FE Experts:Interchangeability>390>406>427?

The thing to remember about FE's is that you really don't know what you have until you measure the bore and stroke. Heads and intakes and nearly all other accessories swap around except with some of the very early stuff, and some of the very high performance parts specifically heads and intakes.

There was a great book out years ago that really went into detail about the history of the FE. It is called Ford Performance and has had at least 2 printings. Would be worth having for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/Ford-Performance-Pat-Ganahl/dp/1884089275

-Dave

 

X2, it's best interchange, cast number book now available.

 

http://www.mre-books.com/interchange/interchange11.html
This is something I found from the web. You might buy this book. It looks pretty decent.

 

to make a 390 to a 406 you bore it to 4.13 sometime its possible
sometimes not, sonictest. The heads is a nother story many
different castings but not that big difference in runners
mainly valve sice and camber volume dont remember corect
castings for a 406 right now.

 

You can bore a 390 to a 406, but you cant make a 406 out of a 390.

The 406 was technically the 427's little brother a lot more than it was the 390's big brother.

The 406 was a cross-bolted block and it used 427 lifters and hi-po heads. It's been a lifetime since I was in to FE's, so I cant recall all the exact details, but I believe the 406 used different rods, pushrods, and the oiling system was 427-ish as well.

Cant guarantee how good my info is, because like I said, been a loooong time since my FE days, but I'm confident the core of my info is in the ballpark.

Externally, all FE's are the same. The various hi-po heads used unique intake and/or exhaust, but those pieces are getting VERY rare. No chance you would have scored a garden variety 390 with tunnel port heads bolted on it....... But we can all day-dream it will happen to us

Good motors overall. Rediculously heavy [780 lbs if I recall], but rock solid, reliable, and powerfull from idle to mid-range. Upper rpm performance is a little limited by the heads [hence the revised hi-po heads on the 427's]
They do tend to be a little fuel thirsty, but then again, Ford never installed on in a pinto either

In low-horsepower trim [352 or 2V 390] the FE is a slow revving engine because of it's heavy internals. Once you juice up the power, that heavy crank works to multiply the flywheel effect. Lots of fun with a manual tranny and a good chassis.

 

Do your engines still have the ID tags on them? Look for a rectangular aluminum tag about 5/8" x 3", usually mounted to the intake near the coil, front driver's side near the dizzy- it'll tell you year, CID, etc. The '63 from a Bird should be a 390 unless it's been changed, the other could be a 390, 410 (Mercury only, '66-'67) or a 428

The exterior of the block changed in '65, so your '66-'67 should have 4 bolts for the side engine mounts, and the '63 will have 2- your '66 will bolt in an early car, an early into late might take a little work on the mounts to make it work- usually not a big deal. I will probably have a "352" cast into the front driver's side face of the block, next to the water pump- means nothing, even the 427's had it.
Making a 406 out of a 390 usually isn't a good idea, take an .080 overbopre- better deal is to add stroke, a 3.98 crank makes it a 410 or + .030 a 416, the 410 was a regular Mercury engine in '66-'67, and 410 pistons were used in later pickup 390's to lower the compression, so they are available and cheap. Later 360-390-410 blocks are the same, so up to a 410 with factory stuff, and a 445 is pretty cheap, best bang for the buck, using one of Barry R's kits, SCAT 4.25 crank and I-beam or H-beam rods and custom pistons, makes a very strong, inexpensive engine with some Cobra Jet or Edelbrock heads. And a 416 is a poor man's CJ with the good heads, you'd have to have a pretty sensitive posterior to feel the difference between a 416 and a 428 with everything else being equal

416 with Ebock small-chamber heads and Perf RPM intake, Comp 294S cam, and a 780, pretty common & proven combo for a very streetable 450-500 hp, with a very strong torque curve
Oh- and DON'T take it to the local Chebbie expert- it's can be the kiss of death to take a FE to someone who doesn't know them well

Or if you're close by, bring it over for some extra touches- this one's an original 406 3-deuce car, presently a 427-8V, C6 w/ 4000 converter, and 5.14 gears- jumps pretty good

 

I thought all 406s had cross bolted mains, but not true, I was told by Rick Kirk that not all 406s had them............the one I had did.

 

And never forget the sound- nothing thunders & howls like a good FE with lotsa squeeze 'n lotsa stick

 

One of the best FE resources on the net http://www.network54.com/Index/10214

 

be careful, once you build a nice fe you'll never go back. once you get down some of the interchange specifics it gets easier to plan. they love gas but they also love big carbs, that car is sweet btw.
bore size-360/390/410=4.05
406/428=4.13
stroke-390/406=3.75
410/428=3.98 *externally balanced
the bearing sizes are all the same and there are only 2 different lengths of rods-352/360 are longer, everything else uses the same. just watch your piston compression height on the longer stroke cranks. this board is full of us wierdo fe guys so there wont be a shortage of help on this one

 

Barry R (here on HAMB) has just published a book on building performance into the FE Engine. In my opinion it will become the FE resource of choice. As others have previously stated take a look at the 332-428 FEForum (search on that)

I frequent that as often as HAMB --- but then I've got 11 FE's and 15 different intakes including a Latham setup.

Movin/on

 

Gene,
Thanks for clarifying my info. My FE expirence was short lived, and was a long time ago. Great torque thumper motors. I has a '62 T-bird with a 406, and it needed lifters. Did a cam swap, then found out the lifters were not the same as a 390. Had the old timer at the parts place inform me that the 406 was like a baby 427, and not a big 390, so that 1/4 century old info is what I was goin by.

Jeff,
If I was building that car, I'd go with a TKO and about a 3.50 gear along with either the single 4V or 3 X 2V. Keep the cruising RPM's low and you might be able to squeeze some respectable mileage out of it.

 

Sometimes I wish I only had 11 FE's- lessee, 10 427's including two 454's and a 505, 2 428CJ's and a SCJ, 5 390's, a 352, and a 391HD But then again
Yes, a 406 would have taken different lifters than a "regular" 390, solids in the 406 and juice in the 390's except the HiPos and PI engines would have been solids, same as the 406 & 427
If you want simple & rip for street & strip, a Performer RPM or a modified Streetmaster or Street Dominator is hard to beat- but a 3-deuce or 2x4 has the looks down pat. A 3-deuce will cost you a little power over a modern 1x4, but not that much, and the MR 2x4 runs pretty darn good, especially if you have room for some 2" spacers

 

What it the title of that book? I am in for a copy.

I have two more cars on my dream list... A Thunderbolt clone, and my 5 window "A" powered by an FE and toploader. Would love to have a little more modern resource for info myself.

-Dave

 

I was going to do a tube-frame Thunderbolt, had a real nice Sports Coupe and a frame, then went this way instead, sold the Sports Coupe about 6 months ago- future home of the 505

 

The early 406's did not have cross bolted mains. This came later prior to the 427's. 406's had a solid cam and adjustible valvetrain and the blocks weren't drilled to suit hydraulic cams, though some may have been over the years. Also I believe the casting webs were different in the block, hence the HP casting on the block to designate the variation.
You cannot run high riser manifolds on low and medium riser heads. Late FE's had 3 bolt engine mounts whereas the earlier have 2, but FE's being FE's they all look pretty much the same externally.

 

x3 and make sure your engine guy has some FE experience. Welcome to the FE world!

 

Be still my heart! I wanted a 57 but found a rust free 56 instead.



My Edelbrock came drilled for Rochester carbs. Some were drilled for the 94 carbs. To me the 94s look puny on a thumper FE. I built this system a hell of a lot cheaper than a Ford system.




Headers are readily available but I wanted the early look so I built my own in the early 60s style. Probably more restrictive than a commercial set but I ain't racin' nobody.

 

The 427 has its own intakes and exhaust manifolds. The internals pretty much swap around real well.

To build a 406 from a 390 you need a 428 crank as I recall. I would have to drag a book out to give you bore and stroke. PM me if no one else hooks you up and I'll look that stuff up for you.

 

Can anyone say when the pre-crossbolt 406's were done? I've been wanting to do the same for a long time. A subtle Medalist, black, and a 430 MEL to go. But a built FE would work, too.

 

I was looking at the Crites headers but they won't work with a clutch. They are a little pricey for my old ass too. Headers are supposed to still be 95 bucks a set. Right?? I bought my car because it was a factory 3 spd OD.

My 56 came from Penna. and has no rust through at all!!! I may be able to pick a hole in one suspect spot near one rear wheel well. I haven't tried yet. I'm letting sleeping dogs lie. If it does go through I'll be able to cover the spot with a quarter. Floor pans are easy.

Keep us up to date on the build.

 

In 1965 just out of high school, I bought by first "decent" car,62 Ford Galaxie 2 door,390 4 speed.I got spanked by the 327-300 hp Chevys and 383-330 hp Mopars.This car had a Holley 4 bbl and adjustable rockers,was this a 330 HP "Interceptor" 390??? I complained to a older mechanic that the car was dog,he said it looks like who ever owned it before you ran it hard