In researching his 428 Ford I've learned that Ford's are even more of a pain in the asss than I ever thought they were. Let's take the 428. The 428 was built in several platforms, the passenger car version, the Police Interceptor version, the Cobra Jet version, and the Super Cobra Jet version. Now the CJ (Cobra Jet) and the SCJ (super Cobra Jet) were built on a block that is called a C block, unless of course Ford didn't have any C blocks at the time then Ford used the A block. Each block, A and C, could both be cast with standard main deck webbing or reinforced main deck webbing. Now if the oil valley "holes" on the back of the block were never drilled then the block came with a solid lifter cam which would mean that the block was a standard passenger car block. If the oil valley "holes" are plugged with mini-freeze plugs or plugged with square drive plugs then the block came with a hydraulic cam and the block could be a passenger car block, a PI block, a CJ block, or a SCJ block. The connecting rods are real tell-tale signs, because Ford only used about 15 different rods in just the 428's, each rod version having it's own designated style of engine it was supposed to be assembled with, unless of course Ford didn't have the right rods in stock in which case they used whatever rod Ford had on the shelf at the time that would work in a 428. In 1969 Ford used like 4 different rods in the SCJ engine, unless of course Ford didn't have the right rods then Ford would assemble the engine with whatver they had on the shelf that would work on a 428. That is a brief description of the Ford 428 shortblock, it gets even worse when you analyze the rest of the engine and the different version's of each 428.
Take the above into consideration when you look at Ford V-8's. Ford had the flathead V-8, the Y block V-8, the FE series V-8's (428 included), the old style small block V-8, the newer style small block V-8, the modern small block V-8's, the 429/460 big block V-8, the side oiler, the W, the C, the M, and who knows what the phuk else. I doubt if Ford even knows what the phuk else they made. With all of the variations of Ford V-8's, it's no wonder the Ford lovers keep praising the 429/460, it would be too confusing to praise any other Ford V-8 along with the 429/460.
Chevy. Big block or small block? Two piece rear main or one piece rear main? Big block only - tall deck or short deck? Big block only - two bolt main or four bolt main. OK, that summed it up, thank you and have a nice day!
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