I know these questions are as old as the dinosaurs but...

[Back2Mustangs]

I'm thinking I want an aluminum block for my GT to lighten the front end. My concern is in some of the posts I've read while searching this forum about the Aluminum blocks causing increased under-hood temps and iron blocks making more horsepower.... Car is a 96 GT and I want to stick with the non-PI heads for weight and cost savings, and the Kenne Bell 1.7 seems to respond well to those heads anyways. So the block is my main focus right now.

Should I buy a new iron 4.6 block or find a Teksid block for my blower application?

I'm swapping k-member and a-arms in the front, and am even thinking about 14 inch brakes so I can dump the hydra-boost and go manual steering & brakes. I want as much weight out of the front of the car as possible so if the weight savings of the block will acheive more than the HP gain of the iron block I'll still go with the Teksid block. Any hard numbers and facts are always appreciated. Especially any tips on identifying a Teksid block if I didn't see what car it came out of...

 

[BensBACobra]

Typically aluminum blocks are cooler than cast iron b/c they disapate heat more efficiently. Thats why motors in any make/model car these days are 99% aluminum and rest is rubber and plastic.

 

[Back2Mustangs]

You know thats what I always thought... if you look at anything that has a heat-sink or cooling fins... its made of aluminum to dissipate heat quickly. Someone posted in another thread in this forum that one of the reasons Ford switch back to the iron block in the 03/04 Cobra's was because the aluminum block allowed more heat to escape and raised the under hood temperature which hurt the performance of the Eaton blower. Who knows...

 

[TheDukeOfEarl]

I'm thinking I want an aluminum block for my GT to lighten the front end. My concern is in some of the posts I've read while searching this forum about the Aluminum blocks causing increased under-hood temps and iron blocks making more horsepower.... Car is a 96 GT and I want to stick with the non-PI heads for weight and cost savings, and the Kenne Bell 1.7 seems to respond well to those heads anyways. So the block is my main focus right now.

Should I buy a new iron 4.6 block or find a Teksid block for my blower application?

I'm swapping k-member and a-arms in the front, and am even thinking about 14 inch brakes so I can dump the hydra-boost and go manual steering & brakes. I want as much weight out of the front of the car as possible so if the weight savings of the block will acheive more than the HP gain of the iron block I'll still go with the Teksid block. Any hard numbers and facts are always appreciated. Especially any tips on identifying a Teksid block if I didn't see what car it came out of...

The Teksid blocks have a pattern of small squares on the area where your intake goes. Did you know that The makers of the Teksid blocks. (Teksid Aluminum) Made the Enzo blocks for Ferrari.

 

[BensBACobra]

You know thats what I always thought... if you look at anything that has a heat-sink or cooling fins... its made of aluminum to dissipate heat quickly. Someone posted in another thread in this forum that one of the reasons Ford switch back to the iron block in the 03/04 Cobra's was because the aluminum block allowed more heat to escape and raised the under hood temperature which hurt the performance of the Eaton blower. Who knows...

i think cast iron is cheap and thats why ford uses them.

 

[Uncle Meat]

i think cast iron is cheap and thats why ford uses them.

Rumor had it that Ford went with the iron block on the 03/04's because the alumininum blocks weren't up to handling the power. That's pure crap. They went with the iron blocks because they were cheaper. Find yourself a good seasoned Teksid block and build the bottom end up well and you'll be fine.

U.M.

 

[Back2Mustangs]

Cool. Thanks 'gents. And thanks Duke, for the help in identifiying a Teksid block. Wish me luck...