First time posting, but I have a client with a '59 Ford Galaxy and its original 332 is about wasted. After looking around and talking with my machinist it seems that the 332 is a bastard motor and rather expensive to rebuild and finding one isn't particularly easy. I did however have a '61 Thunderbird 390 fall into my lap the other day. So my question is, can that 390 essentially bolt into the hole left by the 332, are the motor mounts the same, bolt up to the transmission, so forth and so on? My client does not have a whole heap of money and his father was the original owner so trying to keep the labor and fab work to a minimum. Any other suggestions are welcome too. Thanks.
Essentially the same engine. The 332 just had a 3.3" crank, a 3.5" turns it into a 352 (largest FE in 1959 for the Ford line) a 390 will bolt right in AFAIK. Beware that there were two different ring gears, the early is 153? teeth and the later is 190? teeth. Your starter gear needs to be matched or itll let ya know!
Be careful on mounts - early blocks will bolt in - later blocks 1965 up- I believe - have a different motor mount on the block. Someone will correct me if I'm off.....
The later blocks will accept the early 2-bolt mounts, but the early blocks cannot use the later 3-bolt mounts.
FEs are mix and match externally , for the most part, except the 428 and the 410, those require a special externally balanced flywheel. There is also late engine mounts on later engines that have both the early and late engine mount holes, ie two sets of engine mounts on the engine. The early FEs only have the one early set of mount engine mount holes. There fore any late FE will go into any FE equipped car, but the early FE will only bolt in to early cars. Not sure on that cut off date. All FE fly wheels will physically bolt onto all FE cranks. The other odd FE thing is the “ GT “ heads have a slightly different exhaust bolt pattern than all the rest of the FE heads. Edit. Hang on to that 332. It has some parts that some FE guys want. Mainly the short stroke crank. The heads used to have some value, due to their machined , small combustion chambers, but with the new aluminum after market heads now available, the value has dropped some what. Remember I said “ some” FE guys! Lol, me I want cubic inches, so I want the long stroke cranks! Bones
It's actually pretty easy to adapt an early block to late model mounts in most cases, when I did the 64 427 into my 69 Mach1, it was easy to just drill holes. I also put a 64 427 into my early 77 F250 Highboy by fabbing a small adapter plate to span the holes
Some of the earliest FEs came with adjustable rockers as did some of the later FEs that had solid lifters. Bones
IF this is a performance type "customer" I would maybe use those 332 heads and rocker assembly in the new 390. 6sally6
The 332 was solid lifters only; the block wasn't drilled for hydraulic lifters. It also had a peculiar camshaft/front cover in that it didn't have the later-normal thrust plate to retain the cam but a spring/button that pushed against the front cover, shared with the Edsel 360 and similar to the SBC. This was changed shortly after the mid-year release on the 352 but only on that motor initially. A motor so equipped originally could usually be spotted by it's steel timing cover, the later versions had aluminum covers. Most were fitted with the thrust plate if cam/timing chain service was done, a fairly simple thing. The 332 was discontinued mid-year in '59. One other little weird difference on the early motors is the bypass hose between the water pump and the intake was oddball sized, being 11/32", right between 5/8" and 3/4". Couldn't quite stretch a 5/8" on, the 3/4" was loose. The 'proper' hose was only available from Ford, most used 3/4" and just squeezed it down. I'm not sure when Ford went to a standard size (early '60s?), 5/8" IIRC. As anybody who has owned a FE can attest, replacing that hose without pulling the water pump is a huge PITA. Make sure you use premium-grade hose there when assembling one... As to how valuable the 332 is, many were robbed of their adjustable rockers for later motors converted to solid lifters. But the self-locking adjusting screws tended to wear out after very many adjustments which is why these disappeared. There was two heads, the rare 4V versions were the desirable ones but as @Boneyard51 points out, there's better ones out there now, including OEM castings. The early blocks are desirable as these could take a larger overbore than the later ones, with credible reports of these being punched all the way to the 4.13" 406/428 bore. One thing to consider while the motor is out is upgrading the starter. The '58-64 FE used a long-nose Bendix-type starter that isn't known for it's reliability, is hard to find and expensive when you do. If the car has a manual trans, simply changing the ring gear on the flywheel to the '65-up version is all that's needed, the late starter will then bolt in. If it's an automatic, you'll need a '65-up flexplate that matches yours in terms of where/how the torque convertor mounts which may prove a bit more difficult or may not.
Just so you all will know, Steve is my go to on all things Ford. I have played with Fords a lot and have acquired a lot of knowledge but Steve has forgotten as much as I know. If he says it you can bank it.
Swapping a 390 into a 57/59/59 Ford was the hot lick for Ford guys in the Mid 60's. All done with factory parts. A buddy put a 390 Crate motor (first bought from the dealer crate motor I ever saw) and new 4 speed from the dealer in his 57 two door post in 1964 and it was pure bolt in. His dad's gas station was directly across the street from the Ford garage making it real easy for him to figure things out.
Well, thanks for the confidence but with age the ol' memory isn't quite what it used to be either....
LOL better then mine I think. Mine is full of tons of stuff from one of everything. Well that and I have burned a lot of brain cells. Not many people that I am willing to ask. I try to treat everyone with respect but I do not have much respect for most of them. Even when we do no agree you still fall into the have column.
First dealer crate I can remember right now was a 426 short block in '68. It was in the shop at Coletti and I remember saying, "WOW you can buy one of these new?" The service manager laughed and handed me a broom.
I did a few 390 swaps into earlier Fords... My personal cars were '56 Customlines, the second one got an old Police engine from Paul Navarro's wreckers, San Jose's Police Wreckers. Mine was a 390, but sadly, only a 'prowl car'; no Police Interceptor, that... Two '54 Coupes got 390s, (both mine) simple bolt-ins, used '55-'56 mounts, 2 frame bracket studs. Later '57 on up had the single frame bracket stud. I didn't like slotting out the 2 vertical holes in the mount pads for ONE big 1/2" stud. Then "washer it?" Nooooo.... I know, I know...the 45 degree pad will 'forgive'. But a Ford I had with that design mount (single stud) broke 2 of them, so it got a 'torque chain': 1/4" link chain from a tapped hole in the left head down to the frame, 3/8" bolt and heavy washer. My current '54 Ford coupe is getting a freshly built 406, new factory pistons and LeMans rods, many go-fast goodies. Still not confident in waxing the 'tuners'...
Correct. I once put a 63 390 in place of a 360 in a 71 pickup. I had to make an adapter plate to make the mounts work.
I do try my best to post accurate info but will be the first to admit that I don't know everything... After thinking I was done with FEs forever, I bought my '60 Sunliner so I'm back in the thick of it again... LOLOL Regretting selling off all my FE stuff about 10 years ago, but when you run out of room, whattayagonnado.... LOL. And there's three different motor mount configurations on blocks; 2-bolt early car, 3-bolt late car, and 4-bolt late truck. In each case, Ford just added another bolt hole so all are backwards compatible.
I never considered an FE for a car until my daughter was born. We did have a MEL powered merc when we were in high school but it came that way. The '56 Effie that she came him from the hospital in had a 352 under the hood and a bed full of boxes of motorcycle. It eventually ran a 390 cop motor. That was a neat old truck. Wish I had been more picky who I sold it to.
So just for a simple answer, yes it's just nutz and boltz as long as you use the 332 Flywheel and stay 61 all the way to the water pump. You will notice the 59 Left side exhaust manifold is just a little different at the steering box. It's not necessary to change that out but most do for heat to steering issues. Past that just do the swap. Both of these are FE powered, One total stock the other NOT!
The 332 was the only 'standard' FE to use solid lifters. All others except for the various top-option Hipos ('60-67) were hydraulic.
I am a Ford lover but remember the 332's to be under powered, over weight gas guzzling clunks. Good to rob the adj rockers from. they fit MELS as well as FE's Greg
Steve, once again you humble me with your Ford knowledge. You are like an encyclopedia for all things Ford. Old Henry would be proud.
I always use 3/4" hose. cut to length, apply RTV to both hose nipples , fold hose sort of in half and it will pop right on. worked on FE and Y-block motors.
Of course, that's after you trim the hose nipples with a hacksaw to get enough space between the nipples to get the hose in. The early FE nipples were only about 1/8" apart, the later ones not much more....
Another difference on the early ones is the generator mounting, with the early water pumps having a pin to locate the bracket. The side mounts were changed in 65, going to the 4-bolt flange on the block. A lot of the time only 3 bolts were actually used, but the later blocks all have the 4-bolt flanges. The sideoiler blocks have a slight difference in the left-side flange to clear the oil gallery hump- they actually made special mounts for those, but a regular mount can be adapted pretty easily
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