Stroking an Explorer 5.0L engine?

[ford99_1979]

Like Don said, get a 28oz balancer with Explorer timing ring modified to fit. Then track down a 94-95 cobra pulley (I may know of a guy who is willing to sell one). Once you have those items in hand you can get any builder/machine shop to balance the rotating assembly with those parts.

With that being said, I have nothing but good praise for Fordstrokers as do hundreds of others testimonials I have read online. I took their build sheet and actually did a spreadsheet of all parts and added them up from market value prices from Jeg's or Summit etc. You just can't beat the price on the parts and they professionally assemble it for you! In the end you know its assembled with the best parts by experienced guys. In addition to that, getting a custom made camshaft from Camshaft innovations in your build gives you that much more potential.

I checked local shops and they couldn't touch Fordstrokers price including shipping from Chicago to Calgary Alberta Canada ($450). Just don't be in a rush because they are so busy. I've just come to expect that you can't rush quality. On the flip side, the added wait time for a Fordstroker's engine allows a guy to pay as you go. Which in the end allowed me to actually do this project because the money was spread out over many months.

My truck is in the shop right now, the 347 engine transplant has begun. Hope to have it out soon and i'll report my progress as it happens.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's great to hear, let me know how it goes. Which intake did you use again, it's been a long time since you told me? Regards,

 

[ford99_1979]

Don't want to jack the thread. I ended up going with a Trick Flow - Track Heat intake.

I have a thread going here.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287431

 

[2000StreetRod]

Reducing the stock balancer?

Has anyone investigated the possibility of removing (by grinding, drilling or cutting) some of the offset weight from the stock Explorer 50 oz-in balancer to get it down to 28 oz-in?
Below is a photo of the Dorman replacement for the stock balancer.

It appears that the serpentine pulley may be attached with three bolts to the rear section that has the trigger wheel. If so, then removing the front section may provide access to the offset weight.

 

[2000StreetRod]

94-95 Cobra Pulley

Like Don said, get a 28oz balancer with Explorer timing ring modified to fit. Then track down a 94-95 cobra pulley (I may know of a guy who is willing to sell one). Once you have those items in hand you can get any builder/machine shop to balance the rotating assembly with those parts. . .

Is the 94-95 Cobra pulley for a 6 or 8 groove serpentine belt? According to this post the diameter is 5 7/8 to 6 inches: Stock Water Pump & Crank Pulley Diameters??
I believe the stock Explorer pulley diameter is 6.3 inches so there would be a slight decrease in water pump, alternator, power steering pump and A/C compressor rotation speed.

 

[CDW6212R]

Is the 94-95 Cobra pulley for a 6 or 8 groove serpentine belt? According to this post the diameter is 5 7/8 to 6 inches: Stock Water Pump & Crank Pulley Diameters??
I believe the stock Explorer pulley diameter is 6.3 inches so there would be a slight decrease in water pump, alternator, power steering pump and A/C compressor rotation speed.

Dale, the difference in size between the 94/95 Cobra pulley and our balancer is less than an 1/16". It's nothing, you cannot tell it without placing one against the other.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I think the best option would be to turn it, but that is a lot of weight.

 

[99SportX]

Has anyone investigated the possibility of removing (by grinding, drilling or cutting) some of the offset weight from the stock Explorer 50 oz-in balancer to get it down to 28 oz-in?
Below is a photo of the Dorman replacement for the stock balancer.
View attachment 60806
It appears that the serpentine pulley may be attached with three bolts to the rear section that has the trigger wheel. If so, then removing the front section may provide access to the offset weight.

The 5.0 explorer pulley is integral to the balancer. The three holes you see are for running bolts in to pull the balancer off the crank with a puller.

Does anyone have an idea as to why Ford chose to go with a 50oz balance instead of a 28oz balance in the explorer in the first place?

 

[CDW6212R]

All of the fuel injection smallblock Fords are 50oz balanced. I think it allowed a cheaper crank than the old 28oz stuff.

 

[CDW6212R]

I have just one more spare balancer that I could use for the trigger wheel to make another custom 28oz balancer.

If you want one like the other two I've had made, let me know way ahead of when you would need it. My machine shop I like isn't an engine shop, and like many machine shops he can be very hard to rush. I don't push him because he's been wonderful to work on many unique things for me, and he's a friend for that. He's great and does very good work, but he has employee issues like most machine shops. He stays very busy and I ask him to work me in with things.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Custom balancer components & process?

Thanks for the photos Don but I still don't understand what components are needed and the process to assemble them.

1. Apparently I need a stock Explorer balancer just for the trigger wheel. If this is correct, how is the trigger wheel removed without being damaged?

2. My Ford Windsor Small-Block Performance book states that in 1981 the balance factor changed from 28.2 oz/in to 50 oz/in on the 289/302/5.0L. Also, I think the book stated that the 5.8L stayed with the 28 oz/in balance factor. Does that mean I need a harmonic balancer for either a 351/5.8L or a pre 1981 302/5.0L?

3. I also need a 6 groove serpentine crankshaft pulley with approximately the same diameter and fore/aft position as the stock Explorer balancer/pulley. Apparently the stock crankshaft pulley on a 94/95 Cobra meets the requirements. Summit Racing lists an Auto Specialties #523500, 26% underdrive pulley, for a 94 Cobra 302. It has 6 grooves and 4 bolt holes for $39.75. Is this a potential alternative?

4. When the three components are obtained (trigger wheel, 28 oz balancer, Cobra pulley) then the balancer is machined to mate with the trigger wheel. The trigger wheel is pressed on with the correct missing tooth to keyway orientation. Then the pulley is bolted to the modified balancer assembly.

Please correct any of my erroneous assumptions.

 

[CDW6212R]

You can see about finding another machine shop to do the job, but I think my place would be better as long as he will get to it soon, and I have my custom balancer and another trigger wheel to build one.

Look at the last picture I posted, the left rusty part is a stock Explorer balancer, the others are the special 28oz versions. The far right balancer is not yet machined on the front to align the pulley yet. See the depth of the front four holes, back to the large section? The shop up North had to use a stock Explorer balancer to figure out how far to cut the new one down. With a proper example like mine, making another like it is easier to do.

The 94/95 OEM Cobra pulley is the only pulley which is close in size to the Explorer pulley. All others will be much larger or much smaller. That may be good for a race engine with just one accessory to drive, or a supercharged engine that needs a larger pulley. For our trucks if you used an underdrive pulley(I bought a set to check it out), you would have to change the other pulleys to compensate for it. The 94/95 Cobra pulley is really ideal for the task, that'll be the toughest part.

I believe the trigger wheel pulls off, that it's pressed on as an interference fit. The back of the stock 28oz balancer is machined down to make a ledge for a piece to be added which will accept the trigger wheel. My shop here did that well, and then they performed the hard task of drilling across the seam in three places, installing pins there. It isn't too complicated, but seeing it helps to understand what's going on.

 

[CDW6212R]

I think I mentioned before that for an application which could see more rpm, there is one other balancer that might be better to begin with. I discovered that after I had both of the others done. Maybe for another 347(363) I might do later, I might try that. I don't recall the brand name, but it's somewhat common like Pioneer, and they are made in Australia. They do have something made for their version of the GT40 302, but it's not quite what I had built. The basic balancer is a little higher quality than stock I think, so it may be a good starting point then. I say that because the backside is where the trigger wheel has to go. Other aftermarket balancers have the weight too far forward I believe, it's way too far from where the trigger wheel goes. That Australian piece looks the same in the pictures I have seen, as the OEM 28oz parts. I think those were about $50-$75 more than the stock 28oz balancers I began with.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Don't forget the flexplate/flywheel...

That item figures into the balance equation as well...And the 302 went to 50 zo balance from 28 oz. in 1982...Before that all small block Windsors were 28 oz balance...And all 351 Windsors are 28 oz balance from the factory...

Oh and, although not as cost effective as the Explorer balancer, you could use an aftermarket balancer[ATI, Fluidamper. TCI,etc] and an MSD, Moroso, or FAST crank trigger wheel to perform the same functions...The 2 dampers can be gotten in either 28 or 50 oz balance and I believe the Fliudamper and TCI dampers can even be gotten with internal balance...

And I believe an aftermarket balancer coupled to a flat Cobra serpentine pulley and an aftermarket trigger wheel could work out unless the engine needs more front space for a superchargers' crank pulley...

 

[2000StreetRod]

Thread length

Thanks Don. I'm starting to understand. The depth of the 28 oz balancer is excessive so the front is cut down to position the pulley correctly. I assume that to pull the balancer from the crankshaft the 4 bolts holding the pulley are removed and then a puller is attached using two of the holes on opposite sides. Are the threaded holes long enough after machining that there is low probability they will strip when using a balancer puller?

What years of balancers are suitable?

 

[CDW6212R]

You cannot use any other trigger wheel for the Explorer engine. I looked into that, it can't be done with the current parts choices. The location of the Explorer pulley and trigger wheel are such that you can duplicate one or the other, but not both. The aftermarket balancers will not allow you to get a pulley on it in the same location as the Explorer, with the slick a crank triggers. All of that would run very close to $500 with the balancer and crank trigger parts, so even if it could have worked, that's too expensive.

 

[CDW6212R]

The four front holes are very deep, and the amount cut down is about 3/8" I think. The right OEM 28oz balancer is the normal part that works on all the old smallblocks, easy to buy. I think they were about $75 at the most.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Mustang balancer

I found a balancer on eBay that supposedly fits 70-82 Mustang 302/351s. PN D1AE 6316 AA
The photos below don't seem to match the one you started with.

 

[ford99_1979]

Dale, as I mentioned before. If you go the route Don suggests I have a lead for the hard to find cobra pulley. There is a guy over on the corral forum who I had PM'd and said he would part with it when he got back to USA. As he was back and forth to the middle east . I ended up finding one from a fellow on this forum who mentioned that he had a 1994 cobra and I could get it quicker than the other guy. Let me know if you want contact info to persue that.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Complete planning

Dale, as I mentioned before. If you go the route Don suggests I have a lead for the hard to find cobra pulley. There is a guy over on the corral forum who I had PM'd and said he would part with it when he got back to USA. As he was back and forth to the middle east . I ended up finding one from a fellow on this forum who mentioned that he had a 1994 cobra and I could get it quicker than the other guy. Let me know if you want contact info to persue that.

Thanks for the offer! Before I purchase anything toward a stroker upgrade I want to identify all of the needed components and associated costs. Also, I prefer an approach that has alternative suppliers for maintenance purposes. It looks like the custom balancer could easily cost $500. Summit Racing sells a Pioneer Automotive neutral balancer (PN 872034) for $170 shown below.

and a 28 oz balancer (PN 872032) for $200 shown below.

The second one has a 6.5 inch diameter and is SFI rated. It fits 1968 to 1977, 1979, 1980 302s and 1969 to 1996 351s.