FE stroker ideas
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 106
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FE stroker ideas
The FE motor in my 73 highboy has some sort of rod noise. And I figure that’s a good enough excuse to stroke it. Was looking for some insight from anyone who has stroked an FE motor and what they would recommend and what they would avoid. Also how long there motor has been stroked or how long it lasted.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,839
Likes: 2,612
From: The Shenandoah Valley
Used to drive several Dents hauling Mail as a contract carrier, boss-man would buy E-350s, stretch frames, swap his 20 foot boxes onto them, he would hang a 30 gallon tank made of 15 gallon grease drums on the frame, he liked to buy them with 360s and rebuild as 390s, they had 4 speeds, 4.10 gear. Never had failure, but we did wear a few engines out. The fuel tanks got baffles, but no fuel sender, so we run them on the 30 until it hiccupped, then switched to the OEM cab tank.
One Blue '74 he bought was a 300 I-6, he swapped a 390 into it, left the 4.56s in the rear, it was a good running mail hauler. That truck had near 500,000 on it when he sold it.
One Blue '74 he bought was a 300 I-6, he swapped a 390 into it, left the 4.56s in the rear, it was a good running mail hauler. That truck had near 500,000 on it when he sold it.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 1,174
Likes: 362
From: Anderson, California
Your crank journals may still accept new bearings, allowing you to do an in-frame re-furb.
But, as you say, you are looking for a reason to add some stroke.
Then, at that point, you may be shopping for some nice forged pistons and a nice mid-range cam. _ _ _ on and on.
I have a '78 429 stroked and balanced. It was driven daily as a mom's car (lucky her) for 8-years and on weekends it was our full-size quad for bunnie-hopping.
I had my builder install a Crane mid-range cam, not a torquer cam. and adjustable Crane roller rockers. It is running hypeurtectic pistons.
So, then, even tho stroked, when comparing how well it pulled a 26-foot camp trailer up a long steep grade against same rig with a 351W engine, that doggon Windsor engine was a close competitor. The 429 would pull further up the grade, BUT once downshifted from direct to second, both rigs were running along at the same speed at the same rpm.
I do like the brute torque of the stroked 429. Seems like a windsor is a tall-deck small block. Nice engines in boats running 4,400 rpms all day.
But, as you say, you are looking for a reason to add some stroke.
Then, at that point, you may be shopping for some nice forged pistons and a nice mid-range cam. _ _ _ on and on.
I have a '78 429 stroked and balanced. It was driven daily as a mom's car (lucky her) for 8-years and on weekends it was our full-size quad for bunnie-hopping.
I had my builder install a Crane mid-range cam, not a torquer cam. and adjustable Crane roller rockers. It is running hypeurtectic pistons.
So, then, even tho stroked, when comparing how well it pulled a 26-foot camp trailer up a long steep grade against same rig with a 351W engine, that doggon Windsor engine was a close competitor. The 429 would pull further up the grade, BUT once downshifted from direct to second, both rigs were running along at the same speed at the same rpm.
I do like the brute torque of the stroked 429. Seems like a windsor is a tall-deck small block. Nice engines in boats running 4,400 rpms all day.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 325
From: Central Florida
My build started as a 390 but when I discovered that the crank snout was badly damaged and would have to be replaced anyway, I opted to go the stroker route and buy a complete 4.250" stroke Scat rotating assembly. This is a complete balanced package (crank, rods, pistons, bearings, seals and rings). With a 0.040" overbore I have about 447 cubic inches. That should produce a ton of torque so will be an asset to street driving and pulling heavy loads.
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