FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: fryedaddy on October 17, 2020, 09:25:15 PM
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did any 66-67 428s come with chrome thunderbird valve covers.reason im asking is my friend has a wrecker that our fathers had when they were in the junk car business years ago.they went through several 390s over the years in the wrecker,but when they shut down my friend ended up with it.he said his dad put a 428 in it before retiring.i popped the hood on it yesterday but i could not tell much about it from a glance.but it did have chrome t-bird valve covers and a low flat intake with a small 4 bbl carb not a holley or autolite.
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I'm thinking NO.
The only fancy 428 in 1966-67 was the 7-Litre & I don't think that ran chrome PowerbyFord covers.
Maybe a 428 Shelby or 428 CJ LOL?
IIRC the PowerbyFord covers didn't come out until mid-1967 so could that engine be a 1967-68-69?
What are the head and intake casting numbers? Date code on the front/top of the intake?
Then again those could have been changed.
About the only way to tell a 428 in the car is with a dowel rod into the sparkplug hole. Mark the dowel rod at TDC #1. Then, without moving the crank, put the dowel into #4 and mark that (should be exactly at the bottom). The difference will either be 3.784" or 3.984" which will tell you if it's a 390 or 410/428.
Next step is tear the heads off if you want to know for sure.
EDIT
Oops I misread but still NO.
IIRC the THUNDERBIRD valve covers (with no holes) were only used thru 1964, and no 428s until 1966 so they didn't even overlap.
The only possible exception might be a 428 PI from 1966, maybe somebody knows.
Mostly in 66 Ford used the low pentroof covers, and they wont work with solids.
The 427 ran solids but used tall pentroofs.
I'm not sure what the 66 428PI ran with its solids - either tall Pentroofs or old THUNDERBIRD covers, but that would mean a 428pi intake with the oil fill in front. Not sure what the setup was on those.
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the valve covers say thunderbird,not power by ford.i could not see any numbers at this time.i may go back and slide under it and look at the side of the block and check the numbers on the heads with a flashlight.only clue was the chrome covers and flat intake with a small roundish 4 bbl. its in a dark building with no lighting.
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You sure it's not a MEL? Some of those ran an AFB.
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Werby, I took delivery in California of a new '67 Mustang GT w/ 390 in Oct. 66. It had Thermactor emissions and chrome PBF covers. IIRC it was assembled in San Jose.
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You sure it's not a MEL? Some of those ran an AFB.
I don't know of any MEL valve covers as having THUNDERBIRD embossed on them, in '59 & '60 T-Birds with the 430's the valve covers were "bald" and painted black. ;)
Scott.
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Fryedaddy are these the style of “Thunderbird” valve covers you’re asking about, but in chrome? If they are then no, these were not used on ‘66-‘67 428’s.
Picture from Air-Fuel-Spark, because it’s cool lol.
(https://i.postimg.cc/VNKzYjG6/F55-BD882-2121-42-DC-ACF4-55-E3-DAB4-E19-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/R3Jkdnz5)
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Since it seems too many of us are not aware... valve covers are quite simple to change and chromed valve covers were a way to dress an engine up. By the same token the presence of Mickey Thompson valve covers does not always indicate it is a Mickey Thompson engine. ::)
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The photograph of the THUNDERBIRD valve cover is I believe applicable for the 1961-64 T-Birds with the "Castillian Gold" painted being for 1963. ;)
Scott.
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I had those T-Bird Covers pictured, in Crome on my 64 PI engine
oil filler in the intake, pcv valve in the rear of intake
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Fryedaddy are these the style of “Thunderbird” valve covers you’re asking about, but in chrome? If they are then no, these were not used on ‘66-‘67 428’s.
Picture from Air-Fuel-Spark, because it’s cool lol.
(https://i.postimg.cc/VNKzYjG6/F55-BD882-2121-42-DC-ACF4-55-E3-DAB4-E19-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/R3Jkdnz5)
I like the intake . Should be better than a tunnel wedge.
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Looks like the intake Dove made that had interchangeable tops and could be used with the three 2V setup.
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I'm really wondering now, what valve covers came on the 65 390PI and 66 428PI since both used solids, so the low pentroofs wont fit.
I have the 65-72 MPC dated 1975, the 60-64 MPC dated 1968, the 63 MPC, and the 64 MPC.
Nothing definitive since too many covers are replaced with generic "WerbyFord" covers.
Anybody know?
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65,66 and 67 428's typically had the small pentroof valve covers either painted or chromed as did most other 390's and 352's.Some late 67's may have started switching over to PBF covers.FE's installed in Mercs in 65,66&67 usually had the tall pentroof Mercury embossed valve coves.The rounded Thunderbird embossed valve covers were typically found on ~62-64 FE's they were available in both painted and chromed versions,earlier ones looked similar to the Thunderbird embossed ones but were embossed Ford in block letters.There was also a similar round top cover embossed with mercury in block letters that was used on mercs during this time frame.The transition to the mini pentroofs may have been sometime during the 65 model year.There may have been some variation due to transition and Fords tendency to market engines back in the early 60's as Thunderbird specials,but the use of Thunderbird embossed valve covers was long done by the introduction of the 428 in 1966. The 65 and 66 PI's used painted 427 Pentroofs,65's painted gold,66's painted blue.