Looking For Advice On My Engine Build

[Dan93SVT]

Hello everyone this is my first post here and i was looking for some advice on my engine build. I own a 1993 Cobra and my goals for it are a weekend and nice weather driver thats has great street manners and moderate power, I'm not looking for a strip car and don't need a 7000rpm screamer. Im setting up the car with MM full length subframe connectors and MM 4 point k member brace and strut tower brace, I'm gonna use Bilstein shocks and struts, 3.55 gears, Moser 31 spline axles and eventually a Tremec TKO transmission. I want this car to be solid and reliable and now to the engine. I have been researching heads and I'm down to AFR 165s or 185s with me leaning towards the 185s, I also got it down to Scat 9000 series or forged rotating assembly in the 331 flavor, i know the cast is $700 cheaper and will handle my horsepower goals but i like the idea of forged for reliability. I plan on using my stock engine block but have been considering buying a Ford Racing Boss 302 block due to the weakness of the factory block, i also plan to have my cobra lower ported and keep the cobra upper as well, is this a bad idea with the AFR 185s and 331 cubes ? using stock block and ported cobra intake am i wasting my time with forged stroker kit and AFR 185s ? oh and the cam I'm looking at is the Comp XE274. What do you guys think about my combo ? i plan on ordering the heads and stroker kit this week should i flop down the extra $2,000 for a new block as well or am i going overkill for the power i want ? Sorry for the long winded post but i need advice

 

[mikestang63]

Welcome Dan. Your post is a little difficult to read and will probably get more response if you edit it a lttle.

The first thing to consider is what cam are you running, then build the motor around that, not the heads. Then you can pick the heads, springs, and other components. The 274 is a good cam but you will probably have to swap out the springs on the heads IMO for $50 more, call Ed Curtis and have him grind you a custom cam that is made for your exact setup. He will also recommend the right springs. The 185's may be too small for that combo, I'd look at the 205's or the TFS 205's.

That intake is going to be a choke point for that build. You are better off with a TFS R or Systemax II.

Second, what is your budget. That will determine what block and bottom end to go with. The stock block can handle 400-450 hp normally before reaching failure. I wouldn't bother investing in forged internals in a stock block. A Dart block would be a better choice than the boss block IMO. I would also go 347 as it's the same price as building a 331 and you'll have the extra cubes. I'm sure others will have their own opinions as well.

I wouldn't order anything until you speak with Ed, Woody at Ford Strokers, or Mark Oneal at CHP. Any of them can provide you with excellent advice and sell quality parts.

 

[Dan93SVT]

Thanks for the reply, I'm by no means rich but i don't mind spending extra to do it right the first time, I'm just worried i do not need forged internals and AFR 185s for my horsepower goals of around 400hp to the crank i can use that money elsewhere like transmission, rear end.

I only want to spin the engine to 6,000rpm and i thought the intakes you mentioned are more for higher up in the power band range but i could be mistaken

Thanks for the tip on the cam i will look into it
I thought about 331 vs 347 and decided i wanted a powerful street 331, if i wanted to go 347 i would skip it and find a 94-96 351w roller block and make a 408 out of it

Ive heard really good things about Dart blocks and their price reflexs that they are not cheap

 

[Dan93SVT]

I got it figured out now I'm gonna build a mild combo with GT40x heads and Cobra intake and have the heads and lower intake ported and use the Comp XE274 and Scat cast 331 stroker kit and with the $ saved I'm gonna look for a 90-93 notchback to make a 351w based stroker with

 

[Dan93SVT]

Man everything I've read about the GT40xs heads has been horrible i only considered them due to matching up with the intake but I'm set now on replacing the GT40x heads with AFR 185s and look for a new intake i will save money with the cast vs forged kit and use the stock block. What is a good intake that matches up well with the AFR 185 heads ?

 

[toyman]

How about just a supercharger and tune and call it a day.

 

[Grabbin' Asphalt]

Gonna build me a reliable street torque 363 machine, probably keep the rpms around 6200 at most, keeping my ported cobra upper & lower too ....for now.

 

[85rkyboby]

Gonna build me a reliable street torque 363 machine, probably keep the rpms around 6200 at most, keeping my ported cobra upper & lower too

x's 2 on the 363. Don't see them often, I guess its because Dart.

 

[Grabbin' Asphalt]

x's 2 on the 363. Don't see them often, I guess its because Dart.

Gonna get the bottom done, with 190 11R and top it off with a cobra....lol
should make tons of torque

 

[85rkyboby]

Gonna get the bottom done, 190 11R and top it off with a cobra....lol
should make tons of torque

Have you started the build? Sounds great. Just waiting to sell my blower to help fund the block.

 

[Grabbin' Asphalt]

Have you started the build? Sounds great. Just waiting to sell my blower to help fund the block.

Not trying to high jack this guys build, BUT since you asked, ....meeting the dude thursday about this GUY!!!!

 

[85rkyboby]

@Grabbin' Asphalt That's awesome! Got to keep me updated on the build and possibly a ride along when it's finished .

 

[Grabbin' Asphalt]

@Grabbin' Asphalt That's awesome! Got to keep me updated on the build and possibly a ride along when it's finished .

Hell yeah man i see you in the south side, cool for sure. My build will be a street torquer and probably p!ss some guys off cause I'm not gonna max it out or go to the top end potential, but I can add a s/c when I want and change it up after the dart n/a build is over anyways

 

[Killa]

@Grabbin' Asphalt That's awesome! Got to keep me updated on the build and possibly a ride along when it's finished .

swing by my place and pick me up too.

 

[Grabbin' Asphalt]

swing by my place and pick me up too.

Sure Lmao!!! ...you in the ATL too???

 

[Killa]

Sure Lmao!!! ...you in the ATL too???

I wish lol

 

[85rkyboby]

Hell yeah man i see you in the south side, cool for sure. My build will be a street torquer and probably p!ss some guys off cause I'm not gonna max it out or go to the top end potential, but I can add a s/c when I want and change it up after the dart n/a build is over anyways

No doubt, there's always someone finding something to complain about it. Hey, I got a little roots blower you can throw on there. Talk about traction, haha.

 

[Grabbin' Asphalt]

No doubt, there's always someone finding something to complain about it. Hey, I got a little roots blower you can throw on there. Talk about traction, haha.

I won't have any