Hello it has been a very long time since posted or even been on this forum. I have a 68 427/400HP auto. Time to rebuild again. The engine was rebuilt in the early 90s' block is 30 over carnk was turned as well and it has a set of '67 rect port heads (435HP heads) and '69 3x2 rect intake. The block is original and when I bought over 20yrs ago I was given the original 215 oval heads, oval 3x2 intake and 3x2 carbs that were on it. This was a CA car as well with the smog pump. it is all there but no belt. My question is should I put it back to original or put in a 496 short block with headers and side pipes little wild or 427 little wild with side pipes? Part of me is would like to keep it more original, maybe headers and side pipes, but part of me is bring it back, but try to run more modern cam with original heads, intake and exhaust. thining of keeping Vette a Vette. 427 with maybe a Hyd roller. The engine developed a bad rod knock Current set up is the 435HP heads, and about 10:1 with a comp 268Hyd lifter cam. In current form not to happy on pump gas. Around here 91 is about as good as it gets and I bet that small cam does not bleed off well. Plus it is an automatic with 3.70 gear. on hyway turns about 3200-3500RPM at 70MPH, 2500RPM at 55MPH. Lots of country road and hwy driving. Please share thoughts Ideas or what you have done to 427 that works well for you. This will be a driver not trailer car. Thanks in advance

 

Consensus is that oval ports run better on the street than square ports. More power at lower rpm. Since your car was originally an oval port that’s the way I’d go. Plus you already have the oval port intake and heads. I’d go with a hydraulic roller and maybe aluminum heads if your budget permits. As far as transmission is and diff ratios, I’ll leave that to the experts to comment.

 

I was running the Comp Cams nostalgia LS6 cam trying to keep it close to 500hp to save the driveline. Brodix Oval Port heads and the tripower. It was running great until i lost a rod bearing as well.

I would avoid Clevite bearings as i cant get a good set in one go. Had to order 12 sets to get 8 good ones. I have ACL tri metal bearings on order. I used King XP tri metal bearings for the mains but that same bearing for the rods is 3 months out

 

I too would suggest returning the car to as stock as you can

 

I would put the original 215 oval heads, oval 3x2 intake and 3x2 carbs that came on it back on the car and rebuild the engine to a stock 427 400hp.

Disclaimer: I'm a purist kind of guy and don't go for all the Johnny Hot Rod stuff.

Why does your engine need to be rebuilt?

 

Hello Mr D. - It has a bad rod knock.
Rescue Rogers - It is unreal how bad parts are today. Bearings of all things made, years ago "Clevite" use to be the go to bearings.

On the Hyd Roller is there actually good lifters and cam that are reliable?

 

I had a 69' 427/400 (440ci) with a small dome piston and closed chamber heads with the 268 cam......it was right on the edge of rattling on pump gas......so that jibes.......
But! Since I am all about making stuff better....I would skip the originality bit......I would find a pair of super nice 781 or 049 Large Oval port heads with the open chamber, do a very nice bowl blend and cleanup on the ports with a pristine valve job (Mark Jones does beautiful work here).....with a decent "Argentina" stainless valve.....and a Howards hydraulic roller cam......long tube headers and a nice 2.5" exhaust with x-pipe would round this off........
With the right cam you can easily run 10 to 1 or higher as the open chamber is SO much more efficient and resistant to detonation.......plus the unshrouded chamber flows a lot better......notch the bore slightly to the chamber....the cam should be in the high 230's for duration, hydraulic roller.....with around .600 lift or better......the piston would be around a 20cc dome to get 10 to 1 assuming the block isn't decked......
The above combo would make 500ft/lbs. torque at damn near idle and rev to 6k with a power level somewhere around 550hp.......and it would look bone stock with the Tri-Power.......this would be a fun, sneaky setup.....with an automatic it would be Jet Aircraft thrust.....

I quit using Clevite years ago when they got too proud of their stuff.......I use King/Enginetech......never an issue.......

Jebby

 

Thanks some real good info. I forgot to mention do not want to deck the original 427 block, fear of losing original stamping marks. Ideally keeping original appearance is good, I am all for, putting modern Hyd Roller, I have even making me to think about 781 heads I have a ported set on shelf, and possible straying a little with headers and side pipes sadly the headers and side pipes would not have H or X pipe I will certainly know a lot more on direction when tear it down as well. I hope the rod knock (crank and rod not trashed).
Currently it has TRW forged small dome fly cut for clearance with square port CC heads on car today. So may have to go new pistons depending on how things check out and if that is the case may have to visit OC 781. Not even sure how bad CR would be affected between CC 215, 96-100cc vs 781 115-120cc (have ported set of these as well).

 

Closed chamber to Open is about 1.8 to 1 compression.....
Although the 496 is all the rage....never rule out a good 468 assembly......the 468 is a great bore stroke combo that loves to rev......sometimes you can get a 468 assembly for cheaper.......

Jebby

 

The roller cams are fine whom ever makes them, its the rollers that come apart. You want 2 things from a good roller lifter, bushed bearings instead of needle bearings, they will come apart and kill your engine. And you want a hydraulic lifter that wont bleed off at higher RPM.... Engine Masters said that Crane is about the best hydraulic roller lifter on the market for stability for higher RPM motors which will translate to any RPM below that

 

Where can I find the Crane bushed BBC hydraulic retrofit roller lifters? Are there others that are bushed retrofit Hyd roller lifters?

 

I don’t remember the guys name, and I’ll ask my engine builder, but he was the chief designer for Howard’s cams.
He went out on his own and is manufacturing roller lifters under his name.
My engine builder is all about quality parts going into his builds and this guys lifters is all he will use now.

I believe Crane is no longer.
I used their stuff for decades, but I think they were bought out by Comp Cams.

 

wellllll......I just found this out https://winchhubs.com/what-happened-...hafts/...Looks like they are still around, there is a phone number at the bottom of the article, you will have to call them and see whats up..

Isky looks like they sell some good lifters..for about $1350 for a set with bushed bearings

 

I’ve have had good luck with Morel hyd rollers although some think they are noisy

 

I think the ISKY one's referring to are

GOLD SERIES HPX NEEDLE FREE HYDRAULIC ROLLER LIFTER

Thumbs up on Morels as well son has them "Howards" in 489 build for his K30 pickup and they work very well. Never knew they made bushed Hyd Roller Lifters. I know the solid ones been around for a while, due to the needles bearing failing in solid roller lifters. I have a set of solid bushed rollers in a different car. never know the Hyd rollers with needles were going bad as well.

 

Morel’s hydraulic roller lifters were what was in mine when they put it on the dyno.
The lifters made so much noise, the builder shut down the engine, pulled the lifters and replaced them.

 

I was running Comp lifters that were ridiculously noisy. After research I went with Johnson and they are super quiet.

 

Stock is nice...faster is not rice!

 

I talked with my engine builder and he recommends Gaterman Lifters.
He believes they are the best on the market now and doesn’t put anything else in his engine builds unless requested by the customer.