Jim Dove has all the Ford toolings to make SOHC parts and has made new heads in the past.

http://www.doveengineparts.com/

Has anyone done this - built one up from scratch from all new parts? I would think that an all new all aluminum SOHC, while pricey, would be an awesome combination in a Cobra. Again, I know it's going to be expensive, but lots of guys in here have the ability finacially to do it. I know the engine is a tight fit, but it can be done as proved by Al's awesome car. Why isn't it done more often? Any ideas on what a new buildup would cost for the engine? Dove's website is incomplete at best. Anyone have reliable info?

Yes, an all aluminum Cammer with 4 Gene Berg 58mm Webers, polished and chromed.

I've talked to Jim Dove before but he never gets back with details. He claims to have the toolings for the ultimate 427 block built for LeMans that he can build to some incredible size such as 572c.i.

thanks for the info
 

i pruety much have the info i need you all were very heloful i will let you know what i get on the paper if you any new info you can email me at ms1@netportusa.com

Al,
From your post and some others I get the feeling that Dove can be somewhat difficult to deal with. Let me stress that I'm not making accusations, simply asking a question. What's the story? Also, does anyone have a ROUGH idea what the cost of a SOHC buildup would be?

Jim Dove is a strange guy. He makes stuff when he feels like it. And the quality of his parts have been, well, inconsistant over the years.

He's one of those guys with great ideas and abilities, and just flakes out everywhere else.

In truth, the BIG advantage a hemi offers is lots of room for HUGE valves. This equates to lots of air moving thru. Refer to other recent posts regarding moving air.

Hotrod211,
The fact of the matter is that not all Boss 429's are "semi-hemi's". All of the early motors were, but later on there were true hemispherical combustion chambers on many of the cars and most of the engines that made it to stock car racing.

There was a recent post over at www.fordfe.com about the Dove parts. The post had pics (recent) of freshly cast cammer blocks and heads both in aluminum. Timing covers and some other parts also. So it looks like Jim is on the ball now as far as cammer stuff goes. As guys posted it's hit or miss. If they have them...you can get em. If they don't it's a wait (years sometimes) until things are tooled up and cast again. I'd love to build one myself...but the budget just isn't there. But I have started a tunnelport build LOL!!!!


G.

Forget to add the pics were in the "photo" section.

I saw an ebay auction of a ford thunderbolt with true ford factory hemi heads on it....advertised as an experimental version for Mickey Thompson for race purposes only....only a few built. I have NO idea if this is true...but sure looked like it in the add when they showed the engine. With a little more looking, a web search should verify.

Buzz

I saw that to Buzz, sure did look like a true Hemi all right.

Seems to me the basic 427 side oiler block is indeed the starting point for a SOHC. Some modifications for oil drain back holes need to be made. It's the front timing chain cover and the heads that make it a SOHC.

The new Chrysler 'Hemi' does have the 'cross flow' design and the typical 'push rod goemetry from hell' required for such an engine. :D Sal is correct in that it is NOT a 'true' Hemi. It uses a polyspherical combustion chamber design (whatever the heck that is). I speculate that the 'poly' design is to give some 'quench' to the combustion chamber, thus making the engine more compatible with lower octane fuels and not as sensitive to detonation. Detonation is and remains a problem with a true Hemi design because by it's very nature it has no 'quench'.

Hmmm, polyspherical. Is that like a 'semi hemi' with 'canted valves'? The 429-460's have canted valves.

While the Hemi design does allow for bigger valves, I still maintain it's the 'cross flow' that is the real key to it's making such good power per cubic inch.

Quench (one mans definition :D ): When the piston comes to the top of it's stroke and meets the head in such a way as to 'squish' the fuel\air mixture so tightly in a certain area where the gases are 'expelled' from that location at great velocity. This creates a controlled 'turbulence' and promotes more complete combustion as the gases 'swirl' around. At the prestigous "Engine Builders Master" competition getting as much 'quench' as possible is a HUGE goal because they run as high a compression ratio as they can get away with.

When I built MY engine (side oiler) I paid particular attention to this and had the custom pistons specifically designed to maximize 'quench'. Basically I changed the piston pin height to get the piston closer to the head at top of stroke while retaining a nice 'flat' portion on the piston surface where it meets the flat portion of the heads combustion chamber. You could, and people do, weld up some of the heads combustion chamber to have even MORE of a 'flat spot' for greater quench. Heres a link to my engine build thread:
http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/fe-talk/62454-427-side-oiler-engine-build-blog.html

The side-oiler block was designed FOR the SOHC motor.

WOW! Now thats an interesting twist, I hadn't thought of. :D

Mickey Thompson cast his own versions of the 392 Hemi heads for the Ford 427 and Pontiac 421? back in the early 60's, just before Ford came out with its factory hemi-in-a-crate. The Ford factory hemi as a crate engine was a much better deal (and 'factory'), so the M/T hemi heads pretty quickly went away. They are rare today.

I don't believe the side-oiler block was related to the SOHC. The SOHC was its own little project and as far as I know, the only difference between a SOHC block and any other FE block is the drainhole drilled for the heads. And that hole isn't necessary, an external hose can be run to handle the same duties.

The side-oiler block was developed FOR the SOHC motor; you can't rewrite history.

No, you can't rewrite history. According to the history written down while curled at the feet of Ford engineers:

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...03_Custom_.jpg

The sideoiler block was already designed, to help the High-Riser last better in long races, and was incorporated into the SOHC design. Both changes (not necessarily advances) were released about the same time, but the SOHC was not the impetus for the side-oiler.

thanks
 

you all have been very kind and gracious i appericate your help i never knew there so many kind stangers out there i will keep you all in paryers thanks b-malone for knew info.

Boss 429 Is A Hemi,......... But At The Time Ford Never Called It One,, Ford Did Not Want It Confused With The 426 Dodge,and The Cammer Is A Hemi,the Simi Hemi Is The Quench Boss Head,but Still A Hemi,if You Search Ford Arkives You Will Find All Of This Info,

YES THAT WAS MICKEY'S HEADS HE MADE FOR THE T BOLT GUYS, THEY BROKE A LOT OF THEM WHILE TESTING,AND THAT CAR WAS ONE OF MICKEYS TEST CARS, HE BASE THE HEAD ON THE DODGE,AND THEN CAST HIS OWN TO FIT,IT WAS A PUSH ROD 427 FORD HEMI.........