All the good stuff from 302-460 (cap,captower & rotor) fits right on to your stock FE dist. Ok. Just put in your ignitor and set air gap, you may have to turn your dist alittle bit for it to start the first time then re-time it eng. "YOU'LL'' need to get 8mm plug wires, 460 works best get the straight ended ones not the 45*deg plug end ones. You can check that out on ebay.

==============
michaelbrainardatwor, No, just points. I was running the accel super big hot coil then.
my 2cent
orich

 

orich,

I'm watching a bid item on ebay for a Ford FE 352 390 428 Duraspark Distributor w/Cap &Rotor (brass contacts). The starting bid is 15, but you can buy it now for $30. Is this what you were talking about and a good buy @ 30? No wires, but I saw some 8mm Accels for 25.

I don't head out for TX until Sat. Saw this just browsing tonight and thought I'd check with you on it.

 

"No" thats the stock Dura-spark for the FE 390, it came out with the small regular 1 piece cap with 7mm wires OK. You Would then need to get the Dura-spark power-box that it all plugs in to. What you want is the 2 piece cap & cap-mounting tower and rotor ok from 74 to 77 0r 79. After this some models came out with an up-graded newer dura-spark cap-tower & a round rotor after these years will not fit the stock-points dist. for the FE after these years. But if you weren't going to use the igniter pointsless setup then this dura-spark stuff is cheap now days and is a good up-grade from stock points setup. Just go to the junk-yard find a clean setup cut & remove all the wires harness and plugs you'll need for this unit to reinstall it in your truck. It will be no good if you can't figuer out how to wire it up right, I do have this info tho if you went this way other than going with the Ignitor setup.. The cap is around $13.00 for a good cap & you can find a good used tower for $2bucks.
Mind is a Holly with brass contacts ok, this is the type you want "Not alum" .....my 2cents
orich

 

orich,

I do plan to go to the ignitor. I just saw this setup and wondered if it is the type you were talking about. You mentioned about being small and one piece. Here is a pix of the one I'm talkin about on ebay.

I was really asking about it for the top items to go on my dist. Did not know if this dist would work or not, with an ignitor. It does have the brass contacts and comes in parts (cap, rotor, and a ring that looks like where the top fits to the base).




http://i13.ebayimg.com/03/i/02/45/e9/c7_1_b.JPG

 

depmiller
Yep this is what you need,the 3 piece cap set. Not dist. I don't know if the Ignitor will fit in the dura-spark dist. You maybe find out by going to there
web site and checking the part#'s...
Ps.. I'm back to the stock exh system with a cross over pipe 2''1/2 pipes
with those cast iron exh. manifolds. With those mothers,I've got all kinds of room (no more headers) for me Oh it's so quiet in the cab & eng compartment
my 2 cents
orich

 

orich,

I'm back in Arizona from my trip to Texas. Now with the tower, cap, rotor, and elctronic ignition, can it be placed on my motor with the 2 bbl? I'm still in the market for the 4 bbl carb and intake. I have found a cast iron locally. I know it is as heavy as the 2 bbl, but are there any operational differences between the two? I can get it now and hooked up before I find a lighter one at a lower price than new.

I have decided to go with just the dual exhaust. Remove the second gas tank between the frame and install the duals, no headers.

Also to change out the dist with a reman with the new electronic stuff and replace the timing chain and gears. It has over 150 thousand and may be in need of replacement. Which could be a part of my bad gas mileage other than just being a gas hog.

What you think???

 

I know you asked orich directly, but I wouldn't waste my time and effort (and I mean EFFORT) trying to switch to another cast iron intake. They weigh about 75 pounds! Just think about that, not to mention spending more money on gaskets when you find that aluminum manifold. I have a cast iron 4 barrel manifold now with an Edelbrock carb and I'll just wait until I need to tear apart the motor then I'll slap down the dollars for that Edelbrock manifold. I've found that Edelbrock has been way too easy to change metering rods as compared to messing with the Holley carbs. Don't get me wrong, I like Holley carbs too. I've changed out metering rods to get my other truck to pass smog. Takes less than 10 minutes on an Edelbrock carb. No mess of gas spilling out like when you remove the bowls on a Holley. You can buy a book and metering rod kit to fine tune that Edelbrock carb.

 

Faithful Old Road Dog

I appreciate your input. I really was looking for the lighter one, and not pay the retail price, but have not had any good luck yet. The ones I have seen on ebay end up costing almost retail.

I'm still checking the yards, unless I get a bundle soon to buy out right. Need a bunch of other things as well.

 

depmiller, Well good you made it home, If you don't have a timing light get one. and you may have to turn your dist. like , I did for it to startup for the first time when you do the dist and plug wire upgrade.

I think maybe your going a little fast in wanting to do somethings that you may have to redo, a later date! The goal was for gas mileage & power and for sure it's very hard to get both at the same time. I think you said the truck had about 150000. miles on it. So what kind of compression is this eng pumping up with dry cylinder test and then wet ?? The point is if you want to do things now then redo the samethings later like headers ect. and so on intake manifold, I would wait until it time to rebuild your engine or upgrade to a 390 block if it's not one. You should do a good over all check of your engine first so you don't wast your $$$ bucks and time if the engine is in some what poor shape. It's cheaper and you save a lot of time to try to do things once the first time around when you start pulling down the engine. Theres alot of little things you can do to help in getting better milage. my2cents
orich

 

orich,

I do have a light. For now I just plan on putting in the electronic stuff. I will keep my eyes peeled for a Alum intake and take advantage of a good price, if possible.

I know about doing a dry compression test. Is the wet, when you put oil in the hole and test again?

You think I might be money ahead to find a good 390 and build it slowly to replace this 360? Instead of rebuilding the 360 and being down for a longer period of time. The 390 would be an upgrade in all aspects and a one day downtime on the swap.

I am talking about down the road a ways on doing this, unless I fall into a super deal in the mean time.

 

depmiller, Working on these old truck and there engine is a lot of fun for you younger guys today.As it was for Me with Model A's back in the 50's when,I was a teenager.It was all about speed&power and gas as low as 17cents a gal
and up as high as 102+octane.Then in the mid 60's as high as 107 for abo ut 35 cents a gal. And earning about 0.75 an hr working as a dish washer.Was not along then.Today minim wage is about $6.50 or so here in Ca. and gas is $1.99 and up for the cheap 87 octane right here today in San Jose. Gas will just keep going up yr. in yr. out right! I'm not saying that your only make that kind of wage ok. So here's what you need to ask yourself if you build a bad *** motor or maybe just alittle pumped up over stock,what grade or minim octane will you be able to run. And you living in AZ you can't run to lean air/fuel mixture unless your in the mountains which you can run alittle lower octane at times. Will you be drivng it less because it uses more gas and you can't a ford it as a daily driver any more! Now is the time of learning the do's and don't and thinking about your main goal that you want to end up with for your truck. PS, Holly BY far is not the great all round carb but was know for power not mileage. Plus a pain in the *** to dialin, yester yr they were always leaking float bowls until newer bowl bolt gaskets came along as early post says. For some of theses reason is why your always under the hood many more time than if you left it stock. Have fun with it.. just my 2cents
orich

 

orich,

I do want to drive this truck more often. I was thinking of building a good stock 390, that should run any of the octanes, and maybe add some octane booster from time to time.

I have been looking at getting a crate motor as well. I have run across some 390's in the yards and they run about 500. I can get a crate motor for 1100 to 1350 and don't have to go through the hassle. Which may be my best bet in the long run.

What you think???

 

i live in oregon and i can get a 390 from 150 to 200 dollars in the salvage yard. Im converting my 360 to a 390 right now, its in the machine shop.

 

depmiller, Here in San Jose at the loco pick & pull junkyard they had there last of the summer 1/2 off sale. All engines were $75.00 their was car & truck 390's. Maybe there's one close to your area. I wouldn't pay $500 for an engine out of a j-yard if you can get one for as low as 1350. Then later you have to put in harden v-seats in the heads and that would cost about $300 if your lucky plus you don't know if there's a hair line crack in the exh-v pocket until it cracks all the way through to the water jacket. I had my heads done 6 yrs ago and sure enough one head had a crack that was not all the way through to the water jacket. I went to a j-yard that the m-shop said to and 2 heads later found a good one. You can't tell good or bad until you pull the valves out and bead blast & m-fluxed.. So you see what you may end up with when getting a j-yard motor. You will find what your looking for if you don't get in a big hurry. Ps, I came across alum-intake & carb for 2bills & 175. with out carb, last night on a massage board. I don't know what the going price is these days...my 2cents
orich

 

orich,

I don't know why they gave me such a high price at this yard. I knew it was too high, since a crate would not be much more. I have not found any for the price you can get them for in your area. Not even for the price joegeoghegan317 said he can get them for in his area.

Question: When I bought this truck the owner said it had a 390, but the vin says 360. I have been buying parts and stuff for a 360 and have not had any problems with the items fiting. Is there an easy way to determine which engine it really is? Are there any numbers to look up on the engine? I have seen a forum that said something about putting some kind of measuring stick in a spark plug hole and measuring the distance or something. I was told just today about taking off the heads and measuring the pistons or the hole. Did not want to remove a head just for that.

Any other way to know for sure???