I'm goin' to go look at a 427 FE side oiler this week and I don't know where the serial number is or what to look for when I find it--is there a web site I can go to, to print off a list of serial numbers to check them, when I see the engine ?

 

Just look for the crossbolted mains......Only the 427s came with them......As to year and engine design, (oiling) I have no idea.......I'm sure someone here knows some kinda little deal to look for to seperate the different oil systems. Something about galleries running down the sides, or not???..........aMP

 

I think some of the 427 low riser engines had cross-bolt mains, some didn't.

 

Most of the 427's were crossbolted. The irrigation and industrial versions have been found with 2 bolt mains. Crossbolt bosses cast but not crossbolted. Here are a few of the production block numbers for sideoilers.
C5AE-6015-D
C5AE-6015-H
C6AE-6015-C
C7AE-6015-A
These are all solid lifter block sideoilers.

In 68 the hyd lifter sideoiler block went into production.
Those were...
C8AE-6015-B, H or A.

Then there are the 70's service blocks. Those have no casting number and have vertical ribs on the side like many other 70's era blocks. Those were over the counter blocks sold as service replacements. Also hyd lifter blocks.

You have quite a bit of homework to do. AMP hit on the side oil galley on the side of the block. That's on the left (dr) side of the block and has 3 allen plugs above the crossbolts. There is a "8" shaped boss on the lower left rear of the block. That should have 2 allen plugs right above each other. One connects the rear oil galley, the other the oil pressure releif valve. The left lower front of the block (or the lower right side if your standing in front of it) has the front oil galley plug. As mentioned all sideoilers have crossbolted maincaps on #2,3 and 4 mains. These crossbolts 3 on each side of the block are right above the skirt area of the block. Sideoiler blocks also always had steel screw in freeze plugs.

Now there are the 427 blocks that were cast as sideoilers but machined as topoilers. Those can and will have some of the same casting numbers listed above. Those were used in marine and other automotive and industrial applications. The marine versions have BRASS screw in freeze plugs. On those blocks the front, side and rear where the sideoiler passages are normally drilled....are not drilled or plugged on those blocks. Some guys see the cast in sideoiler hump and features cast in and assume it't the real deal. When it's really the topoiler version. Still with me here?? Lots to learn in a short time

I hope someone can post a link to some pics. I lost ALL my saved files yesterday. a picture is worth a thousand words as they say. I had a bunch too. If your skunked I have a block here I'll take some new pics and send them to you.

Then the bore size needs to be addressed. For the most part sideoiler cyl bores can't go much over .030. Although guys are known to push them some .040-.045. .030 is a fairly safe limit. So you want a block as close to std bore as possible. Once the block is maxed bore wise all you can do is sleeve them. Which is fine also.

You also need to see what heads, intake, carbs and internals were used to build it. There are lowriser heads and intakes, medium riser heads and intakes, highriser, tunnelport etc...those all determine value. Steel crank vs iron, lemenas rods or aftermarket vs bolt rods, what pistons, compression, will it run on pump gas and so on...

The heads and intakes will have casting numbers. Try to see what those are. We can tell you what your looking at. A 'rebuilt' sideoiler can be a array of parts. Some fine...some not. I'd also ask who did the machine work and who built the engine. And check them out. You can spend thousands of dollars on high buck parts only to spend thousands more to correct things if they were not done right the first time. FWIW...

G.

 

i believe that all of the 406 block were cross bolt mains as well.

 

I think some of the '63 406 blocks came with cross bolt mains, but I could be wrong.

 

werent the 406's made for a couple of years like 63&64

 

According to the link, they were made in '62 and '63.

http://www.fordclassics.com/enginespecs.html

 

Thankx, I printed some spec sheets with serial #s for the block, heads, crank and rods, this engine was owned by a ford nut in his 80's and died from cancer a month or so, I think he must haved priced this stuff (alot) before he died--I'll let u know

 

all so not mentioned is if the block isnt painted it wil be more shinny than a plain jane say 390 the 427 used more nickel in the casting.only the last run of 406's were cross bolted.if your lucky and see an HM cast into to it with the last leg of the H conected o the M and it is circled whit a serial number it should be a holmen moodey block. no i wont go in the basement and take a pic

 

Ah, c,mon. Take a pic.

 

The 427 FEs were a fantastic combination.......BUT, at this day and age who really knows what is left of the guts when you look at the outside. Remember, the 427 was allowed into Nascar because of the mid year body change, (fastback 63 Galaxie), and those internal changes were made to get away from the disapointing 406 3X2 Nascar engine. Those days the "stock cars" were!!!!!....And the 427 soon made a name for it's self with performance and endurance..........aMP

 

Now common you can't tease us like that!! If you have a crossbolted 406 from HM... please send me some pics the next time your down there ok? And what casting number did they use? I saw a C2AE-BD LONG ago that was supposedly a factory crossbolted block. I've had a numerous C2AE-J, C3AE-D and a C3AE-V 406's. As the pre cursor and test mule for the 427 I've been very interested in the 406 over the years. Does your block have 427 cyl wall cores? 2 1/2 out of 5 406 blocks did. One had a 406 cyl wall cores on one side and 427's on the other...werid. My C2 block did not have crossbolt bosses but all the others did. It was however one of the blocks with 427 wallcores. Being it was a 62.5 to 63.5 only option very short lived. And long forgot after the 427 arrived. But it's cool to see 427 features in these blocks. They are a cool part of performance history.

G.

 

i got that 7 about 20 years ago when i was 16. i went with a freind to look at 351cj stuff when the guy said "ya know anyone that likes 390's" i said yup he took us out to an old stock car he had out side and fired it up. i bought the whole car for 600 bucks. got it home and pulled it apart after do some killer burnouts with and disasembled the engine so i could get it down stares at moms while we were taking it aprt we discovered the crossbolts and the HM stamped into the front of the block just below the driverside head. when i get over to moms again ill look see how much junk is piled on it and grab a pic for ya'll.if i ever find a 64 fairlane thatll be its new home

 

Sorry to hear the guy passed away. Hopefully you'll be looking at some nice performance parts on it. As a drag racer I'm sure some of the stuff has be whooped on so closely inspect everything if you choose to buy. When i was looking for TP heads. I looked at quite a few sets that had been cracked and repaired. Which for the most part were fine to use if fixed properly. Also some ported and milled quite a bit But better if no repairs have been done and heads still have a nice thumbprint. Nice sets of performance Ford heads are getting hard to find.