FE design questions...

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Mar 9, 2004 | 09:18 AM

hifiwasabi

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From: London, Ontario

FE design questions...

Howdy boys,
I've always wondered wht the FE engine has the pushrods coming through the intake and why the intake gets partly covered up by the valve covers when mated to the heads. Is is something to do with inherent strength or durability or what?

Sean

Mar 9, 2004 | 09:56 AM

RapidRuss

FE "Freakin Expensive"

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From: Smith Mountain Lake, VA

LOL!! I think the Blue Prints were drawn up on a friday!!

After the engineers had a 2 Martini + Lunch!!

Just to confuse us Gear Heads?? LOL!! Russ

Mar 9, 2004 | 03:24 PM

Randyb12

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From: Eureka, Ca.

I have no idea why they did it that way. It is a pain in the neck.I think it is just a old design that had more to do with the casting of the cyl head than any strengh gains.

Mar 10, 2004 | 04:25 AM

jowilker

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From: Creedmoor, North Carolina

And just think, one of the most sought after engines in the world, the 427 side oiler is in that group.

John

Mar 10, 2004 | 06:22 AM

tomw

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From: suburban atlanta

Well, they weren't certain that the intake weighed enough.... so they made it as big as they could..

tom

Mar 10, 2004 | 01:59 PM

scroob

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People always talk about the weight of the intake, forgetting that the heads are lighter than others because half of them are on the intake. So, the combined weight of intake and heads isn't any more than any other engine.

Now, when you need to pull the intake, it DOES make a big difference.

Look at it as an advantage - you can dump more weight on an FE than any other engine by using an aluminum intake.

Mar 11, 2004 | 06:31 AM

tomw

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From: suburban atlanta

Maybe they were trying to save weight overall, as the FE was the first engine that didn't have a valley cover and intake that you could see through. They were trying to integrate the manifold 'into' the engine a'la the 265/283 of their major competitor. Just thinking out loud. This would also allow them to control better (?) using water flow and heat flow from intake to head or vice-versa the temp of the intake air...?
AND the major feature.. They could lower the hood, as in the '58 T-bird. The 312 368 manifold was just too high.. and if they integrate it with the heads/block, it can be lower, and allow lower hoods. Probably, some designer said that he needed 1.5" lower air cleaner height, and they had alread spread the air cleaner around the carb and dropped it as far as they could... so they had to lower the intake, and .. and .. so it was.
tom

Last edited by tomw; Mar 11, 2004 at 06:35 AM.