Rebuilding a REAL Ford 427 Side Oiler Cobra Engine: A Rarified Experience (2024)

You’ve got to hand it to Ford as a car company. It has history unequalled including four consecutive wins at Le Mans in the 1960s when it was all or nothing against Enzo Ferrari on the world’s stage. It was exclusively about ego and the age-old battle of winning at all costs. Henry Ford II wanted Ford to be a world class automaker with an impressive resume of global racing wins. To get there, he needed to acquire a European automaker with a reputation for winning. That automaker was Ferrari.

Ferrari, facing serious financial woes, was searching for a suitable buyer. Ford saw Ferrari as a means into the European market and worldwide racing success. Then, as now, what wins on Sunday sells on Monday. It could be nothing but good for Ford. Car buyers like hitching their wagons to successful car companies though this has never really made a difference in the end. You may win races, however, if you don’t offer the customer a great product and reliability, they will never return for that second purchase. Ford learned this one the hard way in lost sales in the 1970s from disappointing quality and poor customer service. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Ford began to recover and regain market share.

Ford and Ferrari had been in talks for months about a deal for Ford to acquire Ferrari. Ferrari faced tremendous regional pressure for selling out to an American automaker. When it came down to the wire, Ferrari backed out, which made Ford’s blue blood boil. Ford wanted complete control of Ferrari’s racing operations as part of the deal. That wasn’t going to happen at any price.

Mr. Ford decided to build one heck of a racing operation within the Ford Motor Company and beat Enzo Ferrari at his own game. The goal was to kick Ferrari’s butt at Le Mans. Getting there would be a monumental task. Ford’s great racing success began domestically at Daytona, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen and a host of other racing venues. These wins prepared Ford for the exhausting journey to Le Mans.

Winning Le Mans was never going to be easy for Ford. Defeats in 1964-65 turned up the heat at Ford. Mr. Ford’s words were simple and concise to Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. Either win Le Mans or be fired. Of course, Ford was never going to find anyone as qualified as Miles and Shelby. It was a moot point because Mr. Ford had the best. Carroll Shelby, who was never short on words, explained to Ford what it was going to take to win. It was going to require more money and resources to win Le Mans. Shelby’s position was simple—either get on board or stay on the porch. It was risky business to tell Mr. Ford how the cow ate the cabbage. However, Shelby had Ford’s attention and support. Beat Ferrari at all costs.

At Le Mans in 1966, Shelby and Miles, and drivers Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon came in with Ford’s first Le Mans win. There would be more. That spectacle was followed by three consecutive Le Mans wins—Ford’s glory, and surely Ferrari’s public humiliation—spanked by an American supercar and a large V-8. This took great teamwork—world class drivers and the eye-opening Ford GT—to corral these wins. Ford was center stage using the phenomenal power of an American big-block V-8 and the experience of seasoned drivers who knew how to stay the course and win.

At the heart of these Le Mans wins was Ford’s 427ci “Side Oiler” FE Series big-block V8. The Side Oiler was the result of extensive research and development and having your keister handed to you repeatedly on the racetrack. Ford learned in educational baby steps how to make the 427 more durable. This quest began in 1962 with the 406 and a cross-bolted main cap block. Only very few 406 engines were cross bolted, swiftly replaced by the big-bore 427.

Cross-bolting the 427’s main caps and giving the block thicker main webs were valiant first steps. Still—racers continued to scatter 427s all over racetracks from coast to coast, especially in NASCAR competition. The remaining issue was lubrication. The FE’s oiling system fell short, with main bearings becoming oil starved at high rpm. Ford engineers had to develop a completely different “side oiling” system that ensured main bearings got adequate lubrication. The “Side Oiler” 427 was born.

Once Ford achieved solid durability in the 427, it went to work on the GT40 racecar chassis, which was a tremendous challenge. It took the extensive knowledge and experience of Miles and Shelby to make the GT40 not only an endurance race finisher—but also a winner against Ferrari. It was a picture-perfect finish with Ford leading the pack ahead of Ferrari. What’s more, Ford did it three more times before Mr. Ford concluded there was nothing left to prove. Ford got out of racing.

Carroll Shelby’s objective, aside from winning Le Mans, was also to design and build the world’s fastest production sports car — and he did in 1965. The 427 Cobra did 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, 0-100 mph in 10.2 seconds, and had a top speed of 160 mph. It tipped the scales at 2,350 pounds with more than 500 horsepower.

Shelby’s 427 Cobra held the crown of world’s fastest production car (0-100-0 mph in 13.2 seconds) for more than 30 years before Ferrari caught up and passed the Cobra in more recent times. In competition form, the Cobra was a Ferrari-spanking 580-horse powerhouse using real American V-8 power. In street form, the Cobra was closer to 500 horsepower. Cobra magic came of a sweet US/Britain alliance that has been solid for approaching 60 years.

We’re at JGM Performance Engineering in Valencia, California covering a unique 427 Side Oiler from one of those historic 427 Shelby Cobras—the real thing (CSX 3147) from Shelby’s racing facilities in Southern California a lifetime ago. It is a rare privilege to be invited into the JGM shop to cover a build like this. What makes this 427 build unique aside from the obvious is its limited production “PROCESS FD” aluminum cylinder heads, which were produced in 1964-65 as a C5AE casting number and considered Medium Riser cylinder heads available over the Ford parts counter for a very limited time.

This 427 FE build gave us the opportunity to explore the Side Oiler block and get a closer look at the limited production PROCESS FD aluminum heads, which were a rarity at the time as Detroit became familiar with aluminum casting techniques. Before us was a genuine 427 Side Oiler that had lived in a production 427 Cobra since 1965. Seeing the “CSX 3147” hand stamped in the block casting gave us goosebumps. So did the “C5AE” casting numbers. This 427 had a front row seat for American automotive history in a sports car known to be the fastest production automobile in the world at the time. Not bad for raw American iron that also won Le Mans.

Rebuilding a REAL Ford 427 Side Oiler Cobra Engine: A Rarified Experience (2024)

FAQs

How much horsepower does a 427 side oiler have? ›

Also in 1965 a switch was made to a side-oiler design that sent lubricant to the crank before the valvetrain, solving the issue. On the street, horsepower started at 425 for versions equipped with dual-quad carburetors, while single-carb motors were rated at 410 hp. Torque for the 427 hovered around 480 lb-ft.

How much horsepower can you get out of a Ford 427? ›

Ford had 427s that carried 390 hp, 410 hp, and 425 hp ratings regardless of what the actual output was, which varied according to which cylinder heads, intake manifolds, cams, and compression ratios were employed, and some could really make 485 hp or 520 hp.

Who made the best 427 engine? ›

Ford's answer to the potent, game-changing HEMI engine was the 427 SOHC Cammer–an engine that not only changed the game but also changed the rules in NASCAR racing. Based essentially on the 427 Hi-Riser short block, the 427 SOHC utilized a forged steel crankshaft and “hemi-head” pistons.

How many different 427s did Ford make? ›

Two different 427 blocks were produced, the initial 1963 top oiler and starting in 1965 a side oiler.

How many miles per gallon does a 427 Cobra engine get? ›

Whilst the Cobra 427 was a mega supercar it flopped commercially when Caroll Shelby stopped importing the AC Motors model to the USA in 1967. The AC Cobra had a fuel economy of 10 miles per gallon.

How much HP can a 427 stroker make? ›

600 Horsepower is what you will get from this 427 Ford Small Block Stroker Crate Engine.

Why is the 427 so expensive? ›

Production Numbers and Availability. One of the most compelling factors contributing to the value of the Shelby Cobra is its rarity. Unlike mass-produced cars that flood the market, the Shelby Cobra was produced in limited quantities 11. Roughly 300 of the big-block 427 Cobras were made in 1966 and 1967.

Why was the 427 banned from NASCAR? ›

Since the HR had won nine races more then Chryslers new tricked out 426 Hemi, NASCAR used this complaint to ban the 427HR engine to better balance the power between Ford and Chrysler. Ford replaced the 427 High Riser with the just as powerful 427 Medium Riser.

Can a 351W be stroked to 427? ›

In short, starting with a Dart 351W block, boring/stroking to 427 cid and utilizing a host of performance aftermarket components, we were able to build a streetable large-displacement “small-block” Ford engine capable of producing around 600 hp.

What engine was banned from NASCAR? ›

NASCAR thus still outlawed the 426 Hemi for use on its tracks in 1965, which found all of the NASCAR Chrysler Hemi corporate sponsor team money moving over to the nation's drag strips, where even famed NASCAR champs Richard Petty and David Pearson competed in Plymouth and Dodge Hemi drag cars, respectfully, for one ...

Why was the 427 banned? ›

Based on Ford's 427ci side-oiler block, it was intended to be Ford's two-valve, single-overhead-cam, high-rpm answer to Chrysler's 426 Hemi for NASCAR in 1964. But racing these purpose-built engines turned "stock cars" into "not-stock cars," creating a situation NASCAR moved to stop.

What Ford motor was banned from NASCAR? ›

On October 19, 1964, NASCAR moved to ban all “special racing engines,” in its words, eliminating both the Cammer Ford and the Chrysler 426 Hemi from Grand National competition for 1965.

What is the difference between a 427 and a 428? ›

427 and 428 were FE (Ford Edsel) engine family and considered a medium size block. But-the 427 was an expensive engine to make with it's side oiling system, cross bolted main bearing caps, forged steel crankshaft, etc. The 428 was a stroked 390 with 2 bolt mains, cast crank, etc.

What is the most rare Ford? ›

Ford`s 20 Rarest Automobiles
  • 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra. Only three were ever made. ...
  • 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Super Snake. ...
  • 1964 Ford GT40 Prototype. ...
  • 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. ...
  • 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. ...
  • 1971 Ford Thunderbird Four Door Landau. ...
  • 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt. ...
  • 1973 Ford Granada Perana.
May 6, 2024

What is the rarest Model A Ford? ›

1931 Ford Model A Town Car Delivery

The rarest of all Ford Model A body styles, the town car delivery holds a particular mystique in collector circles.

How much horsepower does a 427 Windsor stroker have? ›

This 427 Small Block Ford is a customer favorite. Our 520 HP, 351 Windsor based stroker is our most popular street engine. Aluminum CNC ported heads allows us to use less camshaft than the 500 HP version and still deliver more power.

How much HP does a 427 have? ›

Best Use
Horsepower:575
Torque:525
Bore/Stroke:4.125 x 4.000
Compression:10:1
Fuel Type:Pump Gas, 93 AKI (USA) / 98 RON
5 more rows
Jul 10, 2024

How much horsepower did the 427 GT40 have? ›

The cars arrived in basic form and Shelby's men added the 485-hp 427 engines and T44 4-speed transmissions especially designed and assembled by Kar Kraft; they also installed the interior and exterior trim, front body work (constantly being modified to reduce front lift), and Halibrand race wheels.

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