427? Not sure....

[Bocanegramusic]

Not sure what I got here, but I was told it's a 427 cobra jet. I looked through these forums to help me out, but I can't find the stamp date to match anything....I found it by the oil filter. I think it reads WI9L3.......if anyone could help. I attached a picture for the viewing pleasure.

[undy]

Is the block cross bolted? I've not heard of a 427 Cobra jet. There's a 428 cobra jet though. More info is needed.

[DanEC]

Not that it matters a great deal but FE Cobra Jets were 428. The 427 came in a couple of flavors. It would be better if you posted quality photos of the sides and bottom of the block along with a current bore dimension to ID what you have.

[Ron61]

The 428 Cobra Jet engines came in two versions too. There was the "Q" code which was the low end one. The "R" code had LeMans rods and lower end and some other things and it made more power than the "Q" code engine did. But both of them were much underrated at 335 horse. My "R" code engine dynoed out at 440 horse at 6,300 RPM. A friend who had the "Q" code engine in a GT had his dynoed and it came out at 401 horse at 5800 RPM.

I used to have a book that had most of the block codes in it for Ford engines but I gave it away when I stopped being active in the car scene here.
sorry I can't help with your engine but I don't remember any block code starting with what you showed.

Ron

[Bocanegramusic]

I was under the impression the 427 was made for nascar or something like that? I don't know. I'll get some more pictures. I just thought we might find something out from casting code.

[DF19638]

The casting date on the block is Nov. 3, 1969. It could be a lot of things, but a 427 is not likely one of them. More info is needed. If you can post a few pics of the back side of the block, crankshaft casting number, rods and maybe head casting numbers, it'll help a lot.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Bocanegramusic

...I was told it's a 427 cobra jet....

There was a 351C Cobra Jet also....

"I was told..." is often unreliable


Cheers,
Glen

[olddog]

Originally Posted by Bocanegramusic

I was under the impression the 427 was made for nascar or something like that? I don't know. I'll get some more pictures. I just thought we might find something out from casting code.

The FE engines were made from 1958 through the mid 1970's. It started as a 331, then 352, 360, 390, 406, 410, 427, 428. There were truck version too. Somewhere near 1970, the FE were no longer put in cars, but continued to go into trucks.

Yes, the 427 was the NASCAR engine. It won the 24 hr LeMans, as well. All FE engines were Center Oiler (oil went to cam bearings first and then down to the mains) until the 427 Side Oiler (oil went to main bearings fist then up to the cam). There were 427 CO blocks in cars, boats, generators, and more. After its invention, the 427 SO went into all racing efforts. No other FE engines had the SO modification.

There was a 427 hemi combustion chamber, with overhead cam, designed to compete against the Chrysler 426 Hemi in NASCAR. Chrysler successfully whined about the overhead cam and got a new rule to ban the engine before it ever raced. Ford sent it to the drag racing teams where it became famous. Ford then decided two can play the whiny game, and got the Hemi head banned. Chrysler squealed like a stuck pig and took their ball home. They boycotted NASCAR for a year or two. Richard Petty and others switched to Ford during that time.

I've digressed again. Anyway no 427 cammer (SOHC) engines were ever sold in a production car. Few production cars were sold with 427 SO engines, but by the NASCAR rules at least 500 were sold. Most production cars with the 427 engine were center oilers. So the point being that the casting date was a date when a 427 block could have been cast, it is much much more likely to be something else, based on the date. However if you were told that it is a 427 by a reputable person who knows something about them, then maybe it is.

[twobjshelbys]

And whatever it is it is not a pot of gold. It's not going to fund your retirement account, and in fact, by the time you pay packing/shipping/freight, you'll probably about break even on the sale. You'll do better if you can find someone local to pick it up.

[tomshep]

Originally Posted by Ron61

The 428 Cobra Jet engines came in two versions too. There was the "Q" code which was the low end one. The "R" code had LeMans rods and lower end and some other things and it made more power than the "Q" code engine did. But both of them were much underrated at 335 horse. My "R" code engine dynoed out at 440 horse at 6,300 RPM. A friend who had the "Q" code engine in a GT had his dynoed and it came out at 401 horse at 5800 RPM.

I used to have a book that had most of the block codes in it for Ford engines but I gave it away when I stopped being active in the car scene here.
sorry I can't help with your engine but I don't remember any block code starting with what you showed.

Ron

Slight correction.

Q and R code engines are the SAME. The Q is a motor that did not have a Ram Air induction. The R code was for Ram Air such as the famous Shaker Hood Scoop in the 69-70 Mustang.

Now, if you had a SUPER Cobra Jet you received the Le Mans Rods and a special counter-weight that went in front of the #1 Main. They were also solid lifter cams. This motor automatically came in the vehicle if you had 3.91 or 4.30 gears ordered.

Tom

[snapier]

I believe that the FE 428 has 2 bolt main caps where the FE 427 has 4 bolt main caps and two of bolts are cross bolted.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by snapier

I believe that the FE 428 has 2 bolt main caps where the FE 427 has 4 bolt main caps and two of bolts are cross bolted.

Three caps are cross-bolted I believe - but who's counting.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Three caps are cross-bolted I believe - but who's counting.

Correct - 3 caps are cross-bolted.

[undy]

They also made some 2 bolt main 427 motors used in industrial applications (power generation and irrigation).

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by undy

They also made some 2 bolt main 427 motors used in industrial applications (power generation and irrigation).

Interesting thread on that here: Industrial 427 Blocks