Ford FE pistons in a 413 /426

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604B1duster

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So if you’re building a 4.25 bore 413/426 it seems there are not many choices except custom piston$. Icon and others have pistons for BBF that might work and was wondering if anyone has tried or is familiar with fords. Is there any way to figure out valve layout and compare without buying pistons and checking valve clearance?
BBM 15* valve angle, BBF 13*

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I would think if you want a 4.25" bore piston you should look at using a flat top 454 piston. Cheaper, easier to come by, and a .990" pin.

Tom
 
Pins too small?? How bout compression distance??... does you no good without proper compression.
 
.990 works and they offer a few different pin heights and flat, dish or dome. BBC is canted valve. The ford FE is a wedge.
 
whats up with the name ford or chevy , its what fills the hole as desired . just because manufactures use conmen bores ? yes choosing a type of piston that is a higher produced can play the cost game , but no one is buying direct from the automotive manufacture
 
Absolutely, just hoping that maybe someone on here has BBM and BBF experience and might know if the pistons/ valve pockets are similar enough to squeeze in ??? Or if needed enlarge the pockets a little to work ???
 
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Pistons are reasonably priced and available for 413/426, as long as you want low compression cast pistons. If you want forged/decent C.R., you might want to look at other solutions.
Assuming a $1000 set of custom pistons, built exactly for the app, would Ford or chevy be practical?
The Chevy, assuming a compression height that would work, you would need to bush stock Mopar rods, and cut custom valve reliefs, or, if not a workable c.h., then you need crankshaft work for long chevy rods, long chevy rods, and still need valve reliefs if the piston is high enough in the cylinder to give more compression than the cast replacements.
Now the Ford might work, I don't know the pin height difference, the pin bore difference,or even whether the bore size is more available as a forged piston for the ford.(428 c.j.?) The valve relief locations in half of the Ford pistons would be wrong for the 413/426, valve layout is different
If you factor in all the other machine work necessary to make something else work, the custom piston built EXACTLY as you want it, might be the best answer.
 
I don’t think custom have been $1000 for a while, $13-1400
 
my buddy just bought some .08 over stock for his vintage blown hemi build and with shipping it was a grand , oh ya rings to boot .
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I did some research for pistons in 4 1/8 bore for the 361 and came up with 400 Pontiac or 403 Oldsmobile.
 
Always thought about using Hemi rods with egge pistons to bring the compression height up and mill the pistons.
 
Back in the 80's when there were very few piston choices for strokers a local builder (George Bell of Bell & Gaines) was using FE pistons in 383's with 440 cranks, he built allot of them... So yeah a 426 with FE pistons should work..
 
1WildRT said:
Back in the 80's when there were very few piston choices for strokers a local builder (George Bell of Bell & Gaines) was using FE pistons in 383's with 440 cranks, he built allot of them... So yeah a 426 with FE pistons should work..
Click to expand...
Ding ding ding we have a winner !!!
Thanks WildRT
Hopefully I don’t waste $650 on Ford pistons
I can’t use.
 
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1WildRT said:
Back in the 80's when there were very few piston choices for strokers a local builder (George Bell of Bell & Gaines) was using FE pistons in 383's with 440 cranks, he built allot of them... So yeah a 426 with FE pistons should work..
Click to expand...

Sounds awesome, and i'm all in with ya, if it's cheap and easy, but 383 and 426 wedge have different compression distances, and won't he have to bush the rods to the right size pin?? That's a lot of machine work, that will not be cheap, true?? Can someone put up an example FE piston to consider???

I'm seeing 2 to 3 tenths, yes tenths in the hole!!! so, maybe a Hemi rod helps.... I'm sure there's a way to stroke a Frankenmotor together lol, but custom pistons are probably cheaper anyway....
 
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604B1duster said:
Ding ding ding we have a winner !!!
Thanks WildRT
Hopefully I don’t waste $650 on Ford pistons
I can’t use.
Click to expand...

I don't know the specifics of what he was doing, I just know he was doing them & they ran strong... George was a sharp old racer...

I just was looking at the specs on a 427 piston, I agree with Lefty71 either a longer rod or a longer stroke will be needed to push the piston higher...

As pomonamissel mentioned you might want to call Race Tec (714) 903-4362
 
Lefty71 said:
Sounds awesome, and i'm all in with ya, if it's cheap and easy, but 383 and 426 wedge have different compression distances, and won't he have to bush the rods to the right size pin?? That's a lot of machine work, that will not be cheap, true?? Can someone put up an example FE piston to consider???

I'm seeing 2 to 3 tenths, yes tenths in the hole!!! so, maybe a Hemi rod helps.... I'm sure there's a way to stroke a Frankenmotor together lol, but custom pistons are probably cheaper anyway....
Click to expand...
Note, those Ford pistons were used in a STROKER configuration, so they wouldn't be .300 in the hole.....
 
33IMP said:
Note, those Ford pistons were used in a STROKER configuration, so they wouldn't be .300 in the hole.....
Click to expand...

George was using a 440 crank in a 383 block so yeah a stroker but honestly it was a 426 wedge... I know he called the combo a 438 so either it was a .060 over combo or he was offset grinding the rod throws a little and using a undersize bearing...
 
Many things to consider:
- pin height & diam
- pin boss wide enough for the rod
- valve relief sizes/position
- skirt shape & section below the pin. Will it clear the crank counter weights?
 

BewyWell-Known Member
I built a 523 stroker in 1980, waaaaaaaaaaaay before any of the stroker kits were available. I used a 440 crank welded up for a 4.375" stroke. .....
I used off the shelf 460 Ford pistons. Had the pin holes enlarged to take the 440 pins. Used 440 rods.

I see you are talking from experience !
 
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