83 F150, 300-6, 4spd
projects
67 SWB 360 auto
68 SWB 360 4spd

 

My truck is due for a new engine soon and I'm trying to decide which way to go. My two thoughts are to go to a 351w or stick with the FE family and get a 427/428 if I can get my hands on one. I'm not going to be much towing or hauling. Just want to smoke chevies and run with all the rest of ya'lls fords. And it would be nice on top of that to get the best fuel economy I can

The reason I'm thinking about the 351w is the extra space it give to work on it, possibly better gas mileage(??), readily availabe parts, and lots of parts to beef it up and get lots of horses and performance out of it. Also been told by lots of people that they are really great engine, reliable, perform great and are easy to work on.

But my other line of thinking is bigger is better. I've been taught that more cubes equal more power. And if i'm not mistaken, if i got another FE it would match up with pretty much everything I already have and save myself a little bit of work. How big of a difference in gas mileage would there be with a 427/428. I was told that it wouldn't be that big a difference really, but i don't know about that.

Also, just out of curiosity. But would a 429/460 be a big step up in performance over an FE. From the what I hear on here the FE is the prefered engine of most. I am all about speed at the moment. I want to be able to make almost any chevy I see on the road, watch as my ford emblem gets smaller and smaller moving into the distance. And if taking the trouble to get a 460 and all that comes along with it would allow me to do that more often, It might be worth it to me.

So what do you guys think? Any opinions, viewpoints, suggestions are appreciated. What motors do you love and what do you recommend? Teach me o'wise ones.

*jdbanks*
83 F150, 300-6, 4spd
projects
67 SWB 360 auto
68 SWB 360 4spd

 

I've got an FE 390, and a 460. The FE series will always be my favorite. They'll run hard for a very long time when properly set up. The 390 in my '70 F100 has 170,000+ miles and still runs great. My 460 on the other hand, hasn't been taken care of very well, and is showing it 140,000 miles. But the torque difference between the two of them is amazing. The 460 is a powerhouse!
Jason Kendrick
1970 F100 Custom 390/C6
1978 F150 Ranger Lariat Supercab 460/C6

 

I love my 429, its is built and have not seen a ch*** on the road that can take it on the highway. I have so much torque you can hear the tires wad up when you punch it from a stop. If you drop the c6 into 1st and shift up I can leave a solid black strip as far as I want. I highly recommend the 429/460. I have 2:72 gears and have taken every 5.0 pony I have pulled along side. Just my 3 cents worth
HeavyMetal (Rod)
1977 F100 429CJ bored 30 over, Heads milled 30, edelbrock performer cam, intake, lifters, valve springs, Flat top forged pistons, polished and ported, Holley 750 Legacy, Hooker Super Comp. headers with dual Hooker Comp. exhaust and Hooker dual resonators, B&M C-6 racing tranny, with a TCI Breakaway 2600 flash stall converter, 9" rear with 2-72 gears.

 

I have a 390 and I like it.
I am going to build a 550-600hp 428 in the future. For some reason I got obsessed with Fe's. I can floor it and and burn the tires all through the gears, I will start moving forward when I hit second. I have some pretty wide tires too. (you should see the entrance to my neighborhood,I left a 50+ foot burnout that has been there for a month, cant do that again or ill go to jail!)
Well the truth is that 351, fe, 385's are all good and can be made to kick but or to suck. You just have to do it right.
The Fe is the widest and the 385's are large too.You will have less clearance, but that can be corrected.
I removed my heater core, And I have so much clearance that I can pull the heads off the studs with the engine in!. The right side used to be the tightest. I removed the A/C and a bunch of other worthless stuff too.
I am going to get a fiberglass front clip and remove my inner fenders, this will give more more room. I have tons of room right now so it is no prob.
I would stick to the fe If I were you. The 427 will cost a lot more than the 428 because the block is expensive. If you got the budget then go 427.

 

The FE is the most expensive one to get, parts are still being made and it has an extenisive racing history. The FE will make 400HP with just a few mods and the 390 can be had for a fair price. The 428 block is about $450 and the crank is about the same price. With the 428 as the basis, you should be able to get up in the 400~450HP range in a streetable setup for about $3,500 or so.

The 351W will rev higher and the parts will be cheaper and I think the block will weight less.

The 460 has excellent torque, but I think it has a short list of aftermarket parts. Not really a big problem, because you won't need too much to make it go.

I think the FE is the best looking and I've spent over $6000 on mine and had to search a while for all the right parts. The other thing about the FE is that you don't see them as often as the 351W and it's nice to have something different.

 

jdbanks, by all means stay with the FE series. The 428 and 427 are exspensive but you don't need one anyway. As a starting point, get a 73 or later 390. Check several between the cylinders with a drill bit until you find a block that is a tight fit with a 1/4 drill. Bore the block 080 over and get 428 pistons. Have your engine builder offset grind your crank for a 4 inch stroke, taking the rods down to 2.200. Use lunati rods 6.536 inches long and mill 020 off the piston tops- instant 428 from cheap parts. Add some 2.09/1.65 valves to your heads, get a nice blue thunder intake manifold and a bigger cam- and you'll be showing those bowtie boys your tailights. And all your brackets and stuff can stay the same, whats not to like ? DF

 

I do have to admit the 429 CJ rebuild cost in excess of $4000.00 and I did not go with roller rockers. I turned all the nuts and bolts and a machine shop did the boring and milling. Plus the domino effect, custom motor mounts, redo radiator, longer driveshaft. As soon as I finished took it for a test drive and ripped the s*** out of that old C6 32miles.
If you could stay with something that would readily bolt up I would reccommend.
HeavyMetal (Rod)
1977 F100 429CJ bored 30 over, Heads milled 30, edelbrock performer cam, intake, lifters, valve springs, Flat top forged pistons, polished and ported, Holley 750 Legacy, Hooker Super Comp. headers with dual Hooker Comp. exhaust and Hooker dual resonators, B&M C-6 racing tranny, with a TCI Breakaway 2600 flash stall converter, 9" rear with 2-72 gears.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Money isn't really an issue with me at this point. I know a few good sorces for getting engines and all kinds of trucks and parts cheaper than most. I got my 68 for a hundred bucks, changed the master cylinder and started driving it. I got tons of examples like that. I already have what I believe to be a blown 390 that could be rebuilt. So I might go with that, but I do already have two 360's in my trucks.

If i've paid attention the FE is the way to go and will give me as much power as a 429/460? As long at there isn't a large drop off between the two I think I will stick with the FE series. It wouldn't be that big a deal to change the motor mounts, driveline, radiator...etc, if it meant a large improvement in power and performance. But all things equal, the saving the trouble tips the scales. Especially since I remembered I had the 390 anyway.

Also, can anyone tell me how to verify if an engine is a 360 or 390? It's just sitting on the ground so I can't use the dowel method I've read about. But i can take it apart no big deal. So what do i measure inside the engine to figure out the bore or whatever. Sorry I'm so ignorant about all this, I'm still learning. If anyone knew any sights out there that could help teach me about some of this, I would appreciate the help. Thanks guys.


*jdbanks*
83 F150, 300-6, 4spd
-projects-
67 SWB 360 auto
68 SWB 360 4spd

 

I just noticed that big chevy eagle rods are $120 cheaper than the FE's.
I think I might offset grind my 390 crank and do that!
Are there any disadvantages to this or clearance problems?
Do you have more details on this process????
thanks,
Anthony

 

Anthony and jdbanks- offset grinding the crank is not difficult, just make sure to clearly explain to the shop what you are doing. Expect the cost to be double a regular regrind, there is alot of metal coming off. The aftermaket rods for the big chevy are less $$ and easy to get in many sizes. I prefer Lunati or Crower in the 6.536 length. Your machinist will have to narrow the face of the outside of the big end of each of the rods, and the small end will need to be rebushed down to .975. Last, your pistons will need a light trim to be at zero deck, usually 020, let your shop assemble the engine without rings and check the height. The rods are going to cost at least 500$, but if you were going to upgrade them anyway, why not get the extra inches ? DF

 

I'll push my truck before I put GM parts in it.

83 F150, 300-6, 4spd
-projects
67 SWB 360 auto
68 SWB 360 4spd

 

I will have to assemble my own motor, that is the most fun part!
$500 for machining the rods? or buying them?
How much will come off the rods?
If it isn't much, can you widen the FE journal a little?
I've heard someone saying that.

Can you give me an estimate on how much the machinig would cost for grinding the crank , rods, pistons and balancing the whole assembley?
Is it cheaper to buy custom pistons that have pins with the chevy size and that have the right deck clearance? This would save a lot of machining.

 

the 500 is to buy a set of rods. They are aftermarket parts, I wouldn't consider them GM pieces. I like the forgings best. The Eagles look like they are made of sintered metal, which is less exspensive but not as strong as forged. If I remember right at least .100 has to come off the outside rod face. It is much faster for me to do the rods than widen the journals. In the same vein, it is easier and cheaper to rebush the small end of the rod and mill stock pistons than it is to order custom pistons- usually 500$ or more. Prices will vary widely with where you live and who does it. If you tell me your bore size I can recommend a part # for pistons and you can ask your local shop about the cutting. DF