Ford Performance Crate Engines vs. The "Other Guy"
A
common mistake that Ford crate engine customers make when shopping for
the best Ford crate engine value is that they try to compare motor
combinations, performance numbers, and price to determine which offering
has the most value. It's confusing because one offering can use cheap
or inferior fasteners, gaskets, bearings, rings, valvetrain etc. that
wont show up on the "spec sheet" and seem like a bargain. On the other
hand, another offering might make "more power" and seem like the best
performer. But there is much more that goes into a Ford crate engine
besides a collection of parts, labor to machine and assemble them, and a
dyno sheet. The engine development process is the most important
factor of all and won't show up on a spec sheet or dyno chart.
The
development process is also where the most money is spent, before even
one motor is sold. You can have a great spec sheet or a great dyno
chart but if the motor isn't durable or if the parts are not matched
properly then what seemed like the best buy really isn't. What if that
cheap rocker arm or valve retainer fails 10,000 miles later? Who's
fault is it? The engine builder can torque everything down, pass all
the pressure checks during assembly, and make great power on a dyno
before shipment, but are those parts designed to work together in
harmony long after? That is why the most important part of your crate
engine is the development and testing that went into it. That is where
the true value of your Ford Racing crate engine is. Without it, your
potentially left with a dead motor, flashy spec sheet, impressive dyno
chart, scraped knuckles, and a light wallet.
All Ford Racing crate engines start as an idea. The Ford Racing
engineers begin with a horsepower target and the engine family for
hitting that target. Then, Ford Racing documents the components that
will likely achieve the targeted horsepower and meet the durability
requirements. This procedure is based on Ford Racing's years of
experience in the high performance crate engine building business. Many
formulas also support this process. Next, Ford Racing has one or more
development crate engines built and sent to the engine dynamometer lab
for break-in and testing. During dyno-testing, fuel distribution, best
cam timing and best ignition timing for maximizing horsepower and
torque are assessed. If target performance numbers are not met or can
be improved, then changes are made accordingly. Often times, different
carburetors, camshafts, intake manifolds and cylinder heads are
evaluated.
After the performance targets are reached,
the Ford crate engine is
run for durability. Durability testing is based on the market
application of the Ford crate engine. Various durability tests may be
run, sometimes as severe as 50 hours at wide open throttle, full power.
Others may be cycling tests where the Ford crate engine accelerates
from peak torque to peak power, then decelerates back to peak torque,
repeating this cycle for many hours. If something fails or shows
premature wear, then the development process
is started over. The weakness is resolved and durability testing
begins
again. Upon successful completion of
durability testing, the Ford crate engine package is released for
production. This work ensures that you get a Ford crate motor that
deserves to wear the Blue Oval.
Manufacturer level development
and testing is what makes Ford Racing crate engines inherently
different. From the very beginning, your Ford Racing crate engine was
not the result of a guy throwing together parts from a catalog, running
it for a few minutes to make a dyno sheet and then shipped to you. Your
FRPP crate engine was the result of a carefully followed engine
development program to work out all of the bugs and failures, identify
weaknesses and resolve them, and ultimately develop a motor that will do
what it is intended to do. Your typical machine shop or online
"bargain engine builder" does not have the OEM facilities, resources, or
knowledge to build quality Ford crate engines using this OEM
development approach. Only the Blue Oval can bring you this much real
value.
After development and testing are completed, the motor is
released to production. Your Ford Racing crate motor is assembled to
high quality standards and tolerances.
Ford Racing Crate Engine Assembly Process
At Ford Motor Company, "Quality
is Job 1" and that extends to every facet of the business, including
crate engines from Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP). Ford Racing
crate engines are built with quality components, undergo rigorous
testing both on a dyno and at the track, and are assembled to exacting
tolerances.
An FRPP
crate engine begins with many new components, including rods and
pistons, cylinder heads and the finest gaskets and seals available.
Only after everything has been assembled to Ford's strict standards
does an FRPP crate engine earn the right to wear the Ford oval.
To
help illustrate Ford Racing's commitment to excellence, we walked through
the crate engine assembly line to showcase some of the many steps that
FRPP engines go through to ensure that customers receive one of the
highest quality crate engines on the market.
Crankshafts are checked for proper journal dimensions, as well as run-out, taper and rotational eccentricity.
After the crank is polished, the surface is then checked to make sure that it meets or exceeds FRPP requirements.
The crate engine building process employs the very latest computercontrolled boring equipment.
Block decks are machined to ensure even height and parallelism, then the RA of the finished surface is checked.
Finish-honing is done by a computer-controlled cylinder hone using diamond stones; the final step is plateau honing.
To ensure accuracy, computerized checks of every 5th camshaft are done.
Every piston gets measured and weighed before they are put together in matched sets using strict tolerances.
To
ensure accuracy of compression ratios of the sealed crate
engines (M-6007-D347/M-6007-Z351S), combustion chamber
volumes are checked and corrected if necessary to achieve proper
specifications.
Connecting
rods are inspected to make sure they meet specifications. The bearing
bore is studied for taper, bore size and roundness. Weight is then
checked at the big and small end of the connecting rod and sets are
weight-matched.
After
engines are completely assembled, they are hot-tested (except
M-6007-X302/M-6007-X302E/M-6007-X302B/M-6007-Z427) to check the oil pressure and for water leaks.
The completed engines are run for approximately 20 minutes during this
process.
The
procedures highlighted above serve to illustrate the rigorous controls
that go into building FRPP's high-quality pushrod crate engines.
Slabside 289 Cobra 
