Smeding 427 - Project Snake Charmer Part 4

Here a new standard-volume oil pump is installed. Smeding doesn't think 60 pounds of oil pressure at idle is necessary, and many builders agree. One-piece oil-pan gaskets like the one seen here are expensive, but they don't leak. Alignment tabs keep the gasket centered over the pan rail.

The time to close up the bottom of the engine arrives as a Smeding Performance technician starts the oil-pan bolts with a speed wrench. Next, a new 28-ounce Pro Street harmonic balancer was installed onto the crank snout. A pneumatic balancer installation tool was used to press the balancer home with one smooth movement.

Moving onto the valvetrain, the hydraulic roller lifters are installed into their bores. Notice that the Dart block has drilled and tapped bosses to accept a Ford-style lifter retainer or spider.

Here, the lifter retainer is in place and new Fel-Pro head gaskets have been installed.

The second AFR cylinder head is lowered into place. ARP (Automotive Racing Products) fasteners are used throughout the engine and are a staple of Smeding Performance builds.

Ben Smeding puts his back into it as each head bolt is torqued down to a final spec of 110 ft-lb through multiple torque steps. Tightening sequences are closely adhered to as well.

The Scorpion roller rocker arms are installed next. Before installation, the Allen-head set screw on each rocker arm is backed out enough to ensure it doesn't bottom out before zero lash. Since the valve lifters in our engine are hydraulic, we can set the valves once as desired and tighten the rocker-arm set screw. Three-quarters of a turn past zero lash and locking them down will do it.

After the intake manifold gaskets were set in place and sealant applied along the front and rear block surfaces, the modified Victor Jr. intake manifold was lowered into place. The new 42-lb/hr injectors go into place in their openings with just a hint of assembly lube on their O-rings.

Next the fuel rails are to be installed. The Mass-Flo kit included this mounting hardware for the rails, and here it is going together. Laser-cut brackets and Allen-head hardware show the quality that goes into the Mass-Flo system.

Here's our completed 427 build ready for the dyno room. There's a lot left to do, so the long-block is installed onto a dyno cart and wheeled over to the engine room. Since we didn't use Smeding's usually supplied intake, carburetor, and ignition, our engine stickered for $9,995.

The complete engine, including EFI, is on the engine dynamometer at Smeding Performance, ready for some flogging in the name of editorial greatness. The GM mass air meter sourced from Professional Mass Air Systems (PMAS), with its tiny sensing wires, sits directly atop the throttle body. The Mass-Flo system uses PMAS air meters and a proprietary converter box for the Ford-based ECM to communicate with the GM-based air meter. The air meter will be protected when the air cleaner assembly is installed.