Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Seems like wrenching on a car and building a fun drag car is no longer a youth endeavor. Sidetracked with "virtual reality", video gaming, online gambling, and too busy with ones own online identity to waste time on cars. Glad I was born in the 60's. What an awesome time many had in the 50...

I still think your intake manifold is the choke/cork in the bottle. Get that correctly sized and you will see gains. Your cubic inches and peak RPM is way, way beyond what those old tunnel rams were designed/sized for. The bigger the cam, the higher the potential RPM peak - provided there is not a c...

I don't think either of the Erson cams are all that aggressive.
You could certainly ask Erson - as they would know.
Anyhow, hotrodding is supposed to be fun - go out and try things (as you have done).
Sometimes the "internet experts" are wrong.

Good luck!!

Is that Weiand tunnel ram OTB? Not ported? I would be measuring the intake plenum CSA and port exit CSA. Some of those older tunnel rams need a fair bit of help with a grinder to make them work with large cubic inches and rpm. Some had smaller CSA in the plenum than at port exit. Measuring the CSA a...

What was peak HP RPM with the old cam?
How high are you spinning the 555?
Is the tunnel ram modified?

I have followed this deal for a long time!
Good luck.

I thought the wide LSA of LS camshafts was in part due to adj cam timing (phaser)?
I could be wrong.

One must also be careful with the pushrod.
The top will use a 3/8 ball (standard with factory FE non adj rockers)
The hydro roller lifters will use a 5/16" ball end - to work with the hydro roller lifter.

Has the tunnel ram been ported? Or just as cast? Have you measured the plenum entry CSA for the ports? Also the CSA as one goes further into the port towards the head? To me intake manifold CSA mapping important and often overlooked. Many old school manifolds had reverse taper. Just something to loo...

Very cool "old" engines. I had some experience working on an old IMSA Fiero. 2.7 liter SD pontiac engine with high port aluminum heads. Ultradyne solid roller, Jessel shaft rockers I recall. Used large side draft 50mm weber carbs. Ran very well. A few years later went to Cosworth Racing in...

Aussie Ford six is a Barra. I believe rocker ratio is 2.04:1 https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Ym-kkFe4Vo_YoOt8T4VkegHaE8%26pid%3DApi&f=1 https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-tech/an-australian-in-the-states-building-a-ford-barra-in-the-u-s/

Flatheads look and sound fantastic.
Brother built one for a customer a few years ago.
Break in stand looked good too.

The C1AE-6090-A heads are garden variety 1961 to 1963 352 390 castings. They are not medium riser heads. Found them at a scrap year in the 1980's - there were shelves of different FE heads to chose from. I think $25.00 each. The reason for using the 3/8" stem valves is the bronze guide liners i...

http://mustangtek.com/heads/images/C1AE-6090-A_04.jpg http://mustangtek.com/heads/images/C1AE-6090-A_09.jpg from http://mustangtek.com/heads/C1AE-6090-A.html I could take a picture of my heads also - same C1AE-6090-A. 1961 suffix and 6090 cylinder head number. I would guess that you managed Ford pa...

C1AE-6090-A heads.

An intake manifold could have C1AE suffix, but the identifying part number is the second set - 6090 is heads, 9425 is intake manifold etc..
Last letter is revision.

My dad was a Ford mechanic for 30+ years. I learned plenty from him.

Thank you Walter.
How much taper? I am not sure what taper cam grinders use these days. 1 degree?
I am wanting to get the FE back in my car (original short block)