My buddy down here in North Carolina had his 360 built as a 390 for less than a 1000. Depending on how it is machined, you can get over 300 hp and 327 lb ft torque. That is pretty stock too.

 

Hi, My brother wants to sell the hole car for 800 so I dont know. Not to put a damper on a rebuild but you have to watch out. Some of the FE's had a problem when they are bored out the occasionally get a pin hole in the cylinder wall. But many do not.
If you are going for the rebuild I agree and also sugest to find a 390 crank and rods. The rods are the same length as a 360 but they are stronger.

Mac

 

Better check the FE specs RCMC. The 352/360 share the same rods, but the 390 is a different length along with the rest of the FE family. Lengths are 352/360- 6.504" 390/406/410/427/428- 6.488". The shorter rods are stronger also.

Putt

 

Hi Putt, I did some checking and my information on the rod lenth is incorrect. I was going by one of my old instructors at tech school had said. Sorry about the Opps.
Mac

 

It would be nice if people would just answer the question that was asked. It's a very easy swap. Obtain engine stands from a late 69 to 79 2 wheel drive which came stock with a small block. If theres no engine in the truck, you can tell the small block stands, because the passenger side stand actually overhangs off the rear of the crossmember by an inch or so. The passenger side stand goes in the rear set of holes in the crossmember, and the driver side goes in the front set of holes. I bought motor mounts for a 70 F100 with a 302 at Auto Zone. I used the 352 radiator, but I had to use a chunk of radiator hose inside of the 352 radiator hose, to get it down to the size of the 302 outlet and inlet. The headers were also ordered for a 70 F100 with a 302. Same engine compartment as 65/66. When I did the swap the first time, I used the original 352 stands. The 302 bolted in and worked fine, but the engine is a little far forward compared to the stock location. The second truck I did the 302 swap to is a 65. I also swapped in an AOD transmission. Both came from a salvage yard out of a 90 Town Car for 500 bucks. Both were 70,000 mile parts, and are still going strong after 24,000 miles. I run the hell out of that truck every day pulling a job trailer, and pull a 6,100 lb boat on a triple axle trailer on weekends. Friday, a friend was following behind me in his wifes Lexus LS400 leaving a stop light. He called me on his 2 way radio, asking what I had in that truck for an engine. He wasn't wide open, but in his words, he had to give that v-8 Lexus "quite a bit of gas" to keep up with me. That job trailer is my mobile workshop, slammed full of tools and parts bins. When not towing, I get between 22 and 25 miles per gallon. I had to go through a pile of driveshafts at the local boneyard with a tape measure, to find one of the length I needed, and it cost me $20. Much cheaper then getting one custom made. I'll admit, that I swapped in an Edelbrock cam, lifters, springs, timing set and intake, and a Holley Street Avenger carb. Full length headers with turbo mufflers, and MSD 6-A firing a Duraspark distributor in place of the Ford box. I also swapped in self ported 65 289 heads, but I should have just ported the stock heads. Now I have to use 93 Octane gas, or retard the heck out of the timing. I know the 352 or 390 is a good engine. They are just so darn heavy and huge chunks of iron. Besides that, they have several inherrant problems. Poor gas mileage, oiling problems, and cracking exhaust manifolds, and then breaking exhaust studs when replacing the manifolds are just a few. There are reasons why the 302 made it into the present decade, and the FE hasn't been made in over 25 years. OK. So now I just did more then answer the question. I should be flogged. LOL.

 

Well, I disagree with the FE statement above. They stopped making the big blocks due to the early 70's emissions and fuel standards laws. The 302 can be made to make some hellacious horsepower, but the bottom line is this: Stock it just doesn't have HP and Torque like a Stock FE.

They also stopped making Slicks in 66 but I will keep driving mine until you can't buy gas for them anymore. Just my opinion, and thats why I suggested he rebuild the FE in the truck without having to retool the setup and be dump a ton of money into HP aftermarket parts to get what the original motor he has in it will do.

Again, just my 2 cents.

 

OK scamardo. If what you say is true about why they quit making the FE, why did they continue to make the 460 into the mid to late nineties? We had a 95 F350 company truck with a 460. It's a big block, isn't it? And the problems I noted about an FE engine? I didn't say that's why they quit making them. That's why I don't run them. Of course the 302 doesn't have the output stock, compared to a stock FE. It's much smaller. I don't remember the numbers, but a stock 302 is pretty close in output to a stock truck 352. I'm not trying to get anything started. I've owned and worked on every Ford engine series made, except for the new mod motors. Sixes and eights. Keeping an open mind, I have many reasons to prefer a small block. I've got less then a Grand in my engine and transmission. Not exactly a "ton of money". I've saved more then enough in fuel costs in one year over the 352 to pay for it. My stock 352 was a smooth engine, for almost 175,00 miles. It was no ball of fire though, and got horrible gas mileage. I too will continue to drive my 65, but I'll have saved a "ton of money" on gas, and have the power to beat many cars and trucks away from a red light. Trust me. If I find a better combo, I'll switch to IT.