Backyard built 427 SOHC

[482supersnake]

https://youtu.be/2vEm1rCHcN0

[TomP]

Be interesting to see how that all attaches. Just four 3/8" rocker holes and the valve cover holes to attach it unless they added some new mounting points. Interesting about the rocker ratio. Didn't Jay discover the issues of cams turning the same direction in mirror image heads?

[machoneman]

Lotsa work for little, if any, hp benefit.

[jayb]

Ford discovered that issue Tom, not me.  The original Ford SOHC cams were ground with two slightly different lobe profiles for the left and right cams, to compensate for differences in the valve action from side to side.  The vast majority of aftermarket SOHC cams (for example, Crane Nitro Cams) did not take this into account, using the same lobe profile for left and right.  Several years back BarryR and I worked with Billy Godbold at Comp to incorporate that side to side difference into one of their SOHC cam lines, called their VM series.  Unfortunately they are no longer available; Comp has gotten out of the SOHC cam business.

[blykins]

Ford discovered that issue Tom, not me.  The original Ford SOHC cams were ground with two slightly different lobe profiles for the left and right cams, to compensate for differences in the valve action from side to side.  The vast majority of aftermarket SOHC cams (for example, Crane Nitro Cams) did not take this into account, using the same lobe profile for left and right.  Several years back BarryR and I worked with Billy Godbold at Comp to incorporate that side to side difference into one of their SOHC cam lines, called their VM series.  Unfortunately they are no longer available; Comp has gotten out of the SOHC cam business.

I can get them....

Just ordered a pair for a customer, using billet round lobe cores.  Not cheap, but I can get them done.

[jayb]

That's interesting, about six months ago they told me they would not grind SOHC cams anymore.  Go figure...

[Tommy-T]

Ford designed a "kit" similar to this for 289 engines.
The camshaft was in the valve covers and the gilmer belt was run from behind the water pump.
The project was killed because it didn't make any more horsepower than the pushrod 289 as the cylinder heads were not improved.
The gentlemen that built the engine in the original post in this thread are finding the same thing. OHC for the simple sake of OHC nets nothing or near nothing if cylinder head flow is the limiting horsepower factor of the engine. 

[Heo]

I think those same guys built a recordbreaking model A engine

[Dumpling]

Someone needs to build a 3 or 4 valve head for the FE. Problem solved.
Or, is there a multivalve head from another engine with a similar bore spacing that could be cut and welded....

[JacksFordParts]

Pond ordered some (quite a few) from Comp and they never actually made them....

[338Raptor]

Has anybody tested the difference in power between “improperly” ground Crane Cams vs  properly (mirror image) ground Comp Cams?  (Similar specs obviously)

The reason I ask is my engine is apart now and it has Crane Cams.  I’m curious if it’s worth the extra cost to buy a set of properly ground cams. 

[blykins]

Pond ordered some (quite a few) from Comp and they never actually made them....

AFAIK, they don't have typical SOHC cores in stock.   

The cams I have made are custom made from a big round lobe billet core.   Not cheap and a nice lead time.

[preaction]

I had a set made through Racedyne  who uses a guy in Michigan it was a copy of a NOS ford cam.

[jayb]

Has anybody tested the difference in power between “improperly” ground Crane Cams vs  properly (mirror image) ground Comp Cams?  (Similar specs obviously)

The reason I ask is my engine is apart now and it has Crane Cams.  I’m curious if it’s worth the extra cost to buy a set of properly ground cams.

There isn't a big difference in power, and you have to look pretty closely at the actual valve lift figures, degree by degree, to see the difference.  Unless you are chasing that last 15 HP, probably not worth the investment in new cams.

[JacksFordParts]

Pond ordered some (quite a few) from Comp and they never actually made them....

AFAIK, they don't have typical SOHC cores in stock.   

The cams I have made are custom made from a big round lobe billet core.   Not cheap and a nice lead time.

He waited over a year