I've seen reference to Steve Christ's FE book in a number of posts on this forum. There is other FE information available, so I just thought I'd share with you the tech data I've used in regards to FEs:

How To Rebuild Your Big-Block Ford
Steve Christ
HP Books
-excellent source of information

Amazon.com: How To Rebuild BIG-BLOCK FORD ENGINES: Steve Christ: Books

Ford Performance
Pat Ganahl
S-A Design Books
-Covers 4 Ford engine families, but good section on FE's with a srtandard rebuild and cammer rebuild documented

Amazon.com: Ford Performance (Ford): Pat Ganahl: Books

Muscle Car & Hi-Po Engines: Ford Big Block
Articles from Hot Rod magazine
Brooklands Books
-Very good tuning and modification information. A few articles on the 429/460 series, but mostly FE

Musclecar & Hi Po Ford Ford Big Block - Motorbase Shop - Motorbase

High Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange
George Reid
S-A Design Books
-Seems like a good source of info, but I have heard pointed criticism about this book. I'm not expert enough to know what's wrong with it.

Amazon.com: High-Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange (S-a Design): George Reid: Books


Hi-Per Parts
Ford Autolite
Reprint
-Excellent information on what Ford offered fro hop-up parts. Performance blue-print specs for 428 and 427

Hi-Per Ford Parts

1966 Ford, Meteor and Mercury Shop Manual
Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd.
-1.5" think and an absoute gem of a find. Covers all stock FE info, torque specs, dual holley's, etc. Unbelievingly, the link below shows it available on CD.

1966 Mercury Comet, Ford Falcon, Fairlane and Mustang Shop Manuals

Ford Engine Overhaul Manual
Haynes
#1763
-dont' waste you money. It says it covers 360, 390 and 428, but I have yet to see where. Seems written around the small blocks

Amazon.com: Haynes Ford Engine Overhaul Manual (Haynes Manuals): John Haynes: Books

So....that's what I have that concerns the FE. Perhaps others may want to add to the list.

 

Well I havent read any of the books yet? "maybe thats my problem" But as with all books your going to get there Perspective and Part number That my not be right! I personally have not seen a 100% accurate book in my life.... But From what I have heard Steve's is as close to any and much better than most...

He also give you Hot Rodding Tips and other thing some books wont or dont go into...But If your building a Number correct build...Number's Dummy and FFR28 have all the skinny on that....they have the referance books to give the exact part number from FOMOCO themselves !!

I wish I had the referance guides them Boys have got....But as with everything it all comes with a price...As the Old saying goes....Ya have to pay the cost to be the Boss!!

RJ

 

There's no such thing as a number correct build, because numbers matching is a GM thing.

Ford didn't begin stamping VIN's on mechanical (and myriad other) parts till the late 1980's, when it became a Gov't mandated law to do so.

When Hot Rod Magazine circa 1970 began offering several HiPo Ford engine books, they went to Beverly Hills Ford in 1969 to get all the info because BHF was authorized by FoMoCo as a Muscle Parts Dealer. Back then, dealers had to sign up to sell these parts.

The front counterman (Ron Koontz) was a whiz on Hipo parts, so between him and myself, who was the back (shop) parts counterman, we provided Hot Rod with all the dope from Ford, and the new Muscle Parts Catalogs that were first offered that year.

We were supposed to proof read all the info before the books were printed, but that wasn't done, because Hot Rod never got back to us.

The books came out and were full of errors with casting numbers listed as part numbers, and vice versa. Some FE part numbers were listed for 302's, it was a FRIGGEN MESS.

Much of that same info from those early Hot Rod books has been taken as GOSPEL, and copied over and over again.

I have no Muscle Parts Catalogs, but I do have the original Genuine Ford HiPo Parts Catalogs that cover 1961/68.

If y'all think it would be worth scanning and posting this info from these early Ford HiPo catalogs and adding it to this forum as a sticky, I'll contact IB Adrian, and ask him if he'll do this.

 

Shoot Bill, If that could be done without to much hassle... I think it would be great!! I would think by now we would be past any Copyright infringements ??

RJ

 

Actually, I made this post with the thoughts of providing sources of info concerning FE specifications, modifications, building tips, etc,....."not" necessarily P/Ns.

Why? Well, for one, casting #s might be interesting, but don't always tell very much. For example, a certain block casting number, can come with different machined bores, wall thickness, etc. (oops.....I hope that was a good example......chuckle)

And two, I, for one, am not interested in many of the Ford P/Ns. For example, I'd never consider putting a Ford cam in an FE(if I could even buy one anymore). I'd go to Crane, Comp Cams, etc. Same with exhaust manifolds....I'd use headers. However, if I had a classic I was trying to keep "period correct", I guess I might try to keep the parts that "show" original.

Prior to the internet, sources such as the ones I listed, were all I had to help me with my FE project. They may not contain all the info that is available from the expertise on this forum, but I believe they can still help.

Personally, if I start spending a few thousand (or more) on building an FE, I feel a few $20 books are a good investment.

 

Hey Bill that's pretty cool you were involved in the Muscle Parts Catalog project!!! I never knew that. It would be cool if the 61-68 HIPO catalog could be scanned and viewed online. That's a great idea if you can make it happen.

 

Since I was strictly a back parts (mechanics and body shop) counterman, I didn't get involved with selling Muscle Parts.

The front parts counterman (Ron) handled all the Muscle Parts sales.

I was only involved with providing Hot Rod Magazine with the specs, because Ron couldn't do this all by himself, and the old phart parts manager wanted nothing to do with it.

We had to do this on our own time, because Beverly Hills Ford wasn't paid by Hot Rod, and neither were we (so what else is new?).

These early FoMoCo HiPo parts catalogs show far more than part numbers, all of which are as obsolete as the dodo bird.

So the only thing the part numbers will do, is show what was available back then. There are lots of pics of these parts, too. Ever see a Weber set up for a 289? Prolly not.

It's FYI only and makes for interesting reading.

IB Adrian is a member of the SoCal/Hawaii Chapter and has come to several GTG's. We've recently discussed scanning and posting dozens upon dozens of parts catalog illustrations that cover 1948 thru 1979 trucks, and making them stickies for the appropriate forums.

The illustrations will cover everything from brakes to sheet metal, steering columns to mouldings.

While parts catalogs are available (cheap) on CD's, prolly 99% of the members here don't have one, and are constantly asking for illustrations.

 

That's pretty interesting Bill. Cool to know the background history on the Muscle Parts Catalog. I think the early HIPO catalog would make for some good reading. Even tho the parts for the most part are long gone. It's fun to drool over all the old performance goodies from times past. Yep I've seen a Cobra 289 Weber setup before. Jim Inglese used to have his shop here back in the 80's. And the last SAAC meet here years ago in CT brought out some interesting old iron from the past at Limerock Park. Had to LOL at the guy who gold plated his Webers. Money to burn I suppose. Wow.

 

Back in the early 1980's, on one of my parts scrounging trips thru Norcal, I stopped at a small town Ford dealer north of Redding. In a dusty display case in the parts dept was a complete NOS Weber set up, carbs, log manifold, all the linkage. I asked the manager about it, he said it had been there for years, would I like to buy it?

You know what my answer was, and the price I paid was peanuts (100 bucks which the p/m stuffed in his pocket).

I sold it to a Shelby nut for 5 big ones and was later told that was waaay too cheap. Oh well...

 

Dont see why it cant be done. These guys ask straight out to have stuff submitted just for that reason. Copywrite wise I dunno but if you aren't the one with the final hand in the upload to server for public preview then ?

Site Index - The Old Car Manual Project - Custom Car Covers & Car Cover Accessories

 

Wow. That is something. Imagine what that would sell for today. Aftermarket Weber systems by Inglese are like $4500 for the SBF. 48 IDA's on a aftermarket intake. The Cobra/Shelby setup would easily be double I'd think. Maybe more?

 

Your Right B. I think as long as they are not copied and sold for profit there is not much harm. I have to wonder about all the copied reprints of things people sell on ebay sometimes. And any CR infringement issues. But otherwise all that stuff is a very good read.

 

As a matter of fact I have. It was in a Mustang and the lap times were slower with it than with the single 4V. Out at the old Riverside Raceway. Don't ask me what year, but it was 1968, 1970 or 71 because I wasn't there any other time.

 

March AFB, old B47 and B52 base.

 

B-52s, KC-135s, C-119s and a single VC-97 (cargo version of the B-29 all duded up as a passenger plane) belonging to a 4 Star General. You ever seen a polished aluminum airplane? Be a bad boy and you got to polish airplane in whatever spare time they allowed you. B-47s were all mothballed by the mid 60s.