390fe vs. 400
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390fe vs. 400
Which is better and why? A 390fe or 400. Also which has more aftermarket parts available (not nessecarily least costly)? I have heard a few pros and cons on both engines. I figured the genious people at FTE could help me more than anyone. Thanks in advance!
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Destin/Ft. Walton Beach,
I think the 390 beats the 400. Higher stock horsepower ratings (car 390). More 390's built for more years, and more aftermaket parts for the 390. The 400 is better, because when you remove the 400, a 460 will bolt to your transmission. LOL
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,600
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From: Iowa
Go with the 390FE. Its one stout motor, pretty much bulletproof unless you do something stupid. It's got a deep skirt block, wedge type cylinder heads, big main and rod bearings, and many parts can be interchanged between the various type of FE's. It's design was not saddled by emissions, also, although some later ones lowered compression for the sake of emissions, which can be solved with a simple piston swap. Many high performance stock cylinder heads were produced and are available.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,447
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From: Littleton, CO
What are you trying to accomplish with the engine. Depending on your plans, you may be limited to your choices... Both engines will cost roughly the same to build up. The FE has not been in production since 78, but there are plenty of engines available as they dominated the truck line. By the same token, there are more than enough 400's available. Thier downturn was that they had low compression but lots of torque. Again, with the right amount of knowledge (just enought to be dangerous), one can be built to perform...
IMO, go FE, but that is what I am currently building --Mike
IMO, go FE, but that is what I am currently building --Mike
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,624
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From: Missouri
People making big power with a 400 have done some serious work to it. The 390 is not cheap to build but it is stonger and will last longer. I think the head design of the 400 was off to a better start but they never really finished with it. I like to have somewhat of a variety of performance parts available. I would say with great confidence that the 390 will make more HP per $ than anything on the 335 series once you get over 350HP. Up to that point it is about even.
New User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: in the city, but very close to the country
I would go with the 390.
i had a choice of a 400 or a 390 for my bronco. the 400 has no after market pistons anymore, unless you custom build them and they dont have much else.
The 390 i put in my bronco took about 3500 canadian, and i have aprox 425hp and 480 lbs. of torque. i like the 390 even though it gets less milage than the 400, i don't have to worry bout the bronco gettin stuck in the mud with the 35's im runnin.
i had a choice of a 400 or a 390 for my bronco. the 400 has no after market pistons anymore, unless you custom build them and they dont have much else.
The 390 i put in my bronco took about 3500 canadian, and i have aprox 425hp and 480 lbs. of torque. i like the 390 even though it gets less milage than the 400, i don't have to worry bout the bronco gettin stuck in the mud with the 35's im runnin.
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