Just tore apart a friends 390 that wasn't running too hot in his 75 highboy. Starting running rough after a 150 mile drive. Ran great almost the entire way, no unusual noises, tons of power. Upon tear down we found several "BB's" scattered throughout the intake manifold and smashed to pieces in the chambers. Some loser must have thought it would be a funny prank. Haha. 4 cylinders had all the valves bent and one even managed pass a hardened exhaust seat all the way through the engine. Pistons beat to hell, top rings in effected pistons stuck in their grooves. Seen some pretty nasty engines in my time, but never one this beat to heck inside that still made power. Gonna try the crane 941 and performer RPM on this one along with new valves, pistons and rings. Does the 941 have a fairly aggressive idle to it in a 390?

Dustin
Locking my hood from now on

 

Man, that sucks! The lengths Chevy guys go to...

The 941 doesn't have a very agressive idle. With mufflers it sounds like a stocker, assuming your timing at idle is set correctly. It does help top end power though, so it makes the perfect cam for a sleeper.

I took apart a junkyard 360 that still ran, that had one rod bearing completely gone. It was the connecting rod directly riding on the crank. It still ran, but with some noises. Inside was completely full of sludge. Tough engines.

 

tough engines you bet i had a 390 that broke 2 snap rings which held the wrist pins in and the wrist pins went half way into the water jacket the engine ran fine but it was smoking like crazy drove it 150 miles home like this

 

That's just not right. Sorry to hear of some jackasses idea of funny at your buds expence. Hope your able to get it sorted. Back in H.S. a fellow classmate put rocks in my 428's valve cover through the oil fill cap. I was not very thrilled with the results either. I did find out who it was and returned them to him. His Chevy ran like a box of rocks anyway....G.

 

Oh.........I could tell yall some stories !!! I had a guy in 70, when I was in High School that his Dad was very rich!! Preacher !! enough said....Anyway not to brag..but my 442 was the fastest car in School Nice built Roller motor...

This dude when his dad bought the Vette..just thought his S**t didnt stink....Well I wouldnt race him until I got my Posi..Cause I just couldnt keep the power to the ground.. Well I finally got the rear done and told him..the race was on !!

I raced him at Lunch in front of the whole school..and spanked him Like a red headed step child!!! That Night my Car...at my folks house...under a carport..was trashed..Paint all keyed up and egged..

Well I knew who did it....Called a friend who's Dad owned a IH Military 4X4..and his Dad loaned it to me..knowing what my intentions were....The next day at school I took that high rise big tired Dodge IH...and hit that Vette at 45mph...(fast as I could get it to go in the parking lot!!

Come to find out...His driving record was so bad..his insurance company cancelled his dads insurance on it..and being how it was paid for in cash....He lost everything !!

Are senior year..he was driving a new honda car!!! LMAO!!!!

Russ

 

thats a story Russ and i like the ending. As for toughness the inline 300 6 is the toughest thing i've seen and owned.

 

I have too agree about the inline big six !! I had one in an 84 short bed I had. And you could NOT kill that motor " I Tried".....

I bought it with 120,000+ Just to use it around the property, hauling fire wood and such, making run to the green boxes,etc.. I sold it..still running like a timex watch.....with 298,000 on it, 5 years ago..and the guy I sold it too is still driving it !!

Russ

 

We're getting the 390 back together... It is sad that some people can't find better things to do with thier time. I just got a 300 six powered 1970 F100 and I'm totally amazed that it still runs after hearing the previous owners stories and seeing how he drove it. He drove it for 6 years, across country several times, with NO air cleaner and a hole halfway up the radiator. I should run a second exhaust pipe to the valve cover it has so much blowby. Put 4 quarts of oil in it to get it to a friends house. Gotta drive it 250 miles this weekend to my place where it's gonna get an 89 EFI 300 six transplanted into it. This trip could be very interesting. Planning to brick the pedal when (if) it makes it there.
Dustin

 

WHen I bought my truck I drove it for a few weeks before changing oil. When I did, about a gallon of gas came out after the oil did. I replaced the fuel pump and everything is cool now. I saw some pretty weird stuff with my engine and am convined the FE is the toughest motor going

 

You dont want to do that! They're worth a lot more if they DONT have a hole in the side of the block.

 

on draining the oil when i was doing the rebuild...

I carefully positioned the bucket to catch the oil under the oil pan, undid the sump plug expecting the oil to flow out........


nothing...

not a drop....

nothing at all....

and it was running up till then..... adminttedly the heads and valves were pretty bad and it had smoked all the oil out of the exhaust.....

runs like a champ now though

EDGE