385-Series Ford Big-Block Build - Monster Mash, Part 1

In addition to using four fasteners, Ford Racing installed dowel pins to make sure the main caps don't move.

We like this 4340 forged steel crank from Eagle Specialty Products with its 3.00-inch main and 2.20-inch polished rod journals with chamfered oil holes for improved lubrication.

Eagle Specialty Products works closely with Mahle on most of its stroker kits, and our 598 is no exception. Because McAfee is maximizing power, he opted for low-friction rings that are narrower than most of us are used to. This ring package is 1.5mm, 1.5mm, and 3.0mm for reduced friction. A support rail keeps the oil ring package stable. Turning thermal energy into rotary motion is a 6.80-inch center-to-center 4340 H-beam rod with ARP cap screws.

Here is the custom-forged Mahle piston with a 15cc dish designed for the 598ci stroker kit. The dish includes valve reliefs designed to clear our huge M-6049-C460 valves. In its most basic form, this is a big-block Chevy piston, but Mahle has relocated the wristpin for our big-block Ford. This is how you get nearly 600 ci from a 385-series Ford.

For this application, we will be using an ATI Super Damper (PN SUM-B64272).

Dynamic balancing begins with weighing each reciprocating part and getting each of these parts to weigh exactly the same as the lightest part. For example, we find the lightest piston. We then remove weight from seven corresponding pistons in a precision weight loss program. Next, the same thing happens with the connecting rods.

McAfee has been working with Larry Revis of Revco Precision Balancing for many years. McAfee likes to get his balancing to within one-tenth of a gram for unequaled smoothness.

Once all reciprocating mass has been balanced, Revis sets up bob weights, which will be hung on the crankshaft journals as simulated reciprocating mass (weight). These bob weights should weigh the same as reciprocating mass.

Revis spins the 4340 Eagle crankshaft just like we'd spin a wheel and tire on a balancer. Dynamic balancing finds the out of balance areas where weight will have to be removed or added to get things in perfect balance.

The crankshaft counterweight has to be drilled to remove excess weight. As a seasoned balancer, Revis knows how much steel has to be removed. It could have easily gone the other way where Mallory metal would have to be added to get it in balance.

Because this particular engine is internally balanced, both flywheel and harmonic damper are balanced independently of the crankshaft. Revis balances McAfee's McLeod steel flywheel (PN 463220, 176-tooth) on the crankshaft for convenience and consistency mostly. However, it is not balanced with the crankshaft.

Metal is removed from the flywheel to get it in balance. Because this is an internally balanced engine, the flywheel is zero balance to begin with.

Because we're working with an ATI Super Damper, the balancer can't be dynamic balanced, however, its hub can. Here, Revis drills out excess weight from the hub.

The A460 block doesn't use a conventional Fel-Pro FPP-1018 385-series cylinder head gasket (top) for a number of reasons. The A460 block calls for a Fel-Pro #1092 18-bolt steel core laminate head gasket (bottom) with 4.700-inch bores. Gasket compression volume is 14.6 cc's at a 0.051-inch crush.

Surprisingly, the bolthole size was too small for this application. McAfee simply punched them out to the needed 9/16-inch.

McAfee always performs mock-ups as part of his engine building regimen, even if he's building a stocker. The mock-up phase allows you the opportunity to find all potential problems, regardless of how minor they might be, before final assembly. During mock-up phase, McAfee checks the Eagle crankshaft for an endplay measurement of 0.004- to 0.008-inch.

Here, McAfee checks the Eagle crankshaft for full-indicated runout, which tells us how straight the crankshaft is. Maximum allowable full-indicated runout is 0.001-inch. Runout beyond 0.001-inch puts the oil wedge at risk at the bearing and journal.

McAfee opted for a mechanical roller camshaft from Comp Cams (PN 34-850-9). This 112-degree lobe center bumpstick features a duration of 275/281 at 0.050-inch, and a valve lift of 0.727-inch on both the intake and exhaust valves.

McAfee has been using ASL's CamGuard in all of his engine builds, including this T-Rex build. It's a supplemental additive package to be used with every oil and filter change to increase engine life and fuel economy. You can get CamGuard from MCE Engines by the bottle or by the case.

To complement our aggressive mechanical roller camshaft, McAfee ordered a complete shaft-mounted rocker arm system from Jesel. After hearing about the engine's specifications, Jesel came up with its top-of-the-line Mohawk Beam Pro Series shaft assembly (PN KPS-11057). At 195 grams each, this is Jesel's stiffest, lightest rocker arm with the lowest moment of inertia while producing precise valve control with minimum frictional losses.

Ford Racing's induction system for the big-block Ford features a huge single-plane high-rise manifold designed for a Holley Dominator carburetor. Aside from port matching, McAfee chose to leave the manifold as is right out of the box, as he believes that the rougher cast surfaces keep more fuel droplets in suspension for better distribution.

Because we're using M-6049-C460 heads and F3ZM-9424-C460 induction, a special intake manifold gasket (M-9439-G460) is required and available from Ford Racing Performance Parts.

The Holley Dominator 1150 (PN 0-80673) carburetor was used right out of the box, except for the installation of jet extenders. Jet extenders keep fuel around the jets in drag racing and hard acceleration. Jet sizing will be determined during this engine's first jet check at the dyno. Marvin has also opted for a Holley mechanical fuel pump (PN 12-460-11, 110 gph) to feed this hungry atomizer. The 1-inch Wilson CNC carburetor spacer (PN 024110) is designed to increase velocity, resulting in horsepower and torque increases. Next month, we'll be back with the assembly of this monster engine.