360? Need opinions.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,354
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From: Jackassville
Yep all they need is to be "waked up", ford made these engines really detuned from the facotry, a cheap 4 barrel manfilod, a holley, and some headers are easy and cheap to do and really makes a huge diffrence. You can go antoehr step and put in a crane cam in, that REALLY makes a diffenrence, I cant get enough of my new 352FE.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
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I would go with the 428 or the 390 and just save the 360 for block and heads for a future 390 or 410 based build. Unless you want to pay to get some custom pistons made for a 360 to get the lousy compression ratio up. One other thing is the 360 rods are pretty wimpy looking, so go with a set of 390 rods and have custom pistons made for those. I would love to see someone really do that to a 360 but I doubt that I will see it anytime soon. Good luck in whatever you do but don't be suprised if you rebuild that 360 and after about 2 months it just doesn't have enough snort to get you excited. Heck, I have a 401 C.I. 390 in my 73 F-100 and I am toying with ways to get more power out of it.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,600
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From: Iowa
Hey, my brothers old 360 that was in my truck made plenty of power when he was driving it. It would set you back in the seat good. The years of sitting kinda took the zip out of it though. 
That's why the new 390 went in.
That's why the new 390 went in.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
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Some of them must have fallen together right (run better and supposedly the exact same engine) it happens. I know my cousin had a 360 that he said ran good and both of my fathers had them and said they ran real strong for just a stock 360. Step dad said his got a little better mileage than his 390, and other dad said his ran great and could get 18 MPG and had to try pretty hard to get below 16! Still though, I have heard way more negative comments on 360's about lack of power and no better mileage and those negatives have been far more consistent in numbers than positives. Could a guy get some higher compression pistons for like a hi-perf 352 and then maybe find some wide beam 352 hi-perf rods (the only wide beam version of the long rod). I'm guessing that the piston part is possible but the hi-perf 352 rods.... good luck finding those. I would think that 390 rods and custom pistons is about the only theasible alternative or custom longer rods.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
I was under the belief that 360 and 390 rods are the same, just that the piston wrist pin location is different, due to the different stroke of the crank.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
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From: Near Fresno, California
You were half right. The 360 and the 390 use different lenght rods, and the wrist pin location on the piston is also different. The wrist pin locations were different to make up different compression heights.
Long rods (6.540 inches) were used in the FE 332, 352, 360, and the 361 Edsel engine, as well as the FT 330 MD (64 - 78) and (73-78) HD engines.
Short rods (6.488 inch) are used in FE 390, 406, 410, 427, and 428 engines; and the FT 361, 391, and the 64 to 72 330 HD engine.
All from Christ's book, I don't know why we needed two different lenght rods.
Long rods (6.540 inches) were used in the FE 332, 352, 360, and the 361 Edsel engine, as well as the FT 330 MD (64 - 78) and (73-78) HD engines.
Short rods (6.488 inch) are used in FE 390, 406, 410, 427, and 428 engines; and the FT 361, 391, and the 64 to 72 330 HD engine.
All from Christ's book, I don't know why we needed two different lenght rods.
Last edited by WillyB; Jan 28, 2005 at 03:20 PM.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
Ok I see. The excuse for shorter rods on long stroke is clearance and pin location. Chevy did the same thing to the 400 small block, although the aftermarket makes the pistons for use with the standard long rod cheaper than the stock setup... I guess I was misinformed before, but the rods can't be that hard to find. I have a set available, had the keeper on a couple wrist pins fail and let the pin rub the cylinder wall for a while, ruining the block. That showed up about the same time the valves burned out... found it when I pulled the head.
Last edited by fellro86; Jan 28, 2005 at 07:02 PM.
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