When it comes to engine builds, the term “budget” is often thrown around loosely. Truth
be told, everyone has a budget — some are very large and some are pretty tight. In the case of this Prestige Motorsports 347, the budget is up there, as this is a high-end small-block Ford designed to make over 600 horsepower, with an emphasis on overall weight and
durability.

The Prestige Motorsports 347 in question is a custom unit that’s designed, machined, assembled and tested in its Kannapolis, North Carolina facility. The customer spared no
expense, and the result is a powerplant that will motivate a vintage 1967 Mustang
predominately used for road racing.

Like many engines, it could be adapted to street performance or drag racing with a
few tweaks. For instance, you could lower the compression and run it on the street or
even add a hydraulic roller cam for ease of maintenance.

DSS forged pistons swing on Molnar steel connecting rods.

And while this is a 100-percent custom build, Prestige offers a variety of ready-to-go, competitively priced crate engines, along with dyno testing and even complete powertrain packages with everything you’ll need for an upgrade or swap.

Cool Ford options from Prestige include a 521-inch 385-series stroker, 302, 347 and 408-inch Windsors in a variety of output levels, and even a 427 FE if you want old-school, big-block power.

“We’ve engineered each of our turn-key crate packages with a specific application in
mind, and many come in a variety of configurations,” said Shawn Meekhof, marketing
manager at Prestige Motorsports. “Every Prestige engine is built to order, giving you
complete control over looks, sound, and performance. And if you already have
components you want to use, we’ll build around them.

“Finally, we dyno test every engine to optimize performance, deliver the results and total peace of mind.”

Every Prestige Motorsports engine comes with a comprehensive installation package, custom configuration, part-for-part component breakdown, and dyno testing for proven performance.

Plus, you get a three-year warranty (or one-year warranty for Value-Series Engines).

“In addition, as a Prestige customer, you’ll get access to our expert team and a wealth
of educational resources. We’re here to help you understand your vehicle and how to
get the most from it, so we invite you to explore our custom crate engine options and
then contact us to schedule a one-on-one call with a vehicle customization specialist.”

Wanting to show off its capabilities as a custom engine builder, we’re showcasing this
incredible 347 small-block Ford. More than a typical crate engine, it a scienced-out build
with lots of thought put into induction and selecting components that will last. While it’s
destined for a road racing life, it allows you to see the capabilities of Prestige
Motorsports and this transfers to any engine they build.

Building Block

The engine block serves as the foundation for any build and in this case the project
starts with an all-aluminum small-block Ford from Carroll Shelby Engine Company. The
8.2-inch deck block is stronger and lighter than a standard OE block and perfect for
road racing and drag racing applications.

Shelby aluminum blocks (8.2-deck, 351W and 427FE variants) are cast from AA356 T6
aluminum and CNC-machined. Features on the 8.2 block includes a 0.750-inch deck
thickness, Siamese cylinder walls with centrifugally cast dry sleeves, and 0.500-inch
head stud diameter. They have studded, billet steel main caps with four splayed bolts on
the 2, 3 and 4 mains and can accommodate wet- or dry-sump oiling.

The block is approximately 90 lbs., saving roughly 70-or-more lbs when compared to a steel race block. That’s a huge amount to remove from the front of any vehicle. Shelby 8.2-inch-deck blocks can be ordered with 4.030-inch or 4.155-inch bore sizing and can accommodate cranks with using up to a 3.40-inch stroke. This opens the door for a wide range of displacement from approximately 306 to 368. Using the bigger bore and a 3.40-inch stroke, this engine goes to the maximum displacement at a healthy 368 cubic inches.

Interestingly, these blocks use a casting number that’s similar the 289 HiPo blocks,
which may be important if you’re building a Shelby Cobra replica, or if you just want the
look. This block will set you back $9.118.00, according to the Shelby website. Not
inexpensive, but worth it if you’re wanting or needing the weight savings.

Typically, 347-cube small-block Ford strokers use a 4.030-inch bore with a 3.40 stroke
crank. In this case, Prestige went with a 4.125-inch bore and shorter 3.250-inch stroke.
Big-bore, short stroke combinations are popular in many forms of racing. They allow for
larger intake valves and improve rod ratio.

It should be noted that the 4.125-inch bore, which is big for a typical small-block Ford,
does wonders for unshrouding the intake valves. This means, as the valves open, they
will be further away from the cylinder wall (because the physical bore is bigger), and this
improves airflow in and out of each cylinder. This is especially important on 8.2-inch deck stroker Ford engines. The shorter stroke is often more suited to higher engine
speed when compared to long-stroke engines.

Prestige chose a lightweight crankshaft from Molnar Technologies. Molnar’s 4340
forged crankshafts are heat treated to increase tensile strength, shot peened to
increase fatigue life, nitrided for wear resistance and 100-percent mag particle
inspected to ensure against cracks. Molnar steel rods and DSS forged pistons (with a
slight dome) complete the rotating assembly. The bottom-end was sealed up with a
front-sump Moroso double-kick-out oil pan. This is typical for road racing, autocross or
general handling applications. It has a 10-quart oil capacity and keeps the pick-up
covered under all facets of driving or racing.

Induction Function

While the bottom-end is a stout one, making horsepower requires efficient airflow
capabilities of the induction and the stability and design of the valvetrain. The team
selected Brodix aluminum heads that were prepared in house.

They feature the latest in port design and were fitted with 2.100-inch intake and 1.57-
inch exhaust valves.

“We went with titanium springs and retainers from Manley along with Jesel rockers,” said Lloyd “Senior” McCleary, engine builder extraordinaire at Prestige. “The cam was designed in-house, too. It’s a solid roller with 0.683/0.656-inch intake and exhaust lift, 259/269 duration, a 110-degree lobe center angle and we used a double-roller timing chain.”

The 347 uses a custom 0.680-inch lift cam, along with 2.100-inch intake/1.570-inch intake/exhaust valves with Jesel rockers and Manley valve springs.

Topping the Ford is a hand-ported and port-matched Edelbrock Super Victor with a
Quick Fuel 4150 carburetor. You’ll also note there’s a front-sump T-shaped Moroso oil
pan designed to be installed in a classic Ford. Prestige can also prepare a similar
engine with EFI and/or a rear-mounted sump for fitment in a Foxbody or other chassis.

Other supporting components include an Innovators West harmonic balancer, MSD
distributor and Moroso billet valve covers.

The completed engine produced 630 horsepower at 7,900 rpm and 461 lb-ft. of torque at 6,000 rpm. Completed engines are packaged carefully and shipped in custom crates.

Dyno Test

Along with being a full-service machine and assembly shop, Prestige Motorsports offers
consulting, custom fabrication, vehicle building, remote tuning, parts and dyno testing.

“The demand for dyno testing has never been higher,” said Meekhof. “Our Dyno Promise means that we dyno test every engine we build. It’s the best way to verify the quality of our work, the integrity of each component, and the reliability of every engine we construct.

“We deliver the dyno results for your project directly to you. We never ship an under-
performing component or combination — we’ll test and tune until optimal performance is
achieved,” he added. “And we also offer chassis dyno services.”

Loaded on the “pump,” the 347 received a break-in to seat the rings and then the testing
began. Dyno pulls for tuning came first, then the all-out power pulls were made to
redline.

During the power pulls, it developed a peak of 630 horsepower at 7,900 rpm and 461-
lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. These numbers were made using the “Standard”
correction factor and with 32 degrees of ignition timing. A look at the dyno graph reveals
a broad power curve, which is perfect for the application.

“Some of the key factors that really drive up the cost are the aluminum engine block, it’s
got custom CNC-valve covers with valve spring oilers,” said McCleary. “There’s a port-
matched manifold, custom camshaft and high-end roller lifters. It’s got our 8,000-rpm
titanium valve springs, titanium retainers and everything of that nature. So, this is quite
a unique piece, and you can understand all the idiosyncrasies of everything to get it to
work properly, especially at sustained high rpm.

“Compare that to one of our 425 horsepower 347 engines. The rpm limit on the
standard 347 is 6,000 rpm. These engines are built by the same assembler, they go
through the same criteria, and that’ll give you confidence in the level of quality that we
provide no matter the project.”

Package Powertrains from Prestige Motorsports

Along with Chevy, Ford and Mopar crate and custom engines, Prestige Motorsports has
developed its line of Ultimate Turn-Key Packages. These kits include everything to swap
a powertrain and get you up and running with minimal fuss. They are also cooling system experts.

You can also spec out one of its Ultimate Turn-Key packages that includes engine, transmission, fuel system, cooling and more. This is an incredible option for any project or engine/powertrain swap.

“Our comprehensive packages combine all our most popular turn-key performance
packages including engine upgrade, fuel supply, cooling system, and transmission into
a single crate,” said Meekhof. “Only Prestige has the experience and resources to give
you total peace of mind when it comes to a performance-driven, whole-vehicle build.

“Every Ultimate Turn-Key Package is a soup-to-nuts array of hand-picked components,
all dyno tested and combined in the pursuit of the goals you set for your car. It covers
every consideration and saves you money with a volume discount and a one-time
shipping cost. To find out what’s possible, talk to one of our pros.”

In addition to the complete powertrain, they can help you source a transmission, engine cooling and fuel system for any street, strip or racing build.

This Prestige Motorsports 347 shows what it can do at the high-end of the market, but it is every bit as meticulous when it comes to building all its crate engines.