I've worked on this truck off and on for a year getting it running and still I am not sure what motor it has here is what I have found:

Its a 1974 Ford F-250 Campers Special Ranger XLT with Dual Tanks, Towing Package, Dana Rear.

The VIN shows a 2 barrel 360 as being the stock engine. The truck has had 2 owners and the current owner bought it 20 some years ago with the 4 - barrel on it, so possibly the 1st owner swapped a motor out. The current owner had the engine re-built at a performance engine shop but he didn't know what they did or what size motor was or is in there. The shop that re-built it 5 years ago is closed now.

My friend said the heads were from a 427 or 428 i can't remember which one he said, but he said it had performance heads.

I did the stoke test on the motor, but I wasn't able to turn the motor over myself alone I found a cylinder that was at BDC and centered it and then measured and it is exactally 5 inches from the top of the thread on the spark plug hole, I'll have to get another person to help and mabey later I can get an accurate stroke taking the TDC and BDC and then subtracting the diffrence.

But basically I was hoping someone would know about how much from the top of the spark plug thread to the piston on TDC. The truck really moves and it is very surprising that it would even have a 390 in it. I did put parts from a 360 in it (Lifters and push rods) because it had a couple collapsed when I got it and they fit.

Any help would be great, the spark plug hole is off centered and angled but I took the measurement straight down (not from the side) so from the top of thread to the top of the piston at BDC its exactally 5 inches. Could this be a 390 or possibly a 428?

Also it has axle code 24J on the door and no one seems to know what it means? It has a Dana full floating in the rear.

Thanks for your help!

- Ryan

 

you have to get a straw or wood dowel and put a mark on it at tdc then mark it again at bdc. Measure this distance. If it 3.5", you have a 352 or a 360. If it is 3.78" you have a 390. If it is 3.98" you have a 428 or a 410. If it is the latter two, you would have an externally balanced harmonic balancer on the front. You would be able to tell they look a little different. 360 and 390 parts are interchangeable except for the crank, rods and pistons. That is the only real difference except a 390 is alot better motor. The heads have a casting # on them that you can read? Mine are C8AE-H and could be used on any of these motors. Let us know what you find out.

 

The 410 and 428's are externally balanced using a different FLYWHEEL, but the harmonic balancers are the same as for the 360-390, neutrally balanced. And like Hazard says, the heads were pretty interchangeable "generally", unless you get into medium- or high-risers anyway. If you hunt down the number adjacent to the spark plug hole 2nd from the right, you can figure out exactly which you have. The detective work on these old FE's is part of the adventure, because the parts are so interchangeable you just can't be sure what you've got without some sleuthing.
A really good reference to have is Steve Christ's "How to Rebuild Your Big-Block Ford", but even he has a few honest errors on parts numbers.
Good Luck! Steve

 

Heres the info I found:

Heads have C4AE and 0900

Engine has 60 352 on the front but can't find any other numbers.

Also it has an external harmonic ballancer with a double pulley.

Rear end has 00260 and 60 on it.

 

You've definitely got a different engine than factory. The heads are relatively desirable as good breathers, but would have standard size valves and nothing really special about them other than having better off-the-shelf porting without modifications than most, and could have come on about any size engine. Most any FE you will find has the 352 cast into the front, so you can't make much from that. You should be able to find something like C6ME or ?? down on the side of the block, but even that probably won't tell you much. The double pulleys were used for the heavy-duty alternators of that vintage. And about all I can tell you about the differential is that it's a Dana 60, and without looking up the axle code, a 4.10 ratio would be likely in a Camper Special. So over all, you've got a good basic package there, might be something other than a 390 but don't get your hopes up too much. I'm betting on about a 64-65 390. But nothing wrong with a well-built 390 for a truck!