An exception has been made regarding the mushroom lifter rule that has kept the Ford Y-Block engines from being a viable engine option in the 2007 and 2008 Engine Masters Challenge competitions.  Here’s the revised ruling:

I have a Schieffer aluminum flywheel, but it is from the '60s and SFI probably didn't exist then.  It was originally bronze faced, but the bronze started flaking.  So I sent it back to Schieffer and they put a steel face on it.  Then I stored it in the basement and the steel suffered some pitting.  You are welcome to use it if it is viable.

Andrew.  I’ll look forward to seeing you there.  Unfortunately the timespan between Columbus and the EMC shootout is too great and leaves some serious time for testing laying on the table but I’ll keep your offer in mind as there’s plenty of time for things to change.

John.  Rules are specific towards using steel.  I had an SFI approved flywheel for a Y two years ago but let it go so I’ll start working towards getting another.  Talked to Gary last night and he may have an out for me there.

Chuck.  Haven’t forgot those headers as they are part of the pile slated for dyno testing.  I took a hard look at the tri-y configuration on them and they appear to be in an incorrect pattern for a Y-Block firing order but I'm going to look at that again in detail.  We'll save the Thomas rockers for your combination as I've got other rockers in mind for the EMC engine.

Al.  I’ll give you a call when the time comes as Thunderbird tube headers come closest to being legal for the competition while making the best power.  Gut feel says 1 ¾” tubes so your 1 5/8” tubes may not be adequate but dyno testing should confirm this.

The RPM ranges for this years competition has changed from 2500-6500 to 3000-7000 so that's also changed the complexity of the engine combination from the last couple of years.

                  That will fund the engine job (maybe?) and give you some traveling $$

                  so all of this doesn't have to come totally out of your pocket.

                           When the winning is over!!!! Raffle it off.

                                                       Bill

                                             Bill

Great news Ted, I would do anything I could to help, but its a little difficult as I am in China at the moment. I do have a roll master stashed away as I heard those got scarce for a while.

I like Yeeha Bills idea of a raffle and or maybe a donations box could be set up like is done for the Columbus awards, You got my $100.00.

Isn't Gerry the header guru, of coarse he does not use the net so he would need to be contacted personally.

Good luck,

Bill

Bill.  A great idea but at this point there’s the potential for quite a few loaned parts which makes raffling off the engine unfeasible.  And there is the possibility existing right now for a customers engine to be used which also makes a raffle out of the question.

Paul.  I’ve talked to John in the past about flywheels and he didn’t have anything that’s SFI approved.  But not a show stopper yet as I’ll simply contact the company the last known one came from.

Wayne.  Surely you meant scrub?

I took a long look at the rules and results of last year's compitition and all I can say WOW! that is a significant challange!    I ran my dyno results through the calculational method specified and would estimate that the winning motors are making about 1.4-1.6 peak Hp/CID with a great emphasis on flat HP and Torque curves.  This means that just having big valves and and a wild cam will not do it, the 4000RPM speed range is a significant hurdle to jump. 

The biggest impediment for the Y that I see with the currrent rules is that the intake manifold must be commercially available.  It seems that a single plane manifold will work better that the dual plane ones which are all that is available for the Y.   Also will John Mummert have a set of new heads for you? For those that haven't read the rules, replacement heads are permitted.

Can you share your general concept for the motor's specification?  For example one concept would be to make a small displacement motor because it would be easier to get good cylinder filling with the available valves.  Also an engine with large bore, short stroke and long rods may give good low end torque and still make power at the high speed. The large bore would also unshroud the valves at the edge of the bore.

Any news on the enginemasters?  I looked at the rules again yesterday and wonder if anybody has dropped out so you could make the field?

Good news in that my proposed entry has now moved up into the field of thirty competitors.  The required entry fees and forms have been sent in and acknowledgement from the EMC committee has been received back.  So I’m good to go from that standpoint.  At this point, the EMC website just hasn’t been updated yet to reflect the change in status.  But here’s a link to the list of competitors and alternates for those of you that would like to check it from time to time.

EMC Competitors and Alternates List

Here’s the link to the thread regarding this years engine combination for those of you that missed it and why information on it is going to be skimpy until after the competition.

http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic24688-3-1.aspx

The EMC website just isn’t updated yet but I’m officially in the competitive field of thirty now and no longer an alternate.  Maybe the EMC site will be updated early next week but I’ve already been communiciated to by the committee and I’m in.  As such, I will be doing a Y in lieu of some of the other options I have available here.  Part of that is simply because of how much is invested in doing the engines for the last couple of years that didn't make it due to being too far down on the alternate list.

The rules format during the last couple of years was more conducive to the Y scoring higher in the field based on the points system that’s being used but I’m going ahead with plans to do a Y entry for this years competition.  The new rules format being what it is makes a completely different combination more suitable than the engine that was originally planned for the 2007/2008 competitions.  But if I have to use oem iron heads, that’s still going to be a major disadvantage in regards overall scoring.  There’s a very strong possibility that the Y entry will be the only oem head being used if I’m committed to using iron heads.  As Doug mentions, the intake manifold selection is also a deterrent with the raised rpm band that is a part of this years rules format.

As far as donations to cover traveling expenses and the such, I’ll take them.   Tom Comptom has already donated to the cause so I’ll just make an associate sponsor out of anyone that wishes to be a part of this by contributing some funds to help defray expenses.  You’ll find my contact information at the following website.   www.eatonbalancing.com 

It’s exactly as Charlie says.  Rules for the past couple of years simply stated “No mushroom lifters” without any exceptions.  This years ruling says “No mushroom lifters unless oem equipped”.   A simple wording change this year made the Y or any engine that came factory with mushroom lifters a legitimate entry if it fits all the other rules.  And repeating what Charlie mentioned, lifters with a larger diameter wear face can logistically run more aggressive camshaft profiles; the easy route for those engines factory equipped with smaller diameter lifters and where a particular set of rules does not allow roller camshaft designs is to simply make the tappet wear face a larger diameter by lieu of the mushroom design while not having to enlarge the lifter bores themselves.  Depending upon the engine design to which mushroom tappets are being retrofitted, a recess may have to be machined at the bottom of each lifter bore for ‘mushroom’ clearance.  With roller camshafts and lifters being permitted this year in the EMC competition, it’s questionable why mushroom lifters are even an issue at all.

An additional observation is that this years selection committee has obviously recognized the number of teams or shops that were entering more than one engine combination which was keeping the actual thirty in the competition from being as diversified as it could have been.  By sending ‘2^nd’ teams to the alternate position this year, many of the entries that would have been alternates (myself included) are in a much better position to be actual players.

Count me in.  The check will be in the mail tomorrow.  Thank you for perservering in this matter.

Donating would be really simple if you had a PayPal account.  Instead of foreign cheques we could all kick in worldwide!

As far as i know Cain hasn't done any casting for years. Maybe one of the other aussie know more about these manifolds than i do.

Commercially available by my interpolation means past or present.  That particular manifold does look interesting but gut feel says the lack of dividers will put a serious hurt to the lower end grunt.   This is just an observation based on prior experience with a sheetmetal intake that had short runners.  A quick dyno test with that manifold on the mule engine could verify if the manifold has any potential for some additional power production for the rpm ranges that are being targetted for.

What’s it take to get that manifold to my part of the world for some dyno testing?  Or is there some dyno data available on your end already comparing it to a stock ‘B’ manifold?   With that information, it could be determined if that intake could be viable for the competition and if so, then a confirmation from the rules committee that the manifold in question could indeed be used.

Frank is the best one to fill in any details but I thought casting issues at the foundry were at the forefront of the timing cover and water pump shortages.

Pete.  If you can get the manifold to me, I’ll test it with some other intake manifolds as that will determine if the manifold has merit or not.  Just let me know if you’re willing to send it and I’ll just consider it a loan until it’s on its way back to you.

Pete.  The Cain intake manifold showed up and in good condition. I did send you a snail mail note not long after receiving it but you’ve likely not received that note yet.  First impressions are it’s a high rpm piece and will not perform well in the lower rpm’s but I’ll be dynoing a Y within the next week which will be an opportunity to run the first test on it.  I’ll send you the dyno sheets comparing it to the Blue Thunder after this upcoming dyno session is complete which will document the manifold’s performance against another.  Thanks again for sending the manifold.

John.  There have been checks and some cash rolling in and I’m keeping a list of all that contribute.  I sent out a newsletter a couple days ago to all that have contributed so be looking for that in the mail.  Thanks again to all that have contributed or about to do so.