Photo: Mahle
Offered from 2016 through the 2020 model year, the Shelby GT350 and more aggressive GT350R feature a high-revving V8. The 5.2-liter Voodoo won’t continue production as a crate engine, which is why the aftermarket decided to cater to GT350 customers with OEM-like replacement parts and upgraded components such as forged pistons.
Automotive supplier Mahle is much obliged to sell you drop-in forged pistons for the Voodoo V8 as drop-in replacements. The ready-to-run pack is designed with the factory rods in mind, but rectangular rods are compatible as well. Coated with GRAFAL and phosphate for minimal drag, these pistons feature anodized ring grooves and PTWA-coated bore rings.
Mahle further mentions a compression ratio of 12.0 to 1 - just like the stock pistons - for the crown design on a 57-cc head volume calculated at .012” below deck and a .039” thickness for the head gasket. By comparison, the Predator V8 of the Shelby GT500 is rocking 9.5:1 because the screw-type Eaton supercharging system adds lots of air at 12 pounds per square inch.
Available to purchase through any distributor, the PowerPak piston kit for the Shelby GT350 is rounded off by all the necessary pins and clips for a trouble-free installation. Regardless of the vendor, expect to pony up in the ballpark of $1,000 excluding shipping for a set of eight pistons.
As opposed to the 8,250-rpm Voodoo, the Predator will be available as a crate engine in a matter of months. Product manager Mike Goodwin of Ford Performance confirmed this intel to our friends at Ford Authority, and chances are the crate version will mirror the output of the Shelby GT500.
As for the replacement/successor to the Voodoo powerplant, the Ford Motor Company will only stand to lose as GM prepares to unveil the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for the 2022 model year. The first performance-oriented variant of the C8 will introduce a flat-plane crankshaft V8 with 0.3 liters of displacement more than the Voodoo and just around 617 horsepower.
Mahle further mentions a compression ratio of 12.0 to 1 - just like the stock pistons - for the crown design on a 57-cc head volume calculated at .012” below deck and a .039” thickness for the head gasket. By comparison, the Predator V8 of the Shelby GT500 is rocking 9.5:1 because the screw-type Eaton supercharging system adds lots of air at 12 pounds per square inch.
Available to purchase through any distributor, the PowerPak piston kit for the Shelby GT350 is rounded off by all the necessary pins and clips for a trouble-free installation. Regardless of the vendor, expect to pony up in the ballpark of $1,000 excluding shipping for a set of eight pistons.
As opposed to the 8,250-rpm Voodoo, the Predator will be available as a crate engine in a matter of months. Product manager Mike Goodwin of Ford Performance confirmed this intel to our friends at Ford Authority, and chances are the crate version will mirror the output of the Shelby GT500.
As for the replacement/successor to the Voodoo powerplant, the Ford Motor Company will only stand to lose as GM prepares to unveil the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for the 2022 model year. The first performance-oriented variant of the C8 will introduce a flat-plane crankshaft V8 with 0.3 liters of displacement more than the Voodoo and just around 617 horsepower.
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