Adding power to an ol 390
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Adding power to an ol 390
Well you Ford guys finally got me. I was hardcore chevy til i bought Jessi. She's a 71 F-100 short with styleside. Dumpster Green. She had a 240 and 3 on the tree but the last owner wedged a 390 and a c-6 out of a station wagon in her. The only thing i've done to her is opened the exhaust and put a MSD coil on her. I've got a mach-1 intake and a holley 750 for her, but i have no idea what to do next. Any ideas would be welcomed. Oh...3.70 9" rear end, non-limited-slip. Peace.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
well make sure the carb is a vacuum secondarie carb or else it won't work well. i would swap the points for electric ignition. i went with the crane xr-i kit from summit only 70.00 and worth every penny. power and gas mileage went up and it has a rev limiter too.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
the holley is a vac. secd. I was thinking about a MSD box and distributor. What i need is cam options. I will have it as my daily driver for a few years so road manners are important. But a slight lope at idle just sounds sooooo cool. Also, i want to run about 10:1 compression. Should i shave the heads or get pistons or both.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
i would not waste my time with the msd setup unless you plan on racing. the comp cams xr-i is the same setup but is only about 1.5'' big and fits in the dizzy. you will get the same performance from both. the msd just allows multiple sparks which is good for racing. the lope at idle is cool but not in a truck. those cams are for upper end power not torque most are for operating above 2,500 rpms with full power at 6,000 rpm.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
check out the fe forum and look for Rusty . he likes few i don't rember them off hand but some make awesome torque down low. my 390 is all torque it peaks at about 2,000 rpm and makes all the hp at about 4,000 i never take it over 4,000. you can feel the power kicking in at about 1,500 rpm. its like driving a diesel nothing but torque. i set the cam retarded to gain some torque.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
my 390 makes 431 ft lbs torque at 2,000 rpm and 240 hp at 3,500 rpm. with dual plane manifold and 600cfm carb. i pull between 20 and 24 in vacuum so mpg is decent.
Trending Topics
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Camp Pendleton, Ca.
edelbrock claims their performer rpm power packages (heads, intake, carb, water pump, cam, headers) bring the horsepower up to 418. That may be a little exagerated but I don't know. the price for everything is around 2800 bucks.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by parkerusmc
edelbrock claims their performer rpm power packages (heads, intake, carb, water pump, cam, headers) bring the horsepower up to 418. That may be a little exagerated but I don't know. the price for everything is around 2800 bucks.
