My 72 Highboy has the original 360 and after finishing my truck restoration, I have been driving it for three months, Everything in or on it was replaced or rebuilt except the motor. I am just not satisfied with way it runs. Here's what I'm working with, Gears are 3.54 and C-6 Automatic.
Last week I bought a 68 Thunderbird Z code 390, 315 HP from a friend that had been stored in his barn, covered and protected since 1977, YES 1977, 36 years. it had 57,000 miles when the car it came from was wrecked. It was complete from the clutch fan to the flex plate including the old motorcraft 4 Barrel Carburator. The aluminum motor tag was still under the coil bracket bolt that identified it as being built in Jan 68 with a engine code of 343, after digging into ford info it confirmed what he had told me. I took it apart yesterday down to the bare block, it is for sure a 390 and the rod bearings were dated 11/67 with Ford logo on the back of them.
I already have a Edelbrock Streetmaster Intake and a New Holley 4160, 600 CFM Carburetor for the new motor. Where I need some help is in the choice of cam and headers I should use. Since I'm using the Edelbrock Intake, I am looking at the Edelbrock 2106 Cam, it has a lift of .460/.480 and duration of 272/282 and Headman Headers. It being a F-250 4-WD my choices on headers are more limited. One other question is for the complete gasket set, what brand do you recommend.
Thank in advance for you help.

 

Nice find on the FE

Headers, i'd recommend Mad Dog's

Gaskets, i'd recommend Victor Reinz

 

The 2016 is a weak cam. Look for a lift around .515 and .525 with new springs.

2x with Mad Dogs for a 4WD F-250.

Fel-Pro is my preference for gaskets.

 

Fel-pro is adequate if you're just slapping together a FE on a Saturday, in your driveway, with only an impact gun.

If you're building it to keep it Victor Reinz is the only way.

 

Thanks for the info, it is not going to be a impact wrench, driveway rebuild. It's going to the machine shop tomorrow to see what all needs to be done, I can get by with reusing the stock pistons but I'm going 10 over and put new ones in, crank polished or cut, whatever makes it right. The machine shop is doing the heads, hardening the exhaust seats and changing everything that is not in spec. I had thought about buying a rebuilt longblock or a complete motor, but I decided if I do it myself I will KNOW for sure what has been done and replaced and not taking some rebuild mill's word for it. The cost is going to be more doing it like this, but Like I said above, this way I know what I have.

 

Ha! Opinions, opinions, opinions.

Fel-Pro works for me and I buy American - no problems with over a dozen builds under my belt thank you.

 

That motor should be a 10.5 CR job. A little high, but I think some others here are running that CR on 93 octane. Not sure you will find .010 over pistons, but you might. IF you want to lower it a bit, the 390 2bbl "Regular Fuel" motors were advertised at 9.5. The 360 uses that piston (as well as the flat top) so those would be easy to find.

FE Series Engine Specification Chart

Page 43, item 1130:

http://www.kb-silvolite.com/assets/s...te_catalog.pdf

Be sure you get a car 390 piston. Truck 390 pistons are actually 410 Mercury pistons and sit down the hole over .100. See item 1139 for that piston, listed as a 390 car and truck piston. Yea, if the car has a 410.... Note the compression height difference. Makes an 8.2 CR motor with no quench.

 

I know, opinions, they're like ummm... elbows...right?

I've just had better success with Victor Reinz over Fel-Pro, to each their own.