Engine Rebuild (Part 2)

It's now 6 months since the engine came out of the car, and the parts are finally back from machining. I visit Mastertouch to inspect the machined parts along with all the new parts that are ready to go in to the engine. I take lots of photos (see gallery below) of everything, I know from experience that receipts can say anything, once the engine is assembled there is no way of knowing what's inside.

The block was already bored 60 thou oversize, however the bores were in good shape, so only a hone was required this time. The original fuelie heads look fantastic after cleaning and machining, the castings look brand new and they now have hardened seats, stainless valves, new brass valve guides and modern valve stem seals.

New pistons have been weight matched and the original rods and crank have been balanced.

Block Casting

Note the engine block casting number pictured below (3782870), this was the original 327 casting that was only used from '62–'65. All high-performance 327s used this casting until '65, including the 375hp L84. The casting date (A205 or possibly A235) shows the block was cast around January 20th 1965. These casting numbers can't be faked, so this proves that the block in the car is an original casting from early 1965.

Rockers & Cam

I chose Comp Cams Magnum Roller Rockers to replace the stock stamped steel rockers. They fit under the stock aluminum valve covers (just) and feature a roller tip — they are not 'full' roller rockers. The engine builder was very happy with the way these rockers fitted, the roller tip sits right in the centre of the valve stem.

The stock stamped rockers are known to be very inconsistent, with the ratio of the rockers varying wildly. This article from Motor Trend found that the Magnum Roller Rockers deliver consistent lift and produce more power than stock rockers (around 5hp).

The engine builder selected the Crane Cam used for the build. It's a more modern grind than the original 151 cam, it improved driveability at low RPM while still feeling very aggressive.

The Rebuild

The rebuilt engine uses the original block, fuelie heads, forged crank, rods and intake manifold. New parts include

• Mellings high-volume oil pump
• Sealed Power cast aluminium pistons and chrome moly rings
• Clevite bearings
• ARP fasteners
• Rollmaster billet steel timing gear and double-row timing chain
• Comp Cams roller-tipped steel rocker arms
• Crane Cams hydraulic flat-tappet camshaft and lifters
• Isky valve springs
• Felpro gaskets
• Stainless steel valves