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347 and 500hp

23K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  71hotrodpinto 
#1 ·
I want to get at least 500hp out of a 347.Can any one tell me how to do this.what heads,cam,ext.I kind of want it for the street too not just racing.It is going in my mud truck so I need to drive it on the street too.I have about 300hp comming out of it now.This engine is going in my little 4x4 ford ranger(soild axles & 37in boggers now)so I don,t have alot of room for stroked out 351w.
 
#2 ·
Well I know it can be done (people here doing it). The question in a ranger is can you get it to the ground. 500 out of a 347 is not that hard giving up street manners, trying to stay streetable will be the hard part if you go n/a. Throw a decent size supercharger on a 347 and you can get both pretty easy, but will not be especially cheap.
 
#3 ·
I run at the local mud pit in the summer.I'd put a 351w in but I need to find headers for it that will fit a 4x4.I was thinking of a turbo or two on the engine.My trans and axles will support around 600hp.So if some one can find me them headers all build a 408 or 427.
 
#8 ·
what would ederbrock victor jr heads with 205 intake and 160 exhaust do for my 347 and a nice size roller cam.oooo and joe that web site didn't say them headers were for a 351w all i seen was for a 302.I all ready have the 302 headers in my truck now sorry.
 
#9 ·
This guy here is making about 500 flywheel horsepower with his 347 and it doesnt have really high compression and it is not that wild to drive down the street. Oh course everybody has a different opinion on what "streetable" is but I think this is a very streetable combo that makes a ton of power for the cubic inches. With todays parts 500hp out of a 347 is pretty easy.

http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2005/10/BuildersNotebook/index.php

_________________
1968 protouring Mustang 342 stroker, 205cc CNC ported TEA Trick Flows AOD/3000 stall 4.11 9inch posi.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: EricButler on 12/31/05 10:47am ]</font>
 
#10 ·
I bought a V8 Ranger about a year ago with a 347 stroker. The engine builder claimed 520HP at the flywheel (I haven't been able to dyno it yet though). Here's the list of goodies:

Edelbrock Victor Jr. heads
Edelbrock Super Victor intake
Holley 750 DP
Comp Cams solid roller .627 lift / 260 duration @.050
All forged internals
mains girdle and windage tray

It has a 5-speed Tremec and is very streetable with the overdrive 5th. Running 4.56 gears and 28" tall tires. Best 1/4 mile ET so far is 12.18 @ 115.
 
#15 ·
I have only seen ONE guy bring me a 347 engine to run on the dyno that made 502 HP. It had a SOLID ROLLER CAM THAT PEAKED AT 7200 rpm.. It takes the exact combination of parts and must be put together correctly.What a professional engine builder can do, and what a back yard builder can do are two entirely differant things. Why dont you buy an engine from an engine builder that knows what to do instead of asking advice from other people who are not engines builders either.

JOE SHERMAN RACING ENGINES
 
#16 ·
I have only seen ONE guy bring me a 347 engine to run on the dyno that made 502 HP. It had a SOLID ROLLER CAM THAT PEAKED AT 7200 rpm.. It takes the exact combination of parts and must be put together correctly.What a professional engine builder can do, and what a back yard builder can do are two entirely differant things. Why dont you buy an engine from an engine builder that knows what to do instead of asking advice from other people who are not engines builders either.

JOE SHERMAN RACING ENGINES

well said joe.
 
#17 ·
I'd rather have 500 ft lbs torq than 500hp. I've built a few mustangs, started with a solid lifter 302 that would spin the tack to 7000+ sounded like I was the fastest car on earth. It probabaly was close to 400hp with 350ftlbs torq. Next I put a built 392 in my next mustang. That sucker scared me! It had all the bells and whistles right at 550hp and 500ftlbs of torq. This stang would go sideways shifting from second to third, pulled as hard in third as second but ran out of freeway when I hit fouth with one more gear to go. So my final stang I backed off put a 347 with AFR heads roller cam big big everything five speed 4/11s. It is close to 500hp but only 400ftlb of torq. Doesn't pull as hard as my other stang but a lot more streetable. I liked the feel of the torque as you went through the gears but in reality it was to much for the car, you couldn't keep from blowing the tires off the car which means bigger meat, tubbing bigger axles and yes lots more money. Well I love my 347 still gives me goose bumps when I really get on it, can drive it anywhere very streetabel and it will get 20mpg in fifth gear. Thats my 2 cents.
 
#18 ·
You need torque.
go with a 351 stroker and BUILD your own headers. Not as hard as you might think. Its however Very time consuming. I originally bought vintage NOS Mustang II headers for my V8 conversion. Was told that they fit fine. Ya well if i wanted the distributor poking thought the hood. So i went about putting the engine where i wanted it and then modified the headers to fit better.

I started by getting some mild steel 1.5 mandrel bends from Jc Whitney about $70 worth total. then i started to cut and paste where i thought i needed.

Yes i made a few mistakes along the way and it took way longer than i thought but the results were incredible ( to ME.)


I'm not a fabricator by trade (I'm a machinist) but if your just wanting to get the exhaust out with some efficiency and not looking to be able to spend 1500+ for custom headers this can be a way to go. Keep in mind however that they wont have the HP potential that a Pro would get but your talking about needing torque anyways.

Also theres the "I did it" factor. Being one of the few that tackle such a project can give you some great satisfaction when your done.

While the cleanest way is probably to start with brand new components , I found it way easier to have something to start with. Your existing headers come to mind. They are already paid for and have the same flange to weld to. Trouble is that they are probably 1 5/8 and you'll probably want 1 3/4 with a 408 and up. But i bet you could get by with them and still build 500 hp and 550lbs TQ with the "small tubes". ( Feel Free BIG JOE to chime in!)
Having said that you still have to basically cut apart the entire set of headers even if you'll only replace 1 tubes because you cant just weld around 90% of the tubes that run side by side as they feed to under the cab. You can weld around and near the head area that has the clearance. I took mine 1 tube at a time.

Of course you have to be realistic on your place to work, supplies that you already own, cost of things needed that you don't have and you might not use again.
My parts cost:
Mandrel bends, 180s, 90s, straights, Collectors, flanges.
Given what i spent on my parts id say was around $150 for header parts, $250 for the headers, $150 buddies "old" Lincoln Welder, $10 for shielded wire, $100 for the grinder and assorted wheels, $30 for Sawsall blades
And figure another $100 for the stuff that you just always forget and nickel and dime you to financial death.

Supplies you might need.


1. 4 1/2 in angle grinder with plenty of cut off wheels,assorted flap face grinding disk wheels and a wire

2. hooker headers tube weld sleeves.(makes the job much easier, wish i would have known about them when i did mine. Also will prevent most of the slag from building up on the inside of the tubing)


3. Wire feed welder, able to weld 16 gage or thinner. TIG is best ($$$$) but if all you have is a mig then that will work, Just be prepared to be smoothing the welds alot.
I used my Mig with shielded wire. No gas. I just couldn't afford it. I ground alot of splatter off.

4. Mapp gas torch. So you can finish form the collector around the 4 tubes. Also helps to make slight adjustments to the finished setup if say the collector is pointing 3/8" at the wrong angle when your done welding the assembly together.

5. Engine hoist with a load leveler. So you can leave the engine and trans together. Building the headers off of the engine and then test fitting the assembly about 39 times during the course of the building project.

6. Electronic welding helmet. INDISPENSABLE for "backyard" welders like me. I couldn't weld myself out of a tin can without mine. Lincoln makes a nice one for around $100.

7. Sawsall with some metal cutting blades.

8. Some hose clamps to hold it together while you move the pipes around.

This post is not meant to be a how to thing as much as its meant to give you some ideas. If you have some specific questions then feel free to Pm me or ask here!
GL!
 
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