Is it an FE
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New User
Joined: Oct 2004
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Is it an FE
I've been here before and some of you gave me some tips on giving the 390 a little more pep. I presume the FE is the truck motor but it's not the original motor. It's about 10 years old and was suppose to have been a new engine. How can I tell that it is a FE. Don't know if the heads would have come with it. If the heads came with it, how can I tell if the valves are such that I can burn unleaded without an additive? Checking prices today on manifolds and carbs, what is a single and dual plane manifold and is the double pumper worth it? Thanks for helping the new guy!
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: SOUTH CAROLINA
most of the fe's have 352 cast into the block. a single plane manifold has one large opening that the carb sits on with no split for the runners to the heads. the runners are straight and go directly to each cylinder. you would be better off with a mechanical or vacume secondary carb.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 424
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From: Puyallup WA.
If you are certain that you have a 390 then you have an FE motor. Fe is the designation for the engine group starting with the 332 and going to the 428. It was Fords big block before they came out with the 429/460. If you distro is in the front and your valve covers cover the head and part of the intake manifold then you have a FE block. As for the unleaded issue, clean the ares between the two center spark plugs on both heads and look for the stamped designation "D2TE" on both. They have hardened valve seats and will handle enleaded fuel just fine. The two center spark plugs should angle toward each other making the plug wires touch or almost touch. You might have to pull them off to see the series designator on the heads. I am not really sure haw to explane what a duel plane and single plane intake is. Basically on a single plane manifold, the fuel flows to all the cylinders on the same plane. No clue on the double pumper.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: NE Oregon
Single plane manifolds are for higher rpm use, not appropriate for a truck pulling trailers and such. Dual plane manifolds seperate out the cylinders and group them into two sets of four intake ports. I'd think it helps to keep intake velocity up as compared to the single plane manifold. If you ignore the marketing hype, the following sort of describes the difference: http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/TechSer...o/AMMTech.html
Googling around should net you some pictures of the differences as well.
A double-pumper carb has a second accelerator pump. For any normal use, it's pretty much worthless. Dragracing would benefit from it. A well sorted 600CFM (Holley 4160) or an Edelbrock carb would run nicely.
Googling around should net you some pictures of the differences as well.
A double-pumper carb has a second accelerator pump. For any normal use, it's pretty much worthless. Dragracing would benefit from it. A well sorted 600CFM (Holley 4160) or an Edelbrock carb would run nicely.
