what is the difference between a 352 and a 390 (block, crank, rods, intake, heads, etc) The reason I ask is because I just bought an engine from a friend and it was supposed to be a 1970ish 390, but the block says 352 . If it is a 352, what can I do to turn it into a 390.

Oh, and where are the casting #'s located, they're not in the same place as my Windsor.



Thanks Eric

 

Check out the FAQ at tht top of this forum.


Most FE motors are labeled 352. you could very well have a 390. But, you could just as easily have a 360. They are all the same from the outside.

The 352 has a 4" bore and a 3.5" stroke
The 360 and 390 have a 4.05" bore
The 360 has teh same stroke as the 352- 3.5"
The 390 has a 3.78" stroke.

With the right rotating assemly you can build whatever you want.

you can see some lcations of casting numbers on this page..
http://www.thedreyerfamily.com/69f250/67f250/fe446.htm

 

Yea, Ijust figured it out, I went out and checked my dad's 68 with the stock 360 and the block is also maked 352.

 

basically you would have to measure the bore and stroke to see what engine you have . unless your ripping it apart then you can run the numbers.

 

Here's the easy way to check the stroke without removing the head. Get a straight 12 inch piece of white electrical house wire or coat hanger wire. Get a magic marker. Remove the number 1 and number 8 spark plugs. Turn the engine over until the timing mark is at TDC. (Because the old timing dampers sometimes will slip, the timing marks may be off. Make sure the engine is at TDC in the Number 1 hole by rotating the crankshaft back a forth a bit. Once you are sure it is at TDC, continue.) Put the wire in the number 1 spark plug hole with wire resting on the top of the piston. Make a mark on the wire even with the lip on the valve cover. Now move the wire over to the number 8 cylinder and mark the wire again, at the lip. Measure the distance between the two marks.

For those that don't know: 3.98 is the stroke for the 410 and 428 engines; 3.78 is the stroke for the 390, 406 and 427 engines and 3.5 is the stroke for the 352 and 360 engines.

 

I'm pretty sure it's a 390; the casting #s say it's out of a 67 Merc. anyway it's going into my 70 so it doesn't matter what it was out of.

I can't complain for a $100.00, a big block is a big block.

I've already got the entire top end off so ill check bore and stroke that way. it's going to be a quick lil' truck...

Anybody know where a person can get a set of timing gears for and FE motor??

 

Sounds like a good find. You can get a quality set of timing gears from Edelbrock. They have a lot of parts for the FE engines. Cams, valve springs, water pump, intake manifolds, etc.
www.edelbrock.com

 

Really like your idea about checking the stroke on these FE's.

 

Why, Thank you biz!
I woul dlike to claim credit for it, but it isn't original with me. I got it many years ago from an old friend who had many, if not all, the popular engines from the '40s up to the early '70s figured out this way.
He has gone Home now, but he taught me much about wrenching.
Just passing it on down.

 

Okay thats a start, now I've got another question, where's the FE show its glory, your know performance, in what RPM range is it optimum???

 

That's a loaded question. It really depends on your build.

A stock truck 360 is a whole different animal than a modified 427.

Most FEs make good power at lower RPMs with mild to medium builds. You really have to open up the top end (cam, heads, valves) to get them moving enough air to make power in the higher revving range.

A general rule for mild to medium FEs. They make most of their torque by 3500 rpm and most of their HP by 5000 rpm. OK, I pulled those numbers out of thin air, but you get the idea.

 

My stock internal 360 makes brutal torque down low, and pulls up to about 4500. That's where the stock cam runs out of wind. Put a good cam in it and the heads should be good for 5500. Flow through the heads is where the performance is, though.

 

Whats a good cam for this engine(390)??? It'll be somewhat of a driver, alot of drag racing, it'll have a standard behind it, head work is a must, good intake, and exhaust. I'm not woried about smooth idle, i'm a person who can sacrifice comfort for performance, and the only vaccume will be brakes and carb...Have I missed anything?

 

Are you opposed to valve adjustment on a regular basis? There are some excellent solid lifter cams that are available. Also, are you opposed to spending $$$ on a roller cam setup?

With headwork, with ported stock heads and about 10.5:1 compression, here are my recommendations:

Hydraulic flat tappet: Crane 343941
Solid flat tappet: Crane 344361
Hydraulic roller: Crane 349521
Solid Roller: Crane 348801

Of all of the above, I recommend the Crane 348801. On DD2k it makes the most hp with a great torque curve. Any bigger in the crane solid roller line, you dont gain any hp and lose torque. Get some good flowing heads and that would change, though. Edit: MAKE SURE you beef up your valvetrain if you're going to use this cam, as it has .739" lift!!!!!

 

Is that a cam that'll rattle windows if ran through open pipes??? (outta curiosity)Seriously, i'll take all that into concideration, and yes, it'll be beefed up from top to bottom. anything else to make a monster motor???

Also, are the pistons stamped with their designated engine size(,332, 352, 360, 390, 406, 410, 427, 428)? Because after taking a close look at the pistons, which are toast, it has 410 cast into the side of the pistion, close to the wrist pin.