Check out the printable instruction sheet.

You can visit the Lock-In-Tool website here.

 




UPDATE: Another great option for engine builders is another new tool available called SURE-Lox that we wanted to let you know about. While the Lock-In-Tool is definitely the best thing going when it comes to installing spiral locks, the SURE-Lox tool uses a special style wire lock and a unique tool that allows you to quickly install and remove locks with very little chance of damaging either the piston or yourself. Currently, CP is already offering the SURE-Lox design as an option for their pistons, and other manufacturers will be coming online soon. We’re so impressed with SURE-Lox that we’ve asked them to come on as marketing partners with the site. We plan to use the new Sure-Lox from Kramm-Lox in some upcoming engine builds soon, but if you are interested you can also check out the Kramm-Lox website here.

But the rest of us normal folks still building and working with the Windsor V8 platform, it is still some very cool technology. Roush Yates recognizes this and has been very successful translating the engine building expertise it has developed over the years in the Cup series to forms of racing. It is also making parts available to the general masses that just a few years ago were unavailable anywhere. One such item is the dry timing belt system it developed in-house for Cup competition. By replacing the traditional chain with a cogged belt, the system is more durable, absorbs harmonics from the crank to make valve and ignition timing more stable and is more energy efficient. It is, in fact, still in use in the Nationwide and Truck Series.

This system has proven popular with competitors in other stock car racing series, dirt racers, drag racers, marine engine builders and even hot rodders (you’ve got to admit the exposed belt just plain looks cool). Here, Roush Yates Engine’s own Nick Ramey shows the proper way to install the front drive kit on a block that will eventually show up in off-road truck racing.

For more information you can check out the Roush Yates Parts info on the timing kit here.

In order to help this blue pony stand out from the crowd we’re installing a pair of Comp Cams Thumpr Cams. These cams offer the best of both worlds: they have a great sound and make more power too. We installed these cams at the Pro-Dyno shops in Fort Mill, SC, and were done before lunch, and it’s a job that can be handled by just about anyone with a fair amount of mechanical know-how. The Stage One cams are designed to work with the stock valvesprings, so we didn’t change ‘em. But if you are looking for a little more grunt, Comp offers options that are more aggressive and valvesprings to match. And except for swapping out the springs, the process is the same.

Special thanks to Pro Dyno.

Check out the Printable Instruction Sheet.

So with the help of Dart I got the chance to test the theory. Dart provided a pair of new Iron Eagle cylinder head castings. They can be had for less than $1200 fully assembled with valves, springs, retainers, locks, guides and rocker studs. With the help of race engine building outfit Automotive Specialists,we machined the Chevy heads to get them back up to spec and tracked the costs. Once they were ready we also compared the performance of the two sets of heads on both the flow bench and on the dyno.

Given the improved casting quality and improved designs of the ports and combustion chambers, we figured the new Iron Eagles would win on power. But there was also a surprise when we added up the cost per horsepower ratio. Check it all out in the video and let us know what you think.

Check out the Dart website for more information on their Iron Eagle heads.
View the Flow Bench Test Sheet as well as the Engine Dyno Test Results.

When it comes to building lots of horsepower with power-adders, there are some people that are firmly devoted to superchargers with tons of torque and on-demand power. On the other side are the fans of turbos with their greater efficiency despite a little lag.

And then there are the freaks that have decided the only way to get the best of both worlds is to use both on the same engine. One of those freaks—and we mean that in the best way—is Hellion Power Systems, which has developed a kit that allows you to easily add twin superchargers to 2007 through 2009 supercharged Ford Mustangs.

Hellion’s twin turbo kit is the first produced in the United States for the Mustangs and works with either the factory supercharger, aftermarket superchargers or no supercharger at all with an optional sheetmetal intake. The idea of adding a turbo—or two turbos as is the case here—is called compound boost and it creates the best of both worlds. To get the same power you could just crank up the boost on a supercharger, but then you’re talking about a lot of horsepower wasted to spin the supercharger and you are also creating a lot of heat. You could also do the same thing with turbos, but making big power often means big turbos and that usually means the appearance of dreaded turbo lag.

One of the best features of the Hellion twin turbo kit is it is completely bolt on. It’s not only easy to install, it’s also easily removed. That’s why Scott Derrickson, the owner of Extreme Mustangs, decided to install the kit on his own car. Derrickson drives a 2009 Shelby Cobra. The car is not only valuable now, but it likely will only grow in value in the future. The Hellion kit doesn’t require chopping up the car, so if Derrickson ever wants to return the Shelby to its original stock form, all that’s required is to unbolt the components and reinstall the cats.

Another part of this kit that really caught our fancy is it is completely out of sight. Both turbos mount up approximately level with the frame rails. A quick glance under the hood reveals nothing, making this twin turbo kit a real sleeper. If you are the kind of guy, or girl, that prefers to talk softly but carry a big (horsepower) stick, this will definitely get your interest. After installation, Derrickson took the car to Pro-Dyno for tuning and they were able to safely crank out 741 horsepower and 743 lb/ft of torque from this combination at 17 pounds of total boost.

Download the Resource List for this build.

Download the printable Dyno Sheet for this build.

Photo 01—The subject for this install is the Extreme Mustangs house car, a 2009 Shelby Cobra. Definitely a nice car to begin with, and a monster when you add twin turbos to the already supercharged engine.

Photo 02—There is a lot more included in the kit than this, but the foundation of the system are the two Turbonetics 61mm turbos, two Turbosmart Ultragate waste gates, and the TurboXS Race bypass valve.

Photo 03—The foundation for this project is Ford’s four-valve supercharged Modular engine. Derrickson has already added a cold-air intake, which will be removed in favor of the turbo system.

Photo 04—The first step is to remove the exhaust system from the catalytic converters on back. Having a lift like this does make life a lot easier, but you can perform this install in your driveway with your car on jack stands just as well.

Photo 05—After pulling the oxygen sensors, measure 10 inches back from the weld on the cats and cut them off. This space will be filled by the turbos. Now the rest of the exhaust can be reinstalled with the flanges supplied by Hellion.

Photo 06—Here’s a shot of how all the exhaust plumbing bolts up ready for the turbos. Notice the O2 sensors have been reinstalled.

Photo 07—You will need to remove the oil pressure sending unit, which is located next to the oil filter, and install the oil distribution block in its place. The lines from the distribution block will feed the turbos.

Photo 08—This is the scavenge pump assembly that pulls the oil from the turbos. It uses a bracket that allows it to be installed against the K-member.

Photo 09—The turbos Hellion spec’ed out for this kit are twin 61 mm units from Turbonetics which should provide both plenty of power and trouble-free durability.

Photo 10—Loosen all the bolts around the turbo’s exhaust and compressor housings and install it on the car. Now clock the turbo so that the oil drain flange is on the bottom of the turbo and pointed toward the center of the car.

Photo 11—Before everything is tightened down, make sure the boost tubes match up properly.

Photo 12—Silicone sleeves between the turbo outlet and the boost tube helps eliminate cracking and wear from vibrations.

Photo 13—Once everything is situated correctly, Derickson tightens down all the bolts.

Photo 14—Greg Troutman hooks up the oil feed lines to the top of the turbos and the return lines to the bottom. It’s always a good idea to keep the lengths of the two return lines as close to equal as possible to make sure the pump pulls from both turbos equally.

Photo 15—Both turbos have been installed with the oil return lines routed toward the pump. Notice how they tuck up cleanly underneath the car so that they are safe from speed bumps and other road hazards.

Photo 16—Here’s how the return lines plumb up to the pump. That large diameter hose you see above the lines is the intake feeding the turbo. A filter will be added later.

Photo 17—Both turbos are fed air through K&N filters that are hidden up out of the way so that they won’t pull water if you have to drive through large, or deep, water puddles.

Photo 18—The waste gates are installed along with the supplied vacuum lines from the waste gates to the fittings on the compressor side of the turbos.

Photo 19—Derrickson routes the supplied boost tubes through to the top side of the car where it can feed the supercharger.

Photo 20—Up top this oil return block installs on the valvecover and allows a return inlet for the oil from the scavenge pump.

Photo 21—On the other side, the supplied K&N breather is installed on the valvecover.

Photo 22—Hellion also includes a set of turbo-ready NGK spark plugs. Before installation, Derickson makes sure each is precisely gapped to 0.030 of an inch.

Photo 23—The blow-off valve attaches to a port on the boost tube just before the supercharger.

Photo 24—The Hellion system uses its own fuse pack. Derickson installs it on top of the Ford’s fuse box.

Photo 25—Derickson also added a Greddy boost controller to allow easy tuning adjustments.

Photo 26—The added boost of the twin turbos will peg the stock boost meter, so a Mafia boost extender is also added.

Photo 27—This idiot light is provided by Hellion and is wired to warn you in case the scavenge pump fails.

Photo 28—After checking back over everything, Derickson uses an SCT tuner to put a mild tune on the engine so that he can safely drive the car to the chassis dyno for a more aggressive tune.

Photo 29—The finished install, and it was definitely worth the trouble. After tuning the system puts out 741 horsepower and 744 lb/ft of torque at the rear wheels.

The invention is called the “Pressure Differential Valve,” and its purpose is to provide engine builders and cylinder head specialists with pure flow numbers through the cylinder head with the valve in place. Previously, to measure flow through specific areas of a port required inserting a pitot tube into the flow path, which changes the amount of flow as soon as it is inserted into the port–corrupting the data you are working so hard to gather.

To get a more accurate reading of how air acts as it flows through the port, inventor Rick Touchette actually put the pitot tube inside the valve. To state it a little too simply, the device is essentially a valve with a port cut through it. Now you have a tool that allows you to gather a complete picture of flow patterns in the combustion chamber at practically any angle, 360 degrees around the face of the valve, and at any valve lift.

Possibly the best part of the Pressure Differential Valve and the software that Touchette has developed to go with it is the fact that this new tool was developed by guy in his shop looking to solve a real problem. Touchette is a longtime engine builder and cylinder head specialist, and he developed this system because he simply got tired of the limitations of doing things the old way. I got my first look at this new tool when working with Touchette on a magazine story and thought it deserved a more detailed look here.

In Part One we take a look at what the Pressure Differential Valve is and how it works. That’s the video up top.

Part Two

Now it’s time to have a little fun. We put this new device to the test and compare the flow patterns of a stock cylinder head to a CNC ported head from cylinder head specialist Racing Head Service to see if the upgraded hardware really is worth the money.

Visit RTS Tooling, the maker of the Pressure Differential Valve.

Check out the Printable Instruction Sheet as well as our Resources List.

As a sort of follow-up, the magazine allowed me to take up the same 500-for-$5,000 challenge with a bit of a twist. Instead of going for the safe bet, I started with a 400 Ford. The idea was that since nobody gives the old 400 any respect, you can find a block and crankshaft dirt cheap. That gives you more cubes for less money compared to a SBC, and hopefully a leg up right out of the gate.

I got this one out of a junked F100 pickup for free, but for the magazine we started with a figure of $125. The secret weapon in this build was a pair of aluminum Edelbrock Performer RPM 351C heads. An update on Ford’s great Cleveland heads, Edelbrock’s Performers feature signifcantly improved chambers and ports over the stock heads, besides being about half the weight than the origianl cast-iron pigs. Edelbrock also makes a dual-plane intake for this block and head combination, and that was used as well.

But from there things got more difficult. That’s because the 351M and 400 engine family enjoys almost zero aftermarket support. I partnered with KT Engine Development for the build, and we did a lot of head scratching to find parts on the cheap that would help us hit the horsepower goal. We ended up going with a set of K1 connecting rods with a 6.300 inch length for a big block Chevy and matched them with eight KB hypereutectic pistons for a 340 Dodge because the compression distance was what we were looking for. Custom slugs would have been much preferrable, but we couldn’t afford them under our five-grand budget.

Because the 400 rarely gets any love from performance enthusiasts and because we built it with a variety of parts for different makes, we ended up naming this engine “The Mutt,” and the subsequent article that ran in Hot Rod was headlined the same. We ended up getting an OK 504 horsepower out of it, but what was really impressive was the incredibly flat torque curve that started out at 560 lb/ft at 3,800 rpm and didn’t drop below 500 until 5,400 rpm. Peak torque clocked in at a whopping 565 lb/ft. But we did, however, exceed our five-grand budget by a few hundred–and that’s not counting the new valve covers you see in the photos.

Below is a short video of the dyno session at KT Engine development when we were finishing up this motor. It sounds great and has never been seen before, so I thought I’d include it here. I believe the dual-plane intake was great for torque but really choked off the air flow beyond about 5,500 rpm. One of my regrets with this build is we didn’t have the time or money to try a single plane intake, which I think would have produced a big jump in peak horsepower.

This engine is still sitting in a corner of my shop, and I’ve been pondering using those fantastic heads on a Windsor block for a future build. It probably won’t have this engine’s 431 cubic inches of displacement, but with the right selection of parts it should come close to matching the horsepower numbers, if not the torque. And a Windsor won’t have the same bellhousing and engine bay fitment problems the primarily truck-based 400 will have when trying to squeeze it into a car. So what do you think? How should we build out our upcoming Windsor and Cleveland mix? (Clevor in Fordspeak.) Let us know in the comments, or the forums, and we’ll try to work ‘em into the build. 

 
If you’re interested, you can check out the original Hot Rod article here.

Here’s the dyno sheet showing the Kansas-flat torque curve:

And here are more photos from the original build:

[Show as slideshow]

Best of all, there’s nothing exotic in this build. Original 409 heads may be impossible to find, but the rarest component of this build is the 348 cast iron block, which is still easy to locate and fairly affordable. Everything else is right off the shelf, and we’re showing you all of it so you can reproduce this beast from water pump to flywheel if you like.

In the first part (above) we start by detailing our plans and the short block buildup.

Part Two

Finishing up the engine build including cylinder heads, valvetrain, and the sweet dual-quad induction system.

Part Three

Finally, it’s time to have some fun. The engine is finished and we get the opportunity to hear a wide-open-throttle run on the engine dyno.

Please don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks

View the downloadable dyno sheet.

And if you enjoyed that, check out this turbo Buick engine build video:

Printable Dyno Sheet

Printable Instruction Sheet

Parts List & Resources