360 Rebuild Help
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,592
Likes: 10
From: **** hole San Jose ca.
Don't know the area where you live but you should also search the loco junk yards to see what's out their lurking in the back rows the you may not seen yet. Well today like their's 3 390's listed in C/L in and around my area. Its faster to use the search box at c/L then going through each ad one by one looking. Keep in mind of what your going to use your truck for, towing, cruising town & some back streets racing your friends. Or a daily driver. Gas is not cheap any more to run these old beast. When your getting 8-13 mpg for most of are trucks with out racing around. So don't get crazy with big carbs & wild cams unless it's a weekend race-cruiser. And it hurts the wallet when you have to run the highest octane gas you can find when you've pumped the motor up so high that that's all it will run on now. Just some mistake some guy make while building these old motors up.. But the more research you do the more you'll end up with what's best for you and be happy with it..
orich
orich
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 960
Likes: 10
From: Victoria (North Saanich)
If you do a rebuild, look up the oiling mods for the FE on this site and get them done.
If you do the 360 you might as well get a crank and make it a 390. It is not just 30 cubic inches, it is compression and stroke.
If you do the 360 you might as well get a crank and make it a 390. It is not just 30 cubic inches, it is compression and stroke.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 189
Likes: 0
best is to remove engine yourself and carefully dismantle everything. and if you have access to reasonably accurate measuring stuff you can measure things yourself and get a base line to know if your being screwed over.
The less time the machine shop / mechanic has your motor / truck the cheaper things end up. if items are still within reasonable tollerances many times a freshen up rings, bearings, Tchain, a cam upgrade and you can get some nice power for 1000-1500 bux. even with a 360. but best is to swap the 390 crank and rods in but use the pistons that come with the 360 (they will likley be stamped 390 4V) and will be flat tops giving you that stroke Paul is talking about which nets 10+:1 compression which makes pretty nasty bottom end torque in a hurry.
The less time the machine shop / mechanic has your motor / truck the cheaper things end up. if items are still within reasonable tollerances many times a freshen up rings, bearings, Tchain, a cam upgrade and you can get some nice power for 1000-1500 bux. even with a 360. but best is to swap the 390 crank and rods in but use the pistons that come with the 360 (they will likley be stamped 390 4V) and will be flat tops giving you that stroke Paul is talking about which nets 10+:1 compression which makes pretty nasty bottom end torque in a hurry.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,592
Likes: 10
From: **** hole San Jose ca.
Not very often some will have a cracked block unless your in the freezing cold country. Or over heating or adding cold water while is hot. but mostly will damage the heads/gasket. Water in oil/oil in water. A shop can magnaflux
it for cracks when its cleaned and bare block.. orich
it for cracks when its cleaned and bare block.. orich
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Brett Foote
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
However, it's not really worth your time (and apparently budget). Let the pros magnaflux it... it's worth it IMO.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,724
Likes: 1
From: peru kansas
difference between 360 and 390
stroke is longer in 390 the 360 uses a 352s crank so its just basically a de-stroked 390 .....390 has higher compression.... according to the numbers at the time with just 2 bbls 360s made 215 hp and 390s made 255 hp real numbers are a little higher than that