FE 427 Casting numbers decoding

[Mad_IROC-Z]

Good evening all

I have a friend who has a 427 and I have been trying to find a source for decoding all the casting numbers.
Anyone know of a good book or place to look?

He said its the kind of 427 (FE) that was in Cobras so I thought I would look hear but my search skills are poor.

The block has the Allen looking Welsh plugs, the cross bolts (???) that go through the block into the main caps and he also pointed out to me the larger odd size nuts on the conn rods. I figured they must be a Swedish metric!

Some cating numbers we have spotted are
on the block, 9F26
Rods C7AE-B
Heads C8AEH

This is also one of two motors from a boat. The other motor is not exactly like this motor and its the other motor that runs in reverse so he really was not to interested in that one.
Does a boat motor make a difference in casting numbers?

Thanks!

[PDUB]

You are looking at two different sets of numbers. There are date codes like the 9F26 and engineering numbers like the other two you posted.

The 9F26 decodes to June 26, 1969.

The engineering numbers have the decade, followed by the year and then letter codes for the line and type. For example the C7AE-B rods decode to C = 1960's, 7 = 1967, A = Full sized cars, and E = engineering dept., engine in this case. The B is a revision indicator as they refined the part.

The block will likely have both types of codes cast into it. No difference in casting numbers for boats.

Hope this helps...

[blykins]

There will be an engineering number on the block, just like the heads. It will be something like C7ME-A or C5AE-A (just for an example).

The heads you listed are actually 360/390 heads off of late 60's pickup trucks...nothing special.

Post some pictures and some more numbers and we can help you out.

By the way, the rod nuts are not metric.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by blykins

There will be an engineering number on the block, just like the heads. It will be something like C7ME-A or C5AE-A (just for an example).

And once you find that engineering number (1/2" tall letters cast into the side of the block body), you go can here and decode:

Block

[FWB]

based on the date code you posted, there will not be a casting number on the block.

after about 1967 the block casting numbers don't appear on most blocks.
if it is from a boat and the connecting rod numbers tell me it is, then you have a marine block which is a standard oiling FE with 427 features such as bore size and crossbolts. it will not be a side oiler. a pic of the side of the block can verify this.

the head numbers are not typical of a marine block.
the cranks are cast the rods are 428 type rods with the larger rod bolts.
the reverse spinning motors are not any different except the crank and cam.

they make good street engines, unless your plagued by a bad winterization sometime in its life, and its cracked.

so post some pics and prolly can tell you more......by the way i'd be interested in the reverse motor if he's not..


fred

[Mad_IROC-Z]

Cool, Thanks all! Especially for that link with the block numbers.

Would anyone know of a book that has good casting number and other info in it? Its hard to find a book online because you don't know if it has what you need inside.

Originally Posted by blykins

By the way, the rod nuts are not metric.

I knew that The guy that has the motor owns a body shop I worked at. He had a Car-O Liner frame machine. The Swedish metric nuts and bolts for it were an odd metric so when I find an odd sized bolt or nut (I think the nuts on the rods he said were 19/32) I say its must be a Swedish metric.

Originally Posted by FWB

so post some pics and prolly can tell you more......by the way i'd be interested in the reverse motor if he's not..

I'll see what I can do about pics. My camera sucks! (or I just can't take a decent picture)
And the reverse motor is not the same as the one I am asking about. It does not have the cross bolts and stuff. But I will try to get pics of that one as well.

[elmariachi]

Some essential FE books worth owning:

Amazon.com: How to Build Max-Performance Ford FE Engines (Performance How to) (9781934709153): Barry Rabotnick: Books

Amazon.com: Ford V8 Performance Guide: The Stocker's Bible (Bill Carroll's performance engineering handbooks) (9780910390170): William Carroll: Books

Amazon.com: High-Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange (S-A Design) (0601784000561): George Reid: Books

Amazon.com: How To Rebuild BIG-BLOCK FORD ENGINES (0075478000708): Steve Christ: Books

Notice under the image of each book they have a feature called "Search inside this book." It shows a few pages to give you an idea of what's inside.

[ERA Chas]

Good links-thanks pal. Only one I don't have is Carroll's book-didn't know it exists!

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Good links-thanks pal. Only one I don't have is Carroll's book-didn't know it exists!

That is a great book Chas. It has all the part #s and specs for cams, carbs etc, and it has tremendous detail about how you would have Stage-increased a stock 427 after-the-fact using OTC Ford parts. Also has all the HP ratings, timing and jetting settings for each FE built by model (including Shelby's engines.)

[Mad_IROC-Z]

Thanks for the list of books. I gave him the list and he contacted Barnes & Nobles and they had one of the books (I think the top one) so he checked it out and he said it has what he was looking for.

I tried to take some pictures of the motor but its inside his shop in the dark and he was too busy to help me get it into the light. I did manage to get some decent pics of the second motor but photo bucket is not opening for me!

He was telling me some one offered him $2,000 for just the block. Are these worth that much? I was looking on Sh!T-E-Bay and seen a few FE parts and a whole core motor with the asking price of $9,999!

[Mad_IROC-Z]

I finally got into my photobucket..... after pulling out some hair and sticking with it.

These are of the 427 in question. I could not get a decent pic of the numbers I think are the actual date code. And according to that book he got the application codes are not in the location where they should be. No codes at all there.






I think the guy that owns this is considering selling it. He does not know how much its worth though. He told me ho got offered $2,000 just for the block but would only sell all or nothing and to some one that could put this type of motor to good use.
What do you all think this motor may be worth?
He is a big block Chevy person and has some Hemi's he messes with but I don't think he ever had one of these kind of motors.

And here are some pics of the other motor he got.

[FWB]

it's a marine block, can see on the one side where there is a machine mark thru where the side oiling passage would normally be.
a good uncracked marine block is worth about 1500, so if he turned down 2 grand, shame on him. if its still standard bore, and it looks like it may be by the factory style eyebrows in the pistons, and it has the maincaps and bolts.
offer 1500, if it has been stored for a while without the maincaps on, it may be tweeked a bit. if he wants to retire from selling a boat motor walk away.

[roadrod2000]

I recall a discusion on another forum about a rear main oil leak problem that turned out to be from using a marine crank. apparently the surface of the crank at the oil seal is designed for reverse rotation.

[Mad_IROC-Z]

The top two pics are of the standard rotation motor. The bottom 4 are of the other reverse rotation. I could not find the pistons and heads that came on the top block. He has already sent and got the crank back. Its all standard and just got a polish. He said it all looked great right down to the bearings and they still have the FoMoCo marking on them.

I thought before he was going to build this for an old Ford coupe he has but now I get the impression he just wants to sell it. This guy is kinda funny that way. Buys someting, tears it down, starts getting some performance parts to rebuild and then loses interest or something :P

[fastmerc]

MadZ

9F26= June 26, 1969

Center oiler block. Only production car that used this block with a date that late would have been.....NONE! OK, the 1968 Cougar XR7G used this block "version" in it. Automatic trans.....only! What a waste!

Heads are std variety as stated prev. Not worth poo.

Rods are Cobra Jet or PI, or standard 427 rods. 19/32 socket required....only time you will probably ever use that socket in your tool chest!

Second motor is NOT a 427. No screw-in freeze plugs, no side bolts. Check the bore....could still be a hipo 390 or 428, but you need to see in the block, to check the main cap webbing for the improved version. There will be a date code on it too, by the oil filter adapter pad.

If the 427 was a side oiler, only then would you have a true Cobra version. This being said, the value takes a hit. $1500-2000 could be a pile too much of cash....unless the crank has $$ cast on it....even then, it could be a wash at that price, AND, you could have a pile of FE that isn't much different than your neighbors old F250 pickup engine!

If this was run in salt water....check the inside castings to see that they are not all rotted away! I'd check to see that the crank spins true as well....many boat engines got swamped.....and problems....!


Steve

[Mad_IROC-Z]

The guy knew from the start that the second motor is not a 427. He suspects its a 428. Don't know if he checked it. I get the feeling the second motor was of not much interest to him so most of his efforst went to the 427.

A couple things he told me about boat motors. They are usaully good because most don't get used up like a car motor, and watch for salt water motors. He said this boat only saw fresh water. I'm not a boat person so I assume that means it was in a sink and ran in tap water..... like The Tidybowl man.