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Romeo Engine Niche Line - Romeo's DelightTrinity 5.8 Build From the January, 2013 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By Steve Turner Photography by Dale Amy
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Walk through the front door of the Romeo Assembly Plant, then travel through the lobby, past the offices, and into the facility. As soon as you hit the floor, you're surrounded by the cacophonous whir of machinery moving and workers assembling. Cylinder heads rush by, part bins fill, and people assemble 6.2-liter Raptor engines. If you are looking for GT500 engines, they aren't here. Keep walking till you reach the back door and hit fresh air. Just a short walk away, the door swings open to a wonderland. Familiar sounds of classic rock music are punctuated by the zip of automated tools and accented by good-natured conversation. This is a special place. This is where the baddest engines are born. This is the Romeo Engine Niche Line. "The Niche Line is flexible and we can adapt to changes in product quickly," explained Team Leader Cary Kramp. "Since 1996, this line has built several different engines based on the 4.6/5.4 architecture. 4.6 Two-Valve (gas and NGV), 4.6 Four-Valve, and 5.4 Four-Valve. Commonization of engine-mount bolt patterns makes it easy for us to build just about any of the new architectures as well. Typical setup time for a new product on this line is totally dependent on the logistics of engine parts and some special tooling that is mandated by the product. Without major changes in product, we can build multiple different engines side-by-side."  Ford's Special Vehicle Team...  Ford's Special Vehicle Team espouses the core values of performance, substance, exclusivity, and value. On the Romeo Engine Niche Line, those values are augmented by the themes of team, pride, quality, and customer satisfaction. When you buy a GT500, you really are getting a special car with a hand-built engine.  The Niche Line builders are...  The Niche Line builders are an elite group at the Romeo plant. Starting at the front, from left to right, they are: Rick Wright, Jim "Chopper" Randall, Phil Pregano, Tim Parrott, Paul Wilhelm, Keith Gustack, Larry Nichiow, Cary Kramp (Team Leader), Mark Schuman, Paul Forcier, Ann Marie Lemay, Carrie Booth, Gary Marston, Doug Deemer, Jeff Hamblin, Chad Wolak, Dave DeClark, John Divo, Kevin Dean, Dan Dunaway, Tim O'Brien (Manager). Missing from the photo are Paula Currier and Derek Deskins.  After its ride through the...  After its ride through the washing machine, the Trinity block requires a bit of disassembly before it is put together. If you are a longtime 5.0&SF reader or a student of Blue Oval performance lore, you know this place is legendary. It was formed in 1996 to construct the then-exotic 305hp Four-Valve 4.6-liter engine destined for the '96 Mustang Cobra. In the following years, the Niche Line has produced a storied assortment of engines, from the Terminator 4.6, the Ford GT 5.4, the Shelby GT500 5.4, and the Ford Racing Cobra Jet 5.4. That is an impressve lineage of horsepower. "The highest-volume engine built on the Niche Line has to be the Terminator engines for '03-'04 SVT Cobras," Cary said. "...It had to be close to 12,000 per year for two years. Then we went into the lowest-production engine ever built out here, the Ford GT. We built 4,075 of them in two model years." While the true stars of the show are the two-person build teams, these days they lavish their experienced touch on the 662hp Trinity 5.8 engines that power the top-of-the-line '13 Shelby GT500. We have covered the latest GT500 ("Make It Rein," Sept. '12, p. 40) and its engine ("Power of Three," Mar. '12, p. 44) in great detail on these pages, so it seemed like it was time to take another trip down Ford's most specialized assembly line. "When a new person comes to the Niche Line, they are placed with an experienced team of builders for a minimum of two weeks for training (30-40 engines built during this period). This is where the two-person team really starts to shine," Cary explained. "The two-person team allows us to do a few things that one person would take a lot longer to do. The two-person team consists of a Builder and a Support Person. The Builder handles all of the tools and torques every fastener. The Support Person collects and sets up all the parts for the engines as they follow each engine from start to finish. When an engine is complete and the team begins the process again on a new engine, they switch positions. This ensures that every Niche Builder learns the entire engine."  Before the assembly process...  Before the assembly process begins, a matched set consisting of a block and crankshaft travel through this washing machine to ensure a clean starting point. A specialized carrier cradles the crank in the engine valley for this ride.  Our build team was Larry Nichiow...  Our build team was Larry Nichiow and Paul Wilhelm. They get down to business as Larry removes the main cap fasteners and Paul removes the side bolts.  With the bearings oiled and...  With the bearings oiled and installed, Larry uses the Lift Assist to set the crankshaft into place. Then Paul installs the main-bearing caps beginning with the Number 5 cap. Not only are the teams highly trained, but they benefit from each other's experience. "...The rapport that comes naturally over time between two-team members that work together. The teams talk it up much like a sports team during each engine build. They ask each other questions and basically make sure they know that the build is progressing correctly, and nothing looks or feels different or incorrect," Cary added. "Obviously, this takes some time, and eventually it becomes second nature. This rapport really drives ownership and quality in every engine!" Obviously this is a special place, where the engines of our dreams are built. It's definitely worth visiting. So take a walk down this elite line with us to watch the most powerful production engine to date come into the world. Horse Sense: The Niche Line has been a well-oiled machine since 1996, but its engine volume varies based on the number of specialty cars built. These days, eight two-person teams construct up to 30 engines a day. Back in the Terminator days, however, 17 two-person teams delivered up to 55 engines per day.  This QR code on the crankshaft...  This QR code on the crankshaft and the corresponding code on the block tells the assemblers what bearings to install. There are three bearing sizes to choose from, dubbed 1/Blue, 2/Yellow, and 3/Green. Depending on variances in the block and crank, the bearing sizes may be mixed and matched. In the case of the engine we are following, it was designated to receive all Number 2 (Yellow-coded) bearings, which is a rarity.  After removing the main caps,...  After removing the main caps, Paul installs the piston oil squirters. The pair then move the block from the stand to the engine carrier, where Paul torques the squirters and installs the main bearings.  This complex machine torques...  This complex machine torques the main-cap and side bolts, but not before it clamps the block to stabilize it and applies 2,400 Newton meters of forward pressure to the crankshaft to set up the No. 5 main bearing for thrust. After torquing the mains to 40 n•m plus a quarter turn, Paul checks the endplay on the crank. It came in at 0.221 mm, which is in the sweet spot of the spec range of 0 to 0.5 mm.  With the bearings oiled and...  With the bearings oiled and installed, Larry uses the Lift Assist to set the crankshaft into place. Then Paul installs the main-bearing caps beginning with the Number 5 cap.  Paul rotates the crank so...  Paul rotates the crank so that the No. 4 rod pin is up before running down the main-cap fasteners. He first tightened them with a zero-torque tool before moving to the next station. Meanwhile, Larry preps the piston and rod assemblies for installation.  After installing the oil pump...  After installing the oil pump and ensuring the amount of torque required to turn the engine is within spec, it's time to "stuff" the pistons. The 5.8 pistons are said to stuff easier than their 5.4 cousins, but the install process benefits greatly from the two-person arrangement. Larry checks the parts and orients them for the install. Larry pushes the piston in and Paul installs the cap. The team tests the amount of torque required to turn over the engine before the oil pump, after the oil pump, and after the pistons are installed. Our engine measured at 0.528 Newton meters before the oil pump, 0.633 after the oil pump, and 18.5 after the pistons. All numbers were well within the specified range.
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