MCE Engines Builds A 427ci Ford Engine - Eight Barrels-No Waiting

Marvin torques main caps in third values. Accepting torque value is 60-70 ft-lb, which means he torques these bolts to 23 ft-lb, then 46 ft-lb, then a full 70 ft-lb. With each torque, he checks the crankshaft for freedom of rotation. You should be able to turn the crank with your fingertips or the weight of a breaker bar. Threads should always be lubricated and free of damage for accurate torque readings.

With No. 3 main cap snugged (not torqued), Marvin whacks the rearend of the crank with a mallet to help align and center the main thrust bearing. Then he checks endplay, which should be .004-.008 inch depending on how you intend to use the engine. Maximum allowable endplay is .012 inch.

Piston-ring design and installation is a fascinating study in cylinder sealing and oil control. Although most people call the top two rings "compression" rings, only the top ring handles compression. The second ring is an oil-control ring designed to meter oil up the cylinder wall. The bottom pair of oil rings are actually oil wipers, which carry excessive oil off cylinder walls on the downstroke.

These are oil-wiper rings supported by a ring expander. It is important to ensure proper expander installation at this juncture. Expander ends need to lock as shown. Overlap them and you can expect trouble almost immediately.

Piston-ring end gaps must be located initially at 45-degree intervals-9, 12, 3, and 6 o'clock. Ring end gaps should be checked on all eight cylinders prior to installation and at three positions-top, middle, and bottom. Another important issue is piston-ring side clearances; you need .002 inch on the top and second rings. This ensures proper oil control behind the ring for better sealing.

Pay close attention to piston pin clips in bushed pin installations. Roll-in clips, which are designed to protect cylinder walls, are commonplace these days. These are conventional C-clips, which require close attention during installation. Marvin blueprints each C-clip by working sharp edges and ensuring each clip is firmly seated.

Marvin knows he'll get a lot of arguments, but he never rolls piston rings into the grooves during installation. He uses a piston ring expander as shown to install rings. Rolling rings into the grooves will distort them, which creates potential for improper ring seating and sealing.

Did you know small-block Ford cam thrust plates install properly only one way? And did you know the 351C, 351M, and 400M take a different cam thrust plate than 221-351W? We have found 351C cam thrust plates installed on 289/302/351W engines, and we have seen them installed backwards. When you install this cam thrust plate backwards, you're robbing the cam sprocket of important lubrication even though return oil lubricates. The slot gets oil from the galley to the cam sprocket. When installing this cam thrust plate, use a thread locker and torque the bolts to 9-12 ft-lb. Do not overtorque.

Delivery day early in 2006: from left to right are Marvin McAfee, Blair Jennings, and Benton Jackson. Blair hauled this 600-horse 427W home to Santa Barbara. Expect to see his '66 Mustang fastback in Mustang & Fords in the future.