Ford Small-Block Building - Pump Up The Volume

The timing chain cover was installed next.

Prior to installing the pistons and connecting rods to the stroker crankshaft, Ben liberally applied each connecting rod bearing with a coating of synthetic assembly oil.

Before fitment of the pistons within the cylinders, Ben coated the cylinder walls with engine oil. Using his trusty piston holder, he gently coaxed each forged stroker piston into its new home in the SVO Sportsmen II block.

After each piston was put in place, the 7/16-inch ARP connecting rod cap bolts were tightened and torqued to stroker specifications to the 427 stroker crankshaft. A 4.030-inch bore and 4.17-inch stroke equates to 426.75 ci. For good reason, Smeding rounds the number off to the magical 427 ci.

Ben installed the roller lifters after bathing them in oil.

The roller lifter spider puts gentle tension on the roller guides. Ben put the spider in place next.

With the Fel-Pro head gaskets already in place, Ben began to fit the Edelbrock Victor Jr. aluminum cylinder heads.

Using a head-bolt tightening wrench, he attached the heads.

Wielding his torque wrench, Mr. Smeding torqued the head bolts to 427ci stroker specifications.

Ben put the pushrods in place and liberally applied synthetic assembly oil to them.

He fitted the full roller rocker arms with their extruded aluminum bodies and extra-large trunions next.

Putting the final touches to his masterpiece, Ben tightened and torqued the rocker arms. At this point, an Edelbrock Victor Jr. aluminum intake manifold is normally installed atop the block. However, this 427ci stroker engine will have fuel injection. Watch for the next article on the Smeding 427ci stroker in CCT. We'll be adding induction and testing the powerplant on an engine dynamometer.