WTF?
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Yes, it'll wake it up...but it's still a sleepy engine. Huge increase, no...moderate, noticeable difference, yes.
My 360 does pretty well. Good enough that I had to check the stroke to make sure it was really a 360 and that a 390 hadn't been transplanted in there at some point over the years...it hadn't. Empty, it pulls like a raped ape. Loaded, it almost falls on its face, especially towing uphill. Pulling the Grapevine with a two-car loaded with two VW buses to be shipped to England (about 10K total) I had to do about 35 MPH winding it out in second gear. Up to 3rd, and there was nothing there. Coming down I-5 I couldn't even use O/D as it would just go slower and slower, I couldn't even hold it at 55. It needs more torque, and a 390 would probably be just about right.
My 360 does pretty well. Good enough that I had to check the stroke to make sure it was really a 360 and that a 390 hadn't been transplanted in there at some point over the years...it hadn't. Empty, it pulls like a raped ape. Loaded, it almost falls on its face, especially towing uphill. Pulling the Grapevine with a two-car loaded with two VW buses to be shipped to England (about 10K total) I had to do about 35 MPH winding it out in second gear. Up to 3rd, and there was nothing there. Coming down I-5 I couldn't even use O/D as it would just go slower and slower, I couldn't even hold it at 55. It needs more torque, and a 390 would probably be just about right.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
You would be better off adding electronic ign. (like Petronix) maybe dual exhaust, if you don't have it.
You won't find $600.00 worth of improvement in a carb. That is what wou will spend on a new intake & carb, maybe more. IMHO
John
You won't find $600.00 worth of improvement in a carb. That is what wou will spend on a new intake & carb, maybe more. IMHO
John
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Depends on how good a scrounge you are. For instance, I just picked up a stock cast iron 4bbl FE intake for free, and could pick up a used Holley 1850 for probably around 50-100 bucks. To me, that's pretty cheap, even if the Holley needs to be kitted.
Headers aren't a bad idea on these engine either, as the stock manifolds are pretty restrictive. And just today I priced a Pertronix unit for an FE at my local NAPA store, 87 bucks. Not too bad, though you can convert to a Duraspark system pretty cheaply as well...though not as easily.
Headers aren't a bad idea on these engine either, as the stock manifolds are pretty restrictive. And just today I priced a Pertronix unit for an FE at my local NAPA store, 87 bucks. Not too bad, though you can convert to a Duraspark system pretty cheaply as well...though not as easily.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 1
Geez, almost didn't recognize my own thread...checked for vacuum leak, found none using carb cleaner in a spray can. Tomorrow I'll pull the carb and spacer, replace gaskets and reroute the coolant hose around the spacer, and replace or tighten all vacuum hose connections. It just runs lean at idle...so I turned up the idle slightly and richened the mixture. It runs good at speed on the highway and kinda doggy off a stoplight...but not bad for a 40+ year old Ford.
I can get a running, used straight six for about what headers for this beasty 360 will cost, so I'm thinking about doing a swap for a built I-6. Any I-6 heads out there have any suggestions for a straight six build? Can I plug an I-6 up to a C6?
I can get a running, used straight six for about what headers for this beasty 360 will cost, so I'm thinking about doing a swap for a built I-6. Any I-6 heads out there have any suggestions for a straight six build? Can I plug an I-6 up to a C6?
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
If the C6 is the 302/351W pattern, yes. If it's the FE pattern, then no.
Neverenufhp (Dale) is the guy to talk to on here about running the 300-6 in a bump. He's got one that's built...and gets about the same mileage as my FE...
Neverenufhp (Dale) is the guy to talk to on here about running the 300-6 in a bump. He's got one that's built...and gets about the same mileage as my FE...
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
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Well, good news about Mac, aka the Blue Beast. Pulled the carb today, and the spacer and disconnected the coolant lines from the spacer. Bypassed the coolant lines to the spacer with heater hose and replaced the PCV-to-spacer hose cause it looked old. Then I cut new cork gaskets for the spacer and carb and reinstalled both. Now it runs like a top, holds an idle in Park or N or in gear and runs out real smooth. I guess I had a small vac leak either at the gaskets or the old PCV hose. I used heater hose to replace the old PCV to spacer hose cause that's all I had lying around. Got back from the test drive and noticed it is almost sucked flat/collapsed just north of the PCV valve. Didn't know the PCV system drew so much vacuum...tomorrow I'll replace it with vac hose. This is the way I remember a 360 FE running...smooth and quiet.
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