Words and Photos By Richard Holdener
What is the single biggest obstacle standing in the way of our dream build? The obvious answer is cost, as a cost-no-object build could include the very best of everything. Maybe a better question is what are some of the other obstacles standing in the way of a more realistic build? Often, we, or more accurately our lack of patience, are our own worst enemy when it comes to building a performance engine. In the never-ending quest for instant gratification, we only plan for our immediate needs. How often do we settle for something good right now when, with a little preparation and patience, we can have something great down the line? It is with this in mind that we made a conscious choice between simply rebuilding a 5.0L Ford or actually building one. Whether it is destined for a Fox Mustang, Bronco or some early classic Ford, the concepts are the same. Do we do settle for something mild now or plan for having something wild later down the line?
Since the introduction of the 5.0L, parts availability increased dramatically for Ford owners, while cost simultaneously dropped. Such is the benefit of a huge marketplace with plenty of competition. The upshot of the massive market is that it is often as inexpensive to build something stout as it is to build something stock. It is with this simple understanding we decided to build, as opposed to rebuild our tired 5.0L.
Starting with a stock 5.0L block, we stuffed it with an inexpensive stroker kit featuring components from Speedmaster and Probe Racing. To keep costs down, we chose a cast Scat stroker crank (3.25-inch) teamed with a set of forged 5.4-inch rods and forged aluminum, flat-top pistons. The 0.030-over forged pistons from Probe Racing featured dedicated Twisted Wedge valve reliefs for plenty of piston-to-valve clearance should we elect to step up in cam timing in the future (already thinking ahead). Despite the cast crank, the forged internals from Speedmaster and Probe insured a solid foundation for our stroker should we elect to run boost in the (very near) future. Always think ahead!
At this point, it is possible to simply install the stock 5.0L top end and call it a day. This route will indeed save some money, while providing you extra grunt offered by the increased displacement. When funds become available, you can always add a more aggressive cam profile, ported heads, and a trick intake. Proper preparation has provided the opportunity for this combination to grow with your needs and cash flow. To illustrate what happens when that time comes, we stepped into the old time machine and H.G Wells-ed ourselves to the future when funds were sufficient.
The first step was to augment the stroker with some much needed cam timing. For our stroker, we chose a powerful (yet streetable) profile that has worked wonders in the past. Right off the shelf, the COMP Xtreme Energy XE274HR offered a .555/.565 lift split, a 224/232-degree duration split, and a 112-degree lobe separation angle. It works well even with stock heads (with a spring upgrade), but naturally, we planned on ditching the E7TE heads in favor of something with both less weight and more flow.
To take full advantage of the additional cam lift and rpm potential, we installed a set of Trick Flow, Twisted Wedge, Track Heat cylinder heads. The 185cc heads offered exceptional intake flow numbers, peaking at a hair over 300 cfm at .600 lift. Credit the patented Twisted Wedge combustion chamber, a 2.02/1.60 valve combination and full CNC porting. Looking into the future, we saw the distinct possibility of forced induction. To ensure adequate head gasket sealing, we installed Fel Pro 1011-2 head gaskets secured by ARP 7/16ths head studs. Naturally, there were less expensive aluminum heads on the market, but we scrimped and saved our pennies in order to buy the good stuff for this build. We liked the fact the Trick Flow heads were capable of supporting over 600 hp in normally aspirated rim, meaning they were more than adequate for our mild 331 application. These 185 heads could easily be applied to a 392, or even 408 stroker with excellent results. The heads were supplied by Trick Flow with a valve spring package designed for a hydraulic roller cam application (up to .600 lift).
The final member of the big three was the induction system. What better intake could we select to work with our TFS heads than something from TFS? While a (long-runner) Track Heat would offer slightly more low-speed torque, we opted for the Box R upper and lower manifold. This also allowed us to run a massive 90mm Accufab throttle body. The intake was set up with a set of 36-pound injectors, but larger squirters can easily be installed if the need arises. The injectors were controlled by a FAST XFI/XIM management system and teamed with a set of Hooker headers, TCI Rattler balancer, and MSD billet distributor.
After tuning, we coaxed peak numbers of 449 hp at 6,300 rpm and 419 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 rpm. The extra displacement (compared to a 302) offered plenty of extra torque, but what really made this build worthwhile is we were all set for boost down the road. We are excited about the prospect of adding a blower or turbo to our stroker, but know the stock 5.0L block will quickly become the limiting factor. Maybe we should have thought of that before we started! There is always something.
Sources: ARP, Arp-bolts.com; COMP Cams, compcams.com; FAST, fuelairspark.com; Holley/Hooker/NOS, holley.com; MSD, Msdignition.com; Scat, scatcrankshafts.com; Speedmaster, Speedmaster79.com; Trick Flow Specialties, trickflow.com