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RE: How long were you at Ford? Any stories? :-) [n/m]
By Bill Conley - 03/19/2002 4:55:35 PM; IP 4.41.12.8
I was a Ford engine engineer from 1988 thru 1993 (my first job out of school).

Lots of stories! For instance- I did a stint in the dyno building when they were shaking the bugs out of the supercharged 3.8L T-Bird engine. The original design called for a cast crank. During one test at sustained max HP, the crank let go and the flywheel got loose.
The flywheel went up the wall and half way across the ceilng of the test cell. Looked like a chainsaw massacre! The dyno operator needed a new pair of shorts. From that point on nobody was allowed in the test cell.

Around the same time they let Bill Ford Jr. test drive a prototype S/C bird on one of the tracks (I think Arizona Proving Ground). Well he "drove over the crankshaft" at 140 + mph. Needless to say it hit the fan at Engine Engineering!!

They eventually gave up on the cast crank and sourced a forged unit from Japan.

I could also spend days writing about my stint on the assembly line at Cleveland Engine Plant ... or how two engineers crashed the company's Ferrari Testarossa on the way back from a strip club. The Ferrari was purchased for "competitive evaluation" - translation: executive toy.

Oh- I also participated in the unintentional demolition of a $250,000.00 test vehicle.


So are you sorry you asked?
-Bill
This thread, so far...
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Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12087&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12087" onclick="return false;">A 428 fits surpringly well in this '57 (?) T-Bird...</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Mr F, <i>03/18/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12087', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12087') }); </script>  A 428 fits surpringly well in this '57 (?) T-Bird... -- Mr F, 03/18/2002
 I found one in a '60 t-bird. -- Greg, 03/18/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12093&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12093" onclick="return false;">For years a picture in Ford's Engine Toolroom...</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bill Conley, <i>03/19/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12093', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12093') }); </script>  For years a picture in Ford's Engine Toolroom... -- Bill Conley, 03/19/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12098&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12098" onclick="return false;">You mean Bill Coon's famous race car? N/M</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>kevin, <i>03/19/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12098', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12098') }); </script>  You mean Bill Coon's famous race car? N/M -- kevin, 03/19/2002
 Yeah I think you're right -- Bill Conley, 03/19/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12103&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12103" onclick="return false;">How long were you at Ford? Any stories? :-) [n/m]</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Mr F, <i>03/19/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12103', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12103') }); </script>  How long were you at Ford? Any stories? :-) [n/m] -- Mr F, 03/19/2002
Collapse <b>RE: How long were you at Ford? Any stories? :-) [n/m]</b>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bill Conley, <i>03/19/2002</i></font>RE: How long were you at Ford? Any stories? :-) [n/m] -- Bill Conley, 03/19/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12107&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12107" onclick="return false;">Stories !!</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>P, <i>03/19/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12107', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12107') }); </script>  Stories !! -- P, 03/19/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12125&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12125" onclick="return false;">Ok- Twist my arm!</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bill Conley, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12125', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12125') }); </script>  Ok- Twist my arm! -- Bill Conley, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12134&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12134" onclick="return false;">RE: Ok- Twist my arm!</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bob, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12134', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12134') }); </script>  RE: Ok- Twist my arm! -- Bob, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12136&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12136" onclick="return false;">32-valve modular 4.6L valve angles.</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Dave Shoe, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12136', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12136') }); </script>  32-valve modular 4.6L valve angles. -- Dave Shoe, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12139&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12139" onclick="return false;">RE: 32-valve modular 4.6L valve angles.</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bill Conley, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12139', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12139') }); </script>  RE: 32-valve modular 4.6L valve angles. -- Bill Conley, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12143&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12143" onclick="return false;">Wow, there's a name outta my past...</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Dan Davis, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12143', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12143') }); </script>  Wow, there's a name outta my past... -- Dan Davis, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12145&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12145" onclick="return false;">Unnatural adaptations.</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Dave Shoe, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12145', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12145') }); </script>  Unnatural adaptations. -- Dave Shoe, 03/20/2002
 Cam Bearing Spacing -- Bill Conley, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12146&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12146" onclick="return false;">RE: Wow, there's a name outta my past...</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bob, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12146', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12146') }); </script>  RE: Wow, there's a name outta my past... -- Bob, 03/20/2002
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=12148&Reply=12087><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor12148" onclick="return false;">OK Bob - One more (not Ford)</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Bill Conley, <i>03/20/2002</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=12148', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor12148') }); </script>  OK Bob - One more (not Ford) -- Bill Conley, 03/20/2002
 That's a good one! Heads must have rolled... [n/m] -- Mr F, 03/21/2002
 Welcome to Europe -- John, 03/21/2002
 Gee, Dan - sounds like a tough gig. ::LOL:: [n/m] -- Mr F, 03/21/2002
 RE: Ok- Twist my arm! -- P, 03/21/2002
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