Ford Big Block Engine Swap

Looks great! Right at home.

Big block as in how big? 429 - 460?

Electic water pump, I'm guessing no A/C, so where is the alternator going?

What distributor is that? Have you verified that the cap will clear the firewall? Mine has the plug wire boot right against the glass and that is after moving the transaxle back a couple of inches.

The notes on the pictures say electric water pump and distributorless ignition.

The engine is a 385 Big Block displacing 460 cubic inches. I am working now to fit the AC and alternator on a modified bracket. The piece that replaces the distributor is a Compu-Tronix DIS8 system. It is a self contained unit with four coils in two coil packs, which I mounted to the valve covers. The water pump is a Davies Craig EWP115 with their controller.

Last guy I followed out from Corona to Irwindale Raceway for a night of fun that had a Big Block, I could not here my car running!
That thing was wicked!

Your doing a great job on the installation, It should wake up everyone, even a group of Pantera's!

Mark

Thanks for the encouragement, Mark. I decided to go the Big Block route myself after seeing and hearing a friends Big Block cat. We were lining up several local Panteras for a group photo. As the Cleveland cars started up they sounded mean; then the Big Block started, and it was in a different league. Displacement does make a difference.

I am not going for the ultimate in performance, this being a street car. What I am going for is certain look, sound and feel. The Big Block Ford Racing crate engine takes what I like about the essence of the Pantera: Italian styling and handling with a big American pushrod, two-valve V8-- and increases the big American engine part.

In addition, I don't want to compromise the handling part, so I made it a priority not to shift the transaxle rearward. So far, I am very happy with the result-- all this on meager family budget. I will work to post more pictures as things progress.

I am really happy for you and your success! I am just entering
into this PANTERA world and I like it. No car yet, but I seem to
think that I'll lean toward a big block install too.

Jack,

Good luck with the search for your Pantera. I have owned several different sportscar makes in the past, but have found the DeTomaso owners to be the best. There is a real passion around these cars.

When you are ready to drop in that Ford Big Block, please ask questions. I am happy to help and share my experiences.

As an update, I am just starting work on the alternator and A/C (yes, I do plan to fit A/C!) bracketry. My plan is to fit a Sanden rotary compressor and 100amp alternator.

The winters are cold here, and my garage is not heated, so work will not really pick up until spring.

I have added more pictures to the gallary detailing the engine mounts and clearances, etc. I will continue to add more as I work on fitting the A/C and alternator.

Matt,
I was looking at your gallery, your color silver is one of the colors I think looks great on a Pantera.
Also the clutch slave, how's it working and any info would be great on that.
Mark

Mark,

The color is a late-model Ford silver metalic. The car is not running yet, so I have not been able to actuate the clutch with the hydraulic throwout bearing. It is a McLeod unit. I took a lot of measurements and made a mechanical drawing of the engine/bellhousing/transaxle/clutch/throwout system. If you are interested I will post the drawing I made. The QuickTime steel bellhousing I used is the same 4.5" length as the stock aluminum bellhousing. Also, I will lookup the specific part number of the McLeod bearing.

Matt

Hi Matt,

Looks great! I bet the car will be fun to drive too. I'm not too far away from you, up between Minneapolis and Madison.

Again, best of luck getting this back on the road. Looks like you have the worst done.

Mark

When you get time that would be great, I stopped buy McLeods at one time and asked about this, its been a long while.
Any info would be appreciated. Mark

Sick Cat,

I posted a new topic today under the Engine section containing a cross-section layout of a McLeod throwout bearing. The McLeod part number they specified for my car was 1402-22.

Matt

Is this on the road yet? If so how do you like it, would you do it again?
Forest

I have added some new pictures to the gallery.

It is so close to being road worthy! I was not able to get it completely finished before winter crept into Wisconsin. I have turned the key and cranked the engine over with the starter and battery. The rest of the wiring needs to be completed, though. The cooling, exhaust, and braking systems are complete now.

I would do it again in a second. I take pride in that I was able to do this conversion on a slim budget, and with the most basic tools and garage. I guess this is what engineers do for fun!

Sincerely,

Matt

Just wondering if this is on the road yet. Interested in how well the ignition setup and water pump worked out.
Forest

Super job! Looks great. lets hear/see some video soon!

Neat Job, well thought out and executed.

I am on the road! The car sounds fantastic. Everything seems to work well together. The electric water pump works well so far, although it gets up to temperature very quickly, and the pump turns on like a light switch. It is probably a good idea to let it idle a while in the driveway after starting cold to avoid localized boiling before the pump cycles. Water temperatures are very consistant with the assistance of Mariah fans and a Hall Phoenix radiator.

The Big Throat mufflers from PIM do a great job of creating fantastic sound.

I spaced out the firewall cover approximately 1/4", with some judicious pounding added. Everything fits, including the AC. I can put the driver seat all the way back, but the passenger seat appears to have lost some rearward adjustment. A small concession to keeping the transaxle in the "stock" location. I did cheat a little and bent the rear trans mount ears into an "S" shape, giving me an extra 1/2" or so.

I installed a removeable crossmember, which is probably recommended anyway. I also removed the hand brake linkage. I plan to install a hydraulic conversion or modify the old brack to work in the near future.

A teething problem: Every tenth time a start the car the starter pinion grinds. It appears that the pinion is butting against the flywheel and not extending into the flywheel teeth on these occasions. I am using a PowerMaster starter with a QwickTime bellhousing and Ford Racing Flywheel. Its is all aftermarket parts but I don't see any areas for adjustment. I will need to investigate further.

Overall I am very happy with the swap and would recommend it to anyone with enough patience and dedication. A welder helps, too. If I can figure out how to post a video, I will do so.

quote:

Originally posted by BigBlockFan:
Electric water pump works well so far, although it gets up to temperature very quickly, and the pump turns on like a light switch. It is probably a good idea to let it idle a while in the driveway after starting cold to avoid localized boiling before the pump cycles.

Shouldn't be an issue, the pump's controller is supposed to react on the raising temp, and adjust its speed accordingly.

Did you remove the thermostat?

Kid,

I removed the mechanical thermostat. In its place I have wired the temperature sensor that signals the water pump controller.

Unlike a belt-driven pump, which is driven whenever the engine is turning, the electric pump does not begin cycling until the coolant gets to a preset temperature. At that moment it appears to pulse modulate.

I made the rookie mistake of locating the gauge temp sensor in the swirl tank. Because of this my gauge reads cold until the pump starts modulating, at which point it instantly goes to 190 degrees F. and stays there. I think that I will be relocating the gauge sensor to the front of the intake manifold, adjacent to the pump controller sensor. This should give a more accurate gauge reading.

Also, the Compu-Tronix distributerless ignition was a no-brainer installation and works fantastically. It has a tunable mechanical advance that I have not played with yet.

Another aftermarket item is the hydraulic throwout bearing. Dispite my misgivings, it appears to be working flawlessly. The dual friction clutch has good feel and modulation as well without being too heavy.

I plan to drive the car around this weekend and see if there are any bugs yet to be worked out. I still need to complete wiring of several accessories.