Here's the story. I have a 352 FE for a while. What do I do with it? Maybe build it for my Econoline pickup. I am looking for any input I can get, like ideas and opinions. I am looking for good torque and hp. any input is appreciated. thanx
If you're doing normal pick up truck stuff with it go for low end torque. If you want to go fast there was a 352 horse version made near the end of production that could be replicated. check out the FE build @ www.webrodder.com
Find a repro C8AX-6250-C camshaft. I put them in all my 390's, back in the day. Good power, low end, slight lope. Great with an automatic. Plus it sounds cool to rattle off the part # when anybody asks! I have seen them advertised.
You can't beat the Edelbrock heads for an FE. I have used them twice in engine builds. Harden seats, stainless valves, bronze guides, plus you can bump your compression to 10-1 without the "ping". The original 352 350hp heads are RARE but buy the time you buy them and have them done the new aluminum ones are a better choice. ARP rod bolts are also a must on the 352 rods. And the last thing I can tell you is balancing the rotating assembly is everything on an FE engine. Good luck!
The best bit of advice I can give you is this, the link to the FE forum. All FE, all the time: http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/ There are guys there that know everything there is to know about the FE. Many who even drag raced them back in the 1960's professionally. I'd suggest having your block cleaned & magged, then sonic check the cylinder wall thickness. Most likely you'll easily be able to bore it the +.050 necessary to make it a virgin 390 block. (I think there are more 390 pistons available than 352, and you can easily find a 390 crank & rods. But if you want to run your 352 crank & rods, it makes a 360) You can have a good street engine just by adding a good hydraulic cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM (not the standard performer!, the FE forum guru's say it's hardly better than a stock one), and headers. The easiest and perhaps cheapest way to make a lot more Torque & HP is to stroke it. SCAT makes stroker cranks in many different strokes if you have that in your budget. There's no replacement for displacement.
The Search Function is your friend. FE's get discussed at length and quite regularly on the HAMB. Here is a copy of another of my post from a guy asking the same basic question. 'The Edelbrock heads are great, they flow well. Go with the Edelbrock Performer RPM, not the standard Performer 390, the RPM is about the best single 4V intake on the market. Any decent header will free up 30 hp over the original log manifolds on any FE. A well built 352, running about 9.5:1 should get you in the 350-400 HP range and 400-450 lb ft or torque. Stroke it and bore it, and 500+ is a very streetable realistic number. I am currently building a 352 for my '62 Merc. 9.5:1 flat tops, RPM intake, lots of head work, and a good mid range cam. The gentlemen (old FE guy) putting it together figured it should easily to 350 HP and 400 ft-lbs torque. If you don't build it yourself, make sure you find someone who has a lot of FE experience. FE's have a few idiosyncrasies that the average SBC builder guy will completely miss. "
Good luck fitting an FE into an Econoline! The much skinnier 289/302 barely fits. Just something to think about
If it is just going to go back together with new rings and bearings, have fun with it. If you are doing an indepth rebuild, seriously consider more cubic inches. A .050 overbore gets you a 360. With a 390 crank, a 390; with a 428 crank, a 410. SCAT makes stuff to go even bigger. Not sure how you figure these things, but around here, 58 cubic inches is a pretty big deal. Good call above on the Edelbrock heads and intake. Not exactly cheap, but good value, especially if you are already going to have to spend money on the heads you have. And that is even before you note that they are lighter than the factory stuff by a substantial amount. What ever you decide to do, have fun, and keep us updated.
Hey jamf500. What year is the 352 and is it a 2 or 4 barrel. The compression ratio would be nice to as it would help picking a cam. Are you going to drive it daily, weekend cruiser, etc... I have a 65 F-100 with a 352 that I have added a few things to the engine for more power but it still idles well and I drive it daily. Richard.
the 352 is out of 1967 ford f 100 camper special it has a 4 barrel i have not taken the time to find out what the compression ratio would like run 10:1 or 9.5:1
If it's a four barrel, think about putting a bigger one on it. The originals didn't flow that much. I don't recall the stated numbers but they weren't that high.
I'm a total FE advocate but I do think that Hotroddon is correct on this one. Before you even start to build the FE measure everything up and make sure no major surgery is required to fit it into the engine tunnel between the seats. SBF's were tight in there and the FE is about 5 inches wider. You will also have to consider heavier front leaf springs since a FE is about 100# heavier than a SBF even with an alunimum manifold (net loss of 65#). Those who say get a Scat crank pistons and Aluminum heads & RPM manifold are correct about HP & Torque gains but you will only be burning up the rear tires from little weight on the rears. Stroker kits will cost over $1400 just for the kit and Edel. heads are at least $1500. As others have said in posts on other theads ... Just get a low buck SBF & build it later for fun. Movin/on
When I rebuilt my 352 i hunted down some new con rods and in reality I should have gone with a second hand set of 390 rods, it turns out they are that close to the same length it doesn't matter and are a way stronger rod. Make sure everything is balanced as well, that will make for a smoother running engine and very cost effective. I have a Lincoln FE engine to go in my model A but until I pull it down and do some measurements I don;t know waht size it is, my plan is Edlbrock manifold and 2 x 4brl carbs. All the best with that, John
It may be a tight squeeze if you were putting in the actual engine compartment. If you have some fabricating skills, I believe there is plenty of room in the box. I have seen this done a few times and its pretty cool.
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