427 vs 428

[bobt427]

I wouldn't put a 428 crank in a 427! You will lose the speed of the fast REVVING 427.I have worked on alot of 428's,427's,&390's,and 428's don't rev up like the faster 390's and 427.

[luke-44]

The 428 is the better choice unless you plan to run 200 mph at Daytona all day

[Sal Gerace]

Now I feel dumb for stroking my 427! I was all ready to put in the original crank but was talked out of it even though that's the way I wanted to go. Should have went with my own gut on that one!

[rritchey]

Sal,

Don't feel bad - you made the right choice. Your stroked 427 will out-torque a stock stroked one every day of the week. When you are driving on the street or in weekend warrior drags, torque is king. Don't worry about revving either - if your motor is tuned right it will rev as well as any other 427. Who cares anyway - torque is what gets you off the line, not a fast moving tack needle. Sure, a 289 will hit 6000 RPM sooner than a 428 will, but my money is on the 428 when it comes to E.T.

Just my opinion.....

[Ant]

I have owned 390 engines and 454 engines with almost 700bhp injected race 454, and that baby ran 7500 if you let it.

Quite a few people like plenty of torque and trying to get the engine to pull down low and finish by 5500 +5800rpm, I feel these engines are boring and spin the wheels easier down low, you want something that comes in with a vengeance and really gets the job done.

I dont think torque has got a lot to do with it, its bhp, there are 850bhp 3 litre race engines out there in F1 cars that will see most comparible drag cars off in a 1/4" with natural aspiration, and they do 19000rpm and probably an 8 second time.

Torque is for lugging weight and if you car weighs 1.5 -2 ton then it becomes relevant.

[MidOHasp]

No dog in this fight, I have a wimpy little stroker windsor!

But, I will say this... I built a torquier engine (544TQ vs. 508HP) and while I just looooove winding it up tight to 6500 RPM, if I had it all to do over again, I'd flip flop those numbers.

In a Cobra, it doesn't take much torque to light the rear tires up at will. 400 lb-ft will MORE than do the trick. With close to 550, hooking up is a joke, even with 295mm tires. It truly takes slicks to hook up.

On the other hand, even with just over 500HP, I find myself wanting a little more as the speedometer clicks past 140 and I shift into my tall 5th gear (TKO w/ .68 OD, 3.7 rear end)

Very few of these cars lack "bottom-end". On the more stock size tires (275mm), a 302 will come off the line as quickly as a stroked sidoiler. Once the cars hook up, there is no contest.

If I ever build another engine, it will be a high-revving FE. Hopefully by the time my engine calls it quits, there are several FE block manufacturers, and their quality has been proven.

People just love torque in their Cobras, but if you focus on building a high horsepower engine, you will naturally get plenty of torque. I focused on torque and probably got too much.

Executive Summary: Don't "focus" on torque...the torque will come naturally.

[R U YELLA]

Man, talk about an old thread coming back to life! I started this one awhile ago. I sure wish that I had a 427 or 428 now!

[rritchey]

I'm sure most of you realize this, but just to throw some facts out there.....

Horsepower is not a stand-alone thing. Horsepower really doesn't even exist in a real sense. They dyno measures torque and then HP is calculated via an equation. The equation invloves the measured torque value and the speed at which it is applied. That's why HP increases with RPM. HOWEVER.... small torque = small HP, unless you are a formula 1 engine at 15,000 RPM (pretty usless on the street)

If you are cruising in town at 2500 RPM and punch it, you'd better have some torque or you will see somebody's lisence plates as they go by you.

[SCOBRAC]

A stroker motor is a wonderful thing. It yields more torque and generally more horsepower all things being equal. It certainly isn't something you need to do to a 427 to get it to perform and some will argue, correctly, you will actually hurt the overall performance of a 427 and it's ability to rev by stroking it. But how often do you intend to take it to 7,000 rpm??

If I had a choice of brand new parts, 427 steel crank verses a 428 steel crank, I'd take the 427 crank. However, with 427 steel cranks being 40 years old and getting hard to find in good shape a 428 steel crank makes economic sense. Of course they are externally balanced and require 428 rods and a flywheel as well.

Other considerations are the vehicle you intend to put it in. If I were building an engine for a 3500 pound car rather than a cobra I would be more inclined to use a 428 crank (which I am considering for my next project)

In either case you have made a good choice. There has never been a better time to build an FE, that is enless you were at the Holman & Moody garage sales back in the day.

[cobra]

I would go with a stroked 427 Shelby aluminum engine from George Anderson ( Gessford ) and you have enough power, torque and new parts.
Congratulations to choice ERA

[R U YELLA]

cobra - Not an ERA. That was 2 years ago. I was on the ERA list until the Kirkhams had their New Years "Special". It was too good of a deal to pass up. I ended up sticking a 390 in it and I plan on running the snot out of it until I get a 427 or 428.

Later
Ed