Tunnel Rammed Windsor Makes Big Power

(Narrator)>> With a turbocharged Chevy providing the power our test sled laid down plenty of rubber at the drag strip but now it's Ford's time to shine. Today on Engine Power the Windsor gets ready with high ram induction and dual carbs. Plus we take you inside this year's PRI show. [ music ]

(Mike)>> It started as an idea and quickly grew into a serious subject matter. We had to plan carefully for several reasons. We have to have something that has great handling characteristics, a strong chassis to accept big horsepower power plants, and be a super safe platform so no one gets hurt. We also made sure it was something any of you can purchase and do something similar. It's our road dyno that is known simply as the test sled.

(Pat)>> To get all the features we mentioned we knew exactly who to call. We knew that factory five had top notch products. That led us to choose the race proven Type 65-R Couple chassis as our foundation for the test sled.

(Mike)>> It became a complete roller in no time, which meant Pat and I had a lot of work to get done on the ridiculous power plant we had in mind.

(Pat)>> The engine was sent to us from a couple of guys that I had the opportunity to teach when instructing at Sam Tech. They started a company that has grown into a staple engine supplier in the LS world. They are late model engines, or LME for short. When they heard about our idea they were excited to send us one of their new 427 inch extreme crate engines that was built to handle 2,000 horsepower. [ music ]

(Mike)>> The sled made its debut at Holley's LS Fest East. After letting it get its well-deserved attention, Pat strapped in and made an inaugural pass down the drag strip. Since the LS event is in our rearview Pat and I decided to remove the 427 inch turbo engine and get ready for the next bullet in our stable. Now remember, this chassis was designed to accept any engine that Pat and I want to throw in it. So the next choice was decided on by a couple of factors. First we had to peel the power out of the chassis. So a Ford had to go in it.

(Pat)>> A naturally aspirated small block Ford.

(Mike)>> I'm just joking. The deciding factors were really just pulling power out of it and we didn't want to put a Chevy in it this time around.

(Pat)>> This 408 cubic inch small block Windsor is the perfect bullet for our next round of test sled tech. We built it here and named it Old Gray Mare. With a name like that you wouldn't expect a lot of power but this mare has a set of Trick Flow 225cc high port cylinder heads, a solid roller cam shaft, and it's stroked to 408 cubic inches. With components like that this bullet will still be a handful in the test sled, but it will be much more manageable than running a 1,200 horsepower turbocharged engine, and that will make the car more versatile, whether we take it to the drag strip, around a road course, or even drive it on the street. Like any gearhead we can't resist the temptation to work on our engine. Before we drop the Windsor into the test sled we're gonna change up the induction and give this engine a vintage hot rod look. We'll start by removing the single plane intake manifold. The intake manifold we will be using is every 351 Windsor owner's dream. This is Holley's high ram, and if it looks familiar it is the same configuration as the LS version. That means the tops are the same and they bolt on to this one. So if you want to run a forward facing 102 millimeter throttle body, no problem. It comes in two configurations. Either drilled or non-drilled for fuel rails, but the big advantage to this is you can bolt a carburetor top to run either one or two carburetors or throttle body injections. Our Fel Pro gaskets are in excellent shape with no tears. So we will reuse them. All we have to do is lay down a bead of Permatex Right Stuff one minute gasket maker on the China walls and the water ports. Then the intake drops gently into place. The fact that there's a clean line of sight to the intake valve along with a tapered runner lets you know that this intake has serious air flow. [ music ] With our new intake manifold it requires a different distributor to clear the overhang of the manifold. So we'll be using MSD's dual sync distributor. This is for a 351 Windsor because it has a unique deck height of 9-500. The nice thing about this distributor is it has both a crank and a cam sensor. So it can be run as a conventional distributor or plugged into Holley's injection units to run sequential fuel injection. You never want to assemble anything in an engine dry. So we'll lube the distributor gear with Permatex Ultra Slick. This distributor cap is secured with screws instead of clips for more accurate timing so everything stays put.

(Narrator)>> Coming up, if air flow is critical to making big power this engine's got what it takes.

(Pat)>> With the Windsor hooked up on the dyno we are almost finished. A little work on the top end and we'll be ready to run. Topping off our high ram we decided to go completely old school, since our last engine was an LS that was turbocharged and had sequential injection. This is the direct opposite of that, old school carburetion. Holley makes a top that will accept two-four barrel style throttle bodies or carburetors, and we will be using our QFT Black Diamonds. Now these made great power on an earlier combination and we know they run great. Plus we will also be running a couple of two inch spacers to increase a little bit of plenum volume, but the bottom line is we wanted that old school tunnel ram look and this fits the bill. Before we run our dual setup we want to try something first. We're gonna try a single carburetor. Holley offers these tops in blank fashion. So I went ahead and machined this one to accept a single carburetor. This is our QFT 950. This is our dyno carburetor. We're gonna run this first to see what kind of power it makes. [ music ]

(Mike)>> For the ultimate in timing accuracy we added an MSD crank trigger setup.

(Pat)>> It's got 34 degrees of timing in it. We're gonna do a sweep, 4,500 to 7,000. The engine's already been run. I have no idea what those manifold is gonna do. The manifold taper is different. The plenum volume is different.

(Mike)>> It's gonna be interesting with such a small opening up there.

(Pat)>> I think it's gonna be cool though. Are we ready?

(Mike)>> Anything over 500's gonna be good.

(Pat)>> It's gonna be awesome! Alright here we go. [ engine revving ]

(Mike)>> A decent number there.

(Pat)>> That wasn't bad. That carburetor's sitting right on top of the thing. Oh 572 and 501.

(Mike)>> Can't beat that. 572 at 6,600.

(Pat)>> Dude that's good. 501 pound feet of torque. Now we could run it in a car with one carburetor but that's just boring.

(Mike)>> Yeah you open the hood or you have that sticking out you definitely want to see two.

(Pat)>> Yeah definitely want to see two and guess what?

(Mike)>> We have it.

(Pat)>> Alright let's put two on there. That's 1,500 c-f-m, that's a 950. So two 750's. So we're going up to 1,500 c-f-m. [ music ] Well that's pretty cool looking. [ music ] Alright dual mixer valves on the top here.

(Mike)>> Dual 750's! [ engine starts ]

(Pat)>> Idles!

(Mike)>> I'd say they're tuned up right.

(Pat)>> Well they were on a bigger engine that made a little bit more power, but we're in business here.

(Mike)>> You're just gonna repeat the run? Same r-p-m, same sweep?

(Pat)>> Yep, all it is is adding one carburetor. Are you ready?

(Mike)>> Yeah man. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> Clean!

(Mike)>> Not bad.

(Pat)>> And that's not even re-jetted or anything like that. Hey look at that, 602 at 6,600.

(Mike)>> Not bad!

(Pat)>> 519* pound feet of torque at 5,100.

(Mike)>> And guess where's it going?

(Pat)>> In that test sled.

(Mike)>> And it's gonna be so much more drivable.

(Pat)>> Well you know the deal with that is there's nothing wrong with having an excess of power. I always say there's no such thing as too much horsepower, just not enough car or not enough driver, and in my case it would be not enough driver. This whole thing with a naturally aspirated dual carbureted versus a high tech LS fuel injected turbocharged. It's almost gonna feel as fast, I guarantee you.

(Mike)>> Now here's the thing. From the bottom of the oil pan to the top of carburetor. There's no air cleaner on it yet. That is one tall engine.

(Pat)>> Thank goodness we don't have to worry body, hoods. I mean we have to do one of these numbers to see around it. That is a bolt together.

(Mike)>> It shows you how good the parts have come over the years.

(Pat)>> To make power like this 15 years ago I'd have to spend a month pulling room. (Mik0>> You know with the color with the gray, and that natural, and the gray valve covers, the engine looks just like tough.

(Pat)>> That's a great description of it. If a dude puts this on his stuff this thing would rock the house no matter what. Alright, nice job.

(Narrator)>> Up next, if you want to see the cutting edge in race technology PRI is the place to be.

(Pat)>> How do you stop an oil leak in your front timing cover or rear main seal of your LS? Let's find out in today's tech tip.

(Tim)>> Properly installing a crank seal in a gen 3 or gen 4 LS engine's front timing cover or rear main seal cover is critical to preventing oil leaks. Unlike older engine the LS covers down have dowel pins to ensure correct alignment to the crankshaft center line. Get your alignment wrong and your engine will mark its territory everywhere you park. A set of Summit Racing Pro LS Cover alignment tools will prevent those leaks by perfectly centering the seal openings when you install the covers. That makes it easier to install the seals too. It's easy and affordable insurance to help your engine run well for a long time.

(Mike)>> If you're into racing and it doesn't matter what type. It can be on the asphalt, in the dirt, or out on the water, the PRI trade show in Indianapolis, is the place to be.

(Pat)>> From machinery, parts, services, and everything it takes to go racing this is where everyone shows their wears and gets racers ready for their upcoming seasons. [ music ]

(Mike)>> Each year thousands of gearheads flood these chilly December streets, rushing inside to discover the newest racing technology and talk with the people behind it. With over 1,000 venders and 750,000 square feet of displays if it's got anything to do with going fast you'll find it here.

(Chris)>> Not a lot of tire kickers are coming to this show. They're coming out to look at serious hardcore race parts.

(Pat)>> For the past 25 years Procharger has offered serious performance increases to a wide selection of cars and trucks. This year in addition to their silver anniversary Procharger is celebrating 150 race wins and their entry into NHRA Pro Mod racing with their F-3-X-140 supercharger.

(Walt)>> That supercharger is capable of 3,500 horsepower. Basically a custom can switch from whatever they have, or if they're coming into the program new they basically will buy that setup and go Pro Mod racing.

(Pat)>> PRI gives Procharger the opportunity to teach others about their superchargers, and to discover new applications for their technology.

(Walt)>> Obviously everything new in racing and performance is here. So when we come here we can see new engine builders, new engine platforms, an engine builder we've been working with for a long time, a new application they might have. We learn stuff to make our products better as well.

(Pat)>> Most of the vehicles here are polished to a mirror finish, but one of our favorites was proudly displayed in shall we say less than immaculate condition. (Mike B.)>> So this car was raced at Daytona two weeks ago, the Trans am finale. Took third in Daytona, won the Northern Trans Am Championship with Adam Andretti driving it. It's the ECC Motorsports car, but I wanted to bring the car here exactly the way it came off the track. Dirty, banged up, beaten up so people can see how our products get used in real world environment. The line sleeving we have on it, the header wrap that's been on there for an entire season. It's a little beat up from tire debris hitting it, but that's what it is. That's what holds up for a season. The header wrap is in still good condition on the car. I just want people to see how the car really is.

(Pat)>> DEI constantly makes improvements to their products, like their turbo shield. (Mike B.)>> So we silicone coated the outside of the shield. We added a stainless steel mesh on the inside with an added layer of stainless steel and fiberglass on the inside of this silicone coating. Really to beef up the durability of the cover, make it stronger, better, and perform the best it can be really.

(Mike)>> Hot Shot's Secret is a leader in lubricating products and additives for both gas and diesel engines. It's our go to choice for the engines we run on the dyno.

(Kyle)>> We've got products for the everyday driver, and we've expanded really into the high performance and the over the road long haulers as well, and that really takes our products to the limit and really stresses how much wear you can really put on a product, and if it's good enough for that application you know it's good enough for your daily driver.

(Mike)>> Their oil is second to none and includes the FR-3 additive, which is a friction reducer.

(Kyle)>> It's a full p-a-o synthetic oil. It's a group four. That means it cannot break down or sheer. It's infused with our FR-3. So that's already in there, our friction reducer.

(Mike)>> The unique smell?

(Kyle)>> The unique smell that everybody smells from your truck he said, but really what these racing guys and high performance guys are looking for, they're expensive motors and what we're doing is really bringing the wear down on them and making sure they last longer.

(Pat)>> I'm here with Chris Raschke of ARP, and this is one of my favorite places to stop in cause they always have something great, like boat engines, Nascar, the Duttweiler engine out of the Speed Demon, but I see this diesel behind me. Now tell me about this diesel and the fasteners for this.

(Chris)>> This is for a Super Stock tractor truck pulling truck. It's 3,000 plus horsepower. It utilizes our catalog items, off the shelf, and it also has a lot of specialty fasteners, and custom made 625 head studs, main studs. If you have an application that you don't see in the catalog you can call up one of our techs. We can get you a drawing, a blank drawing, stick drawing. You send us the information we can still look and see if we have something close on the shelf, or we can just custom make that part from scratch.

(Pat)>> ARP also makes the tools you need to build an engine, including this slick new tool that lets you install the stud through the cylinder head and into the block cleanly without dragging aluminum into the threads. Very cool!

(Mike)>> Performance Electronics is exactly that. A company that manufactures e-c-u's, wide band O-2 sensors, and digital displays just to name a few.

(Jared)>> All of our products are completely compatible with single cylinder engines all the way up to V-8's. We've even done some custom products where we've done V-10 and V-12 configurations.

(Brian)>> To us it's a control system. There are ins, there are outs. There's programming, there's software that has to be developed. That's our specialty, that's our niche.

(Mike)>> The entire process is all done in house, which allows for excellent quality control.

(Brian)>> From conception to final production and manufacturing of the design.

(Mike)>> We're big fans of their digital displays. They are super visible from sunny days to dark nights, and offer plenty of channels and warning features. Up to 8 channels of data can be displayed at one time, and what do we have to look forward to from Performance Electronics?

(Tim)>> In terms of what's coming out next it's kind of a secret. You know we can't really tell but we definitely have a lot of really cool stuff in the works.

(Narrator)>> No secrets here. We've got all the inside information on the PRI show, including how you can enter to win this Challenger.

(Pat)>> Hey wait, what are you doing?

(Mike)>> I'm entering to win the car.

(Pat)>> We are not allowed to do that. Get off that thing man. We never get to have any fun but we are here with our 2019 Dodge Challenger we built on the show.

(Mike)>> And the reason we're here at the booth is because Permatex teamed up with Engine Power to build the car and give it away to one of you. Now don't forget, we use Permatex products on all the engines we build. So make sure to check out their website and their products for any of your projects.

(Pat)>> I absolutely love this car.

(Mike)>> It's awesome, drivability, power.

(Pat)>> I'm jealous. I can't have it.

(Mike)>> I guess I can't either. When it comes to holding fasteners in place, keeping gaskets sealed up tight, or just keeping you and your shop clean the name is Permatex. They recently introduced a new high temperature red silicone as part of their right stuff line. This gasket maker sets up in 90 minutes, or just one minute depending on which formula you choose. Now you don't have to wait 24 hours to get your vehicle back on the road.

(Curtis)>> We've always had just one option for silicone for many, many years. So what we wanted to do was broaden that selection. We wanted to offer our right stuff benefits, features and benefits, and bring it over to the high temp red line.

(Pat)>> In 1972 AMSOIL made history with the first synthetic oil to meet American Petroleum Institute's service requirements. Their dedication to innovation continues to this day. Check out this easy to use quart of gear oil, which prevents messes when servicing your vehicle.

(Tom)>> We've got this severe gear easy pack. People here at the PRI show are coming up and saying where have you been all my life. We started with severe gear. We went into the automatic transmission fluid, manual transmission, marine, a-t-v, u-t-v.

(Pat)>> No matter what type of engine you run AMSOIL has what you need.

(Mike)>> For the people in the world of racing the PRI show feels like a homecoming or a class reunion. It's always fun to catch up with old friends like the crew from Sam Tech, The School of Automotive Machinist and Technology.

(Brain)>> Every year we bring some of our students who are getting ready to graduate who might be looking for jobs in the performance racing industry. This is a really great showcase of what's new in the industry, what's available out there.

(Judson)>> People are trying to get avenues into the industry and we think, we've got people working everywhere, and they come out here and get a little connection. They can get in touch with us and they can see all the different programs we have from the block, head, c-n-c, also the associate degree if you want to go that far.

(Pat)>> PRI also helps Sam Tech connect graduates with future employers.

(Brian)>> There's so many shops that come by. Hey, I'm getting ready to retire. We need somebody that can for the next five years learn the way that we do things, come to our facility. You know one of the big things right now is c-n-c. That's hey, I just bought this machine. I need somebody that can program, operate, run it, and that's what we're doing here is trying to help fill the needs of the industry.

(Mike)>> HP Tuners has laid down some huge footprints in the performance industry by providing the most complete, cost effective tuning and data acquisition solutions for enthusiasts, professional shops, and dealerships.

(Darek)>> It started off with the big three, Ford, GM, and Dodge, and over the past year and a half, two years we've been expanding a lot. We've got Mercedes, Audi, Toyota, Nissan. We just announced Subaru recently.

(Mike)>> The MPVI-2 is HP Tuners' latest generation of hardware.

(Darek)>> You basically get the device. You plug it into your o-b-d 2. Plug the other end into your laptop and then you can read the stock file, change any parameters that are in there, and basically tune it to get best performance out of the vehicle. One of our mottos is tune the world. So we're trying to tune as many vehicles as we can.

(Mike)>> Given the ever increasing vehicle support they offer, it is definitely a possibility. Pertronix has been a leading player in the ignition scene for quite some time. They cover domestic and foreign applications with a wide range of products. From the Flamethrower line of ignition boxes and coils to late model wires and coil packs for coil on plug setups the line keeps growing. Contour starters and alternators will get your ride going when you jump in. The line of distributors is huge and you can find the Ignitor 2 and 3 versions on their website. We only had time to show you a fraction of what goes on at PRI. If you're part of the high performance industry you've got to see it for yourself.

(Curtis)>> PRI is one of the absolute best shows any car guy could ever come to. This event is packed with people who understand the business, who understand engines. You can have truly substantive conversations with people, make wonderful business relationships with people. It is just the best show you could attend all year, hands down.

(Mike)>> For more information about the parts and equipment used in today's episode visit Powernation TV dot com.