Folks Of Interest 427 Chevrolet S0HC Heads

Looking for folks that may have worked directly with General Motors on these Big Block Chevy Heads during the mid 1960's or know of someone that did in Cam, Valve Train Development-possibly Crane Cam past employee(s)-Top 2 engines are utilizing these "cammer heads", the one in S0HC configuration is to the right of Zora, his left are the heads without cam in heads. Rear right is Fred Frincke GM Engineer who designed Induction Systems e.g. Heads, Intakes, Fuel Injection etc. for Zora/GM.
Any help would be appreciated-

 

Can't help but that sure looks interesting!

 

Beautiful engines, I'd sure like to know how it performed on the dyno.
Bob

 

I'm pretty sure if you scroll through the hemi thread https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-glory-that-is-the-hemi-picture-thread.1121623/

You will find more photos and maybe more info.

 

I posted this in the Unusual Engine photos thread












SOHC 427 BB Chevrolet

• https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/unusual-engine-photos.1123661/page-34#post-12991062;
  
• https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/...head-camshaft-and-hemi-headed-big-block-v-8s/; and
• https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/...big-block-chevrolet-heads-turn-up-at-auction/

 

I thoroughly enjoyed wasting the better part of an evening going through the hemi thread. Another thrill, was seeing a couple of the little Daimler 250 engines. I saw my first one in 1963, and was so impressed by the diminutive size of the engine and the prettiness of the design.

I have one question regarding the Chevy hemi heads, can they be installed on a stock block, or do the heads require a lot of modifications?
Bob

 

Sorry don't know the answer to that.

 

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/chevy-427-cid-v-8-engine.htm

.....As early as 1961, Corvette wizard Zora Arkus-Duntov had tested a 327 with overhead cams and three valves per cylinder. And that wasn't all: there was a 427 V-8 on test in 1967 with one overhead camshaft per bank and electronic fuel injection. Duntov told Hot Rod magazine in 1967: "We've seen well over 600 horsepower out of some of our big-block experimentation."​

 

The Aires engines were basically BB Chevy short blocks with hemi heads in either single plug or dual plug design. All internals; rods, pistons, crank, etc were BBC or after market replacement parts for the Chevy. Four on a pull tractor.

 

Arias?

 

I'm surprised those garden tractor tires can hold that much weight

 

Finally, here's one of the mystery 427 BBC with Zora Arkus-Duntov in 1968 depicted in bottom left of OP photo. It appears to not be the SOHC version but the push rod version. Those bare heads I posted are for the SOHC version BBC going by pedestals.

 

The saddest words-what might have been


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

In the San Diego area Pete Aradema has put over head cams on just about everything. At one time he had a display at the Fathers Day Roadster Show. We are in the same SCTA Club and I've seen what his engines have done. I believe he has been points champion a few times.

 

On the engine in the lower right of this picture...

Is it just me or does it seem strange to see what appears to be a stock type mechanical fuel pump mounted on this monster?

 

I never noticed that it's the ONLY engine there with a mechanical fuel pump in the OEM location. Good catch. I know later model BBC didn't have the machined casting pad for mechanical fuel pumps however the machines pad was reintroduced into later models.

 

And a stock thermostat housing it looks like they ripped off some car in the parking lot.

 

My knowledge of a fuel injection set-up like this is pretty limited. But is it possible that this "stock" pump is somehow plumbed into some kind of a "cold start" circuit that would allow the engine start more quickly? Maybe like a driver activated temporary fuel enrichment circuit?

Scroll up a few posts and find the B&W photo that shows the front of this engine. It doesn't appear to be a thermostat housing as much as an outlet that's been cast as part of the coolant cross-over between the heads. The B&W photos show a lot more detail in general than the color shots.

 

I think it is a thermostat housing. It looks like the bolt pattern is vertical, with a long bolt on the bottom and a short one on top.

 

those heads look just weird enough, that i would pass them by if i saw them at a swap, or an auction. Guess ill have to start looking closely at oddball heads

 

By gum! You're right. I wasn't squinting hard enough at that picture. Also looks like Zora was "burnin' one" during this photo session.

 

Here’s a lousy iPhone image I just took of a GM photo I have framed. It shows the typical mechanical pump plumbed into the injector high pressure pump that was cable driven from the distributor. I imagine the experimental engine used a similar setup.

 

It's not unusual to see a "lift pump" like that on mechanical injection diesel engines. The lift pump just supplies fuel to the injection pump to keep it filled with fresh, cool & clean fuel.

 

There is a possibility that Richard Moser of Moser DOHC small block Chevy conversion fame may have had spent some time with cam development while he was at Crane Cams-I know Richard has since passed, however anyone out there that may have worked at Crane that may have knowledge of any collaboration with GM on cam development?

 

Looks like a "family portrait" of Z.A.D. sitting between the 4 engines; just the one photo with only him and the engines. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.