Bought the 430 MEL from Uncle Scooby years ago for a 30 roadster, but just scored a really nice 39 ford delux coupe shell, 99% rust free. Thinking wanna put the 430 in her. Got the log manifold with 6 97's, joe hunt mag, top loader 4 speed, super straight body. Just tape measuring some stuff looks like she will fit. The firewall is already cut up but can be fixed, looks like the only real issue maybe headers. Plans are to pull all the sheet metal, but the body shell, fit the engine and ******, then pull the body and do a complete frame off. Any ideas?
Can not wait to see some pics of that MEL in that 39,got some ideas in my head of using one of those motors in a 54 to 56 Ford if a stick bellhousing could be found for one.
The later Ford FE bellhousings bolt to the '58 through '61 430 MEL engines. But not to the '62 through '67 engines. Edit: This is bs. I was wrong. It's '58 thru '60 for the FE bolt pattern. First 3 years.
Kinda wanted to see you finish your roadster with the MEL motor, but a '39 coupe is cool too. I had a '29 roadster project (body, '32 frame and a pile of parts) with a 430 and an Edelbrock 6x2. Had is the key word though...ended up having to sell it. So two less roadsters with a MEL 430...sigh.
Does any one have any pics of a 430 in a Model A? One of my buddies picked up a hilborn injected 430, built for a roundy rounder, he wants to put in his sedan.
With the size and torque of those motors I am suprised that they were not more popular,I have seen some aftermarket stuff for them but compared to what was available at the time one would think they would have been like how the BBC is today. I think those motors were built up to around 68 and got up to 462 and dont look to be too much bigger then a FE,a 462 and a 4 speed in a 54 to ? 2 door sedan would be killer.
Sarah would like me to inform you that should this new project crowd your space that she would be willing to help you make space by thinning the heard and taking the 40 off your hands. Just contact us and we should be able to pick it up any time after July 2nd.
I love this idea, an MEL in that car would be fantastic. These are real torque monster engines, but one correction.. FE Transmissions fit 58-60 MELs, not a 61. While its out of the car do the following checks... Replace oil pump Use a billet FE shaft to drive the oil pump as the stock MEL part is pretty flimsy, you need to file the FE shaft down .075 for it to fit, but that's no big deal. Remove the timing cover and make ABSOLUTELY sure that you don't have nylon coated timing gears, if you do replace them and clean out the oil pan. If its a 60 Engine I'd yank the heads and replace the head gaskets, my 60 has leaking head gaskets that didnt show on an initial compression test. A guy I know has another car built very close to mine with the same issue, and I've heard of two other 60s recently with the same issue. Hell, for $50 or so I'd just replace the head and intake gaskets anyhow.
Probably for the same reasons you don't have one? Popularity of any engine is pretty much, availability ,price and ease of tuning.
I do have the engine torn down, will be doing a complete rebuild after i fit it in the car. Do have bellhousing and top loader 4 speed. Plans are to put the heads on, pan, bell housing and ******, fit it in the car then everything gets blown apart
Watta Pal she is! I'll sure keep it in mind but i think shes getting a little attached to her older sister!
Ricky, Thanks. I was always told that the 61+ cars didn't use FE bolt patterns because of packaging issues. And to thinking p***ed on a very solid 61 long block.. Doh! Thanks for the info! As far as power and torque go... Torque? Yeah, these things make crazy torque. The MEL is also the first production american engine to produce 400hp 58: 10.5:1 CR 375hp/490lb-ft 58: 10.5:1 CR 400hp/500lb-ft w 3 x 2 bbl carbs. (Rare, the Lincoln setup is INCREDIBLY rare) 59: 10:1 CR 355hp/490lb-ft 60: 10:1 CR 315hp/465lb-ft. <-Switched to a Carter ABD 2 bbl for the sake of (stop laughing) "economy". Engine mounts changed on the '60 and the '60 block is unique. IIRC you can mount a 60 in a 58-59 but its a pain to go the other way. Oh yeah, forgot to mention the block thermostats... Throw them away. Even Lincoln ditched them from the factory starting in '65 I think it was. Pistons... be very careful, most replacements sold are flat top pistons and will wreck your compression ratio. You need the proper ones with the step in them, Wiseco will make them, originals are unobtainum (unless you don't need oversized). I think the reason that few people build these motors are down to cost (a PROPER rebuild on an MEL can break $3000 in parts alone for a stock rebuild) and the fact that, aside from a few Mercury Super Marauders in 58 almost all of these were bolted into heavy Luxury cars so they never got the glory that they deserved, so to speak.
Great information, yes the rebuild kits are very expensive, but this motor looks very fresh, honing marks are still in the cylinders, have not started mikeing every thing yet but should be very interesting. Uncle Scoobe believed the motor came out of an alcohol running drag boat at one time. Valves look great, cam has a special grind with the part number X'ed out, pistons look new, we'll see!
Sounds like you're in real good shape! The killer with engines on these are the pistons, the few places that can make them charge around $150 each, replacement stock cams are pricey, bearings are expensive... I'm really looking forward to this build, with the log manifold (is it a Weiand?) and a Magneto this thing ought to make some real power.
Just got her set in the car, about 1 1/2 inches longer than my stock 40 flat motor, biggest problem i see is the pan, posted earlier, is there a rear sump pan for this motor?
The Jalopy Journal
