Technical Ok, Ford FE gurus let’s talk

I have been laboring over the choice of engines for my 56 F100. You may have seen the other thread. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/shop-truck-engine-choice.1309866/

Well, the pain meds have worn off and I am thinking I may build a stroker 360/390. Not to build 600 hp, but it would be economical since there are lots available to build 445 Cubic inches on a relatively low budget.

I can pick up 360 ‘s around here all day for a hundred bucks. The only real thing I need is the block. The rest I can buy aftermarket for about the cost of machine work.

I have ordered the FE performance book.

What are the downfalls of the FE engine? I plan on putting a TREMEC 5 speed behind it.
There seems to be a lot of hyd roller cam options as well.

Thoughts? Insight? Keep in mind I wanna drive it daily. It needs to have good manners.

 

Bump for the hog...

 

Tip # 1 , put an aluminum intake on it. You will break your back again if you don't

 

It's on the list of imaginary parts.

 

I rebuilt the 390 in my 62 Galaxie in 2007 and it's still running stroñg today!

 

You know I bleed Chevy orange Chris but I'm thinking a stroker FE with a 5spd would be pretty cool ...

 

I'm kinda thinking the same.

 

These? https://kugelkomponents.com/8307-2/
Very nice.

 

Have a FE 390 in a 71 F250 that I use to feed cattle with . It’s a good workhorse engine . A pipeline mechanic once told me 30 years ago Chevy engines for racing. Ford engines for work.

 

Man, those are nice!!

 

Downfalls? With an FE? I have had several and I can't think of a one. Its my favorite engine.

 

Maybe do some research before you do that.....
https://www.fordfe.com/survival-motorsports-t165108.html

 

FE = Fun Engine , they are a work horse . Tough as a roofing nail . I have owned my share as a kid , my favorite was 428 SCJ . Side Winder ( on any dual plane ) Intake , Aluminum Water Pump , Good Set of Heads , A lumpy cam , I love the Dura Spark ignition as good as any if dialed in correctly and last but not least as said good flowing exhaust , you just hit a home run in the fun factor game . Adjust rockers are worth the money in my thinking process also . I still have a pair of the old school TBird covers hangin in the garage . Oh the fun begins for you .

 

Ill be watching...

 

Keep in mind that 352 and 360 connecting rods are longer than 390s, so if you use the 390 crank in a 352 /360 block you need the 390 pods as well otherwise the piston will extend above the deck, a 30 overbored on a 360 will give you 390 slugs, a good build withe basic cams and pistons, intake and carb are torque monsters at 3 to400 horse power. 390s and 428s are my go to motors,

 

I always surmised that an aluminum intake on a car with an FE would lower the center of gravity of the chassis significantly.

 

It’s the SBC of ford big blocks

Parts interchange speaking

 

I think the main "cons" of the FE engine is the back killing cast iron intake manifold, which is readily corrected with the aluminum piece, and the lack of a bolt on automatic overdrive transmission.

In this instance a manual transmission is to be used so that's not a problem.

 

I'll second the TFS heads, very nice pieces! Also talk to Brent Lykins (Parts (lykinsmotorsports.com), he's got some trick parts not found elsewhere like non-adjustable roller rockers and can custom-grind your cam for your specific use. Stroker kits should be at the top of the list also. If you want to go manual trans with a TKO/TKX, pick up a C5 truck manual bell. 'They'll' tell you those don't work but that's not true, but you will need a custom spacer that can be fairly easily built out of a piece of 3/8" thick aluminum. Otherwise your choices are expensive manual car bells (and you still need an adaptor/spacer) or even bigger bux QuickTime bells. One advantage to the truck bells is they'll clear an 11" clutch, something that's not true with all of the car bells.

Aluminum intakes? I'd hunt down (your pick) a sidewinder, a 428 PI, or an early Edelbrock F-427 (a direct copy of the 428 PI, a bit rare because Ford made them pull it off the market). Some of these may have 'rot' in the heat crossover, as long as it didn't get to the plenum floor it won't matter as the aftermarket heads don't have the riser passages. I don't like the Edelbrock Performer RPM (a crappy copy of the 428 PI IMO) because for some reason they located the manifold vacuum port on the front of the manifold.

 

I had a 390 in my old '54 Ford panel, it was strong and ate fuel. I posted it on the FTE since I thought it might be too lame for here........but I posted lamer crap here since then......so .

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1107640-54-panel-road-to-recovery.html

 

OEM aluminum intakes are pretty pricey, look for exhaust crossover burn-through on those, a factory tri-power will perform nearly as well as a CJ carb/intake, the Ed Performer is basically a copy of the iron "S" intake, so spring for the RPM version instead. In 1966, the standard heads were redesigned to help meet upcoming emission standards, making any of those except the C6AE-R and CJ heads poorer performers than the 1965 and earlier ones. The 406 and 390 Hi Po heads have smaller chambers, so factor that in if you run across a pair. If I were building from a block, I would go for the TFS heads, putting them before a stroker setup, they are that good, and even though I run tri power, the best bang for the buck will be a Performer RPM. Going with a manual trans opens up the cam selection, without fighting idle rpm/torque converter issues. Be wary of blocks with 428 bore sizes, if it's at 4.130, you want it to be a real 428 block, sonic results notwithstanding. Even though the casting numbers are the same, the casting cores were not, and there are identifiers that can determine what is, and what isnt, a 428 block.

 

I have a 71 F250 with a 360 and it's never been bored yet and still runs wonderful. I did have to have hardened valve seats installed and noticed that the block still had the factory crosshatch.

 

And they are as light as a small block with an aluminum intake and trick flows…..Here is mine shoved into a 1966 Mustang with cobra jet exhaust manifolds.

 

You mean like the 410 sitting in the 67 in front of my shop?

 

I think what you are really saying is that Chris needs a grandpa car to get it.