Crate Eight! Dual-Quad Ford 302

How well do “old-technology” parts stack up against the modern stuff? In this case, pretty well. The Edelbrock F-28 dual-quad intake and vintage-style Tri-Y headers we tested were down about 15 hp at the peak compared to the latest single four-barrel/dual-plane intake combo, but still put out 360 hp at 6,000 rpm and 339 lb-ft at 4,200—well in excess of Ford’s 345hp rating. We probably could have tuned in a few more ponies, but even that slight loss of power is more than made up for by the glory of running dual quads.

To set a benchmark, we bolted on a FRPP high-rise dual-plane intake (PN M-9424-E302, which is basically an Edelbrock Performer RPM) and tested several out-of-the-box carburetors on it before settling on the best performer—a 625-cfm Road Demon, which made 370 hp at 6,000 rpm and 358 lb-ft at 4,100 with the stock jetting. The air/fuel ratio was perfect as delivered and the only change we made was to swap a lighter spring into the vacuum secondary pod to ensure the throttle bores opened fully during the dyno pull.

Baseline testing was done with a set of Hedman Hustler 15/8-inch-primary long-tube headers for an early Mustang, flowing through Flowmaster mufflers with 3-inch tubing—Westech’s standard dyno setup.

In a bid to optimize the crate engine even further, we swapped on a set of FRPP 1.60:1 pedestal-mount roller rockers (PN M-6564-B351) in place of the stock nonadjustable stamped-steel rockers, which also required swapping to a taller set of valve covers. Even with their friction-reducing rollerized trunnions, however, the rollers only picked up 3 hp and 3 lb-ft of torque over the stock 1.6 rockers.

A reintroduction of an original design from the ’60s, Edelbrock’s F-28 dual-quad intake accepts a pair of square-bore 500-cfm Performer carbs and is very similar in looks and performance to the Cobra intakes available from Ford back in the day. The matching linkage can be set up to open the carbs either progressively or one-to-one. With the progressive setting, you can cruise around using only the primaries of the rear carb, then mash the pedal to open all four.

Conventional wisdom has it that Tri-Y headers, like these for a ’60-’65 Ford Falcon from Dearborn Classics, are designed for low-end torque and easier fitment in tight engine bays at the expense of top-end horsepower. Well, guess what? With 15/8-inch primaries forking into 21/2-inch collectors, the Tri-Ys made more peak and average horsepower and torque than the four-into-one long-tube headers, and actually exhibited a slight dip at the low-end. Combined with the Road Demon carb and dual-plane intake, these produced the best power of any combination we tested: 376 hp at 6,000 rpm and 361 lb-ft of torque at 4,100.

The dual-quad intake had to be clearanced slightly with a die grinder to fit the MSD Ready-to-Run billet distributor we used for all testing. Later we found that a standard Ford points-type housing clears with no problem. Also note that the billet roller cam requires the use of a steel distributor gear. CC

Hot rods and street machines sporting vintage speed parts are popular these days. But sometimes you’ve gotta wonder just how “hot” some of that vintage performance really was. Nostalgia is great, but the pace of automotive technology has advanced just a bit past the late-’60s (even Mopar guys have to admit that!).

Nonetheless, we’ll confess to feeling that old stuff is just cooler than new stuff a lot of the time (otherwise most of us on staff wouldn’t drive cars that were built before we were born). Among the coolest old speed parts were the multiple induction setups that were wildly popular throughout the ’50s and ’60s. Back in the day, virtually every make and model of engine had some form of crazy factory or aftermarket intake manifold carrying two, three, six, or even eight carburetors! Whether they worked or not, the curb appeal of multiple carbs splayed out across the top of an engine is undeniable.

If you’re a fan of the Ford 289-302 family of small-blocks, you’ll remember the dual-quad Cobra intakes that were available as over-the-counter, dealer-installed options during the ’60s. Edelbrock offered a similar configuration—the F-28, which is now back in production, along with matching 500-cfm Performer carbs and progressive linkage. Desperate to put this setup to the test (and in a car), we got our hands on a brand-new Ford Racing Performance Parts 345-horse 302 crate engine. Rated at 345 hp with stock 5.0L Mustang fuel injection, we suspected that the crate engine would make way more power with a carburetor or two, and we weren’t disappointed.