinstalls the beltdrive, oil pan, and other finishing components for our fresh 353. The intercooler improvement is followed up by a significant change in the Novi's drive characteristics. Cog pulleys are replacing the 10-rib serpentine-belt wheels on the crank and blower. We're making this move to ensure that belt slippage-and the loss of boost-will no longer enter into the performance equation, on the dyno or the dragstrip.  The whole idea behind intercooling...  The whole idea behind intercooling any supercharged or boosted application is to disperse as much heat as possible from the intake-air charge before it enters the engine. The Igloo intercooler consists of three 4.5-inch-thick cores that measure 13.5x9 inches inside a sealed, cast-aluminum box that bolts to the lower intake manifold. Using ice-cold water as the cooling agent, the hot combination of ambient and supercharged intake air passes through the cores twice and is cooled down dramatically before entering the heads (without any significant loss of boost pressure). The Igloo has a maximum 2,000-cfm flow rating, which is well within the airflow parameters we'll need to make 1,000 horses.  The Igloo 'cooler can be adapted...  The Igloo 'cooler can be adapted to the lower portion of three EFI intake manifolds; Ford's stock-302 truck-engine intake, Ford Racing's GT-40, and the Trick Flow R lower unit that we're using, which matches perfectly and does not require any blending.  This 91.5mm throttle-body...  This 91.5mm throttle-body bore on the intercooler's lid is a big step up from the 75mm opening that air entered through in the former engine's intake manifold. Once the new bullet is installed, FAST's all-new Big Mouth 92mm throttle body (PN 54095) will be attached here. Again, Rocco will perform a small amount of port work on the throttle-body bore to compensate for the 0.5-inch difference in diameters.  Naturally, ice-cold water...  Naturally, ice-cold water requires a conduit for passage into the Igloo, and returning to its reservoir (a 5-gallon tank that we'll detail more in our next installment on the project). Simi Valley Race Cars [(805) 990-2158] offers super-sano, water rails that are specifically made for that task. The 3/4-inch rails can be ordered with aluminum or CAD-plated steel fittings for the intercooler's water-feed and return lines. It's important to know that due to the variances in each 'cooler box, water rails are custom-made for each application (requires sending your intercooler to SVRC for fitment).  On the blower side of our...  On the blower side of our performance experiment, we're making the transition from a 10-rib serpentine belt to a full-on cog-drive system. While cogs seem to be abundant for Vortech's superchargers, finding an affordable set of such pulleys for a Paxton Novi 2000 is no easy task. (ASP offers the gears in various tooth-counts, but they're not cheap.) After diligent searching on the Internet, tech editor Jones scored these cog pulleys (30-tooth blower/75-tooth crank) on eBay. This ratio is similar to the 3-inch-blower/8-inch-crank pulley diameters we originally used, which was capable of producing 21 psi of boost.  Finally, here's a teaser preview...  Finally, here's a teaser preview of the new supercharger that we will eventually test on the coupe's new powerplant. This is Paxton's brand-new big-boost bad boy-the Novi 2500 (XP-1407 is an in-house ID code). After performing dyno tests with the original Novi 2000, the cog pulley will be swapped onto this unit for a back-to-back evaluation. According to sources, top-end performance of this new piece exceeds that of Vortech's vaunted YSi! Of course, the dyno is the jury that determines the validity of that claim. Stay tuned to 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords for all of the hard-core results. Saving what undoubtedly is the most exciting upgrade for the end of this effort, an exclusive test of Paxton's all-new Novi-based supercharger is on the schedule. For a long time, the Novi 2000 has sort of played second fiddle to Vortech's YSi-Trim supercharger, especially among those who seek four-digit dyno numbers. Our plan is to explore what's possible in terms of making the 1,000-plus rear-wheel horses we want-first with the OG Novi; then we'll step up to the new unit, which we're told will definitely give Vortech's blower a solid run for its money.
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