Hello all! I recently purchased a 69 F100 with a 390 and 3 on the tree. I instantly fell in love with the truck and admittedly the truck wasn't in the greatest of conditions as far as drive train but it ran and it had sat in a barn for quite some time so the body was in pretty good condition. Long story short I began to drive it as my daily driver (knowing things would go wrong with it but figured I'd fix it as it messed up) and a few parts went out but nothing too major. Worst was a busted water pump. I rewired the whole thing based off of a diagram a generous enthusiast had posted on a different forum. I loaned my truck to my younger brother for the weekend and next thing I know I'm having to pick it up off the side of the highway with blown head gaskets/possibly warped heads... Yeah. I believe it is the original motor and as I began to break it down I couldn't believe the solidified oil chunks in the top end and 2 bent push rods. I'm kinda a novice as this is my first time getting my hands dirty under the hood but I'm learning as I go. I'm looking for advice on what my best options would be from here out. I need the truck back on the road asap but I don't want to half-a$$ a solution. I'm debating buying a used, working motor and pluck'n out the original while either taking the time to teach myself an old-school top to bottom rebuild or just buying a brand new motor of whatever manufacturer I hear is the best if it comes to that. Any thoughts or suggestions and advice are welcome. Seems like a friendly and helpful forum.
. Thanks, Jon

 

Welcome to FTE.

What's your budget? Money changes everything.

 

I'd like to keep it around $1,000-$1,500 considering that's about all I have to put towards it at the moment.

 

With limited experience and limited funds, I'd say you should start saving up (and hit your brother up for a contribution) and hit the books. Do you have tools?

 

On sale day, 360's magically become 390's!

Measure the stroke to verify: 360 = 3.50" - 390 = 3.78."

 

Would love to see your truck.



The girls even know the rules

 

Lil bro is definitely coming off a large chunk of change whenever the little punk starts generating some income. Saving is what I was leaning towards would be the best idea. But do you mean saving for a brand new motor or for a rebuild. I have access to my uncle's shop (He's an Oldsmobile enthusiast so he's got ALL the tools I would need, from cherry picker to multiple motor stands and all the power/hand tools I'd need plus the know how, however stubborn, for me to try and tackle this without losing my face if that's what I gotta do.) I imagine if it's the original motor it would maintain a great deal of value to rebuild it? Every part I've replaced I've kept the old ones in the idea of a complete original refurbished... IDK, maybe I'm crazy. But that's what you guys are here to help me out with. Lol, hopefully with y'all's support I won't go off the deep end.

 

If I understand correctly, you want it back on the road soon...so I would look for a decent used engine for under $1K, then save the original and take your time overhauling it. Yes, you want to keep the original engine if you want a numbers matching truck. You can sell off the used engine later to get your money back.

 

Back in 2001 I had a '75 with a clapped out 360 that I rebuilt with about the experience level you have described and only my own limited tools. I do all my own work on the '68 I have now. I did a top end rebuild on it, brake work and electrical work, etc. and it's a reliable, safe driver for me, so I would say you can definitely do it if you're reasonably handy.

You certainly can't afford a remanufactured long block (rebuilt bottom end with rebuilt heads from a shop) with only $1,500 and you will burn through that pretty fast buying your own parts and having the machine work done.

My advice would be to read up on FE engines and save your money while you're doing it (and make your kid brother scrub all the grease off the motor and engine bay). However, there are guys here at FTE with ten times the experience and knowledge that I have, so you should probably wait to hear from them as well.

 

That's what I was think'n I was going to have to do... Most logically. Got any good advice on where to find a decent used motor and when I do have the $ for rebuild I'm sure there's a LOT of options out there so if anyone can recommend a good direction to start looking? As soon as I finish this project I'm starting a build on a "Tiny House" if anyone here is familiar with them. Point in staying that is I intend to haul my "Tiny House" with this vehicle hopefully.

 

Uuuhhhhhhhh, hell I forgot what I was going to say......

 

You seem pretty well versed in the knowledge and your timely response and advice is much appreciated. I gotta get bk to work before I lose my income . I'll reply back to all posts tonight along with posting some pics of the truck.

 

Oh yea! A poe boy gots poe ways...
Least cost effective, pull heads take to a machine shop, have the magna fluxed (look for cracks ) straight edged ( check for warpage)
If the heads are all good, put head gaskets on, maybe hand lap the valves before reassemble. And build your engine later.

 

1968/71 390 Passenger Cars; 1968/76 F100/350 360/390's use the same engine block, the bore is the same (4.05"), the 360 has a different stroke than the 390.

So what is different is the crankshaft, rods, pistons and rings. EVERYTHING else is the same.

 

Along with what Teach said have hardened exhaust seats installed in the heads. Our current unleaded and oxygenated gas likes to burn valves and seats. The bottom end depends on how many miles are on this engine. Most times if someone tightens up the heads the new found compression "blows the rings out from under it". ( in automotive lingo) And the way you described the oil leads me to believe the PO didn't change oil very often at all. Which means he didn't take good care of it. Which leads to a very possible total rebuild.
Bill also had a good point. You may actually have a 360 not a 390. Either will work in the years he noted for a 2nd used engine to run on while fixing yours. Check local JYs, Cr@ig's list, Offer up, and maybe even Evilbay with local pick up. Ask whomever you buy one from for any compression test results they may have. How many miles on the engine? See receipts if it was supposedly rebuilt.