Just about ready for the dyno,...
Just about ready for the dyno, our 545-inch Ford looks almost stock thanks to the painted Weiand manifold, Ford Racing and Performance Parts SCJ heads, and Edelbrock water pump. We’ll be using FAST EZ-EFI to supply the fuel.
Over more years than we care to count, our 460-powered ’73 Ford has served us well, but time and an odometer that has spun all the way around several times have taken their toll. Considering how long we’d been flogging the F-350 and the number of miles racked up with the bed full and an obscene amount of weight hooked to the rear bumper, we’ve got nothing to complain about. However, the time had come to replace the truck or rebuild it—we chose the latter.
To turn our tired truck into the Hot Rod Hauler we envisioned, some chassis and cosmetic enhancements were added and an E4OD overdrive automatic from Gearstar was installed—now we’re putting the finishing touches on a freshened 460. Bored .030-inch oversize and stuffed with a ½-inch stroker crank, the result is a bigger big-block—a 545-inch powerplant for our Hot Rod Hauler.
The heart of the Eagle 545...
The heart of the Eagle 545 kit is a cast-steel crank with 4.500-inch stroke, said to be good for up to 700 horsepower. Main and rod journal dimensions are stock and standard bearings are included.
As we’ve done many times in the past, we turned to John Beck and Pro Machine for his engine-building expertise. A Bonneville legend, one of John’s engines propelled the Cummins-Beck-Davidson-Thornsberry/Pro Machine Blown Fuel Roadster to over 300 mph at Bonneville (setting a record of 301.150 mph), but he’s just adept at putting together an engine for a sprint car, drag racer, boat, or a utilitarian truck like ours.
Some time ago (in the July issue of CCT), we documented the machine work required to build a first-class engine like our big-block Ford. Unfortunately our scheduling conflicts (read editor Manson’s unreasonable demands about turning out a magazine more or less on time every month rather than spend time working in the shop) kept us from getting back to John’s digs until recently.
With the machine work done, John went about stuffing all the parts into our blueprinted block. For the rotating assembly we turned to our one-stop shopping center for performance parts—Summit Racing.
For our needs we chose Mahle forged pistons with 38cc dished heads. Rods are Eagle H-beams with full floating pins and ARP bolts.
Crank, Rods, Pistons, Rings
For the parts we needed to build our big Ford’s short-block, we didn’t have to look farther than the Summit Racing catalog for a complete Eagle stroker kit that included a crank, rods, pistons, rings, and bearings.
Note the wide chamfer between...
Note the wide chamfer between the edge of the bearing and the side of the connecting rod. It’s necessary to clear the fillet radii on the crankpins.
Eagle offers a wide variety of cast and forged crankshafts for applications ranging from stock replacements to all-out racing. For our purposes, we selected a cast-steel crank with a 4.500-inch stroke. Although not as strong as Eagle’s forged version, the cast-steel crank is very affordable and capable of handling 700 horsepower. As the steel casting is stronger than a typical OEM cast crank (as well as many factory forgings) and our engine won’t see sustained high-rpm use, we decided to go with the more economical route.
Like the stock crank, the Eagle crankshaft has 2.200-inch rod journals and 3.00-inch mains, the journals are highly polished and the oil holes are blended. These cranks are internally balanced and custom balancing to specific bobweights is available.
A large radius (arrow) on...
A large radius (arrow) on the crank pins increases strength, but special narrow bearings are often required.
Included in the Eagle stroker kit are H-beam rods forged from certified 4340-chromoly steel. Manufactured from a two-piece forging (one for the rod, the other for the cap) the result is a stronger part, as the “grain” of the metal can be oriented in the direction of stress (the stress exerted on the cap is perpendicular to the stress on the beam). These rods are stock length at 6.700 inches, weigh approximately 800 grams, and are bushed for full-floating piston pins. Holding on the caps are 7⁄16-inch ARP 12-point bolts.
Due to the bore size and increased stroke, custom pistons from Mahle are required. Forged from aluminum, these premium pistons come with Grafal anti-friction coating on the skirts and are phosphate coated to aid break-in. Lightweight, full floating piston pins are retained with round wire locks and low drag rings are included (1.5mm compression rings and 3.0mm oil rings).
While there is no substitute for checking clearances and individual components, much can be told by how the crankshaft in an assembled short-block rotates. Our 545 turned easily and smooth, indicating there was very little drag.
The required torque on connecting...
The required torque on connecting rod fasteners can vary with the lubricant used. A better way is to measure bolt stretch—.006-inch is usually recommended.
Rings are file-fit, which...
Rings are file-fit, which means the end gaps must be established. Typically the top ring gap is .004-inch for every inch of bore, recommended second ring gap is .005-inch per inch of bore.
With the piston/rod assemblies...
With the piston/rod assemblies installed, the ARP head studs were screwed into the block. Note the dished pistons, necessary to keep the compression down with the 72cc chambers in the SCJ aluminum heads.
ARP studs hold the modified...
ARP studs hold the modified Milodon main caps in place; the Melling high-volume oil pump, pickup, and driveshaft came in a kit from Summit.
A new powdercoated pan from...
A new powdercoated pan from Trans-Dapt replaced the original. Here, a test fit was made to check the oil pump pickup to pan clearance.
Cam technology has changed...
Cam technology has changed dramatically since our 460 was new. Although this comparison is based on a GM cam, the same holds true for all makes. Opening and closing the valves faster, and lifting them higher results in more power with a smooth idle and great throttle response.
Roller lifters have a number...
Roller lifters have a number of advantages. While reduced friction is often cited, rollers also allow a more aggressive lobe profile.
Special tapered galley plugs...
Special tapered galley plugs are used in the front of a 460 block (standard plugs can partially block one of the oil passages). To provide additional lubrication for the distributor gear and timing chain/sprockets John drills a small hole in them.
The modified plug can be seen...
The modified plug can be seen to the right of the camshaft. To prevent cam walk, 460s have a thrust plate that keeps the cam from moving forward while the gear against the plate eliminates the possibility of it moving to the rear.