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Let me be clear: 90% of the problems with this book are NOT caused by the author's workmanship. Barry Rabotnick has done a pretty good job with the text and the photos. The major problems that this book has are laid squarely at the feet of the PUBLISHER, SA Design/CarTech. Positives: The text is well-done in terms of content. The author does a good job of transferring knowledge. This means that I can tell from the text that the author actually knows his stuff; AND he does a reasonable job of describing the history, hardware, procedures and techniques needed to build a Ford FE engine. There is reasonable coverage of historical Ford parts supplemented with information about the sorts of aftermarket parts that a person would be expecting to see. The author has done a good job of photographing the engine; the photos are nicely in-focus and without the shadows my own photos are plagued with; and printed (mostly) in color. The paper used appears to be of reasonable quality. The paper is glossy; that always improves the photo legibility. Negatives: PHOTO LAYOUT The photos may be in (mostly) color and glossy, but they're so stinkin' small that many photos have lost the ability to show detail. You have to look at the caption and then STUDY the photo to see what idea the author is trying to get across. Larger photos would make this easy. Example: Two lifter photos on page 75: It's hard to see the difference in the retainer clips because the photos are too small, and in this case, too dark. Some photos are printed out-of-order: Example: Page 22 has the first and second photos in a three-photo series out-of-position, so the photo series is ordered #2, #1, then #3 on the next page. In short, the layout of the photos needs real help; and the book would need a few extra pages to make room for the expanded pictures. MISSING CONTENT: I'd like to see Chapter 15 "FE Engine Assembly Process and Tips" expanded to include a list of recommended torque values for the various fasteners; I'd like to see illustrations of the suggested torque patterns for cylinder head fasteners, intake/exhaust manifold fasteners, front cover, and Main cap fasteners, etc. The author discusses "single-web-style" main webs versus "double" or "reinforced" main webs. There are three photos of "single-web-style" blocks, but no photo of the "double" or "reinforced" webs. This "reinforced" web does not seem to be the same as the cross-bolted web style--but without a photo or better description it's hard to know for sure. PRODUCT OF COMMUNIST CHINA Why would anyone think that publishing a book devoted to (North)American engines should be printed by the Damned Communists? The Chinese have proven time after time that they are capable of screwing up ANYTHING. For all I know, they've used lead-based inks or put melamine in the paper. The only reason to offshore the printing of this book is to CUT COSTS TO THE BONE. Note, however, that the list price of the book ($24.99) does not reflect the very low price of printing in China. SA Design must be making a KILLING on their product. DO NOT pay full price for this book; even the typical "discount" pricing is too high. In an era where our own economy is in the toilet, SA Design chooses to make the situation worse by sending it's printing business to China, adding to the trade imbalance. Treasonous. This book COULD have been a REAL GEM. The potential is there, but SA Design chose to cut corners instead.Read full review
What a great book to bring the FE into the modern era. Author did a fantastic job of breaking down all of the critical decisions that need to be made during the process of designing a custom FE engine build; the info and opinions in here were invaluable to me during this process. For anyone looking to do a non-stock build/rebuild, this book should be #1 on your list, period. As other reviewers have noted, the author truly knows his stuff and is seen by many in the Ford FE community as "the" go to source for knowledge and help. This book is not a 100% bolt-by-bolt "how to build an engine" type of book, and as the author states, is meant for someone who has general knowledge of engine assembly and inner-workings; but, the book does cover every portion of the assembly process with good insight and some nice tips & tricks that have never been found in other books. I think that if you use this book (which is very current), and then fill in any missing gaps (like torque values, etc) with the Steve Christ book (which is much older, but still a great resource for a stock-type rebuild), you are 100% covered in every conceivable part of your FE build-up.Read full review
Good book overall thought it would have more technical illustrations and info than it does but still a good reference book.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great book to read loads of information and good advise on building a Ford FE. It's wonderful the author knows his Ford FE's. I wish this book was out five years ago when I built my 390FE for my truck I would have built my engine totaly different if this book was out back then.
The author, whom I actually spoke with is an absolute wealth of knowledge. I myself am a mechanical engineer, and barry is absolutely brilliant in what he does. I could go on and on for a quite long, and detailed effort, However spend your pennies and read and learn at your leisure. Trully great publication.
