[rsimkins]

Originally Posted by sirbaker

... and what exactly is the side oiler option?

I wouldn't think a 427 would have made it into a truck since they cost Ford considerably more to build. As for a larger displacement motor being installed in your truck, don't get your hopes up. I think finding a marine engine is very unlikely as most were reverse rotation. And somebody else could have put an industrial motor in the vehicle. I suppose anything is possible but I think it is most likely that you have a 390. Sorry to burst your bubble.

The original design for the FE had the camshaft bearings being fed before the mains. Racing proved this to be a poor design for this block which eventually which became known as a "center oiler". The solution was to add a passageway along the lower left side of the block to directly feed the mains first and then the cam bearings. This required special cam bearings with grooves in the number 2 and 4 positions (front to back) to supply the valve train. If you use the wrong cam bearings, you'll starve the valve train for oil. Oil to the connecting rods is supplied by the crank.