Engine Builder question

[aarvig]

I am not sure what I am going to put in my F5 cobra yet...some of the options I am considering are:
331/347
351W
408
Looking at the Engine Factory and Mike Fortes sites and actually after talking to both I noticed that Mike's combo's are a lot more affordable than the engine factory. Does anyone have some experience regarding who you would recommend as an engine builder and why? I can get a 302/clutch/trans combo from Mike Forte for a little more than the price of the 302 from engine factory. Is there a significant difference between the builders?
Also, of the engines listed above, which do you recommend for a purely street driven roadster?

[68GT500MAN]

I have purchased from Mike before and know that he backs what he sells. I have never dealt with the Engine Factory, so I can't comment on them. Your last question about which engine to buy for a fun street car I would recommend the 331, but any of your choices would be great.
Doug

[edwardb]

I went through a very detailed analysis of many suppliers a couple years ago when I was shopping for the engine for my Mk4 build. I concluded it was a bit unreliable to shop only price. When you really get into the specifics of different engine options, and start comparing apples to apples, most of the prices were very similar. I'm talking about what block is used, crank, rods, pistons, heads, cam, rocker arms, etc. Often the the cheaper prices were for a reason, as were the more expensive ones. My point is shop value not just price. Get into the details. Sometimes the cheapest really isn't the cheapest. Also, don't overlook the value of a warranty and don't overlook the value of having the builder as close as possible for support and should the worst happen. I ended up choosing a relatively close builder a few hours away. Someone I could talk to in person, visit the shop, personally pick up the final product, etc. Very happy with the choice I made. I just had a short block made, and finished it myself. Probably didn't save much, but I enjoyed the experience.

Having said that many on here (and the other forum) have used Mike and the Engine Factory. Mike is mainly selling crate motors (e.g. Ford Racing) that he will dress out and run for you if you want. Engine Factory builds are their own, and each is essentially custom. Both test run, will provide a video, etc. At least this is my understanding. Couple guys here in my local club used each. They had generally OK experiences.

For street driving I'm a big advocate of the 302 SBF's if you're looking for a more old school approach. A 331 or 347 stroker gives them a nice kick. Lots of guys are going more modern with the Coyote. Also a great choice.

[smithbks]

I bought my engine from Engine Factory and my rear axle and transmission from Mike Forte. I have nothing but good things to say about each. Both answered all of my questions and have been very professional. Mike makes me feel like I can ask him about anything on the car. In the end this is how I made my choices:

-Engine: I did all the research and I really liked the turn-key package. I'm not an experienced mechanic. I've done all of the work once, but not enough to have the comfort on an engine this nice. I wanted to put my time into the car. Appealing to me was that they give you a video of your test run, label everything, break it in for you, and ship it ready to go. Quality seems very nice.

-Trans/Axle: I could have bought these cheaper but I knew I wanted to buy from Mike because he stands behind it. Plus, he'll do some little things for you that really save time, like mounting my wilwood rear brakes and priming the axle and cutting the boss off of my TKO 600. I could have done both, but he saved me time.

I guess in the end if you choose between those two I dont think there is a wrong answer. And I spent a lot of money so price wasn't the issue :)!

[PaulW]

Both of these companies have excellent reputations. For me it has always been about trust and being comfortable. When I built my first Roadster I was living in Canada and therefore went with a Canadian builder just to avoid any cross border issues that may have arisen. In the end, based on research and recommendation, I chose Fortin's Engines in Chilliwack B.C. Their number 1 guy Norm Wilson always had time to talk to me and help with any questions and issues. Now that I am here in Indiana and getting ready to start my second Roadster, with an FE this time, I have decided to go back to them for the build of this engine as well. It helps that FEs are Norm's passion. So far he has generously given me hours of consultation on what I want. All this to say to say that it all comes back to reputation and trust. For me even though I will probably pay a little more for the build the peace of mind is worth it all.

So talk to all the builders and go with what others recommend from experience and what your gut tells you after the talking is done.

[CraigS]

From all I have read both suppliers are good. Regarding the engine choice I recommend a 351. The intakes and headers are different between 302/331/347 and any of the 351 based engines so I'd start w/ a 351 and you will never be held back by having to replace all those if you want to upgrade. Why go 347 which requires a stroker kit w/ real short pistons when you can have 351 w/o anything special. A 351 w/ Edelbrock Performer RPM heads and intake, slightly higher compression pistons and a very mild cam is 400hp. If you want to go upwards later, a stock block will go to 408 which is easy to get 500+ from.

[carbon fiber]

also would go with 351w based engine.

[chopthebass]

My engine builder recommended a 351W. His company purchased, built and raced probably the first FFR Roadster in Canada and he used a 351W. Good enough for me!

[msaskin]

When I started to look into engines, I didn't seem to find anyone who had a bad experience with Forte's, Gordon Levy, or Engine Factory. In the end, I called up all of them and had some discussions about what I was looking for, how I plan to use my car, etc. Honestly, I made my decision based on the feedback I got from the builders - I figured that in the end, it's the people I'm going to be dealing with if questions/issues come up. Personally, I went with Levy Racing based on this. Just ordered his stage 5 (408w) earlier in the week.

[edwardb]

The intakes and headers are different between 302/331/347

Um... No. Deck height is the same for all. What fits for one will fit for the others. Differences are the bore and stroke only.


Why go 347 which requires a stroker kit w/ real short pistons...

347 and now 363 (with the right block) and the required pistons are well proven. Used to be some issues, but that's been awhile.

I agree that a 351 based build is easy power and has a nice upside. Great choice and highly recommended. Just be prepared for a much tighter fit, more challenging access to the headers and plugs, and some limits on induction due to the higher deck height. None insurmountable at all. But part of the package.

[Feen]

I purchased my engine, tranny and rear from Mike Forte. His guy Jesse built me a 347, dyno ran/adjusted and then assembled clutch tranny. I was able to pick up, so I could get the whole unit as one piece and not have to worry about mating the engine/trans. I've only got 6miles on the go cart but the package dropped right in and started without issue.

[Avalanche325]

If there is any part that is not a name brand, I would stay away from it. Some of the budget engine places use a lot of no name parts. Make sure you are comparing comparable engines. There are 325 hp 347s and 500+hp 347s. Obviously, the higher HP ones cost more if you want them to last.

I think a good thing to do is decide on your REALISTIC HP that you want, keeping in mind what you are doing. Over 400 is getting pretty wild in one of these. I have a 500 HP 347 and it is extremely loud (even for a Cobra) and very snotty. Not what you want for a street cruiser. It is FUUUUUUNNNNN on the autocross course though.

For a pure street car a 331 is plenty, maybe a mild to mid 347 if you want some more hp. 351s have a little more weight, cost a little more and are a tighter squeeze. If you don't need the cubic inches, I would stay with a SB. They are fine engines though.

Your biggest performance item on and Windsor based engine is the heads. Factory Windsor heads are very stuffy. If you are doing anything much past stock, get quality name brand aftermarket heads.

[CraigS]

Edwardb, read the rest of the sentence in your first quote.

[edwardb]

Edwardb, read the rest of the sentence in your first quote.

I did read the whole sentence. It sounded like you were saying the intake and headers were different for each 302, 331 and 347. That as I said wouldn't be the case. Now I see you meant between the group of 302/331/347 (8.2 deck height) and 351's (9.4/9.5 deck height). My bad. Wrong interpretation on my part.

[Todd Buttrick]

Mike Forte is an Engine Builder

Engine Factory is an Engine Assembler

Huge difference. Mike is here and on the other forums regularly to help with post and pre sales. Engine Factory is only here to sell. Search for all posts by user "Engine Factory" nuff said.

[Hotyacht]

Just to add my two cents worth - I am in New Zealand and so ordering everything for my roadster is slightly scary! I have spent a lot of money with suppliers on the other side of the world and so it is kind of the ultimate act of faith hitting the button to order and pay for parts, not to mention the Complete Kit from FFR.
I am pleased to report that so far I have bought everything from either FFR or the vendors that support the FFR forums, and without exception they have been obliging, helpful, polite and a pleasure to deal with, and having received most of the components already, all of the items seem to be of a quality commensurate with the price - i.e. you get what you pay for.
The one exception to date has been Mike Forte's company - not because I had bad service or a problem, but just because I never got an answer to any of my emails! I was disappointed as Mike is active on these forums and obviously runs a good operation, so I hope it was just a glitch, and unfortunately for Mike I spent my money elsewhere.
I am very happy with my choices to date and I have ordered and paid for a 427 stroker with TKO600 from The Engine Factory, which they should be building right now. They were very proactive and extremely helpful. I can be difficult and as a designer I can be very fussy about how things are and I have to say that I am delighted with my dealings to date.
All I can say is that so far the most difficult part is making the decision which way to run, and once the decision is made based on your needs and requirements it is easy. Like is often stated on here, everybody has their own reasons for making a choice and no answer is right or wrong, and my experience has been that if you stick with any of the supporting vendors on these sites, then you will be just fine.

[Avalanche325]

If you wanted to do your own engine assembly, there is FordStrokers DIY kits. They have a solid reputation with the Mustang crowd. It would be interesting for our forum vendors to offer a DIY engine kit, since guys are here because they want to build a car. (hint hint)