Ford 390fe smoke
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2024
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Ford 390fe smoke
Hi guys new here. I'm looking at a 74 f350 with a 390 in it. The truck is in decent shape, (it will need some body work). The engine fires up nice and seams to run ok, but it is smoking pritty bad. The question is, can running to rich/ sitting cause these engines to smoke? The smoke doesn't smell like burnt oil it smells like rich cruddy gas. The truck has been siting a wile. It has 120 thousand miles, so I wouldn't exspect it to be a oil burner. Any advise would be helpfull.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Welcome to FTE!
Black smoke is rich.
Blue smoke is oil.
You may have busted up valve seals, and OEM feature on many older Fords. A nuisance to replace, but not terribly costly.
Since it's a '74 it probably has D2TE heads that originally had hardened valve seats, so if it's running on all cylinders, your heads are probably "good", even if the seals are crap.
A carb rebuild will cost you $50 or so, and will clean up the black smoke.
Does it have the OEM fuel pump on the driver side of the engine?
Or an added on electric fuel pump?
What carb is on it?
Beware, all 360s become 390s on sale day, so check that VIN. 4th character is Y for the 360 and H for the 390.
Black smoke is rich.
Blue smoke is oil.
You may have busted up valve seals, and OEM feature on many older Fords. A nuisance to replace, but not terribly costly.
Since it's a '74 it probably has D2TE heads that originally had hardened valve seats, so if it's running on all cylinders, your heads are probably "good", even if the seals are crap.
A carb rebuild will cost you $50 or so, and will clean up the black smoke.
Does it have the OEM fuel pump on the driver side of the engine?
Or an added on electric fuel pump?
What carb is on it?
Beware, all 360s become 390s on sale day, so check that VIN. 4th character is Y for the 360 and H for the 390.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 153
Likes: 32
Thanks for the info! It has blew smoke, so probbly is burning oil. The weard thing is it don't smell like oil smoke. The guy says he did all new valve seats a few years ago. What do you think is cause the smoke? Rings or valve guides?
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Valve seats would be a "valve job" in the old days parlance.
Valve seals is what goes to pot in the Ford engines. They are neoprene umbrella seals. A few heat/cool cycles and they start to get hard, and a few thousand more they start to crack. They eventually fall apart and help clog the oil drain back holes creating a clear path for oil to run down the valve stem, and in some cases creating a nice pool of oil at the ready inside the valve cover.
Of course it could be rings too.
The FE is not a cheap engine to work on. You may have to search out someone to work on it if need be--especially if you do a rebuild.
The truck sounds like a bit of a project in the first place. Body work and engine work? Too much for some, pure heaven for others.
What transmission?
How are the tires and brakes?
Valve seals is what goes to pot in the Ford engines. They are neoprene umbrella seals. A few heat/cool cycles and they start to get hard, and a few thousand more they start to crack. They eventually fall apart and help clog the oil drain back holes creating a clear path for oil to run down the valve stem, and in some cases creating a nice pool of oil at the ready inside the valve cover.
Of course it could be rings too.
The FE is not a cheap engine to work on. You may have to search out someone to work on it if need be--especially if you do a rebuild.
The truck sounds like a bit of a project in the first place. Body work and engine work? Too much for some, pure heaven for others.
What transmission?
How are the tires and brakes?
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 30,906
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From: Angier, NC
I wounder if because it has not been used much that the rings might be stuck in the grooves?
Sometimes you can soak them still in the block with ATF and then work the motor hard and they may free up.
My .02
Dave ----
Sometimes you can soak them still in the block with ATF and then work the motor hard and they may free up.
My .02
Dave ----
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 153
Likes: 32
Alright, I think I'm calling it on this truck. I don't want a truck that needs a engine rebuld first thing. I'm have no problem redulding engines. I just don't need a huge project rate now. I thought the smoke was fishy. I wonder if it is a head gaskit. The truck is cheep, but it needs a lot of work to make it right. The cab ant terrable. The floor pans and cab mounts are in great shape, but the cab is rotted out all around the top of the windsheld. Thanks guys for the help.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2024
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Ps the tires are good. It needs a front brake line. It has a 4 speed in it. Clutch is great. It also needs a pto pump. I think I would buy it if the engine didn't smoke,
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I would be more put off by rust above the windshield than engine work.
Engines wear out--it's a given.
Rust--now rust gets everywhere it can.
Wouldn't be a head gasket. That would give you water in the oil, oil in the water, one or two cylinders missing, steam out the exhaust etc.
There is no pressurized oil going through the head gasket. Only drainback.
One other FE oil burner possibility is a bad intake manifold gasket that allows oil to be sucked into the intake. Usually you get a miss or some other "runs bad" problem with that.
Engines wear out--it's a given.
Rust--now rust gets everywhere it can.
Wouldn't be a head gasket. That would give you water in the oil, oil in the water, one or two cylinders missing, steam out the exhaust etc.
There is no pressurized oil going through the head gasket. Only drainback.
One other FE oil burner possibility is a bad intake manifold gasket that allows oil to be sucked into the intake. Usually you get a miss or some other "runs bad" problem with that.
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Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 153
Likes: 32
Yep I'll be looking for another truck. I don't mind the body work, the truck just needs a lot of differend things. On the east cost rust free trucks DO NOT exsist. I just think its interesting that the smoke didn't smell like burning oil.
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