What the hell does FE stand for?

[newmexico]

Originally posted by Cal Metal
Case in point. I was at the Chicago Auto Show a couple of years ago and there is this gal showing off the new Chrysler cars. Much of the styling was sort of retro with strong accents a la Virgil Exner, the great Chrysler designer of the 50's. I mentioned that fact to her and she didn't have a clue as to who I was talking about. No sense of history and Chrysler Marketing didn't appear to think that maybe a little education on their design history might have been appropriate in this situation. When I mentioned the 300 letter cars of the 50s, the Thomas Special Ghia built cars, and the K-310, she didn't know what I was talking about.

I just walked away. [/b]

THAT is hilarious.

[Dsprint2000]

I thought it was for Fast Engine......

David

[MidOHasp]

Is Sizzler serious?

He can't really be serious.

Not possible.

[bigmike]

Having built and lived with one, lineslinger is 100% correct.......Yes, and my wife concurs as wel!
BigMike

[MOTORHEAD]

Edly;
And this story was reported to you by Dan Rather, who had gotten it from one of his reliable sources, right?

[Ron61]

Actually I think the truth is that it came from when they built the first proto type engine. A Ford engineer who had to re-build it after it flew apart called it the most FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE of his life.

Ron

[Sizzler]

OK, so I don't like cold showers in the mornings. Sorry.

The thread title hit me at the wrong time of the day, after a series of similiar mornings.

I hang around farmers, truckers, teamsters and the like, I'm not used to high-falutin polictically incorrect language. Sorry.

I do have the correct answer to the question though, per Ford no less: FE stands for Hurricane (or vice versa). I hope this puts this endlessly repeated question to bed once and for all.

This IS the correct answer. Per Ford. <---that's a period

[RACER X #99]

Well around here it certainly means, Favorite Engine. To me it means Futile Effort.

[davidlee]

FE, Iron, Ford Engine, Ford Edsel, hurricane, Finally Engaged???

I sure am glad I have a small block!!!

David

[uncltodd]

I hope I never find out. Too many cool stories here, kinda like the stories about how the angel came to appear at the top of the Christmas tree.

UT

[McD00]

"I just came acroess this post and I'm sure glad to put a end to this debat once an for all. Befroe I started my stainless steel plating business, I workd at a ford dealer cleaning up all the ford mechanics loved those damn FE engines. Job securitey they would say when aonther POS would come in on a hook with rods poking out the side. We have a clear case of F.orced E.xtraction here. So there you have it the undisputid truth...FE=FORCED EXTRACTION.

McVette

Don't make me go there

[Great Asp]

Originally Posted by McD00

"I just came acroess this post and I'm sure glad to put a end to this debat once an for all. Befroe I started my stainless steel plating business, I workd at a ford dealer cleaning up all the ford mechanics loved those damn FE engines. Job securitey they would say when aonther POS would come in on a hook with rods poking out the side. We have a clear case of F.orced E.xtraction here. So there you have it the undisputid truth...FE=FORCED EXTRACTION.

McVette

Traveling again McD00?

Holy drag the thread out of the basement!

E

[vanoochka]

Originally Posted by McD00

"=I workd at a ford dealer cleaning up all the ford mechanics loved those damn FE engines.

You said "damn". And all these years, I thought Knob Hill was on the NORTH side of Monterey. Obviously, I was mistaken.

[MEATMASTER]

Following McD00 around is like following a drunk from bar to bar to see what he'll stumble over next. At least he's gained some friends, I heard he's on Ron's Buddie list. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing... but I bet it's not good.

Better keep it on topic guys... don't make me call up JAMO.

MEATMASTER: F-E Stands for Fork Extraction from a tender, jooosy steak!

[Excaliber]

I remember this thread, it was worth a revisit. My favorite FE thing was freakin' expensive.

This thread is SO old even Turk has posted on it!

[Jac Mac]

Originally Posted by Edley Rondinone

NONE of the above!

Way back in late 1956, one of the engineers in Ford's engine works had some plans for Ford's new engine series to debut in the 1958 model year.

This was in a time where engineers routinely took their work home with them in their briefcases, with little thought to having the companies' secrets stolen while in their possessions.

This engineer stopped in to the telegram office in town , to send a telegram across country to his relatives out west; he was announcing his engagement to his long-time girlfriend.

There was a line at the telegram office, and the engineer was going over the engine spec sheet while he waited his turn.

(Remember, telegrams were VERY expensive, and the shorter the message, the cheaper the message!)

When the telegram operator gave him the telegram request form, the engineer wrote "Finally Engaged" on the form, with
the "F" and the "E" in larger, bolder letters.

What the engineer didnt realize is that he was writing the telegram form on top of the engine spec sheets, carbon paper and all!

As luck would have it, the larger, bolder "F" "E" were imprinted on the second engine spec sheet thru the carbon paper, right next to the title of the spec sheet: "1958 engine series".

When the engineer's secretary got her copy of the spec sheet, across the top of the sheet were the words:

1958 engine series "F E"

She was a conscientious secretary; she deleted the excess spaces between the "F" and the "E", and she final-typed out the line: "1958 engine series FE", on the spec sheet for dissemination throughout the Ford Company.



And THAT'S how the FE got its designation!

I like this one, its just far enough off center to be spot on!

[Don]

Source:

High Performance Ford
Ford 221 to 460 Engine Parts Interchange by George Reid

CarTech

http://www.cartechbooks.com/vstore/s..._ID=2933&DID=6

FE/FT SERIES
332/352/361

" The FE ( meaning Ford Engine-not Ford Edsel or Ford Engineering ) series big-block was introduced in 1958 as the 332ci V-8 with a 4.00 bore and a 3.30 stroke. The 332 debuted with the larger 352 big-block. The displacement increase was accomplished by stroking the 332 to 3.50 inches. The FE series big block was a hardy Y-block designed that lived in many different forms during it's production life which ended in 1976. Use of the FE-series big block in passenger cars ended after 1971 with retirement of the 390. The 400M small block replaced the 390 for 1972 passenger cars. "

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by McD00

I workd at a ford dealer cleaning up all the ford mechanics

Don't even want to go there.



BTW; MJ, ever hear anything back from Ford?

Steve

[WildBill1965]

1954 was the first overhead valve for Ford, they also made a Police Interceptor Special in 1958, which was 350 hp. They also put 427's in Cougars in 1968, less than 300 made. 1969 Mustang 429 was a hemi head, also had 428's in them in 68 & 69.
Bill

[Jac Mac]

Originally Posted by WildBill1965

1954 was the first overhead valve for Ford, they also made a Police Interceptor Special in 1958, which was 350 hp. They also put 427's in Cougars in 1968, less than 300 made. 1969 Mustang 429 was a hemi head, also had 428's in them in 68 & 69.
Bill

Sorry Bill, Lincoln 279/317 etc all OHV were first built in 1953, looks like a 272/292/312 plus about 10% all over, fits on an FE bell housing, Heads similar to a SBC in layout, small bores which makes for terrible flow past intake etc.