ford cammer engine

im surprised you blue balls never mentioned this engine, it kicked the hemi's ass in the 60's

The sohc 427?
Seeing how they just made just the minimum to be permitted by nascar to try them out. They were hand made, so not not worth big smack talk boasts, and could barely fit in a galaxie

Even the boss 429 (semi-hemi) wound't fit in the pony cars without a cutting torch, but at least a few thousand were delivered to customers.

it does feel good i am sure that ford fans got "a" good motor

i never heard of it until a couple days ago, i guess the front timing chain was over 5 feet long

eric lavine wrote: i never heard of it until a couple days ago, i guess the front timing chain was over 5 feet long

I see you're thinking. Here is a little info. BTW my Galaxie did not have a cammer. I reread my post and by that it sounded like I said it did. Just an FE sideoiler.

Developed during a crash, 90-day engineering program in 1964, the 427 SOHC engine was Ford's response to the Chrysler Hemi's dominance in NASCAR during the '64 racing season. Based on the successful 427 FE engine, the cammer featured a chain-driven roller cam in each cylinder head, actuating big valves in hemispherical combustion chambers. Horsepower was rated at 616 for the single four-barrel version and 657 for the dual quad, and Ford tested the factory engines to more than 8,000 rpm on the dyno.
Timing Chains And Gears
The cams in the SOHC heads are driven by two sets of timing chains and gears. The primary timing gears and chain look like standard FE fare, but instead of spinning the cam in the block, they spin the stub cam. The secondary chain, nearly 6 feet in length, is driven by the small stub cam gear and winds around a tensioner gear and an idler gear, along with the two gears on the camshafts. Two chain guides are present to control the chain position. The entire setup is enclosed from the rear by a backing plate that bolts to the engine before any of the components are installed and from the front by a cast-aluminum cover.
Over the years, tales of problems with the 6-foot secondary chain have circulated, but the truth is that the secondary chain is very reliable and if tensioned correctly will give trouble-free service on the street or at the track. Suffice it to say, if the secondary chain breaks, there is some other problem that caused it. However, the secondary chain is known for stretching somewhat at high engine speeds, so a common practice with the SOHC engine is to advance the cams a few degrees upon installation to compensate.

Riley wrote: John, That Galaxy must have been a beautiful car. Rare even back in the day. No doubt you wished you still had it. H/M and Interceptor marinized 427's, although I don't believe cammers. Cammers were an after market item weren't they, and not available in a car from the factory?

That is the information floating about, however I have seen a Galaxie on the Galaxie club website with one that is claimed to be original. I can't say for sure. There are a lot of possibilities how it got there. Back then companies like like Mr. Norm, Yenko, Carol Shelby, and others could buy rollers and build them. A Shelby Mustang is considered original even though Shelby installed the drivetrain, suspension and other components.
Fred. Lorenzen's 1965 Daytona winner. Back when "stock car" really meant it.

BTW Eric, the 427 Galaxies were not as rare as you might think. Quite a few people ordered them for towing as well as racing, and their NASCAR success that year sold a few (like mine).
On the subject of "not available" factory options I offer the following. My fathers friend bought a new Ford Country Squire wagon in about 69. Before he took delivery he had the dealer install a Boss 429 in the car. It was the fastest Airstream puller around. I ran into him on route 12 in WI on his way to his Lake Geneva home while riding in my friends car, a 1973 Olds Cutlass custom built by the factory for his father, a GM executive, with a LT1, (a Chevy engine), a 4 speed, 411 gear and swivel bucket seats. The Country Squire ran away from the Cutlass.
My point, if there is one, is that back then many cars were delivered from the factory with "unavailable" options. It just depended who you were or knew to get one. I don't know if the few cammers in existence were obtained this way.

I've seen 427 Falcons and Hemi Darts on the web that claim to be original cars. I worked for a guy back in the early 70's that had a 427 Fairlane. None of those cars were in the brochures.

Riley wrote: I've seen 427 Falcons and Hemi Darts on the web that claim to be original cars. I worked for a guy back in the early 70's that had a 427 Fairlane. None of those cars were in the brochures.

In 1964, exactly 100 Fairlane 2 door sedans were partially built by the Ford Motor Company and shipped to Dearborn Steel Tubing for completion. These cars were finished as drag race-only machines for Super Stock, Super Stock Automatic, and A/FX class competition. Many had glamorous careers, while some had accidents with tragic results.


Today, Thunderbolts are highly valued collector and nostalgic racers. Many are still known to exist, and most that aren't around are known to have been wrecked.

If you wonder what a guy who owned a 68 or 69 440 Dart back in the day is doing now, he is finishing an Alpine Tiger (Ford 260 V8), has a beautiful drag car, and oh yea, still likes Mopar. Here is a nostalgia rail that Larry (on right) built with his partner from scratch. Yea, it's got a REAL Hemi, and it runs on nitro. I got to sit in it running, it was a thrill. The engine looks a bit like the one in the 55 Hurricane thread. And here is the only photo I can find of my 65 Galaxie. Great car for a 16 year old. The photo is from about 1971

john b wrote: ...the cammer featured a chain-driven roller cam in each cylinder head, actuating big valves in hemispherical combustion chambers. Horsepower was rated at 616 for the single four-barrel version and 657 for the dual quad, and Ford tested the factory engines to more than 8,000 rpm on the dyno. Timing Chains And Gears The cams in the SOHC heads are driven by two sets of timing chains and gears. The primary timing gears and chain look like standard FE fare, but instead of spinning the cam in the block, they spin the stub cam. The secondary chain, nearly 6 feet in length, is driven by the small stub cam gear and winds around a tensioner gear and an idler gear, along with the two gears on the camshafts. Two chain guides are present to control the chain position. The entire setup is enclosed from the rear by a backing plate that bolts to the engine before any of the components are installed and from the front by a cast-aluminum cover. ....

I was trying to visualize all of this. I'd love to see a picture of the workings. Pretty interesting.

Yea, me too Reid. I can't wait to attend the east coast and GL reunions, see the beautiful hardware, and watch some real skiers and boarders tear it up.
I can't bring my boat to the east coast reunion because of some hills, the distance, my weenie tow car, and I won't have brakes on the trailer by then. The fun for me is seeing other's boats. I know what mine looks like and I won't learn anything by towing it there.

BTW, did any of you Ovalheads catch the specs on the new GT500 Mustang SVT due out in May of next year? the 5.4 liter is pushed to 5.8 and it turns out 650 HP @7000 rpm. That's only 7hp short of the 1964 Cammer which was naturally aspired, as opposed to this supercharged monster. The car will be capable of 200mph+. Quite a potent small block. Now that would pull up a pyramid!
I'm not blind to other makes either, they all have nice offerings in their lineups.

I wonder why i am always bashing the fords when i look in my yard and see an excursion, my wifes escape the 37 coupe and a planned trip south in the spring to try and buy a mustang convert... i am a closet ford fan

john b wrote: BTW, did any of you Ovalheads catch the specs on the new GT500 Mustang SVT due out in May of next year? the 5.4 liter is pushed to 5.8 and it turns out 650 HP @7000 rpm. That's only 7hp short of the 1964 Cammer which was naturally aspired, as opposed to this supercharged monster. The car will be capable of 200mph+. Quite a potent small block. Now that would pull up a pyramid!

John,
The problem as always is getting that much HP to the water with only 1 prop.