ID that FE by sound??

[66gtk]

Take your best guesses about this FE build...just for fun

http://customshowboards.com/era472/ERA472enginemix.mp3

[Dimis]

I'll play.
I'm guessing 428? with dual quad intake? and side pipes?
Am I close?

[66gtk]

close...you have 2 of the 3 features correct.

[750hp]

Definitely sounds like a stroker motor. Maybe 472 cubic inch?

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by 66gtk

close...you have 2 of the 3 features correct.

Hey, Which two??
Stroker? 454?
Maybe 550/550 hp/tq?

[66gtk]

It's an old school cast iron date coded 427 with period heads of unknown origin. I do know they are ported, but that's about it. Engine worked to 454 CID now, and yes - dual quads and side pipes. It's a fun motor with a very friendly street cam, but she opens up nicely when you want it.

[DanEC]

Troy - I believe you should be able to find the part code on the heads down somewhere around the exhaust flanges. Might be interesting to look them up. Some of the early Hi-Po heads were pretty responsive to some additional work on them.

[66gtk]

Dan, I pulled some plug wires to take a look. I found a clear 6090B part number and a near by number: B9AC on the left side heads. Not sure what all that means, but I was told the heads were ported as well.

UPDATE

I did some digging and found a set of 1959/60 Edsel 352 heads with similar markings on Ebay - makes me conclude that they must be B9AE instead of B9AC as I read them. B9=1959, A=Full Size, E=Engine. These would have been originally installed in a 1959 or 1960 Full size Ford/Mercury (Edsel?), and I read that they were essentially the same as the 390 heads that replaced it in 1961. Now those are some heads you don't see every day on a 427 Cobra!

[Bernica]

What's the casting number on the block?
Look for something like CxAE-x.
The x is the variable.

[66gtk]

The block has cross bolted mains and is a 427.

[Bernica]

Was just curious if it was a center-oiler or side-oiler.

[DanEC]

I can't find anything on FE heads with a B9 date code either - I assume they started life as 352/300 HP heads. Not sure how they would have compared to the 1960 352 Hi Po and 390 Hi Po heads. Possibly just some variation in the combustion chamber size. That is an unusual head to end up on a 427. I would suspect someone worked them over and put early 427 size valves in them.

Some of those early 352 and 390 Hi Po motors appear to have put out a surprising amount of power. Hemmings Musclecars published an article on an original 60 Starliner with the 352/360 horsepower motor and 3 speed manual and they dug up some old road test reports of quarter mile times in the high 14s stock. And from learning to drive in a 60s Fairlane (same basic body) I know those were huge and fairly heavy cars. Back then over 1 HP/Cubic Inch displacement was a big deal. And then the next year produced the 390 Hi Po with 3 - 2 bbl Holleys and 401 HP, as far as I can recall that was six years before anyone else used Holleys for tri-power induction.