Kaase goes off-shore with Miss Geico.

Have you ever read online discussions on off-shore power boat racing? For the young and the young at heart, it seems to offer an irresistible future, an intoxicating new world they wish to be part of.

For Kaase, the prospects of entering this new world came in 2015 when his engine shop was approached by the West Palm Beach-based Miss Geico power boat racing team. Though the team’s engines were fast they were not always reliable, so their crew chief, Gary Stray, then contesting his fifth season with Miss Geico in the premier class, flew to Kaase’s north Georgia location for discussions. His race boat team urgently needed an injection of top-flight talent. Read More.

Vintage class winner: EMC attracts 600,000 views

Jon Kaase has won this year’s Amsoil Engine Masters Challenge Vintage class with a 473ci 1958 MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) engine. Exploring the classic turf in distinctive fashion, it was not the first time Kaase had arrived with an unorthodox relic endowed with bewildering technology.

Held annually in early October at the University of Northwestern Ohio, his entry produced 770hp with torque never less than 630lb-ft during the entire scored rpm range of 3,700-6,200rpm. The engine’s peak torque was recorded at 715lb-ft. Earning a check in the sum of $13,700, it was Kaase’s seventh victory at the prestigious affair, which coincided a few days before his sixty-fifth birthday.

This year’s Vintage rules specified factory cast iron cylinder heads and prohibited welding or the application of epoxy to the ports. Also, it was stipulated that the engine block must retain its original bore spacing and original block deck angle. A further constraint for Kaase was the fact that he had to return the MEL block to its owner, Royce Brechler, in a functioning condition. Read More.

 

Hemi vs. Wedge Shootout

Jon Kaase settles one of the most fiercely debated topics of all time with the ultimate dyno test.

Written by Stephen Kim on April 12, 2016.  Contributors: Victor Moore

P-51vsBossNine-webHemi versus wedge. Which makes more horsepower? It’s an age-old question that’s difficult to answer because real-world uses for both cylinder-head architectures make direct comparisons nearly impossible. Sure, Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars easily stomp their Pro Stock counterparts, but comparing a supercharged, nitromethane-burning Hemi to a naturally aspirated, gasoline-burning wedge is an idiotic exercise at best. Sounds like something a magazine would dream up, but don’t worry. We didn’t.

Even within the Pro Stock ranks, wedge-headed, 500ci NHRA engines share very little in common with the hemi-headed, 800-plus-cubic-inch IHRA monsters in terms of bore diameter, valve size, piston speed, and peak rpm. Such anecdotal comparisons simply present far too many variables to accurately assess the virtues and shortcomings of both styles of heads. That is, until now. To settle the debate once and for all, Jon Kaase (read more)

Engine Masters Challenge and Kaase’s bold proposition for 2016

KaaseY-blockWinder Georgia: Jon Kaase, winner of Thursday’s Vintage class in this year’s Engine Masters Challenge at the University of Northwestern  Ohio in Lima, has proposed that the perennial three top performing teams, Bischoff Engine Services, School of Automotive Machinists and Jon Kaase Racing Engines, should be sequestered in the same class and all three should compete using the same engine make and model.

In so doing, engine shops could enter the contest without butting heads with them—unless they wanted to—and “to make it more interesting,” said Kaase, “we should consider selecting an engine that’s unknown to us—maybe a Flathead V8 or a Buick or similar.”

In this year’s EMC, rules had been dramatically altered to the delight of some and the disquiet of others. In the changes, the Challenge had been elevated from a one-class contest, where winner took all, to include five classes—one for each day of competition. Accordingly, Monday was devoted to the Mopar Hemi; Tuesday, Spec Small-Block; Wednesday, GM LS; Thursday, Vintage; and Friday, Big-block.

Needless to say, the advantage of the new rules soon became obvious: about half of the competitors entered were rewarded with money—$12,000 and $3,000 for each winner and each runner-up respectively. Also, peak horsepower and peak torque were worth a further $2,000; that is $1,000 for each category. In addition, with the increased number of winning engines as well as their broad diversity, the magazines could run significantly more feature articles about them than in the past. (Read more).

Kaase launches new Boss Nine engine kits

-Created for use on common Ford 429-460 big-blocks
-Simple assembly with conventional parts

BossKitRedValveCov-webFor engine builders, and enthusiasts with ambitions in hot rod engine assembly, Jon Kaase has introduced the Boss Nine in a new kit form.

Among the kit’s more prominent components, Kaase includes his noted semi-hemi cylinder heads with accompanying pistons, pins and rings as well as pushrods, shaft-mounted rockers and induction system. Everything to complete the full assembly is supplied.

KasseBossValveCoversThough power production may vary from 500 to 1,000hp in naturally aspirated form and up to 1,500hp under forced induction, it is the engine’s evocative appearance and heritage that heightens its universal appeal. Predictably, options abound and powder-coated cast valve covers are available in silver, red and black. Indeed, in any color that can be identified by a paint code. In addition fabricated sheet metal covers are offered in natural aluminum finish.

In performance the Boss Nine’s magic is ignited by increasing its stroke length from the original late-nineteen-sixties specification of 3.590in. “Those big-port heads,” contends Kaase, “don’t like stroke lengths shorter than 4in., and respond enthusiastically to 4.150in, 4.300in or 4.500in, all of which we use.” (Read More)


 

Kaase revives Ford FE

KaaseFEOverhead-webWinder, Georgia: Some recent production at Jon Kaase Racing Engines included the building of several impressive Ford FE hot-rod engines, not least of which a beguiling Cammer version.

Big-block V8s packing 427 cubic inches (7 liters), FE production began in 1958 and ended in 1976. It replaced Ford’s Y-block and at the end of its reign was succeeded by the 385-series.

Competition FE engines were characterized by their remarkable record-breaking history, scoring dozens of NASCAR and drag racing triumphs and winning hundreds of races in Shelby Cobras. But in global motor sports, the FE’s reputation soared when it powered the unassailable Ford GT40s to two successive 24-hour Le Mans victories in 1966 and ’67. (Read more)


 

Jon Kaase’s 2008 Ford Mustang Blue Crescent Beheader

By Ro McGonegal
Photography by Robert McGaffin

 

“I have always wanted a Boss 429 Mustang because I consider it to be Ford’s masterpiece of engineering. The problem is, considering their present value [approximately $500K], I was as far away from being able to afford one in 1969 as I am today. If I could buy an original, it would be far too valuable to drive. With the release of our Boss Hemi engine parts, the next logical step was to build our own version, rationalizing that a complete running car would showcase the new parts and create a new market for our parts sales,” said the gleeful Jon Kaase.

Original cars had a working hood scoop. Kaase wanted to stay away from that, so he used a NASCAR-flavored BSR air cleaner and bottom plate that drops the whole assembly cleanly away from the underside of the hood. Big Boss is nearly 600 ci large. Kaase’s pal Chuck Lawrence did all the wiring and considerable finessing needed to make it all work

“Let’s be honest here. I wanted this car! I want to drive it home and give my family and neighbors a ride. Most of them think I have a garage that does quick oil changes. They have no idea. I hadn’t driven anything with over 360hp since 1974. With 800 ft-lbs of torque and 900 hp, this car is a real handful.”

We were yakking with Jon at the recent PRI show about the black beast in his booth. Then the thread wound into a trip we’d made to his old shop a dozen years past. We had gone there to document the building of an 812-inch IHRA Pro Stock motor. Forgot what it made, something like 1,400 on the motor. Kaase said that times have changed, drastically, and that same configuration outfitted with the latest parts would put out at least 1,900. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

Look at the Boss Nine Mustang. Kaase’s vision was based on a stock-appearing car, one that you would buy from a dealer with the biggest motor available. It was rated at a paltry 375 hp. Kaase’s version makes 900. In the day, the 1969-70 Boss 429 came with 7-inch Magnum 500 rims and F60 Goodyear Polyglas GT rubber, and perhaps the most arresting thing about it was the distinct lack of stripes, black-out trim, wheel or rocker panel moldings, or chrome exhaust tips. All it said was “Boss 429” on the fenders, and it carried a functional hood scoop that practically disappeared when the body wore dark livery. Kaase’s Boss Nine fairly reeks that aura and looks for all the world like it just rolled off the Kar Kraft (Brighton, Michigan) “assembly” line, modern Magnum rims and all.

Part of that image comes from a new Mustang that Kaase bought from B.F. Evans Ford in Livermore, Kentucky. It had but 180 miles on the odometer, and only because Evans’ guys drove it to Nashville, where Kaase’s guys loaded it on a trailer for the final miles home. All the build tags and stickers are still in place, adding to the dj vu mystique. “It was worth it because it’s new and it’s a pleasure to work on, no dirt, oil, or road gunk,” quipped the low-key Kaase.

The biggest obstacle for Kar Kraft was that skinny space between the shock towers, a place never meant for an engine with the girth of the Boss (see “Total Performance,” p. 44). Their techs had to cut out, rebuild, and relocate the towers to make room for the big Blue Crescent (semi-hemispherical combustion chambers) cylinder heads, and with little space to spare even at that. Kar Kraft also lowered the suspension by about an inch, using control arms and spindles specific to the Boss 429. We asked Jon about how the Boss Nine fit in that modern engine compartment. He smiled, Cheshire cat-like. “You could say it just sort of fell in there. We didn’t have to trim, cut, or rebuild anything for it to take the motor. We didn’t even have to take the hood off.”

As a work in progress, the Mustang chassis/suspension is bone stock. The Boss Nine is equipped with latter-day 18-inch American Muscle Magnum 500 wheels and thick Pirelli PZero Rosso rubber, but the motor has enough moxie to break ’em in fourth gear

Then: “I should have measured the stock engine crank centerline at the front, with respect to the sides. The tailshaft and rear crossmember measured to be in the centerline of the car, and the pinion is also centered between the wheels. The thing is, I remember the valve covers to be unequal distances from the shock towers, offset to the right. Is the engine in these [new] cars at an angle? With the Boss engine in place, the tailshaft is centered and the valve covers are closer to the right, just like stock.

“This car is a natural for the Boss Hemi swap. There is plenty of room between the shock towers, enough room for headers [you can reach past them with your hand], and enough room between the accessory drives and the radiator. The hood needs no modification for the air filter. It’s close, but the right filter assembly will fit. A stock rear sump Moroso pan fits over the steering and crossmember perfectly. The cooling system is completely stock. All we did was space the bottom of the core outward an inch or so, but the top of the radiator is in the stock location.”

D&D Performance supplied the blast-shield/bellhousing and the Viperized T56. Kaase made the crossmember. The McLeod clutch assembly is twin-disc on an 11-inch steel flywheel

Kaase stripped it down and installed a mock-up engine, then sent it to fabricator pal Chuck Lawrence in Hiram, Georgia, for motor mounts and headers. Back at Jon’s shop, they built and dyno tested the 589 and installed it with the clutch, transmission, and driveshaft. It went over to Lawrence’s for the close-up work–hoses, wiring, gauges, and the rest of the finish work.

Kaase: “The front drive is from Billet Specialties. It comes with a billet front cover, which has extra bosses for attaching the accessories and brackets. It comes with the front cover, water pump, power steering pump, an alternator, A/C compressor, and all the pulleys and brackets. Nothing bolts to the heads. As complicated as it looks, it only took an hour to completely assemble it. Like any good racers, we threw the instructions out and just winged it. I was really impressed with the quality and fit of this assembly.”

As the Boss 302 was created to champion small-block performance and to rub fenders with the Chevrolet Z28 in the Trans Am series, in the big-block world, the Boss 429 was really a homologation special required for legality in NASCAR. Production for ’69 was 859 units (including two Boss 429 Cougars). In ’70, the total was but 499. Automatic transmission and air conditioning were not offered, but at least it had an engine oil cooler and the battery was moved to the trunk, largely to free up space in the motor room. Well, they still don’t race Mustangs in NASCAR, so how come it wound up in one instead of the obvious Torino? Sorry, we can only guess at the back story on this one, but Ford marketers figured heavily on boosting the Mustang’s image, so that’s the way it was.

About as slick as a moleskin biscuit, the Boss Nine has every bit of its assembly line interior. Colorful it ain’t; functional it is. Note the just-the-right-height Hurst gear changer

Kaase’s remarks about the efficacy of modern speed parts made us think. The Boss 429 had huge ports and a marginal camshaft that really didn’t take effect until the engine was really winding up, so low-speed torque pretty much sucked. His Boss Nine heads (which will fit on any 429-460 block) have holes just as large, but the advance in camshaft phasing and ignition technology “adjust” for these ancient and potential shortcomings. The same goes for the completely stock suspension. When the weak stuff breaks, they will amend the woe with stronger stuff.

No matter how careful I am with the throttle, and I’m talking Third and Fourth gear now, it literally wants to rip the tires off (laughs). Now that I’ve felt this thing, realistically, a 466-inch Boss Hemi would be about right for this car, but, as they say, anything worth doing is worth doing in excess.”

Can we get an AMEN!

’08 Ford Mustang
John Kaase Winder, GA
Vehicle weight w/driver: 3,800 pounds
ENGINE
Type: Ford displacing 589 cubic inches
(4.627 bore x 4.375 stroke)
Block: C&C MotorSports aluminum,
siamesed bores, iron liners, stock
10.32-inch deck height
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Oiling: Moroso catalog pan, 7-quart, Kaase
oil pump
Rotating assembly: Sonny Bryant 4.375-inch forged crank,
6.800-inch Oliver steel I-beam rods,dished
Diamond pistons, Ackerly & Childs ring packs
Cylinder heads: Kaase Boss Nine, as-cast aluminum, 88cc
combustion chambers, Manley 2.30/1.90 valves,
Kaase/W.W. Engineering 1.75:1 rocker arms, Boss
Nine rocker covers
Camshaft: Comp Cams mechanical roller, .699-inch lift, 251/251
degrees duration at .050, 110-degree C/L, Trend 3/8-inch
pushrods, Ford Motorsport timing gear
Induction: Kaase Boss Nine intake manifold, Holley 1150 HP
carburetor, BSR Racing Products 16-inch air cleaner
(to clear Dominator and hood)
Power adder: are you kidding?
Ignition: Mallory distributor, MSD 6AL-2 box, 34 degrees
total timing
Exhaust: Chuck Lawrence built 2 1/8-inch primaries, 3.5-inch
collectors, Granatelli stainless 3-inch exhaust system
and mufflers
Fasteners: ARP
Output at flywheel: 902 hp at 6,800 rpm, 800 lb-ft at 5,100rpm
Built by: Jon Kaase Racing Engines, Inc.
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: D&D Performance (2.66, 1.78, 1.30, 1.00, 0.80, 0.62:1)
T56 Viper-spec transmission, Quick Times steel bellhousing,
McLeod 11-inch twin-disc clutch, pressure plate, flywheel,
hydraulic throwout bearing
Driveshaft: Dynomax custom aluminum one-piece,
1350-series yokes
Rear axle: stock Ford 8.8-inch housing, clutch-type
differential, 3.31:1 ring-and-pinion
CHASSIS
Front suspension: stock, MacPherson struts, lower control arms, antisway bar
Rear suspension: stock, coil springs, three-link, Panhard rod
Brakes: stock 12-inch disc, front; 12-inch disc, rear
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: American Muscle Black Magnum 500, 18×9, front; 18×10, rear
Tires: Pirelli PZero Rosso Asimmetrico, 255/45R18, front; 285/40R18, rear, Y-rated

 

Kaase’s Top Five: Jon Kaase talks engines

By Archie Bosman, September 18, 2012
Photos by Moore Good Ink:

00-0052Jon Kaase’s standing was propelled to the forefront of his craft by winning the annual Engine Masters Challenge four times: 2003, ’04, ’08, and 09.

But his reputation as an innovative engine builder had already been established over previous decades. Starting his career with the acclaimed Dyno Don Nicholson in 1977, Kaase was instrumental in winning the NHRA Pro Stock championship of that year. In later years he built engines for over a dozen IHRA Pro Stock championship winners.

Today Kaase and his team continue to devote their time to building race engines and hot rod engines for all classes, including those with power-adders.

In the following paragraphs Jon Kaase provides some insight into his top five power-plants. From his high performance small-block P-38 Windsor engines to Mountain Motor Pro Stock racing units here are some of his comments:

Click here to read the full story.