One each bitchin 430 MEL just waiting on the blower and injectors. Eat your heart out Unclscooby,,,,just kidding of course
Heres my smaller version... It's a built 368 with a B&M transmission. I've got a stroker crank and shortblock setup to take it 408 inches.
Really cool! Can't say as I've ever seen one . . . can't wait to see the engine completed with a blower. Nice work.
Damn Unclescooby,,,and I sold that vertex mag with bronze gear for the 368 about three months ago. I'll keep my eyes open for 368 parts though and let you know if I find any.
Thanks. I've got a tach drive distributor on it so I'm good there but I'd really like a better manifold. I've got a really really crude (as in unusable) 6x2 and the stock 4v but really want an Edmunds 2x4 or a nicer log intake.
430 MEL in early 60s A/Altered 33chevy coupe 8x2 intake 138.8 at 10.32 in1/4 on 8 inch slicks with little bite smoked them most of the way these times bettered the 8x2 392 hemi in this car origionaly was built with.I have the car but missing the engine /trans.Would like to find a 430 to put back in it
HENRY FLOORED: Believe me, back in the late 50's and throughout the 60's, Fords & a few Lincolns ran and ran good. Althought the MEL never got a big name due to the FE gettin all the attention, The MEL was a tough hombre to outrun if you knew how to make a it live. They were encridible torque monsters. Many a Hemi, Olds, Pony and thousands of SBC's bit the dust behind a MEL. The biggest problem with the MEL was the weight. But early on, the cubes they offered "off-the-shelf" provided more than enough to make up for the weight. We ran them as large as 545 CI with little trouble in 1960. LEON RENAUD: Damn, I'd love to see that one run again. Back in the early 60's there were several AG and AGS cars running the MEL and they were screamers. SPECS: 436 CI Block: 1961 430 MEL from a Lincoln Continental... Found in a junk yard Bore: 4.3 with +.030 bore Pistons: Ross flatop forged which I then had cut back to provide 7.0:1 compression. Got them off of e-bay Heads: Stock accept they have been flycut to use FE springs & retainers. Valves : 2.1 Int and 1.95 exh. Valve springs: Lunati FE. Got them of of e-bay Valve spring retainers & Keepers: NOS Isky FE. Got them off of e-bay Cam: NOS Isky 5Cycle roller (505 lift, 324 duration( Got it from Vintakes on the HAMB) Roller Lifters: Crower FE. Got them new from Crower Pushrods: Crower BBC. Got them new from Crower Rockers: Old Isky adjustable 1.5. Got them through a HAMB'r from a dead Lincoln racer in Tulsa. Flywheel: Old Scheiffer aluminum FE. Got it from BlownOlds on the HAMB. Clutch, Disc & TO Bearing: FE 427 heavu duty 11" inch clutch & plate. Got it off e-bay Bellhousing/Scattershield: Old FE. Got it off e-bay. Modified it to fit MEL Magneto: Joe Hunt Vertex. Got it off e-bay Mageneto Drive: Home made Injectors: Hilborn 4 port w 175M (nitro pump). Got them from a HAMB'r Blower: GMC 6-71 rebuilt. Got if off e-bay Blower Manifold: Weiand LME6-71. Got it off e-bay Blower drive: Old Isky pulleys. BDS Idler. Gilmer belt. The rest is home made Much much mcuh more,,,,later. Costs: If ya gotta ask, you can't afford it...LOL...and neither can I. So far, not countin about $3,000 woth of machine work I got free from a bud, I have around $8,000 in the engine
Beep, Since it's a '61 block, does it have the straight FE bell pattern, or is it the modified FE with the relocated (dropped) starter? What did you modify on it?
man i love those valve covers. ive seen some of those before but didnt know what they fit... id love to have a set made for a sbc.....
looks awesome! i understand the price for parts, i was lookin into building my 462 MEL, but cost was just too much. it sits torn down in my garage, maybe one of these days someone will come take it away and throw a blower on her. nice engine, and thumbs up for building one! -josh
Dam fine piece there...Has anyone ever been to Ripley, Ok?...Rick Kirk has a cornocopia of Mel stuff on display in his little museum...and no telling what Rick may have lying around ....if ya get up that way, be sure to stop by...check at RK Machine...tell him that the Texas Thunder bunch sent ya.......... Mark
The MEL shares very little with an FE..........count on nothing l interchanging except maybe the fuel pump ....not the same family of motors...... M.
Lifters....various valve gear pieces...'58-'60 can use the FE bellhousing....flywheel/flexplate & clutch pieces....some ignition pieces...& probably more.....
The 383/410/430/462 MEL engine DOES share a few items with the FE and other Ford engines! It's been several years since I was into these engines, so my memory is RUSTY, but I seem to recall these as possibilities: --lifters-- I seem to recall FE --rocker arms-- I seem to recall FE --oil pump--I seem to recall FE --oil filter relocating plates-- I seem to recall FE --timing chain (and possibly the gears too??)-- I seem to recall 429/460 --flywheel-- apparently FE (which also might be interchangeable with 429/460???) I also seem to recall some sort of component as being useable from the Y-block 292/312 engines. And, it seems that Beep has figured out that the FE flywheel will fit. I'll let Beep and Scoob to comment on the rest of the stuff that might interchange with other engines. These guys are more up on these MEL engines than I am these days.
"We ran them as large as 545 CI with little trouble in 1960". Is there anyone left who can give insight on what to do to to a 430 to turn it into a stroker? Reath use to do cranks but they closed about a year ago. Rocky
Homespun91: The 61 block will take the FE bellhousing. Bolt pattern is the same. However, the starter hole will not line up because the MEL moved the starter location up in 61 to fit the their new chassis. I simply cut the bulge out and welded in a flat (slightly rounded) piece and closed off the starter location all together. I didn't need the standard starter since I will use a blower snout mounted starter
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