I have a 72 F100, i have a 360 I'm throwing a 390 crank rods and pistons in.... Block is decked to absolute 0, bored 30 over ... 9:1 compression,... performance cam edelbrock performer rpm with semi ported gasket matched heads and exhaust.. with holly 4 barrel and headers .... Anyone running a similar setup that can tell me expected hp

 

390 car pistons with 1.76 approx compression height I hope.

WAG for 300 honest net HP depending on cam. New springs with it too, right?

WATCH cam break in. Lots of wiped out cams due to the lack of zinc in new oil.

 

I'll be running a zinc oil and i replaced springs, lifters rods, valves.... Its a complete rebuild from ground up

 

the 1.76 sounds correct but I'm having a local race engine place handle the basic rebuild and machining while I handle the porting and gasket matching...unfortunately I don't have the time to do it all myself

 

You should be ok, but pickup 390 pistons are 1.66, and way low in the hole. So if you are zero deck, they aren't using those.

But I'd check anyway.....

 

Concur with 300 HP net... but TQ is more important with a heavy vehicle IMO.

... for the street, build for torque.

 

I definitely know the FE blocks are torque monsters but any idea what the approximate torque curve and max torque will look like? Also any recommendations to get closer to the 350+ hp mark without going to a 429 crank and rods....also ill eventually be running en EFI instead of the 4 barrel and Im still playing with the idea of changing the heads in the future

 

EFI will ensure the engine runs efficiently. The realized gain is depend on how well or bad the existing carburetor is tuned. I'm running Edelbrock's E-Street V1.0 plus a Tremec TKO and have been able to knock down 18 MPG.. out of an FE!

350 HP? Aluminum heads! Skip the Performer heads and go straight to the Performer RPM and RPM intake. BUT, this is assuming the truck is already equipped with headers and dual exhaust with 2.5-inch mandrel bent tubing.

Btw, there are a couple of FE builds in the Tech Info Compilation...500 HP!

 

i already have long tube headers dropping down to a 2 ½ in pipe, .... My intake is a performer RPM, any significant hp gain from full port and polish over gasket match and bowl port and polish? .... As for every FE build I've seen over 400 hp have all gone to the 428 crank .... This is kind of a budget build ... I'm still dumping a ton of cash but I'm not trying to break the bank 😂

 

If this is a race engine place seems to me they could give you a better number than us. Once together are they going to Dyno it?

 

They could if I had the cash to run it lol....eventually I'll put it on a rolling dyno.... On the FE performance thread they were saying just with new intake, carb and headers and increased compression I should be at 400 hp on a stock car 390, .... Im having a 390 crank and pistons swapped in mine and decked and that's still not counting having my heads gasket matched, the performance cam and being bored out ....or the new edelbrock rpm heads I'll eventually be running... Are y'all still thinking only 300 hp? ... And I'm still curious about torque numbers if anyone might know

 

Torque in 450+ zone.

Your original post didn't mention heads other than gasket matching.

Your cam will determine a lot in the power curve department, as well as peak HP. If you can safely run it to 6500 RPM you will make bigger HP numbers.

Being that it's a 390, it's not going to be helpless at lower revs, but a lumpy cam could make your power curves quite steep, vs. a flat curve which works better with heavier loads and general driving.

Of course, that's part of the fun of a performance build. Feather it around, short shift it, maybe it seems like a pooch. Then you go down a gear and at 3500 RPM the tires go up in flames and the steering seems light.

Serving suggestion.

 

It's a lengthy read, but well worth the effort. It's not zinc that's the problem with modern oils:
https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/201...-test-ranking/

 

2X. You guys know how the Boys in the Bow Tie Brigade are all puffy chested about torque and horsepower in their 383 build from a belly button motor 350? Well compare the bore and stroke between that and a factory Ford 390. FORD did it 1st.....from the factory!

 

My brother worked at a CAT oil analysis lab for several years and he said the same thing, when I asked him about older boat engines and which oil to use. The "got to have more zinc talk" is a myth. Modern engines (especially alum. ones) have much tighter tolerenaces. If they needed more zinc, the car companies would have the oil companies add it. I mean, think about it, who is the largest user of oil? Car companies! The oil is made to protect their products.