Should I rebuild it or just get a 460. I'm getting the 460 anyway but I was planning on using it in another truck. The 360 block has perfect cylinder walls but I've never heard anything good about a 360. I've got a 390 crank but it needs turning down and I don't want to go that route. So that being said, should I 360 or 460?

 

I say rebuild it. I dont know where you heard its a bad motor but I can tell you its not. Ford used em from 67-72? They are ecellent motors and have the potential for great amounts of power. No reall defects or major problems with them, they pretty much run forever without problems. Now, a popular thing is too turn the 360 into a 390 if you want. Youll need to get it bored .30 over? Not sure how far exactly. Rusty will tell you he has a 360 with fuel injection. Then get a 390 crank, rods, and pistons from dscmotorsport.com and you have a 390. Putting a 460 in your model truck will be a royal pain in the ***. Your talking diffrent tranny with diffrent tranny mounts, different motor mounts, and the 360 will make more then enough power for you.

 

A pain yes, but so it the frame off resto I've got to buy mounts for either one

 

But there is nothing wrong with the 360! Its a great engine and will keep your frame of resto more orginal and unique. Just tell me how much horsepower you want from the engine and ill tell you how to do it with the 360, okay?

 

You don't have to bore a 360 to get a 390, they have the same bore size just a different stroke 360= 4.05 bore/ 3.50 stroke, 390= 4.05 bore/ 3.78 stroke. To make a 390 you need the 390 crank and rods (I believe) and the slipper skirt 390 pistons.

 

I'd like at least 350hp at the crank.

 

Thats easy dont need a 460 for that. Let me get my list of mods together and ill tell ya what to do.

 

I can do anything except change intakes. I have a set of OLD valve covers with no holes in them so I have to keep the intake with oil spout. I also don't want to have it bored out. The cylinders are in very good shape.

 

350hp at the crank in a 360 is no problem. Here's what you need to do:

1. Use a Crane 343941 cam
2. Take the cylinder heads to a compotent machine shop and have them ported. Dont let 'em touch the combustion chamber, just port for more airflow.
3. Get a set of Ford 361 FT pistons with the 1.902" compression height, take 'em to a machine shop and have 'em fly cut .022" off the top of them. This, with your existing crank and rods, will give 0 deck. You'll also have to rebalance the reciprocating assembly; it's internal balance so they dont need the flexplate / flywheel or harmonic balancer. I suggest you go to Napa for the pistons. This will result in around 9.5:1 compression.
4. Use the .041" thick Fel-Pro permatorque head gaskets, readily available.
5. Get adjustable rocker arms and their matching pushrods. This allows you to accurately set lifter preload. See DSC for these.
6. Use a Holley 600cfm vacuum secondary carburetor.
7. Headers, dual exhaust.

According to my Desktop Dyno program, this will result in 377hp @ 5500rpm, and 401ft-lbs @ 4000rpm. The torque curve is as flat as a pancake from 2000rpm all the way up to 5000rpm.

 

Is there a way to reuse my stock pistons and still make good power?

 

No not really. The problem is that you need to get the top of the pistons as close to the deck surface as possible. You already have long rods and 1.776" compression height pistons. This results in .104" deck clearance. This will result in low compression no matter which heads you put on it. Sorry, but if it's going to stay a 360, then those pistons have to go.

Now if you turn it into a 390, you have the perfect pistons for it.

 

I would agree with the 360 assesment, they mostly get a bad rep because they were smogged down and trying to pass stricter emission standards, now I always said that the 360 is like a 352 a short stroke big block that can be built to rev and make good torque.