[DeTomaso] 427 tunnel port

MikeLDrew at aol.com MikeLDrew at aol.com
Tue Jan 13 02:13:59 EST 2009


In a message dated 1/12/09 22 48 43, tborcich at msn.com writes:


> Yeah I agree you would much rather have that head on the 427. I'll have to 
> take another look when
> I go back...didn't connect that it was SOHC head.
> 

It's not--at least not directly.   Apparently the SOHC motor has similar 
round ports.   When the engine was outlawed, Ford wanted to adapt the port design 
to the pushrod engine, and the solution was the tunnel port, where the pushrod 
was routed through a tunnel right through the center of the intake port.   
Hence the name....

For the 1968 Trans Am season, Ford devised a 302 tunnel port motor using the 
same principle.   It was a disaster--the ports were optimized for running at 
9-10,000 rpm, and the bottom end simply couldn't take it, so the engines always 
blew up.

Back to the drawing board, and that's where the 302 Boss came from in 1969.   
Then the 302 Boss heads were slightly modified and a new bottom end stuck 
under them, and VOILA!   351 Cleveland....

Mike


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