Ford MEL engine
Encyclopedia
Ford
developed the MEL ("Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln") engine series for use in their line of Mercury
models from 1958 through 1967. The MEL also replaced Lincoln
's unique Y-block design. These engines were produced in Lima, Ohio
at Ford's Lima Engine
plant. They were replaced by the 385 series engines
.
All MEL engines had wedge shaped combustion chambers formed between a flat head surface and an angle milled block deck (10 degrees off square with the bore axis), with the piston top determining the compression ratio and combustion chamber shape, similar to the Chevrolet Big-Block 348 combustion chamber, also introduced in 1958, and the later 409. Unlike the Chevrolet, which had staggered valves and scalloped or M shaped valve covers, the MEL valves were inline with shaft mounted rocker arms like the FE model Ford engines
which were introduced at the same time. As with the previous generation V8's, an open runner intake manifold was used, requiring the use of a stamped steel lifter valley cover similar to that of the Pontiac V8 engine
s. Also, the intake manifold provided no exhaust crossover passage to warm the air/fuel mixture, relying solely on the heat riser mounted over the left exhaust manifold to provide heat for warming the air/fuel mixture.
The MEL was similar to the Ford FE
, with the same oiling system, bolt patterns, and valve stems, but was even larger. The main bearings were 2.9 in (74 mm), while the rod bearings were huge at 2.6 in (66 mm). The connecting rod beam had a unique triangular shape with the shoulders for the bolts sitting low toward the cap mating surface (1/2 in.).
. The 322 hp (240 kW) was the only output for 1959, and power dropped to 280 hp (209 kW) for the final year.
Applications:
four-barrel carb, and hydraulic lifters pushed out 345 hp (248 kW) and 475 ft·lbf (644 Nm) of torque. This engine was only used in the 1958 Edsel Corsair
and Citation
.
s and was commonly referred to as the "Bulldozer" of the MEL series engines. The Marauder used three two-barrel carburetors. The 430 had a 4.30 in (109.2 mm) bore (same as the 383) and shared the 3.7 in (94 mm) stroke of the 410.
The 1958 Marauder was the first American production automobile engine to attain a 400 hp (298 kW) advertised rating. This engine featured the tripower intake manifold, which was cast for Ford by Moon products. Three Holley 2300 carburetors were used.
The compression ratio started at 10.5:1 for 365, 375, and 400 hp (272, 280, and 298 kW), but was reduced to 10.0:1 in less than a year. These 1959 engines produced 345–350 hp (257 to 261 kW), but power was down to 315 hp (235 kW) for 1960.
New pistons and a four-barrel carburetor were added for 1963; the 10.1:1 compression brought output back to 345 hp (257 kW).
Applications:
The 430 engine in particular had a limited but storied history in hotrodding. The first Miami to Nassau race won by Bertram Yachts (which subsequently helped establish their name) featured a boat powered by twin 430 MEL engines. In the 1959 NASCAR season, Holman Moody campaigned a number of Thunderbirds, at least some of which were powered by 430's. At least one car still survives intact.The cars were ponderous handlers because of the heavy engine, but successful runners. The Holman Moody 430 Thunderbirds caught the attention of Ford after one of them finished a photo second to Lee Petty at the 1959 Daytona 500.
Because of the changing nature of heads, intakes and piston designs, as well as a limited life span, not many aftermarket speed parts were made for the MEL line of engines. Edelbrock made a 6X2 intake manifold and a set of water-cooled marine exhaust manifolds (M4) and Weiand made a drag start 8X2 manifold as well. Oversize pistons for early drag racers or blown 430's were made, including sets by Jahns Pistons at 13:1 and .150 over standard bore. Other speed parts have been rumoured, but they are difficult to find.
family.
Applications:
----
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
developed the MEL ("Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln") engine series for use in their line of Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
models from 1958 through 1967. The MEL also replaced Lincoln
Lincoln (automobile)
Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
's unique Y-block design. These engines were produced in Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
at Ford's Lima Engine
Lima Engine
Lima Engine is a Ford Motor Company automobile engine plant located in Lima, Ohio. The factory was opened in 1957 as the site of production of Ford's MEL V8 for the Edsel car...
plant. They were replaced by the 385 series engines
Ford 385 engine
The Ford 385 engine family was the Ford Motor Company's final big block V8 engine design, replacing the Ford MEL engine and gradually superseding the Ford FE engine family...
.
All MEL engines had wedge shaped combustion chambers formed between a flat head surface and an angle milled block deck (10 degrees off square with the bore axis), with the piston top determining the compression ratio and combustion chamber shape, similar to the Chevrolet Big-Block 348 combustion chamber, also introduced in 1958, and the later 409. Unlike the Chevrolet, which had staggered valves and scalloped or M shaped valve covers, the MEL valves were inline with shaft mounted rocker arms like the FE model Ford engines
Ford FE engine
The Ford FE engine is a Ford V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978. The FE filled the need for a medium-displacement engine created by the discontinuation...
which were introduced at the same time. As with the previous generation V8's, an open runner intake manifold was used, requiring the use of a stamped steel lifter valley cover similar to that of the Pontiac V8 engine
Pontiac V8 engine
Pontiac began as a adjunct to the Oakland division of the General Motors line of automobiles in 1926. Pontiac successfully competed against more expensive 4-cylinder models with their inline flathead 6 engines. After outselling Oakland, Pontiac became the sole survivor of the two by 1932. In...
s. Also, the intake manifold provided no exhaust crossover passage to warm the air/fuel mixture, relying solely on the heat riser mounted over the left exhaust manifold to provide heat for warming the air/fuel mixture.
The MEL was similar to the Ford FE
Ford FE engine
The Ford FE engine is a Ford V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978. The FE filled the need for a medium-displacement engine created by the discontinuation...
, with the same oiling system, bolt patterns, and valve stems, but was even larger. The main bearings were 2.9 in (74 mm), while the rod bearings were huge at 2.6 in (66 mm). The connecting rod beam had a unique triangular shape with the shoulders for the bolts sitting low toward the cap mating surface (1/2 in.).
383
The 383 cu in (6.3 L) Marauder was the smallest member of the family. Produced from 1958 through 1960, it was only used in Mercury vehicles. It used a 4.3 in (109.2 mm) bore and 3.3 in (83.8 mm) stroke. Output began at 312 or 330 hp (233 or 246 kW), both with a four-barrel carburetorCarburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
. The 322 hp (240 kW) was the only output for 1959, and power dropped to 280 hp (209 kW) for the final year.
Applications:
- 1958–1960 MercuryMercury (automobile)Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
410
The least-common MEL engine was the 410 cu in (6.7 L) E-475'. The bore was lower at 4.2 in (106.7 mm). A 10.5:1 compression, a HolleyHolley Performance Products
Holley Performance Products is an automotive performance company based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Holley, when based in Michigan, was one of the major producers of carburetors, being supplied as standard equipment on many Detroit-built automobiles....
four-barrel carb, and hydraulic lifters pushed out 345 hp (248 kW) and 475 ft·lbf (644 Nm) of torque. This engine was only used in the 1958 Edsel Corsair
Edsel Corsair
The Edsel Corsair was an automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan and sold through its Edsel marque in 1958 and 1959. For 1958, the Corsair was built on the longer Edsel wheelbase derived from Mercury brand automobiles. In...
and Citation
Edsel Citation
The Edsel Citation was the top of the line automobile produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan, and sold through its Edsel marque in 1958. The Citation was built on the longer Edsel platform, shared with Mercury brand automobiles, as was...
.
430
The 430 cu in (7.0 L) engine was produced from 1958 through 1965. It was also used in Ford ThunderbirdFord Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
s and was commonly referred to as the "Bulldozer" of the MEL series engines. The Marauder used three two-barrel carburetors. The 430 had a 4.30 in (109.2 mm) bore (same as the 383) and shared the 3.7 in (94 mm) stroke of the 410.
The 1958 Marauder was the first American production automobile engine to attain a 400 hp (298 kW) advertised rating. This engine featured the tripower intake manifold, which was cast for Ford by Moon products. Three Holley 2300 carburetors were used.
The compression ratio started at 10.5:1 for 365, 375, and 400 hp (272, 280, and 298 kW), but was reduced to 10.0:1 in less than a year. These 1959 engines produced 345–350 hp (257 to 261 kW), but power was down to 315 hp (235 kW) for 1960.
New pistons and a four-barrel carburetor were added for 1963; the 10.1:1 compression brought output back to 345 hp (257 kW).
Applications:
- 1958–1965 Lincoln ContinentalLincoln ContinentalThe Lincoln Continental is an automobile which was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 1948 and again from 1956 to 2002...
- 1959–1960 Ford ThunderbirdFord ThunderbirdThe Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
- 1958–1960 Mercury
The 430 engine in particular had a limited but storied history in hotrodding. The first Miami to Nassau race won by Bertram Yachts (which subsequently helped establish their name) featured a boat powered by twin 430 MEL engines. In the 1959 NASCAR season, Holman Moody campaigned a number of Thunderbirds, at least some of which were powered by 430's. At least one car still survives intact.The cars were ponderous handlers because of the heavy engine, but successful runners. The Holman Moody 430 Thunderbirds caught the attention of Ford after one of them finished a photo second to Lee Petty at the 1959 Daytona 500.
Because of the changing nature of heads, intakes and piston designs, as well as a limited life span, not many aftermarket speed parts were made for the MEL line of engines. Edelbrock made a 6X2 intake manifold and a set of water-cooled marine exhaust manifolds (M4) and Weiand made a drag start 8X2 manifold as well. Oversize pistons for early drag racers or blown 430's were made, including sets by Jahns Pistons at 13:1 and .150 over standard bore. Other speed parts have been rumoured, but they are difficult to find.
462
The 430 was replaced by the 462 cu in (7.6 L) engine in 1966. Bore and stroke were entirely different at 4.38 in (111.3 mm) by 3.83 in (97.3 mm) and the 462 MEL engine produced 340 hp (254 kW) and as much as 485 ft·lb (658 N·m) of torque. This engine was fitted with hydraulic lifters and a Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor. This large torquey engine was used only in Lincoln Continentals, from 1966 until mid-year in 1968 when it was replaced by the 385-series 460. Production ended after 1968. The production facilities in Lima were converted to produce the new Ford 385 engineFord 385 engine
The Ford 385 engine family was the Ford Motor Company's final big block V8 engine design, replacing the Ford MEL engine and gradually superseding the Ford FE engine family...
family.
Applications:
- 1966–1968 Lincoln ContinentalLincoln ContinentalThe Lincoln Continental is an automobile which was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 1948 and again from 1956 to 2002...
External links
Discussion forum for Ford M-E-L engine enthusiasts. Covers 383, 410, 430 and 460 cid Mercury Edsel and Lincoln engines and cars----