I dont think those motors were even installed in trucks so I doubt a rear sump pan was made but the MEL looks similar to the big truck super duty motors so see if you can find a pan from one and see how close it is,also look at the FT motors in the medium duty trucks for a pan that might be adaptable.
Yea but looking at it again tonight, the oil pump is in the front of the motor, so gonna have to set her back about 5", but don't think its a deal. Stock wishbones and pedals, should all work, gonna have to recess the firewall but i think i can only have to set her back about 5" and still keep the upper stock firewall, just enought to get the valve covers off if i need to. What a monster motor!
I am the exception to all those who like this, it is like putting 4 qts. of shit in a 3 qt. container. You may be able to pull it off but why bother. Go ahead and put me down.
Why put a big motor in an old car? I'm afraid if you don't understand that you may be in the wrong place Posted using My Dick Tracey watch and the full custom HAMB app
Hey wait, why not cut the crossmember instead of the firewall? Yeah, if you could remove the center section of the front crossmember and put a deeper center section like the `41-`48 Fords have you could alleviate alot of oil pump issues. You could even just modify your stock crossmember for the drop. Will this raise the front of your car because the front crossmember is also the front spring perch?.... yup... but that big 430 is quite a bit heavier than the 221 Flatty that probably came out of there. Ride height might be pretty close. You can always adjust ride height with spring leaves, arching/dearching, shackles or dropped axle. You may still need some firewall mods but this may help keeping that to a minimum. I personally like the character like in early Ford firewalls. It's good to keep them intact if you can, my opinion of course. There were adapters made to hook the MEL to the early Ford trans but I think you would destroy that in short order. You can use a bellhousing, flywheel and clutch assembly from an FE engine at least on the early MELs. Later ones require mods if I'm not mistaken. With a skinny manual trans you might get by with no X-member or wishbone mods.
good thoughts, have looked at modifying the cross member for pan clearance, have a 41-46 cross member, but still want the front end down, 4 inch dropped axle and reversed eye spring, still an option. Thanks.
can trim the flange off the crossmember but thats about as far as i would go, the firewall is really butchered by the last owner, so was going to have to replace the bottom half of it anyway, will keep the top half stock just trimed back with a new lower half, gotta get some pics this weekend with the monster sitting in her, all mocked up with carbs and mag.......
No. The 534 was part of the Super Duty Line of Gas V8's. Ford also made a 401 and 477 ci. version. These engines were only used in Large Trucks, Industrial Applications, and Marine (typically offshore). The only thing they have in common with the MEL is that both engine series were introduced in 1958. The Super Duty's also have the combustion chamber in the cylinder since the deck is not perpendicular to the cylinder bore just like the MEL's, but as far as I know, they share absolutely no components. Yblock, I think we would all love to see some pictures as the build starts coming together. Keep up the good work.
That is absolutely badass! Good luck with your project. I don't understand why you didn't see more MEL engines into early Fords back in the day. Not every one was 400 hp but all of them were well over 300. It's the easy 500 ft/lbs of torque that would move mountains. Were those numbers even possible from anything Chevy made from '55 to '63?
I'm on my phone so I can't see perfect detail but it looks like the front block face is in line with the spindle centerline. If you dish the crossmember and slide forward where #1 is about even with the spindle centerline you'll still have excellent fore/ aft balance and also preserve more area behind the firewall. You can de- arch the front spring a little if the ride level is too high.
Thanks, shes just blocked up in there right now, gotta move her back another 2 inches,then will clear the front crossmember. Going to have to notch the stock crossmenber about an inch for starter/bellhousing clearance, but no big deal. Looking at pedals, will probably have to run an hydraulic clutch which should be ok. The lower half of the firewall will be recessed about 5 inches, but that puts the fan hub in the same location as the stock flathead, so the stock radiator supports can be used without having to move the radiator forward.
Thanks! Yea they are just killer motors, got alot of "challenges" with this build but i think its all do-able. Headers, steering box,firewall, but watta a motor!
I think maybe because they were so heavy, as i understand it they were the second heaviest production engine next to a Hemi, but what monsters!
Always fun to follow your projects and help you share them with the world. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Gonna be fun, getting the engine set where i want it, with pan clearance and stuff. Once its there, will start building motor mounts, Then its off with the body!
A tip for anybody looking for a 430 engine to build. A lot of them were used in Chris Craft and other make boats in the late-50's and early-60's.A lot of the marine 430's had some unique and very cool marine parts - like cast aluminum valve covers and oil pans and various carb and intake manifold configurations that could be adapted to a rod. A lot of the older marinas have a graveyard of sorts where they simply dump worn out and rotted boats and engines and such and will usually sell stuff from their 'boat graveyard' for a song. Mart3406 ================
got motor mounts built, recessed firewall 8"! pulled the body last week, frame is really butchered up, but got the lead on a couple of good virgin frames, hopefully will score one next week. Made out my shopping list for "stuff" dropped front axle, reversed eye spring, disk brakes (BIG MOTOR!), triangulated 4 bar with coil overs. Pedals will be interesting with the engine set-back. Will probably have to run hydralic clutch, gonna be a real fun build!
I know this is an old thread, but any updates? How did the project come out? I'm starting a 430-powered T touring project with a 6x2 and I'm stoked at all the 430 projects here on the HAMB.
The car is a little further along, Im sure he'll update when he sees this. He ended up with a bum leg for most the winter so that put a pretty huge dent in the plans im sure
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