Kerry,
AWESOME pics! I do not have an engine tag. Not sure if it was destroyed or not. I think that they are reproduced, so the pictures is a huge help! So the fact that the intake was sourced elsewhere answers some questions. Two of the valve cover bolt holes have heli coils and now three more have them. I thought I could save the carb holes, but three of them will get heli coils. The manifold has some history behind it and the extra heli coils are because I am fussy.
Below are some more pics from today. Bart wanted the intake Ford Dark Blue so that is what he gets. Note the heads bolts on the lower side of the heads. I cleaned them, but did not paint them. I can paint them now if need be. What do we think is correct? without paint they may rust. Also you can see exposed block surface where the head does not cover the block. Should I paint that as well?
By the way, I could not install the intake bolts without washers. Sorry aluminum and steel bolts screw up torque readings.
Rob, you certainly know your stuff, great job! Looking at the pics of the heads, I think they are originally 14 bolt GT exhaust pattern, modified with the two lower center holes added. Are you using CJ or GT manifolds?
Top Line:
427 represents the engine Cubic Inch Displacement
68 represents the model year
10 represents the Engine Change Level
Second Line:
8B represents Year and Month of Production
359J represents the Engine Code followed by a suffix. Prefix/Suffix are for FoMoCo and do not affect engine identification. For example the 1968 R code 428 CJ engine was available with automatic transmission or standard. The engines are 407J and 408J.
The code on the tag should match the code on the build sheet if available.
Kerry,
Found the engine tag in a box with the dizzy. It is perfect after a quick clean up with steel wool!!
All,
Had a small set back in the engine build. Put on the oil pump, pickup, and oil pan yesterday. Put on a new oil filter and screwed in my liquid filled oil pressure gauge that I use in all engine startups. Got out my trusty ½ inch drill motor and proceeded to spin up the pump. Bart the owner was there to witness my awesome (not!!) engine build skills. Spun right up 75 pounds of oil pressure and all looked good. Wanted to show Bart how I pre-lube all motors and then waited for the oil to come up into the rocker shafts and drip off the rocker arms onto the valves…… five minutes later, no joy. Dry as a bone. Rolled the engine over by hand and primed more…. No joy….
Yup, wait for it………………… Wait for it……………. Yup, Rob the “supposed” Ford guru had forgotten to let the engine builder know about side oiler 427’s and their cam bearings…. Yup, wrong cam bearings blocking the transfer passage to the heads.
Rob is a bozo and now will strip the engine back to a short block and take her back to the machine shop which is top notch. He then will strip the engine of the crank, rods and pistons. Yup the cam bearings are the first thin to install!
So a bunch of gaskets and some effort and I will be back on track. Not feeling very smart at the moment… At least it is still on the engine stand. I always pre-prime on the engine stand before I land a motor.
Below are some links to the proper cam bearings and a great tutorially form 2005 about 427 side oiler cam bearings.
Great news on the Tag Rob, it’s an important part to find in a box !
That is unfortunate on the build up. Nothing has been easy on this mating and you are a capable humble man. Surely the happy ending is right around the corner now. It’s been an incredible saga.
Kerry,
Your help on finding the motor, the original owner, and authenticating the Red GTE was priceless. And your dedication to such a small thing as screws in a data plate have enhanced the ability to authenticate these rare Mercury’s and Mustang’s. Your research cemented the final detail on this Cougar.
Top of the engine is off to include the heads and lifters. Pan and timing cover in the a.m. then off to the machine shop. Not so bad working with pristine clean parts!! My glass is always half full!!! Of beer!!! Soon we will be back on track.
While you’ve got the engine tore down grab a picture of the bell housing flange on the very bottom of the engine, driver side. The same finished surface that the oil pan bolts to. In one of your pics of the bottom of this engine I see some kind of markings over there. That is exactly where my assembly date is on my engine. There are also a pair of G‘s in that same area which I think is a inspection mark. I have two other Engine‘s that have assembly dates in the same exact spot and they both also have the double pair of G,s. One is a 406 and one is an early 427 .
I’m curious as to what kind of markings are on your engine in that same area.
While you may feel dumb you missed that detail on the cam bearings rest assured your procedure and attention to detail prevented what may seem like a headache from becoming a huge nightmare! Im sure the owner is thankful you check and double check your work! That my friend is what sets a true technician/mechanic apart from the rest!
