Has anyone done anything to the Ford 392 crate engine to get some more HP out of it? I know it comes with GT-40X alum heads and they say you can port match the heads with the manifold for a little better flow. How about porting the heads themselves, or going with AFR heads? Supposedly the intake is a copy of the Edelbrock Vic Jr., so as long as it flows the same, there's probably no reason to change it. How about a cam change? Has anyone tried something bigger than a 750 carb on it? Ford says you can mill the heads up to 0.050-inch. -good for about a 4-5% HP gain, but that would raise the comp. ratio to the high 10's (about 10.7:1). May need a little octane boost at that?
They are said to be good for 430-450 HP "as is". They have become a very popular choice for Cobra rollers and supossedly a pretty reliable engine (although I've heard a couple people mention "
oil problems" with them.....mostly leaking from the rear of the manifold and easily fixed).
I'm seeing a lot of used SPF's (and other mfg's) with this engine installed. I've always said that when the time comes for me to get a car, I would want it to have at least 500HP. I've never driven one with the 392 crate so I can't comment on the performance. I've driven cars with a 408 built by Perf. Engineering with 510HP and one with their 418 / 540HP and they were good for getting the heart rate up! ..... but I drove one with the 351 / 385HP crate and it wasn't enough power (especially after driving the others FIRST). I still have yet to drive a BB car, so all this may be moot if I drive one and LOVE it, but BB cars are usually a little more $$, and I'm looking to get the most bang for the buck.
So, has anyone squeezed more power out of the 392 crate, or have any ideas on how to do so?