so I posted a little bit ago I got the beauty running. I am so happy and have been loving it she's a 76 4x4 with a 79 cab nice flat bed 4 inch lift (les Schwab) 35 inch tire 9 inch rear with 3.50 gears and Dana 44 with 3.53 gears and the 360 v8 with the np-435 to back it up and np-205 to back that up love the truck now here's my quandary. I am loving the 360 lots of low end GRUNT! I love that and my mileage hmmm I have been able to get consistantly 13 to the gallon which is fantastic haha I was thinking to upgrading to a 390 for power . Now I know the 390 and 360 are the same engine minus crank and rods but here ford fe engines are craigs list candy here and I recently came across a rebuilt 390 for 500 bucks and they show up all the time. I just want to know what would I gain swapping for the 390? I don't want a HUGE engine like a 428 or the like this truck is a worker/toy and would love to see it at Moab or better . So reliability and torque are my thing. Any idea what do I have to gain or lose swapping out? I like the 360 and I don't care about mileage I didn't buy this truck for economy and I'll never be caught dead in a Prius its my baby beast ford she wants gas my baby gets gas and sound good burning it so any ideas would be great

 

roughly a 1/4" difference stroke between the 360 and 390.....2bbl 360 215 hp 327tq 8.0 to 1 compression......2bbl 390 255hp 376tq 8.6 to 1 compression.........but if you take your already good running 360 put a good 4bbl intake and a set of headers your 360 will be roughly the same as a 390 in the power category plus think of it this way a 360 has a shorter throw and slightly less rotating mass meaning it has the capability to rap up just a smidge faster than big sister and with the lower compression on a 360 they will run on any cheap gas you can throw in it, you can lug the thing down to low low low rpms and not hurt it, and 360's are notoriously know to be a long lasting motor since they are kind of doggy and don't hurt themselves as bad......i know of a handful with 300,000 miles on them and 1 with almost 400,000 miles with only an oil pump replacement and rebuilt heads at the 250k mark......but as we all know the choice is really up to you in the end

 

Those HP/TQ numbers sound like 1970-72 numbers, Smoken.....by 76, emissions controls had really beaten them down, and im thinking that compression was down below your figures. Ive yet to meet anyone who wasnt happier after going 360 to 390.....But i will readily admit i hopefully learn new stuff every day, and your posts always seem thoughtful, well researched and logically reasoned.....

 

well I'm half way there with an edel Brock 650 cfm 4bbl haha I am liking. My 360 just have heard such good things about the 390 . My 360 has been able to grunt out whatever I put it through mind u I don't beat on it but it hasn't ceased to please me at all. I'm not looking for horse power numbers in the 400 or 500 range but close or even maybe 300 would be nice with some level of reliability. I have the intake (carb and manifold both edelbrock) and the truck responds well I think I was just curious that a little while down the road it would be more effective. To stuff a 390 under the hood haha. The guy I bought it from told me its a 390 but alas after matching the vin numbers the y turned to be a 360 and I've been pretty happy with it

 

run the 360 till she is too tired to wanna really work good and in the mean time go ahead and build a 390 and have it ready that's what i'd like to do

 

It could still be a 390. 390's were not available in 4wd's so its possible it was already swapped. Only way to tell is to measure the stroke