I just read all the posts on this thread.....WOW!
I was just writing back and forth with a KCR engine owner the other day (reguarding a future build I want), and the numbers he got from KCR on the engine and chassis dyno, backed up the numbers. There is around 110 hp loss from fwhp, to rwhp on a SPF, and his numbers were right on. He was very happy with his motor.
So before I read this thread, and now after, I think his numbers are correct.
When I first read Steelcomp's message about the Kit Car industry, I was glad I drive a "replicar" (per Superformance)...
Cracker, this is my first post on this thread, if you are still keeping count.....
"BTW...put more than 5 lbs boost on a 4.6 (like what's in the Lightning), and you'll spit the rods out the pan." per Steelcomp.
I am not picking on you, but the Lightning is a 5.4 motor, and the factory pulley is about 10 lbs of boost stock. I have seen over 16 lbs on the stock rotating assembly, but with the right build you could go even further. The MM&FF August 2002 has a good article on the "Johnny Lightning 6 lb kit", which "adds" 6lbs of boost to 14 lbs on the old Lightning. But I think the new ones are 9 or 10 lbs. If I got you comment wrong, I apologize in advance.
I wish I would see more KCR in MM&FF. But they focus a lot on the mod motors, and small blocks. They use Westech too much (bunch of Brand-Xers).
When we ran FEs in High School, we thought it stood for "Flying Engine parts". (there were no rev limiters then, and oiling was not so good. Had a 56 427 two door, that would smoke anything except the hard core street racers from North St. Louis. LOL, if you won a race with them, you still might get beat up for the effort!...lol. Had a 406 in a Galaxie too. My buddy ran a 429 with super long rods, man that was a fast Torino.
I am a fan of every motor Ford, but the FE motor makes your Cobra more valuable, and more correct to the person on the street I think. So it's not the hp for the most part, it is the type of motor that the owners like IMO. The aluminum is nice, off setting the weight, and the motor fits the engine compartment well.
Aluminum 460 block???? sweet.
I enjoyed reading this thread.
Eric
PS I forgot, Hot Rod had an article on "The Hulk" from KCR, it was like 640 hp on pump gas, and was a SB 408 build. So 700 plus from an FE, ??????????