Ford MEL engines????

Speaking of MEL's i need a Harmonic balancer for a 59 430 if anyone has one laying around.

 

After reading a comment about the 501 MEL Powered A/Gas Willy's coupe in the current issue of Rodder's journal, I decided on doing a little research. I found a website that is dedicated to the car and race team. From what I understand, the car held the A/Gas national record in '62, as well as a few others. Interesting stuff for any MEL or Gasser fans.

http://www.gristbrosracing.com/www.gristbrosracing.com/Welcome.html

HAMB build thread of the restoration of the car.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=400697&highlight=willys+chopped

 

Too bad this is an old thread, one item mentioned I think on page 2 was the NASCAR engines used it the T-birds, I inherited one of those beasts, complete with a set of what appeared to be home made headers and an Algon injection system. Unfortunately due to some things beyond my control it disappeared some time in late 1978. The reason I thing it was from a T-bird, the headers would not clear the mid-block mounting holes but completely cleared the four front holes on each side of the block.

 

Yes it’s a shame, I think all the momentum the MEL had has fizzled out. Even on the MEL forum there is little activity.
I just now saw this thread, thought I mention I’m an old MEL fan. When I was 16, I pulled the sweet running 272 out of my ‘55 Ford and put a 430 MEL and transmission out of a 58 Lincoln in its place. I completely rebuilt the 430. Had a lot of fun with that car in high school. All myChevy buddies saw were my tail lights.
Took a couple of MELs to Texas a year ago.. Still have a 462 Transmission.



Bones

 

Hey B,
Here are a couple of short memories of MEL Powered race cars at Lions Dragstrip from 1959 and 1960. When we were teenagers going to Lions every weekend, we saw all kinds of race cars. The Grist Bros A/Gas black Willys Coupe was one of our favorites. The thing was, most motors were Olds or Chevy v8 motors. Then, here was one MEL that was big, and it made the chopped Willys coupe very fast and a fairly consistent class winner. Sorry, I just happened to have filmed a motor problem for the Grist Bros at Lions in this race.

GRIST BROS at Lions Dragstrip



But, the other race car at Lions was in the Top Eliminator class and was the only MEL powered FED racing at the time. It was the H&H Garage’s purple MEL (Lincoln) 671 powered race car. I was able to recently add in the original 1959 MEL sound from H&H Garage during their races at the 1959 Detroit Nationals. Most of my films were taken in the Spring and Summer of 1959.

The dragster was nicely finished, was very powerful and had a tremendous sound to go with the sleek race car build. Tets Ishimaru did the pit work and drove this MEL FED in the races.

REAL SOUND FROM 1959 H&H GARAGE

Jnaki

The cool thing was about the Grist Brothers. That black chopped MEL POWERED Willys made a run down the Lions Dragstrip, just before our final race in C/Gas that night in August 1960. Eddy Grist was 9 years old and remembers our 1940 Willys winning every round until the 9:00 PM final race. He and his family happened to be on the return road coming back to the Lions Dragstrip tower, after making their final run in their A/Gas Willys Coupe.

What they saw, gave me chills as I was right behind the Willys in our 58 Impala with Atts Ono. We were trying to figure out where my brother was at the time we drove up to the scene. They saw my brother in our Willys coupe out in front by a car length or two.

Then, there was an explosion with flames underneath and all over the inside of our Willys Coupe. They saw the door open and something was rolling in the gravel. Now, the burning Willys Coupe made a right turn went across the dragstrip, and wedged itself into the spectator’s side fence, still on fire.

When Eddy told this to me 56 years later through connections from the HAMB, it was a jaw dropping moment in time. Thanks for the bone chilling memory from those times.

Here is a link to one of the best stories on the Grist Bros. Willys Coupe.
http://www.jrthompson.net/gristbros1w.html

 

Ive got a 2 bbl 430 mel that's bone stock. It has the same bellhousing as a FE I had it in my 56 pickup backed by a granny 4 speed. it had loads of torque but I never felt it was fast. I pulled it and installed a 66 FE 352. the 250 HP 352 has a 4 bbl and I used 330 truck exhaust manifolds. The 352 was faster than the MEL. I suppose the two bbl carb on the MEL was the limiting factor?

 

I put the 430 in my 55, because in my area I only had a choice of 430 or 390, due to pocketbook and availability. I wished now I’d have gone with the 390. It had more speed parts available and would have been easier fir me to install. The 58 430 doesn’t have the side mount motor mounts like the FE. I had to do some crazy fabbing and used Flathead motor mounts. The FE would have been an almost drop in where the Y block was.
But I also selected the 430 for the extra 40 cubic inches. I t came with a four barrel manifold and ran real good in my car. I made some mistakes.... I was just 16.... but I still had fun with my “ first” car. I sold it in 1970 when I bought a 271 horse powered car I cannot mention here. Still have that car.

Edit: Thanks Jnaki, for those memories of the MEL.



Bones

 

If I'm not mistaken the 1960 NHRA champions were Rodney Singer and Karol Miller (Y-Block fame) using a front blown MEL in their dragster. Karol has showed me his ring from that year and wears it proudly.

 

Had a friend of a friend that had a 410 in a '57 Ford in high school. On night with too much beer and 5 passengers he said, " I bet this thing can do a wheel stand." Revved it up, dropped the hammer and the car never moved. Broke both axle shafts.
I'm thinking it had three deuces, does that sound right?

 

the 410 wasn't a MEl it was a FE and some FE did have a tri power.

 

There was a 410 MEL also. I think it was only available in the Edsel, if memory serves me?





Bones

 

That's what he said it was, 410 Edsel. I was a little naive about such things at that time.

 

Just so there is no more confusion....

410 MEL can be found in 1958 Edsel Citation and Corsairs only. One year wonder, but a very strong motor rated at 345 hp and 475 ft-lbs of torque. Labeled as an E-475 in those cars. 4.30" bore and 3.70" stroke.

The 410 FE was used in '66 and '67 Mercury Only. Basically a 390 with a 428 crank. Rated at 330 Hp and 444 ft-lbs of torque. 4.05" bore and 3.98" stroke.

Other than displacement and transmission bellhousing bolt pattern, the 410 engines were completely different.

 

Great video here of 58 Marauder beating up on 396 or 454 SS Chevelle.

 

Not a MEL but ive got a 58 FE that's a 332. has the same bore as a 352 and a shorter stroke. I never knew a Edsel 410 existed.

 

The real odd ball of the FE family is the 330 FT (FE - Truck) used in the mid 70's in medium duty truck applications. 3.875" bore and the 352's 3.5" crank.

 

I have three of those 330,s. They made two versions one was called the 330 HD (Heavy Duty) It has a water pump similar to a 429 or a 351M and a larger diameter crank snout. The 330 truck mill first appeared in 1965

 

Bored and Stroked 430 in 39 Coupe






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Mine-finished a couple years ago. 430 bored/ stroked to 480+ci. Weiand Drag Star 8x2/ roller cam, etc...pulls hard any speed, any gear...

 

Without a doubt, one of the best looking coupes ever put together!

 

Awesome!






Bones

 

Thanks guys! I have sort of a build thread back in Feb. 2017

 

Would you happen to have pics of the Valve Covers and of the Timing cover ? Also any for sale if still have some ?
Thanks.

 

That's exactly why they have become popular... The weirder the engine the more attention it gets... Most of which no one cared about at the time... Chevy "w"... GMC big block V6 + V12... Lincoln flathead... 318 polysphere... All short lived and no one cared at the time... Now everyone is so sick of seeing small block Chevy's any oddball motor is exciting to see... You can tell a SBC from 100ft, you can also tell it's not an SBC from 100ft so you take the walk to check it out... Everyone wants to be different these days with COE's, milk trucks, Cummins caddy's... I don't think anyone really cares about MEL performance, I'd guess most are Ford guys sick of seeing Windsor's... That's my thoughts on it ... Makes sense to me

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Son, you gonna drive me to drinkin if you don't stop drivin that HAAAWT RAAWD LINCOLN!!

 

I’m 14. And I had the same idea! I was always fascinated by these motors. It was just a bummer to see how expensive they are to build and how little speed parts they are. I’ve also seen people shorten the stroke. And extend the combustion chanber in the head down into the cylinder deeper. And making a combustion chanber in the “extension”. But I always wanted one and could never find one


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The MEL already has the combustion chamber in the block, there is no combustion chamber in the head, they are flat! And they are relatively short stroke as is, compared to FEs, anyway!








Bones

 

I may be wrong but I think he means milling the whole head except the bore diameter... Making the top of the combustion chamber (that is flat) lower in the bore.... Neat idea[emoji2371]

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Yes exactly!


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I just found this form, learning alot MELs. Sure would love to find a pair 43o valve covers with the "M"