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1961 - 1966 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Slick Sixties Ford Truck

Looking for a 390

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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 06:18 PM
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Looking for a 390

352 that came with my truck is toast. Pickings around here are pretty slim on FBMP and Craigslist for a used one. Looking for any suggestions for a 390 crate engine. Anyone have a builder they recommend?
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 06:53 PM
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Here is the avenue I would take. Get your heads done. You already have all the other parts.
Remanufactured Ford 390 6.4 Short Block 1965-1976 | eBay
This is about the seller.
About Mabbco Motors USA
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 07:01 PM
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The 390 in pickups was a low 8s compression due to a sunken piston.

Not much can be done about the FEs thirst for gas, but you can get a bit more oomph with a little higher compression, which would be what the car versions had.

What happened to your 352? Worn out or block windowed?
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 07:14 PM
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The block partial windowed. Im not dead set on a 390 but seems the best choice. Have a 66 f100 4x4 with a manual 4 speed. Dont have the money for a coyote and putting a LS in truck like this seems sacrilegious. I would like to change out to a 5 speed manual at some point though.
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 08:58 PM
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No easy 5er with any FE, especially with 4 wheel drive.

One way to do it would be to bring over a 351W with a 5er and TC out of a later model truck. Get new enough you get a roller motor out of it.

Taking an EFI SBF back to carb is pretty simple.
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 09:56 PM
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Most any motor build today is expensive. Crate motors are no give away either. If swapping motors is the way, you will still need the rest of the of the stuff to support it. Installing a junk yard motor is always a gamble. 4-5K for a fresh block and rebuilt heads is a bargain in today's times. If we were talking about a Y-block that thing would be gone quick. FE has always meant F***ing Expensive.
A few examples. ford 390 engine for sale | eBay
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 10:43 PM
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Im stripping the truck down the the frame, just dont have the budjet right now for a transmission swap. Was looking at later on doing a NP205 swap. I know Advance Adapters makes an adapter for a the Tremec 4050 and the NP205. The real issues is just the 390 to the 4050. Open to any suggestions on other engines.
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 11:09 PM
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I thought we were talking about engines?
 
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Old Sep 20, 2023 | 11:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Christmas
I thought we were talking about engines?
lol we got side tracked. As we were talking about before I’m looking for a 390. Unless somebody has a better idea the 390 seem the easiest since I can pull parts off of my 352. I was just explaining my future possible plans.
 

Last edited by AtlasRoaming; Sep 20, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
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Old Sep 21, 2023 | 12:12 AM
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The NV4500 is a far more stout trans. These things are behind diesels, pulling lots of weight. These guys can provide the complete package. Extreme Built NV4500 for Dodge or GM - (high-impact.net)
 
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Old Sep 21, 2023 | 04:20 AM
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390's aren't scarce or hard to find. You just need to look where they are. If you are looking for a core and willing to pay for truck freight and most likely a rebuild.
I found over 50 used car engines for sale, but these two places have the best selections of car engines.
This place shows 6 of them. Shamrock Auto Salvage
This place shows 35 of them. Auto Wrecking,Classic Car Parts,Antique Auto Parts,Car Parts,Truck Parts,Turners Auto Wrecking
I didn't look for truck engines mainly because they are usually beat to death by the time they end up in a yard.
 
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Old Sep 22, 2023 | 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Christmas
Here is the avenue I would take. Get your heads done. You already have all the other parts.
Remanufactured Ford 390 6.4 Short Block 1965-1976 | eBay
This is about the seller.
About Mabbco Motors USA
Looking like your suggestion might be the best option. Christmas do you have any suggestions on any of the options they offer? ARP Bolts, Double row timing set, Upgrade to High Volume Oil Pump, etc.
 
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Old Sep 22, 2023 | 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by AtlasRoaming
Looking like your suggestion might be the best option. Christmas do you have any suggestions on any of the options they offer? ARP Bolts, Double row timing set, Upgrade to High Volume Oil Pump, etc.
I think the first thing to do is what are you expecting from it long term. Daily driver, part time tow vehicle, gas mileage be dammed tire shredder. You could contact Mabbco directly and ask for direction in what you're trying to achieve. For me having the machine work done and buying parts is comparable to what they are offering.
 
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Old Sep 26, 2023 | 10:42 PM
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Search Results (shamrockautosalvage.com)
they show that they do have some engines.

And there is a nice 429 choice too:
Search Results (shamrockautosalvage.com)
 
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Old Sep 27, 2023 | 08:24 AM
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Try S&J Engines. 1972 FE 390 Remanufactured long block $2500. I used them as my choice years back and have no regrets.
 
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