Fords fron distributor design is superior to chevys rear distributor

Lining it up on a Ford can also be a pain too.

 

The point was Ford's complete withdrawl from racing in the early 70's helped kill the Cleveland (in the US anyway) along with the other Ford V8's (FE and 385 series) It was that alone that boosted the Chevy's to the top of the pack.

 

not much at all there bud!

but.. that air cleaner hides everything anyways. So, I guess why not throw some extra color in front with the coordinated cap and wires, right?

 

I don't know the flow numbers but the dohc mod motor ( 03-04 Mach 1, 03-04 Cobra) is just a little better than a sohc mod motor ( gt, crown vick ) The only thing they have in common is they are both 4.6.
O, and neither of them have a Dist. Almost forgot what the thread was about.
This is a fun thread. keep em comin.

 

I agree 100%. Course.. it remained to be seen whether or not they would have upped the ante with better Windsor designs even if they had plowed forward though.

I've talked with many a pro engine builder through the years and hang on coattails whenever I get the chance. The main consensus has always been that Ford's could be made to make better HP(better intake ports).. but Chevy's had better torque(better exhaust ports). We all know pretty well by now that broader torque curves are better than all out peak power in a shorter power band for many types of racing.

 

When I started drag racing in the mid 70's, SS classes were dominated by Chevy.............when we used to see the occasional Ford we would kind of snicker..................to find a SBF that came stock from the factory with 2.02 intakes and 1.6 exhaust valves...................well.....Ford didn't make any..................Ok, the Boss 302 is not your average SB, and was around for just 2 years...........the same with the Boss 351.
Ford heads have always been an issue with restricting HP, now if you are talking 427 Tunnel Port, 427 SOHC, Boss 429, Boss 302 or Boss 351..........that's another discussion.........these were made strictly for racing........and you had to allow Joe public to buy them so Ford could race them on the weekends.
My SS/IA Camaro had 1.94 intakes and 1.6 exhaust........and we did fudge just a little as it's hard to notice .08" except if you measure it and who was going to protest you and pay for the teardown..........nobody I ran with.
Ford and Chevy took two different paths...........and a lot had to do with Fords Worldwide Manufacturing goals at the time............who made one of the first exhaust driven turbo motors(with intercooler) for mass production in mid 70's here in the US, who had one of the fastest exhaust driven turbo cars in Europe in early 80's, I can guarrantee you it wasn't Chevy.
Look at taking a stock Ford 302, or 351w and adding aftermarket heads and you will see a huge jump in HP/Tq................stock Ford heads suck and it doesn't matter how good the intake ports are..........kind of the "ole air pump scenario"..............getting the good in is only half the battle, you need to get out as well.
My hat is off to Chevy for sticking with this design for over 50 years, and the new LS9 should be something too................for a push rod motor.
Ford on the other hand took a totally different direction in the late 80's when they started designing the OHC motor....................some 40 years after they started the original..................................................We will see who has the first US 1000HP production car...that the factory rates at 700HP.
Fords 5.0 and 5.4 motors have a huge potential with just a little work and $$$$

 

fords shaft is 6 sided. chevys is 2 sided. newer ford distributors will engage the shaft before the cam gear so its really easy line up. on chevys, you have to line up the oil pump shaft with a flat head screwdriver to where you think the distributor shaft will rotate to when it engages the cam gear.

 

Gotta disagree here (unless I'm misinterpreting the dollar signs) A little work ? Yea, but you'd better have a boat load of money if you want to do anything with these engines. I'll stick to the 5.4 I posted the pics of earlier in this thread.

 

I wanted to go with a blue cap but seems Standard Blue Streak no longer makes theirs (or I can't get one here) The gray doesn't look all that bad though, kinda blends in with the aluminum. The 3x2 aircleaner is reversed from the way they came from the factory. I made a new bottom to do this, the carb stud spacing is offset on the 3x2 in relation to the lid. Not only does it help to hide the distributor but the main reason was to move the rear of the lid away from the firewall. Had to do the same thing when this motor was in my 89 Ranger.