ok, if i put a 390 crank and rods into a 360 i get a 390..... can i bore it .080 over and put in a 428 crank to make it a 428? this build up is a long way off, so i have plenty of time to think about it.

 

just to tell you it could be done, but it will not be as reliable of an engine as it would be to go and get a 428 block. you would also have to get the block tested to see if it is able to be bored that far. i would just say go with the 428 crank and build yourself a 410.

 

no way man. you can't cool it off to big of a bore

 

The size of the bore and the thickness of the cylinder walls have nothing to do with how hot the engine runs. If anything it would run better as the inner wall of the cylinder would be slightly cooler. I dont think that the extra .080" is going to get you much power, though. Like was said, just build a 410.

 

Building a 428 isn't always possible to do with a known 352,360 or 390 block. There is a possibility that your block can handle the overbore that will obtain the 428 bore size. The only sure way to know if your block will be a durable engine with the .080 overbore is to have a machine shop check the cylinder walls. There is a way that will give you a pretty good idea that your block is a good candidate. Take a look inside of the water jackets and between the cylinders. The 428 blocks have less room for coolant to flow between them. I am posting from memory and I think the gap between the cylinders of a 428 is smaller than 15/64". If you take a drill bit that is 15/64" and it will not fit between the cylinders then you have a good candidate for overbore to 428 specs. Still it isn't a sure thing because there might be one or more cylinders that still have thin cylinder walls because of core shift.

About the overheating. The thinner the cylinder walls are, the more heat that is transferred into the coolant and not just released through the exhaust. This is always the case with any engine that is bored during a rebuild. The cooling system has to be updated to handle this at times. Most of the time you get away with an overbored engine and the cooling sustem handles it ok. Then there are the other times when you don't. Then new larger radiators and other items get brought in to fix the problem.

I have home made 428 (overbored to .030) from various FE engines. The engine is comprised of a 1966 reciprocating assembly, a 1974 service replacement block (no VIN), 1972 heads and various years are involved in the intake, exhaust manifolds and timing cover. It doesn't overheat but will get pretty warm sitting in traffic. I drive it year round and I won't lie about the gas mileage. It gets around 11 on the highway on flatland and about 9 in the foothills.

 

Take your 4.05 bore standard block and if necessary overbore it .030 for a bore of 4.08. Use 390 rods, crank and a set of Silvolite 1130 pistons. Use ARP main bolts, rod bolts and cylinder head studs. Do the oil mods, add a HV pump and ARP drive quill and after that you can build to over 300 HP on a budget and have an engine that will run good, have plenty of power and stay cool in traffic. In trucks torque at lower RPM is important than HP.