all this talk about how everythings better then a 360 makes me want to see pepper build one thats a runnin S.O.B. i think you should build one with a good cam, performer intake, long tubes, dual 2.5 w/flowmasters, a 3.50 gear and a c6 w/ a shift kit, stack a 1 in spacer and a 600 holley on it, all in a f100 short bed. i bet with traction it would go low 14s and be a dependable ride. this combo would easily make 300hp and 375 ftlbs. go for it pepper, make it a tribute to all the 360s that want to rip but never will cause their frowned apond as a performance mill.

smoke n tires
78 f150 460 4.11 c6
83 gt 302 4V 3.73 5sp

Hungry for pavement, ready for chevys

 

I'll say the same thing I said in the other thread:

Well, the problem with building a 360 is that ALL of the available aftermarket pistons available have too low of compression height. This means that the top of the piston is too low in the bore at TDC. This means you get low compression. I calculated stock 360 compression to be around 7.8:1. There are NO available pistons to raise this. The only option is to get a custom set of pistons with a compression height of 1.88". This will put the top of the piston even with the deck, and give you good compression. And yes, ford did over-estimate their compression.

The problem with your approach of putting a bigger cam in, is the connection between your camshaft and the compression ratio of the engine. There are two forms of compression. Static and dynamic. Static is what you think of when you talk about compression ratio. Swept volume over combustion volume. Dynamic is calculated by figuring the intake valve closing angle into your calculation. Dynamic compression tells you how much compression you actually build, and will ALWAYS be lower than static compression. So when you put a bigger cam in an already low compression motor, the intake valve closes later, and your dynamic compression goes way down. This makes the motor a pig. You need to raise your static compression ratio to support a big cam. That's just the way it works.

Are you starting to see why it's better to convert to a 390? You're going to have to take the rods and pistons out anyway, so why not convert it to a 390? Then you get the correct aftermarket pistons, more stroke, stronger rods, higher compression, and you can run the big cam.

Sorry for the book. Class dismissed.

Now, you CAN build up a 360 to be a good performance engine. However, your first stop has to be to a piston shop to get a custom set of pistons. 1.88" compression height will give you zero deck in a 360. This will give you good static compression, and allow that bigger cam and other goodies. Unfortunately this costs $$$ and most people find it better to convert it to a 390.

 

Plus you still have the skinny beam long rods (unless you convert to 390, 410,427,428 short rods and have the piston company compensate for that also) For custom pistons I think your looking in the neighborhood of $600.

 

i realize the comp. is lacking in this motor but i run 8.5-1 and a good choppy cam in my 302 and it rips. i think lower comp. is good for low end grunt and for daily driving dependability due to todays fuel qaulity. i know 7.8-1 is lower then most but i think one would run if built right. these motors last forever because low comp. is easier on bottom end componets. high comp. is good for high rpm applications if the motor is made to support it. for the street 8.5-1 is capible of making power and i think 7.8-1 is not going to be that noticeable vs. the same engine with 8.5-1. oh well it depends what you want.

 

everyone keep in mind we are talking mild, cheap street performance. i mean mild as 250-275 hp and i mean cheap as in $500-600 total rebuild. i know when money is not an object the possibilities are unlimited but as a cheap, street performance, daily driver this motor would do. if it has to be faster you can always gear it lower. going from a 3.50 - 4.11 feels like a 50-60hp gain when excellerating. a 360 would out due a mild 302 in the same size truck when it comes to pulling and overall grunt.

 

True. But look at it this way, you could go to the junkyard and pick up a set of 390 rods and a 390 crank, pop 'em in your 360 and suddenly you have good compression and around 300hp. Port the heads yourself and put a good cam in and you have between 350 and 400hp. Sounds worth it to me.

 

i dont mean to crash the party but think of gregs (g tex) motor and all he has done to that thing and he runs low 14's. you d have to have a 360 on some serious steroids to run a 14. my .02.

 

True Six-Niner. In a lighter half-ton it would probably run a little faster though. I wonder if a relatively stock 360 would even run 13's in a Fox body Mustang...

 

Well Gregs Truck will see the 13's when a few more bugs are worked out....

My Old Dog..Mild built 390 70 F250 only runs 15.2 and that was back when it only weighed about 4350lbs....

Too get a 360 to run in the 14's is going to take some cash..whats a 1/2 ton weigh 4000lbs?? there abouts?? and can not produce the TQ..of the 390 without some major changes...

Ya have to have TQ in order to move something!! and Tq comes from stroke!! and to push the stroke around the Rotating assy..ya have to have a big enough bore...Otherwise you'll have a stump puller...with NO top end..or a stump puller that takes 3 miles to get up too top speed..

Thats why I like building Motors as close to 1 to 1 as possible..Meaning...to keep Hp and Tq..in a respectable range!! Street/strip use....

Hence Gregs build cause everyone knows it!! 4.150" bore X 4.125" stroke!! almost 1 to 1... The Build for my Stang.. 4.390" bore X 4.300" stroke!!

Gregs engine makes a perfect all around street terror....He will be in the ET's before long that all the Muscle cars of the 60's were running...and he toting around an 800 to 100olbs difference... Pretty cool if ya ask me!!

Russ

 

i doubt it. the 03 cobras can go 12s with a pulley change, some exhaust and engine management work and those things are pretty violent. plus i think they are heavier than a fox body.

 

Yeah, you aren't gonna see low 14's with a stockish 360.

My 67 F-100 short box weighs 3890 without me, has 3.54 limited slip, and stock '70 car 390 with 9.5:1 compression, performer rpm, holley 600, stock cam (for now.), headers, 2.5" duals.

it ran 15.9 at sea level.

You're gonna need 4.11 gears at least to allow that 360 to rev with it's shorter stroke to try to move that truck. Plus, you're gonna have to upgrade the rockers, springs, pushrods, and shafts to allow the valvetrain to rev past the 4,500 cut off point where the stock stuff grenades. And, if you put a cam into a 7.8:1 motor, you're gonna have a torqueless, soggy gas pig that goes nowhere fast. Classic mis-matched combo.

Since it has a short stroke, your gonna need to see 5,500-6,000 to get it to move. Then you're gonna have to worry about those weaker rods.

So... lets see: $400+ for custom pistons. probably $500 for rockers and such that can rev. $200 for cam and lifters and springs. $500 for aftermarket rods....

Not gonna be cheap to make a 360 that can run.