Can someone tell me if a 427 center oiler is better than a side oiler? Someone told me that the side oiler is good only because it was in the original cobra but that the center oiler is a better engine overall. Thanks for any comments.
John
The "side-oiler" refers to the oil galley that ran down the driver’s side of the block and oiled the crankshaft main bearings before oiling the valve train components. The 427 SO was different than the 427 street version available in 1963-64 Galaxies, which were called “low-risers” because of their cylinder head port design. These 427’s were top-oilers, which oiled the engine via the camshaft area. In racing applications, these engines were prone to crankshaft oil starvation at high RPM.
Ford manufactured the 427 SO engine from 1965 to 1967. Strangely, Ford installed some detuned 427 SO engines (390 HP) with hydraulic cams in some Mercury Cougar XR7/GTE’s in 1968. Ford changed to the 428 Police interceptor engine because they were much cheaper to produce.
Yes the sideoiler block was designed for the cammer project. But that's not where the sideoiling concept and design came from. This is an engine series that had already been in production for some time.
G.
John sorry to turn your thread into a Q&A session. The Ford Y block was the first to use sideoiling. This oiling method was adapted into the 427 sideoiler block when the cammer project came around. Ford was smart being it was a tried and true method and they took it to the next level in the 427 sideoiler. Sorry this has nothing to do with your question. Only a little backround. G.
The side oiler feeds the mains first but requires one to use solid lifters , it is better long track engine than a center oiler . 427 390HP hyd lifter engines were center oilers not side oilers . Center oilers typically have thicker walls and can take an overbore better than a sideoiler . 390s and 428s were centeroilers too . Centeroilers can be modified to improve oil flow . Which one is "better" ? For the street and limited track time it doesn't matter , if you want hyd. lifters you need a centeroiler .
All of them are overpriced . A 428 built the same as a 427 will make the same power for less money.
The C8AE-B,H,A and 70's service blocks were hyd lifter sdieoiler blocks. The C8 427 blocks were the last to see a production car in the Cougar GTE's. All earlier sideoilers were solid lifter blocks. G.
Oh I see were they marine blocks? They have a JE in the casting number sometimes. Brass screw in freeze plugs also. Cast as sideoilers but drilled for centeroiling and came both in soild and hyd blocks. There have been some irrigation and industrial blocks like this also. Some really neat and odd stuff has been found over the years.
G.
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