427 Windsor Stroker

[SPF1061]

I like to drive and I like reliability and I like gobs of torque and hp. I've got it all with a Roush 427R. I do not think for a moment that Roush is the only way to go. it's just the way I chose for my own set of reasons. Keith Kraft, Eric at Performance Engineering and many more well respected engine builders could do just as well. One thing I am sure of, however, is that all of them would start with a Dart or similar beefed up block. You can not build a reliable 427 stroker from a stock 351 block. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

[Jim Norris]

Guys,
I think Tony Radford has probably made his decision already. His initial request for input was posted in April, 2003. But it's still good to hear this kind of talk.
I agree that using a Dart or similar racing block is the safest way to take a 351 all the way out to 427.

[ERA Chas]

www.worldcastings.com
427 to 460 cubic inch World blocks and heads or complete crate engines.
No issues. Up to 600 HP for 11K.
It's an alternative to consider,

[PDUB]

Yes, Tony did it, and I saw his car a couple of weeks ago at the Unique 2006 Homecoming event. As I recall, SA did the conversion. He drove it down to Gadsden and it ran like a champ !

[Tony Radford]

As many of you know, I did pull the trigger on a 427 stroker upgrade. That was about 12K miles ago. I've been just as tough on this engine as I was on my previous non-stroked Windsor, only now she's a real "neck-snapper". I disagree with comments regarding the dangers of punching a stock block out to 427 cubes. You just have to select the right parts (which Bill Parham did). I've met a number of folks who are running 427 SBs on stock blocks.

[Streetwize]

Originally Posted by Streetwize

I have a 427" Windsor in my Midstates cobra, I'm very happy with the powerband but it took a lot of studying ahead of time to make sure the Gearing/cam/powerband would be where I wanted it.

I wanted the broad power of a 'Real' FE 427 without all the weight and heat of a big block. Works perfectly with the Tremec 5 speed and the 3.50 gears. It's got a pretty mellow hydraulic cam but it was matched to a specifically ported Twisted Wedge head and Victor Jr intake that flows really well in the .300-.500" range. Mid lift flow is critical for broad torque and if done right can make more average torque and power than a bigger cam with peak lift flow heads.

I realize I replied to this 15 Years ago and I'm happy to tell you my 427 Stroker Windsor is still going strong after a few thousand trouble free street miles.

IMO having good cylinder heads and a mild compression and cam (my motor is 10:1 and have 232/237@.050 duration and .515/.515 lift) is the key, don't over-compress and overcam it and you'll be very happy.

The larger port window 11R Trick flow twisted wedges (mine are actually the smaller original TW's but max ported to 11R flow rates) and a ported victor Jr with a well-tuned 800 Edelbrock AVS has a nice choppy idle (10-12" Vacuum @ 900rpm) with a Tremec 5 speed and 3.50 gears makes for wall-to-wall 'Big Block' torque and easy 2000-ish RPM highway cruising. i can't be happier with the way mine runs, you can roll out on the big torque very tractably or stab it harder and haze and fish tail the tires at will all you want.

Sure you can do this as well with a 390-410" Windsor just as easily but for me i wanted the "proper" 427 (which was really only 425 from the factory) in my ride.

[blykins]

The "proper" 427 would have been an FE.

Building a 427ci Windsor doesn't make it any more original, nor does trying to disguise it as an FE by putting valve cover adapters on it. It blows my mind the lengths that people will go to, in order to make things look like something they're not.

An all-iron FE may be heavier, but they certainly didn't have any issues with weight back in the day.

The "heat of a big block" is a wives' tale. Why would a 427ci FE put out more heat than a 427ci SBF?

[Streetwize]

Well being the Thread topic is '427 Windsor stroker' it's what I replied to.

This is all my opinion only:

The Heat of an FE would be more in reference to its larger proportions which put the engine in closer proximity to the footboxes and Firewall, not related to its BTU output for a given HP.

for a street Cobra Replica the lighter weight of the smallblock somewhat offsets the typically heavier fiberglass replica bodyweight vs a factory Cobra aluminum skin, an FE only makes a heavier replica even heavier all else being equal.

As for the Valve covers on my motor? They were gifted to me (someone assumed it was an FE 427) so I used them.

Im just stating I am very happy with my motor and the car's reliability and performance. Period.

[CHANMADD]

The Windsor 427 is not that strong ...Blocks can split.... With the big stroke, one has to keep the rpm kinda below 6000rpm...... So to put a massive high rev cam is pointless. A 351, or 383 has a better rod-to-stroke ratio so it will easily rev way higher. The Ford also has very large main bearings, resulting in high bearing surface speeds, resulting in spun mains. There are solutions, to easy Chevy main bearing size, which is smaller and revs higher. The rod ratio is probably one of the most important overlooked things.

[blykins]

Most 427ci small blocks are built with aftermarket blocks these days. They will support well over 1000 hp.

Rod-to-stroke ratios are pointless. It's just a meaningless number and has absolutely ZERO to do with how an engine revs.

Large main bearing diameters do not result in spun bearings. A 429/460 has the same size mains as a 351W but yet we all use them in extremely high rpm, high horsepower pulling truck engines.

The aftermarket Windsor blocks DO NOT USE Chevy main bearing sizes. None. The aftermarket blocks use Ford Cleveland main bearing sizes.

Too many wives tales and utter nonsense in this thread. Holy cow.

[Streetwize]

Well I remember when Ben Almeda was Drag Racing punched out 410-440" 351's back in the 90's with 2 bolt mains reliably and I really don't think most Cobras on street tires can load the tires hard enough at 2400 pounds to break anything in the motor, at least up to around 575 or so HP. And Ben was turning his motor a lot higher and with a lot more compression than I am. Ben worked with Coast High Performance on some of the first commercial Windsor stroker kits, In fact my motor was the very first rotating kit sold, and in building it I gave them a lot of feedback whish was useful for improving later kits. So i believe Ben (or at least his racing success) was in a way the father of the SBF stroker as we know it.

I agree that the Aftermarket Windsor blocks use the smaller Cleveland mains which I would prefer, I thought several times about building a Dart motor but TBH my car is plenty fast as it is for me and it has been extremely reliable for the 17 years I've been driving it. I'm sure I could make another 100+ hp but it wouldn't really make anymore USABLE torque rolling on from 2500 rpm and all the noticeable power (over what I already have) wouldn't even start to come on until above 3500-4000 and at by that rpm in the Cobra it's already scaring the crap out of my passengers....so... Basically at that size you turn a 500 hp 6000 rpm engine into a 650+ hp 7000+ rpm engine. 90% of the time I'd never use it.

[MKS427]

Originally Posted by blykins

The "proper" 427 would have been an FE.

Why would a 427ci FE put out more heat than a 427ci SBF?

Because, just like me, it's carrying a little extra weight. LOL