Do a search for "end supports" or "end support" in this forum, reference:

http://jcoconsulting.com/forumfe/reply.aspx?ID=13005&Reply=13004

Also, if you are running stock pedestal bolts in your aluminum heads, don't! They'll pull out the helicoils with ease. Switch to pedestal studs immediately to save yourself some costly repairs.

JMO,
Shoe.

Erson's #918502's cost about $600.00 the set, and are working great on my 428 with Edelbrock heads and Perf RPM intake. You need Erson's #913020 shim & spacer kit to relocate the rockers along the shaft to match the 427-MR valve spacing Edelbrock uses. The Erson billet rockers, shafts & bases are top quality, but you may still face a delivery problem, since they're doing what Comp Cams wants $900.00 for and Shelby, a good $1500.

The Erson billet bases have a truss extension which adds an outboard bearing to straddle mount the end rockers and solve the shaft deflection problem...and without any machining to the heads, although you're gonna need the big pentroof chrome valve covers or Cobra LeMans style.

Oh, I assume you already have cup-end pushrods for factory adjustables?

are the rocker shafts breaking or standes?first? i dont know about alu. heads but on the iron heads i use cast iron split standes that clamp real tight on the bar i only have one set of thease type of stands left i found in a old truck engin the outher set is on my 69 cyclone keeping my rockers rocking....the alu standes wer giving me fits at hi rpm,s.

Chris dsc motor sports on ebay be sure to put oil holes on bottom on assy greg f ps i run 600lb valve springs and they are super

I just had the same problem on my 428 with rpm heads. I purchased a set of end stands from (Ford Powertrain Applications) Kit includes solid spacers and shims. Made out of bullit aluminum. Haven't had a chance to put them in yet but I am told this will solve the problem. 270.00. Don't know if they will fit a 390? Phone # is 1-253-848-9503. They make great headers too.

rpm heads have a max valve lift of .600 in
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=EDL%2D60069&N=400065+4294925232+4294838998+4294908331+4294840120+115&autoview=sku
make sure the stand bolt is not able to bottom out. Studding is recommended from edelbrock
I like the Jesel valvetrain
http://www.jeselonline.com/index.php?categoryid=59&s=9fc45d5184abae120650a0f25f7cf0cf

...you can look at the crank flange.

Actually, I'm nost sure exactly what year the change was, but crankflanges look the same for all cast FE cranks up until about 1965 or 1966. At this time the 428 showed up, causing a change in the design of the cast flange which the 390 crank inherited.

The change was the half-circle cutout of about an inch diameter and 1/2" deep (near the 1/4" square notch found on all cast FE crank flanges) so that the flange would not interfere with the drill bit which hollowed out the rear crank throw.

Short stroke FEs required the flange be cut in order to let the drill bit pass, but longer stroke FEs did not need to modify the flange. Early 390/406/427 cast cranks did get the half-circle cut into the flange, but later 390/427 cranks did not. 428 cranks never got the half circle cut into the flange.

Note that all 332/352/360 cranks got the half-circle cut.

Another way is to look for the aluminum ID tag on the intake manifold, often times at the coil mounting hole.

Also, if it's a mid-70s FE, 4 barrels were all 390s (from F150 to F450 trucks) and 2 barrels were either 360s from any pickup, or 390s from F100 pickups. Use the crank flange to be certain, but the 4-barrel is an easy inspection if it's present.

This info does not refeence the FT engine line of F500-F800 series trucks.

You can see the half-circle cutout if the crank is roughly near TDC and the inspection cover of the bellhousing is removed. At this position the square notch on the flange is straight down and the half-moon is a little closer to the drivers side.

JMO,
Shoe.

They can readily be found for O.K. prices, but you've got to be careful because some folk are trying to push junk.

Edelbrock heads have helped stabilize and reduce the cost of CJ heads. This is good.

A bare set without cracks and with O.K. valve seat wear that won't excessively shroud valve flow can be had for roughly $500.00 needing rebuild. Non-rebuilt heads with valves can be picked up for $600.00. Properly rebuilt heads go for $800.00-up, but this is also where you have to be careful when buying from a fast-talking stranger with loud credentials that sound good, as cheap new valves can cover up a lot of bad history that you won't learn about until you start the engine or fully inspect the heads.

You might try the www.fomoco.com classifieds (I'm not sure how to get there with the new website format), or you might try any of several other sites that specialize in the FE.

Ebay is a scary place to look (many scams are running amidst many fine auctions), but you can get an idea on pricing and availability by searching auctions. Beware that excessively high-priced auctions of CJ heads might be artificially bid scams looking for a sucker. If you do your homework and are patient, ebay can offer good results.

The heads are definitely out there. An alternate head of equivalent performance would be the C6AE-R head found in pairs randomly on about a third of any 1966-67 FE car or pickup. You've just got to dress the C6AE-R heads for CJ sized valves and drill the Thermactor bosses if you want to go that far. These remain available for $125.00-$225.00 a set, though they must also be drilled for the CJ exhaust pattern (the bosses are there, but don't drill too deep).

Note that CJ heads also appear to be cast for regular FE valves and throat dressed for CJ sized valves.

JMO,
Shoe.

What are the casting #s on the blocks?

Searching key phrases "reverse rotation" and "marine 427" or "427 marine" will help dig up a bunch of info, for example:

http://jcoconsulting.com/forumfe/reply.aspx?ID=2247&Reply=2242

It sounds like you may have some fun metal on your hands, thoug you MUST verify the cylinders are not rusted to death from the water jacket side.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. I run a pair of 427 marine blocks in my cars.

Shoe.

Get all the information you can and post the casting numbers on this site. There are a thousand variables, 427's were used in Nascar from 1963 to 1973 and Low Riser, High Riser, Medium Riser or Tunnel Port versions were used at different times over the years. There is no real difference in a Nascar 427 from any other 427 except the preperation of the components. Any 427 you find can become a very powerful engine, the word Nascar doesn't mean much when buying one.

The important things are:
1. What is the bore size?
2. Is it a steel crank or ?
3. What type isit, Low Riser, Tunnel Port, what?
4. What is the casting date of the block and heads?
5. What casting numbers are on the intake?

Some 427 carburetors and distributors are worth considerable sums as well, get the numbers off those parts too and report back.

Royce

Napa auto parts has carried them for a while but you will find that they have to order them.

I ordered mine from Gessford and saved some money plus the guy was friendly and got me the part really fast.

More 427-marked blocks are actually 360/390 pickup truck engines than real 427s.

Note that Ford frequently used the rear moldface of the 427 sideoiler to cast up 360/390/410/428 blocks of the late 1960s, but there were typically no other performance mold segments installed in these blocks.

The rear moldface will have both the 427 text marking and also the sideoiler "figure-8", but since the figure-8 leads to nowhere, it's not exactly a valuable feature.

You will not find performance cylinder cores, and generally will not find reinforced cranksaddle webbing in these blocks, either. Typically, they're DIF or CF castings, not MCC castings.

Steve Christ has the defacto book on FE identification titled "How to Rebuild your Big-Block Ford". Pat Ganahl also has a great book which contains a section on the FE, but again the standard errors are present. FE forums are the only place to get the latest, greatest, and correctedest info. These books may also be chock full of identification errors, but either book will get you in touch with what you need to know, and both are readily available new or used.

Shoe.

http://www.cranecams.com/instructions/degreeing/degree.htm
http://www.rpmrons.com/degreecam.html

I've learned that retarding a camshaft causes the valves to stay open later, and at high revs this allows a more complete intake and exhaust exchange to occur. However, at low RPMs power is lost, since the valves stay open later, resulting in the intake valve staying open well into the compression stroke.

Advancing the cam typically offers no high RPM benefits, but it does close the intake valve closer to BDC, resulting in the compression of more fresh air/fuel each stroke, and thus resulting in a stronger combustion cycle.

Advancing a cam will tend to require the use of higher octane gasoline and will show up as higher numbers on the compression testing gauge. Retarding the cam will simply let the engine rev higher before running out of fresh air.

JMO,
Shoe.

ebay is a good place to look, but don't get suckered by the regulars who sell them as if they were gold.

Also, you should know which type you want.

The 1968-1976 type is the most common, and it fit's the 1.10" wide inertia ring damper (no integral belt groove), or I should say the timing pointer commonly bolted to this cover matches the 1.10" wide damper of 1968-76. Note this timing cover is also used on the 428SCJ, but a different timing pointer is used because the damper is larger in diameter.

The mid1963 through 1967 style works with the cast iron damper with the 0.75" wide inertia ring with cast-in fanbelt groove. Lotsa times this damper is covered up by stamped steel pulleys that are large enough to fit over the entire damper. This cover is basically the same as the 1968-76 cover, but the timing pointer is available in a couple different designs and positions (it depends on whether the inertia rin has the degrees stamped into it or if the timing pointer has the numbers stamped).

The 1958-early1963 cover is a stamped steel cover, but it's a very sturdy steel stamping. Ther are also a few different timing pointers which came on these covers, mainly depending on year. While these are a little less common, they also remain readily available.

Timing covers should fetch from $10.00 to $20.00 each on ebay if you are willing to search for a week or so, though there are generally some available for a "buy it now" price a good bit higher than this. Also, the "Shelby", "Cobra", "Cobra Jet" and similar covers on ebay are typically ordinary FE covers being sold by disreputable sellers.

Cast iron covers are also available on some industrial FEs. and these pop up on occasion for a cheap price, as do the large snout FT cast iron covers with the larger crank seal diameter.

Invariably, these covers outlive an FE, so they remain plentiful in the aftermarket, if you know where to look. Ebay may be an easy spot to find covers, but many other places exist, too.

This website may even have one or two for sale, though I haven't checked.

Shoe.