Ford 350 Stroker

Today on trucks, Stacy's gonna make a 350 out of a 302 as he shows you all the right parts you need for one awesome engine build up and

then we'll go for a spin in the Wild Dodge concept vehicle, the Ramrod.

And finally we'll relax in the very comfortable Lincoln Blackwood.

That's all today on trucks.

Hey, welcome to trucks. We have got a lot of cool stuff to show you today.

We have a Hot rod version of the new Dodge Ram. Then we're gonna take you for a test drive in the very expensive Lincoln Blackwood. But before we do that, we're gonna talk engines like this little 302. I'm putting together now, we're gonna show you how to punch this thing out to 350 50 cubic inches

and put it in a 400 horsepower range now to do something like that. Well, that means you usually need to stroke the crank and any time you do a project like that, the key is all in the components that you use. So

if you'll follow me over to the table, I'm gonna show you what's going into this thing. A

few years ago, Holly

started buying up various companies like Leno

and Wan

and Hooker Headers.

Heck for a while, we thought Holly was gonna buy everybody. But there was a reason for those purchases by doing that. Holly is able to put together complete kits for the whole engine from the crank shaft all the way to the air cleaner and that means everything will fit and everything works together.

No one else can do that.

So for the bottom end, here's what we got.

The crank,

the rods and the bearings are all from Leonardi's 349 Stroker kit, which means it's gonna punch that little 302 out to a 350.

Now, the crank and rods

are very strong. These will easily handle up to 450 horses and the best part is this stuff is all engineered to work together. So, you know, it's gonna fit.

All right, another area that has got to be compatible with the

frank and rods are the pistons.

And for those, we also went to Leno

got a set of their full floater

forged aluminum racing pistons. Now

see how deep that valve relief is cut into the piston that gives you clearance for your valves. Now remember with a Stroker, you've increased the length of the stroke. So if those are not cut, right,

well, your valves will crash into your pistons and you'll destroy everything.

This brings me up to the next key component when you're building a Stroker. And that is the heads. Now, for those, we went to Holly

and got these aluminum Avenger Street heads. Now, these have huge stainless steel valves, check this out. They don't get much closer than that.

They also

have the springs, retainers, screw in studs, guide plates. Heck, they've got all the good stuff and these flow really well right out of the box. But

if you really want these things to come alive, you come in here and pour them a little bit, then it will be a mother.

Now, the best part is these work perfectly with the crank rod and piston combination that we're using. Now a little tip. When you go to both these on

crank them down 35 ft pounds, then go to 55 ft pounds, then 75. And that's your final torque. This will give you a nice even torque across the head and give you a good seal on the head gasket. Also make sure you're using the proper sequence. Start in the center, work your way out, alternating side to side.

Now, the complete valve train, the roller cam, the lifters, the push rods

and the roller rockers all came from Leno,

which means we know it will all be compatible with everything we've done so far.

And that is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when they build a custom engine.

They use the wrong length. Push rods or

they use the wrong ratio on the rocker arms. Now, if you make that mistake,

the engine will never run to its full potential

if it runs at all, a

way to alleviate that problem is to use a kit like we're doing.

Next is the intake manifold. And for that,

we went to way in and got their stealth intake. Now, this is a dual plane high rise intake

and the reason it's got such a sneaky name is because it pulls right off of idle, it gives you great low end torque,

but it also pulls all the way up to 6800 RPM,

which is plenty for what we're gonna be using. Now,

once you have all your gaskets in,

just set the intake in, but

make sure you put an extra dab of silicone in the corners because these are notorious leak areas.

Now, for the carburetor, we're using Holly's new truck, Avenger

off road carburetor. Now, these things are specifically designed with special metering blocks and vent tubes and all kinds of tricks, stuff

to handle steep inclines or off camera situations. Matter of fact, Holly's already tested these up to 40 degrees and that's pretty impressive, but

I think they'll do even better

to top off that carburetor. We went to Edelbrock, got one of their elite series thinned aluminum air cleaners. Now, the oval shape not only looks really cool, but it also gives us easy access to the linkage and the adjustments of this carburetor.

Now, valve covers. All right, because of the location of these valves and these heads, not just any valve cover is gonna fit.

So we went back to Edelbrock, got a set of these classic

fend aluminum valve covers just like they made in the fifties. Now, not only do they match the style of the air cleaner but these are trick as heck.

Ok. Now we are ready for the electrical system. Now, for the distributor, we went to Mallory got one of their Unite Vacuum advanced distributors.

Now, these are triggered by a little light module. So they're dead on accurate. And the best part is once you stick those in, you never have to adjust them.

Now, we're gonna cap it with their extreme duty cap which holds the wires in place

and we're gonna trigger it with their Promaster coil. As you can see, it puts out some serious punch.

Now for wires, we went to Excel, got a set of their extreme 9000 ultra high temperature wires. Now, these have a special coating on them that allows them not to burn if they should happen to hit your headers or something.

Yeah.

Well, that should give you an idea what kind of parts it takes to build a 350 stroke or out of a little 302 Ford. Now, a lot of you might be thinking, oh, man, I don't want to deal with that.

Well, we have got an option for you too and it is right here in this crate.

I can't show it to you now. You gotta wait till after the break.

Next Stacy really is gonna show you what's in the crate, but not yet.

Let's check it out.

Welcome back to trucks and our empty crate. I know you're dying to know what was in that. And I'll show you here in a minute. Just relax before the break.

I showed you the parts it takes to take a 302 Ford and punch it out to a 350 Stroker. That way you'll have a nice hot street engine. Unfortunately,

80% of you out there will never build your own engine even if you really want to.

And there's various different reasons for this. Number one,

you just don't feel like you can, you watch the shows and you read the books and you still don't feel comfortable with it. Number two,

you don't have the proper tools or the facility to do it.

That's pretty important. Or number three

just don't have the time and that's probably one of the biggest. So what do you do?

Can't buy an engine like this at the local parts store.

And if you take all these great components down to the wrong guy, well,

you're gonna end up with a huge mess.

Well, grab something to write with because I've got a place that'll build it for you and guarantee it.

Now, the place is called Automotive Specialists. They're in Concord, North Carolina and the owner is Keith Dorton.

Now, some people were just born to build engines and Keith is one of those guys. He was only 12 years old when he built his first car.

A 32 Ford five window.

Keith opened automotive specialists in 1965 with their main emphasis being on racing engines and it wasn't long before their engines were winning some of the biggest races in motor sports, a legacy that continues to this day.

Now, you might be thinking, well, Stacy, that's pretty cool. But what does that have to do with me and my truck engine? Well,

automobile specialists don't just build racing engines. They also will build your engine for you. However, you want it. For example,

I sent them all the very same components that I put into this engine, the Leno

Stroker kit, the heads, all of it

told him I wanted around 400 horsepower, around 400 ft pounds of torque needed to have good vacuum so I could run power brakes and things like that

and it needed to run on pump gas.

Here is what they sent me in the crate and guess what

this is going in? Project? Crazy Horse.

Let's check it out.

We've got a fully assembled painted engine that's already broken in and ready to be installed. Now, it's been

dyno

and the numbers are 390 horsepower and 400 ft pounds of torque.

That's exactly what I asked for now, like I said before, this is going in Project Crazy Horse, which means,

yeah, I'm gonna push it hard on national television.

That is what these are for. Now. That is ok with Keith because he guarantees his engines to do exactly what they're supposed to.

Now, this engine has got some unique features on it

like this oil pan. Let's go over to the table and check one of these out.

We got ours from Canton racing products and this is a nice piece for a small block Ford

and you can see that the main sump is now in the rear. You've got all kinds of clearance in here for cross members or whatever your application might be.

Now, since it is a rear sump, you have a special pickup tube

and you've got the dipstick that goes with it.

Now to strengthen the bottom end, we also got one of their main supports

and the windage tray. Now, this stuff will all work perfectly with the Lenoy

Crank and rods to give us a bulletproof bottom end.

Of course, we need a set of headers for that engine. So we went to wild horses, got a set of these JB, a shorty headers made specifically for wild horses and the early Bronco.

Now these have nice smooth bends so you get great flow,

got thick

fangs. So warping won't be a problem and you can get these nickel plated or ceramic coated like ours are. Now, if you're gonna run fuel injection, you can also get an 02 sensor bung welded right in.

Well, that takes care of the engine for Crazy Horse

and hopefully answer some questions that you might have about building a Stroker motor.

Now, I know you're wondering about that other engine over there. Well, I've got some plans for that. No, you can't have it.

And I know you're wondering what kind of transmission and transfer case is gonna go behind this.

Well, they are sitting right over there on a pallet but, uh,

you're gonna have to wait for another show to see that, but this show is not over. We've still got half of it to go right after the break.

Next. It's the feast, the Awesome Ramrod from Performance West

and later it's the beauty. Lincoln's very cushy blackwood.

Just can't get enough of trucks. Check us out online at trucks, tv.com.

Welcome back in the early nineties, Dodge. Absolutely shocked the truck world when it came out with their newly designed ram truck. It was kind of reminiscent of the old power wagons, had the high hood, low fender design.

Well, this year signals the very first major restyling of the big Dodge

and most people's first reaction is

holy cow. That is a huge grill. How in the world are we gonna turn this into a cool street truck?

Well, performance West asked that same question, but they also built the answer and it's called the Ramrod.

The first order of business was to get that stance down where a sport truck should be. So, of course, the suspension was dropped.

Then huge 23 inch tall wheels wrapped in 33 inch tall rubber were stuffed into the wheel wells and that filled it out properly. And of course, added to that massive look of the truck.

Now, you've also got very subtle running boards flowing down the sides and the flares on the fenders

up front, that massive grill blends into an equally large lower facia that seems to go on forever as it reaches toward the ground.

Now, you add to that the lower driving lights and the circular headlights and you have something with the visual impact of a runaway locomotive. This is one truck that you don't wanna see coming up fast on you in the rearview mirror.

And if you do, you better get the heck out of the way

sitting under the hood is the dodge 4.7 V8,

which may seem a little small for something called the Ram rod.

Well, take a closer look. You see that canny Bell super charger sitting there

puffing and puffing into the engine. Well, this little combination adds up to 325 horsepower and over 400 ft pounds of torque.

Not only that but the Ram Rods, all wheel drive which means like the legendary GMC Cyclone.

This thing will get off the line in a hurry, especially for a big truck.

Of course, inside the Ram Rod was outfitted with custom leather interior state of the art stereo and a global navigation system. So you can always find your way home,

getting lost and driving around for a while. Really wouldn't be too bad.

All right. Who put this tape in at

the tail end of the Ram Rod? You've got a hard tunnel cover and this whole truck is covered in what they call spectra flare paint.

You also have a custom rear facia that finishes out all that styling that started in the front. Now, you might be wondering about those exhaust tips. They look a little familiar, don't they?

Well, they're from one of the greatest muscle cars of all time. The 70 Dodge Challenger RT E.

Well, there you have it a prime example of how the new Dodge run

with a little help from the aftermarket and performance West can make one heck of a cool street truck. Now, just in case you haven't heard

the new Dodge Hammy

is gonna be available in these trucks in the fall. Now, that new engine may not have the visual pop of this old 55 3 31

but it's still a hemi

which means if you want one,

you better get in line behind me

after the break. Stacy's riding in style in the Blackwood, stay tuned.

One of the unique things about the world of trucks and suvs are all the many different uses that people have for them. Some are used for work, some for play, some to cart the kids around.

That's all very understandable. But how about a luxury utility vehicle?

That sounds a little bit odd, doesn't it? Well, not anymore. And if you're not quite sure what I'm talking about,

let me introduce you

to the Lincoln Blackwood.

The Blackwood is a two wheel drive luxury vehicle based on a truck platform,

but it's a lot more than just a Lincoln Navigator with the tail cut off and a bed added.

The bed is one of the most unique features. Let's check it out.

The first thing that really stands out is the dark wood grain and pinstriping that runs down the side of the bed offsetting the black paint.

Now the bed is short. It's less than 5 ft long making it perfect for carrying a set of golf clubs or tennis rackets, but not much else. Now, electric tunnel cover keeps everything dry and inside the bed. Well, that's lined with stainless steel. Now, the tailgate is different too.

Instead of folding down,

it opens from the center,

the Blackwood rivals any Cadillac Mercedes or Jaguar luxury car.

It's got soft temperature controlled leather seats, wood and leather trim on the dash. A

state of the art stereo system with separate controls in the rear.

Heck it's even got a GPS system that speaks to you in different languages. Heck, I bet. If you look hard enough, you'll even find a supply of gray poupon

in here

underneath the bumper are backup sensors to warn you of any close or unseen objects. That way you don't run over tricycles or shopping carts or even a hidden videographer like Chris

under the hood is a little surprise. You've got a 300 horsepower double overhead cam V8

and it gives the Blackwood a little more grunt than you'd expect.

Now, this is not a high performance truck, but it's definitely got enough snap to make this thing fun to drive.

Of course, the ride is very smooth and quiet with handling, feeling very much like a big luxury car.

The front grill bumper and hood, that's where you're gonna see the resemblance to the Lincoln Navigator, but that's ok because that styling works. It makes for a very classy unique looking truck.

Ok. That is the Lincoln Blackwood. Now, I've got some numbers for you.

This thing gets 12 miles to the gallon in the city, 17 on the highway. Now, the price,

well, one outfitted like this will run you right at $51,000.

Yeah.

Now the potential for modification. Oh, yeah,

you drop this thing down a little bit. You put some cool wheels and tires on there and stick a super charger under that hood.

This thing would be bad. Unfortunately, that would take it even further out of my price range. But

if you're looking for a luxury SUV with a bed,

a Lincoln Blackwood is pretty much in a class by itself.

And now truck gear, parts, tools and equipment for pickups and sport utilities

in the world of custom wheels. There's a lot of competition out there. So how do you know what's good?

Well, there's an old saying, quality rises to the top And one company that's been at the top for a long time is Colorado Customs.

Check out this version called the Lazier,

which is a very cool variation of the classic five spoke design. Now, Colorado Customs makes wheels in 20 or 30 different styles. You can get unlimited back spacing and rim diameters. So

if you are ready for a cool set of custom wheels, well, you know where to look at the top.

One of the most frustrating things about working in a shop is keeping all of your solvents and cleaners and spray paint organized. So, you know where it's at when you need it.

Well, Grillo's garage has got that problem handled with these metal racks that mount right to the wall. Now, this one holds spray paint.

This one is designed to hold their top quality cleaners and waxes.

Now, they also carry creepers, but even better than that,

they've got this special bracket that mounts to the wall to get the creeper up off the ground. So you're not stumbling over it all the time.

If you've got a garage, you probably need something from Grillo's garage.

Another thing that's really aggravating is not having enough work space when you're working on something for your tools and your parts.

Kac

manufacturing has taken care of that problem with the storage, master rolling toolbox. Now, this features heavy duty locking casters,

locking doors

and of course sliding drawers for your parts and your tools now can connect. Manufacturing. Did their homework on this one. They built it right. And the price is 1400 bucks.

Now, here's a look at next week.

It's big power upgrades. As Stacy shows you how to get more power from your turbocharged power stroke by using a kit called the power pack. Now that's powerful stuff

and then we'll send you back to school and show you the best place on the planet to learn the ins and outs of diesel engines.

That's all next week here on trucks

for a VHS copy of today's show call, toll free 1877853 7260. Show videos are just 1295 plus shipping and handling

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