The 427 comes with Mahle forged-aluminum...
The 427 comes with Mahle forged-aluminum slugs that sit 0.005 inch in the holes. These along with the Scat forged H-beam connecting rods and forged-steel crankshaft should provide a stout foundation for the wildest of street engines.
The foundation for our True Street terror is the all-new 427-cid short-block from Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP). Much like the new Boss 302 block, the Boss 351 block (PN M-6010-Boss35195) was designed from a clean sheet of paper, and the specifications started with a traditional 9.5-inch Windsor deck height. From there, bore capacity was opened to 4.125 inches, and the maximum recommended stroke length is 4.250 inches. There are splayed, four-bolt caps on the No. 2, 3, and 4 main bearings, as well as revised oiling and coolant passages, Siamese bores with drilled coolant crossovers, and increased bulkhead material.
The lifter bores come finished, and the block is ready to accept the factory roller lifter guides and the lifter retainer, as well as a hydraulic-roller camshaft. The folks at Ford Racing also threaded the oil galley and freeze plugs, and set up the camshaft tunnel for common-OD cam bearings. All of this comes in a 205-pound package that should provide a solid foundation for copious amounts of horsepower.
These CNC-ported heads (PN...
These CNC-ported heads (PN M-6049-Z304PA) from Ford Racing Performance Parts flow 319 cfm on the intake and 277 cfm on the exhaust. They are available assembled or as bare castings through any FRPP dealer.
As a complete short-block (PN M-6009-427F), FRPP's 427 takes the Boss 351 block to bigger and better dimensions, using the available 4.125-inch bore combined with a 4-inch stroke. Said stroke comes from the throw of the Scat forged-steel crankshaft that swings Scat forged H-beam connecting rods. Attached to the end of the rods via full-floating wrist pins are forged-aluminum Mahle pistons that reside 0.005 inches in the cylinder bores. They feature valve reliefs for the majority of in-line valve aftermarket Windsor cylinder heads. The rotating assembly features a neutral balance, and accepts most aftermarket zero or neutral balance dampeners. The 427 short-block also comes with cylinder head and timing cover dowels, which is one less thing you have to chase down.
Ford Racing Performance Parts' Jesse Kershaw also provided us with a set of the company's newly minted Z304 cylinder heads (PN M-6049-Z304PA), which feature a hefty CNC milling all around. With the 2.08-inch-intake/1.60-exhaust valves moving the mixtures through the 427, the FRPP crate engines that use these heads are knocking out a healthy 535 hp with a relatively mild hydraulic-roller camshaft.
The combustion chambers on...
The combustion chambers on the Z304PA heads also receive the CNC treatment and measure 63 cc. The valves measure 2.08 inches on the intake and 1.60 inches on the exhaust, and are made from stainless steel.
The CNC work on the Z304 heads improves airflow from 277-cfm intake/218-cfm exhaust on the as-cast, 2.02/1.60-valved versions to 319-cfm intake and 227-cfm on the exhaust, all at 0.550 inches of valve lift. The combustion chambers are 63 cc in size, and the heads are set up for 7/16-inch rocker studs with guideplates for 5/16-inch pushrods.
On Kershaw's recommendation, we ordered one of Edelbrock's Super Victor intake manifolds (PN 2924) to provide the foundation for our Quick Fuel Technology Race Q 850-cfm carburetor. The Race Q is an all-new fuel mixer from Quick Fuel Technology (QFT) that starts with all-aluminum construction, and includes several components that are optional on many out-of-the-box race carburetors.
The intake ports are generous...
The intake ports are generous in size but force the pushrods over a bit, which requires a rocker arm with an offset pushrod cup. FRPP offers these under part number M-6564-F351 and they feature a 1.65:1 ratio.
The Race Q's cast-aluminum, lightweight main body and fuel bowls are tumble-polished to provide a bright, long-lasting protective finish, and the dual inlet fuel bowls are equipped with quick-change ports that allow jet changes without the hassle of removing the fuel bowl. The black-anodized billet metering blocks are engineered with five emulsion channels and screw-in restrictions to help optimize the air/fuel ratio; changing these restrictions are as easy as changing jets. The dual-flange throttle body is also cut from billet and anodized black, and allows the carburetor to fit 4150- or 4500-style intake manifolds
QFT says the Race Q carburetors are designed for drag racing, include the correct jet extensions and notched floats, and every Race Q carb is hand-assembled and engine-tested before shipping. A jet driver tool is included in every box. Race Q carbs range in size from 750 to 1,050 cfm; Quick Fuel recommended the 850-cfm unit for our application.
Ford Racing ships the heads...
Ford Racing ships the heads with the inner valvespring removed. In flat-tappet camshaft applications, this helps break in the camshaft without putting too much stress on the lobes. Once the camshaft is broken in, the springs can be replaced.
Our engine build is largely based on the complete 427 crate engines that FRPP offers, with a few small changes. Ford Racing offers the CNC-ported heads separately or on the all-aluminum Boss427 crate engine, whereas we are mounting them on the iron-block-in crate form, the iron-block gets the as-cast Z304 heads. The CNC Z304PA heads require a special set of rocker arms (PN M-6564-F351) that move the intake-valve pushrods over 0.150 inch to clear the enlarged ports. These are similar to the rockers used on the N351 Ford Racing heads and feature a 1.65:1 ratio. FRPP also specifies an 8.100-inch pushrod length if you use all of its parts. Check www.fordracingparts.com for more info on head bolts, studs, and recommended head gaskets.
On our 427, we are using a custom hydraulic-roller camshaft similar in specifications to the one FRPP uses in its crate engines, just a little larger. The FRPP crate engine camshaft offers a split duration 242/248 at 0.050, with valve lifts of 0.576-inch on the intake and 0.600-inch on the exhaust. The custom grind that Comp Cams supplied starts with a split 248/254 duration at 0.050 and ends with a single-pattern 0.609-inch valve lift on a 110-degree lobe separation angle. It's a healthy hydraulic-roller profile that should raise the power level above the FRPP crate engine.
We cover a lot of ground this month, and now that we've formulated a plan, we expect to have a project Repeat Offender installment every month, starting with this issue and continuing until the project is finished.
Next month, we'll have the 427 parked on the engine dyno for some pulls, followed by chassis mods, suspension, rear end, braking and fuel systems, and so on. When you're done reading all about it, feel free to jump on our website at www.musclemustangfastfords.com or visit MM&FF on Facebook to tell us what you think.
Since we are using a hydraulic-roller...
Since we are using a hydraulic-roller camshaft, we reinstalled the springs prior to engine assembly.
We're Using Edelbrock's Super...
We're Using Edelbrock's Super Victor intake manifold on our 427, which is a single-plane intake designed for a basic operating range of 4,500 to 8,500 rpm. It's widely used by circle-track guys, but the drag-racing contingent knows that it moves a lot of air and offers a broad torque range.
Mixing the atmosphere with...
Mixing the atmosphere with the appropriate amount of fuel will be the job of Quick Fuel Technology's Race Q carburetor. This one is an 850-cfm unit that features a cast-aluminum main body, dual-inlet fuel bowls with quick-change ports, and billet metering blocks engineered with five emulsion channels and screw-in restrictions to help optimize the air/fuel ratio. The throttle body is a dual-flange design that allows the carburetor to fit 4150- or 4500-style intake manifolds.