MCE Engines has custom blueprinted...
MCE Engines has custom blueprinted all of these parts for improved durability. The water pump, timing cover, and thermostat housing have been massaged internally to reduce fluid turbulence and hot spots.
Holley 4150 (0-80513-1), 1000cfm
0.85/0.85 Jet Change
12.54:1 Compression
2-inch x 30-inch x 3 1/2-inch Hooker Headers
36 Degrees
| RPM |
HP |
Torque |
| 4,000 |
399.8 |
524.9 |
| 4,500 |
466.1 |
544.0 |
| 5,000 |
514.4 |
540.3 |
| 5,500 |
543.2 |
518.7 |
| 6,000 |
552.3 |
483.5 |
| 6,500 |
543.0 |
438.7 |
| 7,000 |
524.6 |
393.6 |
This jet change didn't accomplish much with only a slight gain in horsepower and loss of torque.
Total ignition timing is dialed...
Total ignition timing is dialed in at 36 degrees BTDC at 2,800 rpm, which is the most timing Marvin is willing to dial into this engine's ignition timing. Marvin has told us time and time again you can push total ignition timing to 38 or 40 degrees. However, there's a stiff price to be paid for pushing total timing beyond 36 degrees BTDC. Marvin is very conservative because what good is an engine scattered all over a racetrack?
We're going to try out the 1,000cfm Holley 4150 (PN 0-80514-1) PC Series carburetor from Performance Carburetors. Although the Holley 0-80514-1 has annular boosters from Holley, Performance Carburetors fits it with down-leg boosters, screw-in air bleeds, high-flow needles and seats, custom billet metering blocks, non-stick gaskets, polished and flowed venturis, float bowl sight plugs, drag float extensions; longer bowl vent tubes, and a special CNC machining technique to perfect the surfaces. Pricing is just under $800 out of the box. For custom tuning to your application, add another $50. Here's what happened on the dyno with our PC Series carburetor.
Performance Carburetors PC Series 4150, 1,000cfm
0.93/0.93 Jetting
12.54:1 Compression
2-inch x 30-inch x 3 1/2-inch Hooker Headers
36 Degrees BTDC Total
| RPM |
HP |
Torque |
| 4,000 |
400.2 |
525.4 |
| 4,500 |
467.3 |
545.4 |
| 5,000 |
518.7 |
544.9 |
| 5,500 |
548.9 |
524.2 |
| 6,000 |
554.5 |
485.4 |
| 6,500 |
552.8 |
446.6 |
| 7,000 |
531.6 |
398.8 |
MCE's 427W Raptor is prepared...
MCE's 427W Raptor is prepared for Edelbrock's dyno lab by Fred Christian (right) and Ken Van Fleet (left). Tensions run high at a dyno pull, wondering if an engine will measure up to expectations. Marvin predicted 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque with this road race package based on desktop computations.
We're not going to kid around, this is an all-out road race engine build. The total cost of parts, machining, and assembly put this bad boy just north of $15,000. A street engine would be easier on the wallet.
Dyno Pull 4
We've gone back to the Holley 4150 (0-81513-1) carburetor with 0.85/0.85 jetting, which yielded a near-perfect fuel mixture and consistent numbers. Team MCE has chosen to check valve lash in the wake of three pulls to see what it does for performance. Ignition timing remains the same.
After three pulls, Team MCE...
After three pulls, Team MCE elected to perform a valve adjustment, which gained nearly 10 horsepower at 6,500 rpm.
0.85/0.85 Jetting
12.54:1 Compression
2-inch x 30-inch x 31/2-inch Hooker Headers
36 Degrees BTDC Total Ignition Timing
| RPM |
HP |
Torque |
| 4,000 |
389.7 |
511.7 |
| 4,500 |
460.6 |
537.6 |
| 5,000 |
515.0 |
540.9 |
| 5,500 |
546.9 |
522.3 |
| 6,000 |
561.8 |
491.8 |
| 6,500 |
560.1 |
452.6 |
| 7,000 |
546.2 |
410.2 |
Team MCE gets the 427W Raptor...
Team MCE gets the 427W Raptor ready for its first pull. The first pull isn't about power, but reading spark plugs and determining proper jetting. Edelbrock loads the engine at 4,500 rpm for 15 seconds. Then, Team MCE does a spark plug reading and BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) to determine jet sizing.
Sometimes, it isn't the big things you do, but the little things that gain power. When Team MCE performed a valve adjustment, it gained 9.5 horsepower and moved torque higher in the power band-losing torque in the process. Marvin will tell you engine planning and building are a series of trade-offs. If you want more horsepower, you're going to sacrifice some torque. And if you want torque, you're going to give up horsepower at a given rpm.
The message here is simple. There are no free lunches in the world of engine building. The 427W Raptor is a racing engine, although you could install it in your Main Street Saturday night cruiser for weekend fun. The catch, of course, is this engine's compression ratio of 12.54:1 along with a 1,000cfm carburetor. Forget pump gas unless you have a buddy who works at the airport or local dragstrip. And if you pump it into a street ride, you're illegal thanks to tough environmental laws.
Benton Jackson of MCE Engines...
Benton Jackson of MCE Engines dials in initial and total ignition timing, which Marvin wanted precisely at 36 degrees BTDC. Marvin's logic is simple. Conditions are different in a dyno cell compared to a road course. It is one thing to flog an engine hard in a dyno cell under controlled conditions and quite another to push it hard racing. A conservative approach to ignition timing will keep an engine in the race.
Holley's Jet Assortment Kit...
Holley's Jet Assortment Kit makes light work of jet swaps and carburetor tuning. We're starting with 0.84 jets primary and secondary for our first full pull based on fuel system specialist Benton Jackson's recommendations.
MCE Engines opted for ceramic-coated...
MCE Engines opted for ceramic-coated Hooker Super Comp long-tube headers with 2-inch primary tubes into 31/2-inch collectors, yielding exceptional scavenging at high rpm.