390 heads on a 351?

Ford Engine sizes are confusing to even Ford guys. 351-C/Boss & W. 352 FE, 427,428FE and 429wedge and Boss. 302w and 302 Boss. I'm true blue oval blooded but what the FE. No wonder people get confused.
At least with Cevy's you got your Rat and your mouse.

 

428 FE crank (3.98") into a 427 FE block (4.234" bore) = 448"

The key to swapping heads is first and foremost the bore pitch distance, which is the measurement between the centers of adjacent cylinders. This is always larger than the largest bore size ever made in that family, typically by at least 1/4".
If it's exactly the same, you have a good chance (although there may be other problems).
If it isn't, it will not, can not bolt on. It may be possible to adapt, but it's surgery.
There are no, repeat no, cross-brand head swaps (unless the other engine was built under license, etc.).
Now, when someone tells you how his uncle put 409 heads on his 327, you know what to say.

Bore pitch data: http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/m-table.htm

 

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Just to clarify, not true. To put 351W heads on a 302 block you buy ARP's stepped head bolt kit made for the application. They are 1/2" from the shoulder down to the threads, and then the threads are 7/16". No special washers or drilling required.

 

There are stepped washers also. So you can either keep the 7/16 head bolt or go with the stepped ARP/FMS 1/2 head bolts.

 

Whenever you make a binding statement, like "There are no, repete no, cross-brand head swaps" some jerk will post a picture of the Near Bolt on Y block head and Plymouth block. Actually Windsor and Cleaveland engines have the same bore centers and 8 head bolts line up. Two would need to be drilled into the deck which may not be thick enough to support a head bolt. Of course the cam would need to be a billit to allow for valve squense. But a Ford head can and has run on a Plymouth block without adapters and holds a Muroc record.

 

Richfox... that's a cool banger! One of those in a street rod would have the lookie-lou's scratchin' their heads. Reminds me of the fuelie head on a CII banger that the circle track guys used to run.

 

Thanks, always look forward to someone pointing out how I'm wrong.
Curious - since there were no modifications to the Ford/Ply "swap", didn't those pesky flathead valves interfere with the pushrods? Lose a lot of compression with the old ports open? How did the engine even turn over with the SV valves striking the OHV gasket surface?

Oh... you meant "the bolts line up".

 

Panic, you were making a generally speaking actuate statement, but there is always people with great engineering skills to pull of the un-imaginable.
Bottom line, the average gear head is not going to work this magic.

 

Other way round. 390 came first.

 

351C heads fit on a 351W it's only a couple water passages that are different. However it requires a special intake or intake adapters. This would be a Clevor.

351C/351M/400 = 335 series.
429/460 = 385 series.
221/260/255/289/302/351W = Windsor series.
332/352/360/390/410/427/428 = FE series.

FE heads have half of the head portion as part of the intake. So there's no real way of putting one on a 351W without making a special intake to fit it together. I've seen no aftermarket available for such a thing. Now, that said, maybe you should ask your friend what he meant, because apparently he is wrong, lol.

 

"Near bolt up" ment just that. It nearly bolted up. Valve guides were drilled out to make room for pushrods. Water holes were pluged and a new head gasket made. Still at was very close to a bolt on. What I would call a "Near bolt on". A repclia of the motor can be viewed at The Muesum Of American Speed In Lincoln, Ne. along with the Flathead version of the same engine.