I'd like to do a performance build on my 62 Galaxie. I'm keeping the original eng. to keep the car unique and because the car is in great original condition. My plan: keep the original 4.00 bore. Use a 390 crank with 390 rods connected to 4.00 flat top pistons. Edelbrock performer rpm 390 heads. Edelbrock aluminum 4bbl intake. Edelbrock 750cfm carb. Will this work without over boring to 4.05? If so, what should I use for a cam (for a good power/reliability compromise). Also will the 390 crank have clearance issues? Any ideas? Thanks- IH.
390ci crank will fit fine, 352ci block & 390ci blocks the same, just different bore size, and stroke. Running the edelbrock heads, since your are probally buying new pistons anyhow, I would bore the 352ci to a 4.05 bore 390ci stock bore, the 4.05 bore will unshroud the valves, free up some horsepower. Take full advantage of those edelbrock heads.
The 352 rods were longer than the 390's. Because of this the 352 4.00 piston pin location is different than the 390 4.05 piston. This may cause a valve interference issue. I would spend the $8 to $12 per hole to have the thing bored out to 4.050". There is plenty of meat there, and then you will have a true 390, not a 382.
You'd have to order custom pistons from diamond, for example. You need a 4.00 bore 390 piston, instead of a 4.050.
For what it's worth, that same 4.05 bore used in the 390 was also used in pickups with the 3.50 crank from the 3.52 to make the 360, and Mercury used the same 4.05 bore with a 3.98 crank (same as 428) to come up with a 410.
This is true, but I beleive that you will have to have the crank snout turned down some to fit the correct balancer if it is a truck crank....
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