Hey Barry R,
Not sure if the conversation regarding nickel only includede the 428, but I do have this research for the 427 & it's nickel alloy conternt.
427
Ford's 427 in³ (7.0 L) V8, introduced in 1963, was a racing engine pure and simple. It was developed for NASCAR stock car racing, drag racing, and serious street racers. The true displacement of the 427 was actually 425 in³ (6,965 cm³), but Ford called it the 427 because 427 in³ (7.0 L) was the NASCAR maximum size. The block was made of high nickel content iron and was made with an especially thickened deck to withstand higher compression. Forged pistons were employed (the only production Ford big-block with such) and forged rods inherited from the 390 Hi-Po.
Two different models of 427 block were produced, the 427 top oiler and 427 side oiler. The
top oiler version was the earlier, and delivered
oil to the cams first and the crank second. It
gained something of a reputation for insufficient crankshaft lubrication under heavy abuse
and spinning bearings, throwing rods and other failures under such use. The side oiler
block, introduced in 1965, sent
oil to the crank first and the cams second, and this (along
with other fixes) mostly cured the problems. In street use the two blocks are equivalent.
The engine was available with low-riser, mid-riser, or high-riser intake manifolds, and either
a single four-barrel carburetor or a double four-barrel setup on an aluminum manifold for
highest performance. The twin four-barrel setup with the high-riser induction system is
estimated to have delivered over 500 hp (373 kW); Ford never released an official power
rating. Other models were rated at over 400 hp (299 kW).
locate entire content here
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Ford_FE_engine
References
Christ, Steve. (1983). How to Rebuild Big-Block Ford Engines. New York: Berkeley
Publishing Group. ISBN 0-89586-070-8