hi guys, i am astonished at how well my 352 has held up, its in a 65 ford F250 with 210k & it just keeps chugging along, there was a little noise for a couple seconds on cold morning starts a few times but straight 40w oil fixed that. it still runs good and strong, (burns a lot of oil though), i add some led additive with the gas, but i have been looking for a replacement engine just in case, i have been wanting a 390 but i have a 53 chevy with a mild 350 thats gonna be my primary driver(what I'm saying is that i don't care about mileage that much,) what do you guys think of putting a bigger FE in my truck, i was thinking of getting a rebuilt 428 and run hooker headers or something with an aluminum intake and just run my 2bbl carb from the 352, or maby like a holley 650 or something. How would that setup act with just the 2bbl? and how much of a mileage drop should i expect just out of curiosity? right now i get 10-14. this truck is primarily a work truck, i drive it a lot right now, but in a few months, I'll mainly be driving my other truck and this one many once every week or so. (I'm really a ford guy but the chevy was free, so i couldn't help it) thank for taking the time to read this far, haha i really appreciate it
sorry, i diddent really give any information on the engine that would go in,cam, heads, ect… so here is the sight i would be ordering the engine from, it would be pretty mild like a stock one from a 60s farelane or something I'm guessing http://www.rebuilt-auto-engines.com...eid=119196&sid=1AlF2z1kK5OPCtl-52107428108.c2
You would probably get better mileage from a four barrel than a two barrel if you keep your foot out of it. I don't know about your area, but a 428 would be hard to find around here. 390s are pretty easy to find and my experience is I got better performance and also mileage from a 390 than I did from a 352.
well, i use it to haul firewood, and big trailers, i typically drive this one like a grandpa just because the engine has sooo many miles on it, i wouldn't if it was low mileage, but i would love to smoke some little pop-of in his honda civic sometimes at the stoplight, and you are defiantly right about that, i would probably just buy a 4. having a lot of power would be great though,because climbing hills with a big trailer (2chords of firewood) and not having to downshift up to like 4k rpm would be great, i forgot to mention a 410 which I'm considering too.
Unless you're looking for a ton more power, a rebuild/mild hop-up on that 352 might surprise you. Bore it to the 390 standard bore size, use 360 FE pistons, have the heads upgraded with larger stainless steel valves, a 'RV' type cam and a four barrel intake and these can make pretty decent power. Bigger cam, more power. Any size other than a 390 will be tough to find and expensive, and there's really not that much difference between the two with the same 'build'. I owned a '58 Ford wagon in the late 60s with a built 352. Big 427 solid cam, stock internals, 428 PI four barrel intake with a 600 Holley and could run with most of the musclecars of the day once it got moving. Ford pulled 360HP out of a 352 in '60, so the potential is there...
ok, so your saying probably go with the 390? i would rebuild it but the price to rebuild these things is pretty high, and i could buy a rebuilt one from that sight i posted for $1400 with a 7 year 70k warranty, and rebuild would cost at least that. that company will pretty much build it however you want too.
For $1400, that will be a lo-po motor with cast pistons, low compression, and stock/mild cam. To get a real, high-performance long block with the premium parts needed expect to pay at least another $1k if you have your core rebuilt locally, more if you buy a crate motor. Fast, Cheap, Reliable... pick any two
yea, i got you, i might end up rebuilding mine anyways, many new heads cause I'm sure some damage from unleaded was done before i got the truck, its still a long way off whatever i end up doing, but thanks for the thoughts, I'm sure ill be back here, and probably end up rebuilding it anyways down the road.
Have to agree with Crazy Steve on this one you know exactly what you have there and a rebuild with a good cam intake and some minor head massaging you would probably be very happy with results.Them cheap production remans just scare me they give you a warranty and don't care how many you change to get a good one.
that makes sense, i know a girl who's dad is a machinist, maby heel give me a fair deal on all that work, than all i'll need to do is find parts. so hopefully everything works out nicely for me, wish me luck, thanks guys
A 390 would be the way to go. The 428 means changing the flywheel too. A 428 with the 2 barrel on it is a waste. You probably also don't want a high compression premium gas engine for such a truck.
get your 352 bored to 4.05", 390 size. get a 390 reground crank kit, you have a nice 390.use the flat top pistons. get the 352 heads rebuilt. Use a hydraulic super cobra jet cam and springs. Comp cams and others make one closs to the original grind. get a cast iron Ford 4v intake, and a new 3310 holley. be sure to use an electronic distributor and a procomp or MSD box for good ignition. get some headers and you will have a chaep 390 with around 325HP at 4,500 rpm. you do not need forged pistons or stainless valves, stock is fine.
Follow Birdman's advice. Sounds like he's been down this road a few times. You aren't going to find a 428, let alone a 427 for a reasonable price. They are in high demand from FE afficianados. A 352 to 390 conversion will do fine.
Make sure you check the installed height of the pistons Ford also changed the rods when they went to 390s.
This would be more fun! http://www.tuffdawgengines.com/ford_390_422hp_turn.htm They do have 428's too.
I had a 390 set up like that a while back.(I got the CJ cam at the Ford parts counter, so that gives you an idea how long ago it was!!) and it ran VERY good and was a excellent towing engine. You may want to watch Craigslist for Performer 390 intake, they do not work any better than a stock intake, but they are about 50 pounds lighter. If you have to get into the engine later, you will be glad you went with a lighter intake!
thanks for all the info,ill probably end up buying a crate or something if it goes out soon, or rebuilding it if it lasts more than a couple years, when i would have time to work on it
This would be more fun! http://www.tuffdawgengines.com/ford_390_422hp_turn.htm They do have 428's too.[/QUOTE] very tempting though...
No. 360 truck pistons are flat top 390 car pistons. Installed on 352 rods and crank, they are .104 down the hole for lower compression. Also no quench or turbulence which make the 360 such a turd. Use a 390 crank and rods with properly dished pistons. I'd suggest a stroker kit, but the typical supplied pistons are for a 4.08" bore. You'd need to hunt for a kit, or get custom pistons for a 4.05" bore.
For your needs-I would go wih a 300 I-6. Unbreakable, cheap, and good for 200,000 miles. And good milage with the proper trans (and gear).
As an "Old Fart" I remember these http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=44238 Pretty stout for a 352? First time I saw one was at a friends brother's house who was a Minnesota Highway patrol officer they used some as "Ghost cars" to catch speeders.
i do like the 300, but the way i maintain my engines a 300 would last more like 800,000 miles, haha, also i am not looking for any more a project than a 1 day engine swap, i don't want a new trans, or have to work with motor mounts, my other truck is what uses all my spar time right now, haha
The Jalopy Journal
