Fordnatics List Archive

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Mail From: Mike Ford <(email redacted)>

I read a trade magazine called Automotive Engineering, and it often has
something clever from a European firm called Ricardo (sic?). Has anybody else
read about the Ricardo differential, and could they explain it? I remember a
couple things, one is that it will be cheap to make, and that it used a
eccentric arrangement that dynamically shifts the torque to the wheel with the
best traction.

Over on CI$ many of the Mustange people are talking about soon to come
aluminum GT40 heads with claims of 70 Hp gains.

BTW speaking of iron GT40 heads I fail to see what the attraction is. Fully
assembled and installed they are major bucks for very minor gains in hp. If
you take the full GT40 package as about 55 Hp gain, most is from the intake
stuff, with only about 12 to 15 hp from heads and rockers. Seems to me to get
any serious power out of new heads you need to totally rethink the whole valve
train from the cam on up to fly cutting the pistons that move the peak Hp up
about 1500 RPM.

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: Chris Behier <(email redacted)>


> From: Mike Ford <(email redacted)>
> Subject: Hot Heads and Cool Rear Ends
>
>
> Over on CI$ many of the Mustange people are talking about soon to come
> aluminum GT40 heads with claims of 70 Hp gains.
>
> BTW speaking of iron GT40 heads I fail to see what the attraction is. Fully
> assembled and installed they are major bucks for very minor gains in hp. If
> you take the full GT40 package as about 55 Hp gain, most is from the intake
> stuff, with only about 12 to 15 hp from heads and rockers. Seems to me to get
> any serious power out of new heads you need to totally rethink the whole valve
> train from the cam on up to fly cutting the pistons that move the peak Hp up
> about 1500 RPM.

Hi Mike,

The attraction is that the GT40 Aluminum heads dissipate heat a lot better
(cooler heads IMHO), they plan to sell them $10 cheaper than the cast GT40 heads,
they will have larger valves than the cast heads, and better design - hell, I'm excited
aren't you ? Then, after you upgrade your stock lower intake (which is one major restriction)
your 302 stock heads are the next bottle neck. I would not bet on 70HP gains accross
all rpm's tho but at 4500RPM+ you will start to feel a hell of a difference with
those bigger valves and better head design. They are definitely going to make an impact
on the 302 performance parts market with the price they intend to sell them at.
I am eagerly waiting to get them on my car - ported and flow benched of course ))

Humm, and a nice E303 will do very nicely too...

chris...