It’s 1970 all over again

[AC Ventura]

7 LTR resting, back home, in our Hertfordshire village, after some unmentionable antics. The big all aluminium 427 is finally rocking and rolling. What an epic piece of automotive legend and a privilege to own in this particular configuration.

[mjf]

That has been a mammoth project by the sound of it, so well done for getting it finished.

I am currently going the 331ci route with 8 port fuel injection (420bhp and 400 lbft) which has turned into a bigger project than I anticipated with upgrade of transmission, rebuild of diff, suspension and upgrade to 4 pot calliper brakes all round, 15 inch wheels.

[AC Ventura]

331 will be a vast improvement and has a track record of happy owners. Are you keeping the T5 and cable clutch? Happy to help if you need and all my work is detailed on Facbook's AC Cobra closed group. Good luck anyhow and keep us posted.

[mjf]

I have stuck with the T5, but had stronger gear sets fitted and the clutch will continue to be cable operated, but I will have a look at the FB page to understand what you have done as the cable operation does seem to be a weakness in the system.

[westcott]

I have a 331 in my earlier carburetted car since 2013 together wirh the original WC T5.

No problems till today. The 331 was a KC short block, the AFR heads ported by KC  I had on the shelf before to use it with the original 302.

The cam is choosen to make torque from bottom end up to 5000. The torque curve is quite flat and is extended by the hp curve ub to 6500.

The  combo is topped by a Weiand stealth intake a Holley Terminator Stealth EFI and a 65 Mustang air cleaner with blue base and  chrome top.

All the California smog legal parts are removed and the engine bay is quite nice now without too much modern look.

Bottom end is Eagle steel stroker crank with H-beam rods and flat top pistons.

Oil circuit is improoved by a Precision Oilpumps pump and steel pump drive. Oil pan is Canton road racing with original hight not to waste package below the main frame.

Exhaust is updated last year to stainless Spintech 2.5 " high Cruiser mufflers, headers are stainless by JBA.

Pedals era exchanged by Ford pedals made from flat material as used in diffeent Ford production cars.

Clutch actuation is hydraulik with specific master and slave combo working after some years of investigation

It is a all over satisfiying  combo without any necessary change to the car

You can't compare it to a big block FE which is a dream to drive(if you use an aluminum block it is also nice on small windy country roads ) and a complete different world.   

[AC Ventura]

 As is clear from many peoples experiences, the T5, especially with upgraded internals, is good for more than the 300 bhp declared by TREMEC. If you upgrade to its successor, the TKO, it will not fit under the MkIV front bulkhead and transmission tunnel without significant modifications. Regarding, the cable clutch, if you go hydraulic, you will  obviously need a different pedal actuation, which by the sound of it, our friend Wescott has already solved.
I've prepared and extensive pictorial account of the 18 months of work involved in transforming my MkIV to 427 FE. If any Mk IV owner is interested in reading it and are an ACOC number, PM me with your membership and chassis no and I will email you a copy. Please also state that you undertake not to republish the material.