Assume I have a stock 352 in my '65 (might be a swapped in 390, trucks pulls harder than i think a stock 352 should...going to check the stroke this weekend, and try to find casting numbers on the head). The engine has a bit of a knock that sounds an awful lot like a rod knock.

A coworker is giving me a 390 short block out of a 60-something Galaxie 500. Since an engine replace/rebuild wasn't in the plan any time soon, I'm hoping to be able to do this as inexpensively as possible (notice I didn't say cheap ) I plan to get the block cleaned up, but I don't plan on balancing, blueprinting, etc. Of course new bearings and freeze plugs will be installed, and I assume new pistons will have to be installed (although I'm hoping I can reuse the pistons with a hone job and new rings)

Would it be OK to just swap in my existing cam and heads, assuming no major wear? Again, I'll get them cleaned up, but I'm hoping to avoid any machine work or parts replacement on the upper end of the engine, other than new gaskets/seals all around (including valve seals).

If this would be one of those "really bad ideas" is the 390 crank and rods really a direct swap into my 352, or is there other stuff needed too?

Basically, from where I'm sitting, if I'm going to put the money into a full rebuild, I'd just as soon replace it with a more modern 460 and OD trans but that's also not in the current budget, lol

 

You can not do a direct swap of the crank and the pistons and rods....That would require mill work, not to mention new bearings and rings...aka a rebuild. The 390 and 352 have a different bore and stroke,and you cannot just bore a 352 out to fit the 390 pistons as the cylinder walls will be to thin. You can swap the heads, and the cam shaft, that is not problem. You should have the heads milled at least to make sure the contact surfaces with the block are true, for a better head gasket seal. Pretty much every shop will true the heads if you have them do a valve job, and usually pretty inexpensively then it is just a matter of cam swap and bolt the heads on.. and button her up

 

I must not have been clear...I know the pistons won't swap, but I was under the impression that I could swap the 390 crank and rods into the 352 block with the 352 pistons.

 

You'll need to know exactly what year Galaxie your new 390 block came out of. Engine mount provisions cast into the block changed in '65. So '65 and later will work. '64 and earlier will be a headache. Also, 390's bore size is 4.05 (as is the 360's). 352 bore is 4.00. Seems to me I remember some issue with putting 390 crank/rods/pistons into a 352, but I may be wrong. Obviously the pistons are too big. I think there was an issue in using 352 pistons with the 390 rods and crank. Hopefully Garbz or someone else who knows more about it will chime in.

 

Isn't the wrist pin hole different? With the 390 rods and crank won't the deck height be to high or low?

 

Yes the wrist pin hole in a 352 piston is in a different location based on the different stroke length. If I recall it is lower in the piston, it will cause an incorrect angle on the connecting rod during the stroke, and if memory serves the piston will pop up a bit too high striking the head aka incorrect deck height.. I read an article about using a Mopar Piston that has the correct piston Diameter, and Wrist pin Location, but that defeats the purpose by becoming quite pricey....

 

here is a good link with most of the dimensions for FE's it is great as a reference!

Ford "FE" Engine Specifications

 

So the short of all this is that if the 390 is a '65 or later, my best bet will be to rebuild it, and add whatever else I need from my 352, otherwise it won't be worth my time to even go grab it as he lives about 60 miles from me.

 

That is the route I would take if it were me .. the heads, and Camshaft, will fit the 390 block and keep your exhaust system in place... Pick the best dizzy, Alt, water pump and so forth, Intake and Carb are also direct swap. but of course the carb will take a little adjusting.... Make sure you keep the Flywheel on the matching crank to prevent any balance issues... Well you know how it goes...

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

urbex,
I would encourage you to do a little looking around to see how much you'd have to give to locate a decent 460/C6 combo. Granted the C6 isn't a OD trans, but they are more plentiful and less $$ than most OD transmissions. You may be able to locate a 429/460 that wouldn't need any work, just enough to get it in & plumbed/wired up....which may end up being less $$ than piecing together a 352/390 sorta-rebuilt deal. Once in, then you could keep your eyes & ears open for when an OD trans does become available to you.

By going in the 429/460 direction, you'd be on your way to getting closer to where you want to me...... rather than spending $$ to piece together a older FE combo... that is just to hold you over until.......

Don't get me wrong, I also understand the meaning of MINIMUM budget, but I've done those piece-meal projects before - and ended up spending too much and ending up with not enough.....

Good Luck & keep us posted on your progress!

BarnieTrk

 

That would be the better plan. If the 390 block turns out to be the earlier casting, the 352 block could be bored .050 to fit standard 390 pistons. The "too thin" cyl walls *could* be a factor, but I seriously doubt it would, as early 352/390 shared the same block. Sonic testing would insure the block's integrity at +.050. I've never heard of issues with taking a 352 to .060, but it is *possible* for the cyls to be too thin. Usually, this doesn't start becoming an issue unless boring a 360/390/410 more than .030 (4.080)
One tip I can add. If the 390 pistons aren't in good enough condition to reuse or the 390 block needs bored, stock 360 truck pistons (68-76) are a cheaper alternative than early 390 pistons, even though they are the same basic part. This would give a comp ratio in the 9.3-9.7:1 range, depending on the heads. Plenty enough for decent power, while still able to run on today's cheap (quality, not cost) gas.
Just be sure you don't let the parts guy talk you into 390 truck pistons (68-76), as these were the old 410 pistons, and give a CR of ~8:1. That would kinda defeat the benefits of having a decent cam......

 

Rogue... the 352 and 390 do share the same block casting, but not the same cylinder sleeving... the 352 has a smaller cylinder sleeve. I went through this ordeal about a year ago, the problems of the cylinder walls being to thin are two fold.. one is the obvious catastrophic engine failure, but the other is that the thin walls cause the cooling system to be over worked. aka very rapid heat transfer from the cylinders to the coolant.. I was dissuaded by a few different shops as far as boring it out to .050 over, I instead stayed with the smaller 352 cylinders, and stroked it instead... which gave me what I was looking for, more low end torque...

 

It depends on the block casting. Some will take the bore. Others wont.

 

Never heard of that. However, as I posted, sonic mapping would confirm/deny the ability to bore the block .050 without causing issues. That's still less than the common "limit" of .060 overbore on most engines.
I always heard the issue was related to the FE blocks that started with the 4.050 (or larger) bore, rather than the 4.00 bore of the 352.

Still, lets hope the OP has found a good 65+ 390 block.....

 

My biggest reason to go OD is to get the RPMs down on the freeway when running unloaded, especially considering the 4.11 gears. Although I suppose I could swap the rear end to a higher gear...would probably be less of an issue with a 460 when towing (planned hauling/towing weight in the 8K-9K pound area between the trailer and truck camper) than the 352. But even then, I'd have to go to something like a 3.00:1 to compensate, and I think that would be a bit much, even with a torquey 460. Not to mention, I don't think I can even get a gear that high for a Dana 60, or similar HD axle.

That said, I'm not at all against sticking with a manual trans, and given what I'm doing with the truck, might actually be a better plan.