I have been commissioned with building a Ford rail kit.  I want to design something really nice.  I have a few questions for the Ford aficionados.

The first question is in three parts:  1) What are these two (extra) bellhousing bolt holes used for?  2) Are they present in all factory and aftermarket 429/460 (385 Series) blocks?  3) Has anyone seen a marine engine mounting system that makes use of these bolt holes?

Next question:  Are you running a block-mounted oil filter?  If you have a tunnel hull, do you have room to easily access the oil filter, let alone, install one in the OEM location?

I have yet to try, but I believe that a remote filter would be required, if not make life a whole lot easier.

I’ll shoot you a PM with my phone number if you want to chat more.

Hey Joe! I’m sure you remember the set made for my CP back in 2018.

To your first question, we totally skipped those two bolt holes on the back of the motor. We only utilized the ones around the outer perimeter.

As for mechanical fuel pumps, when it comes to a Ford the best one on the market is hands down the Clay Smith mechanical. When my front plate was built there was a nice window made for my pump. Let me see if I can drum up some pictures for you.


Sent from my iPhone using SoCal Jet Boats

Hey Nick,

I definitely remember, your's was the first Ford rail kit I made.  Wasn't that also in your yellow/white Hallett bubble deck?  I was sure that was before January 2015, when we went CNC.  Anyway, I never got an opportunity to digitize the Ford dimensions, it's time now.

The front plate has always been my hangup and why I hate doing Ford rail kits.  In a perfect world, I would just make my own billet timing cover with the appropriate bosses for cooling and mounting.  I hear that some are already making just such a cover, but most jet boaters don't want to spend an additional $500 on a new cover, so factory cover options it is.

I elected to pick up the water pump bolts because I felt that it is the strongest option for a factory timing cover.  I have also made some, by request, that pick up just the lower four 5/16" bolts.

I never really liked picking up just the lower four for a few reasons.  1) You have to pull the damper to R&R the plate.  2) I have heard rumors that the factory timing cover has a tendency to crack.  Any kind of failure would be a terrible thing.

I'm wondering if there were a way that I am simply not seeing.  I'm looking for suggestions as to what people like.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Joe