This was hooked to an almost bare block that I picked up a little while back. Has cam bearings and main caps with spacers and bolts. Oh, and some LeMans rods.



How can I tell if the block has been drilled for hydraulic lifters from the factory?

 

Look through the lifter bores. Is there a hole running front/back?

 

If it's a 68 427 block, the oil gallery bosses (in the center of the lifter valley) will be drilled. Looks to me like a service block tag. Best to have the whole block mag'd to check for porousity, some of these blocks were substandard.

 

Looks like it is drilled for hydraulic lifters.



Anyone know a shop in the Seattle area that knows 427 side oilers?

The date, not sure, but it looks like 3L25, I think. Anyone else see better? That first digit is hard to make out.



The valley has numbers over each cylinder. Looks like they must equate to something like this for the bore.

<table width="192" style="width: 144pt; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <colgroup><col width="64" style="width: 48pt;" span="3"> <tbody><tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td width="64" height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; width: 48pt; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">1</td> <td width="64" align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; width: 48pt; background-color: transparent;">4.2328</td> <td width="64" align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; width: 48pt; background-color: transparent;">4.2332</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">2</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2332</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2336</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">3</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2336</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2340</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">4</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2340</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2344</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">5</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2344</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2348</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">6</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2348</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2352</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">7</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2352</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2356</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">8</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2356</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2360</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" align="right" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">9</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2360</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2364</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" class="xl64" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">A</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2364</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2368</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" class="xl64" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">B</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2368</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2372</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" class="xl64" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">C</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2372</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2376</td> </tr> <tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td height="20" class="xl64" style="border: 0px black; height: 15pt; background-color: transparent;">D</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2376</td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="border: 0px black; background-color: transparent;">4.2380</td> </tr></tbody></table>

 

That's a service block cast in the 70's. Like I said, have it thoroughly checked, QA on these was relaxed (along with every other Ford product in the 70's) Looks like someone mic'd the bores. If you change the cam bearings, make sure they get the right bearings, as I recall they are unique to the side oilers. The 427 I had in the 80's was the same hyd sideoiler block. Make sure also to remove and clean the pressure relief valve in the rear of the block before assembly.