Time to dive into the engine rebuild in more depth. This project series has started in the May issue of Grassroots Motorsports. To get all the details, you can subscribe right here.
We talked to Curt Vogt from Cobra Automotive about our engine, as he knows Ford engines very well. He suggested that we rebuild our original engine with a …
Nice. That seemed like a straight forward build. Sounds like the truck will have plenty of power to get out of its own way now.
Should have a nice amount of pep now. Part of me also says that, for what the truck is doing, a diesel would be better suited, and probably squeak out a few extra MPG's
What about the driveshaft? Are you going to rebuild it/upgrade it for double the power? You know, them driveshafts are a potential failure point, or so I hear.
A LONG time ago, I had a guy that worked with me that had a mid 70's Ford 4x4 with a 390 4speed combo. Great puller - used to pull off road jeeps, trailers, and snowmobiles.
Aluminum heads will be a nice weight saver
This is just your run of the mill 360 FE engine, right? Because I already have a 390 in Fergus and the power quoted for the kit is......tempting. Also, the Summit link seems to be broken.
mazdeuce wrote: This is just your run of the mill 360 FE engine, right? Because I already have a 390 in Fergus and the power quoted for the kit is......tempting. Also, the Summit link seems to be broken.
Yup, a as long as they are within the FE family, the parts interchange. Also, the FT family is still the same as an FE, just with a truck designation and usually much more utilitarian cam and intake setup
In reply to mazdeuce:
Here you go. Linked back to to the forum for some reason (Someone forgot the https:// and just used www.) I've made that mistake a few times since the two or so forum tweaks ago.
Couldn't you have used a 427 crankshaft and had a nice, mild 428?
Looking at the specs on the cam in the kit at Summit's website the cam seems just a bit lumpy for use in a truck like that. Would work great in a car but you need low down grunt. Going bigger on cubes and less on cam is the way to go. Granted the stock cam is not enough even for a 360 let alone a 390 but something in between.
mazdeuce wrote: This is just your run of the mill 360 FE engine, right? Because I already have a 390 in Fergus and the power quoted for the kit is......tempting. Also, the Summit link seems to be broken.
Hey, you have enough on your plate right now. You have to finish buttoning up our, er, your motor and putting that van back on the road.
snailmont5oh wrote: Couldn't you have used a 427 crankshaft and had a nice, mild 428?
Sure, but a 390 crank is a lot cheaper than a 427 crank.
Jerry From LA wrote:mazdeuce wrote: This is just your run of the mill 360 FE engine, right? Because I already have a 390 in Fergus and the power quoted for the kit is......tempting. Also, the Summit link seems to be broken.Hey, you have enough on your plate right now. You have to finish buttoning up our, er, your motor and putting that van back on the road.
Fergus was here before the van, Fergus will be here after the van. It's always the right time to plan something else.
stuart in mn wrote:snailmont5oh wrote: Couldn't you have used a 427 crankshaft and had a nice, mild 428?Sure, but a 390 crank is a lot cheaper than a 427 crank.
Only $415 for a cast 428 crank, seems reasonable. Or build a real beast of an engine with this 4.250 stroke crank for the same money.
jimbbski wrote: Looking at the specs on the cam in the kit at Summit's website the cam seems just a bit lumpy for use in a truck like that.
I was thinking the same thing, but I don't know FE's all that much. I think I would prefer something around 222°@050 maximum. How big is a typical "RV" cam for a 390?
Is that intake manifold a Performer or Performer RPM? I can't tell unless they're side-by-side.
The picture on Summit's site are for a Windsor, not an FE.
SkinnyG wrote:jimbbski wrote: Looking at the specs on the cam in the kit at Summit's website the cam seems just a bit lumpy for use in a truck like that.I was thinking the same thing, but I don't know FE's all that much. I think I would prefer something around 222°@050 maximum. How big is a typical "RV" cam for a 390?
The way this thing is geared, it might be turning 3,500-4,000 at 70 mph.
The intake is a Performer RPM. We did go with a milder cam, that we will outline in the magazine stories. A 390 crank was free, so we took it. The truck has more than enough power now. What a transformation.
I go way back on this but I remember the case of 90hp,yes 90, dump truck that repeatedly had to pull a 140 hp. dump truck out of the gravel pit. The city engineer couldn't understand why.
I explained. TORQUE.
Dr. Hess, to fix the driveshft, we did the math and determined we needed to go to the three-piece shaft. But sadly, once we installed the overdrive, we were able to go back to a shorter two-piece shaft
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