I just bought a 72' camper special with a recently rebuilt 390,but it through a rod and the block has a hole in it.
The heads are off and the motor is ready to pull. I am told the heads are real good and other parts are too and will have this checked.This is a 4speed.
Now I am concidering fixing the motor with a rebuilt shortblock and throwing in a heavy duty clutch kit. In the end I will need to be able to towe my old heavy 32 foot trailer if needed although I do not plan on it much but need to know I can.
So I kind a figured I would go with a 460. I wonder if the tanny will fit with a 460? and would I be better off just keeping the 390 set up since I also have the 4 speed.
I would appreciat any feedback. Thanks Lane

 

I'm doing a 70 camper special right now. The 360 that was in
it is bad, but I have another 360 I'm dropping into it just to
get it running. In the mean time I'm going to do a complete
rebuild on a 460 I have, and when it's finished I'm planning to
put it in my camper special. I tossed this around a lot. I had
considered stoking the 360 out to a 390, but I want this truck
to pull what every I put behind it, so I settled for the 460.
The 360/390 have a different bell housing bolt pattern than
the 460. If you go with the 460, you'll need to change out the
transmission. If you decide to go with the 460, consider putting
in a C6 auto.

jeff

 

Thanks jeff, The C-6 would be the choice of corce.
now I have just read about the long wheel base of the 350 CS and how much better they handle hauling the heavy loads. Oh well,I will get by with what I have.

 

I went thru this myself, had a bad 360 and was going to get the 460. I bought the bell housing for $100 and started check about headers, mounts... and the cost was pretty high for the proper Hooker headers, the mounts were about $150.
I ended up buying a 390 rebuild kit and found a 428 crank and went with that. The 390 is an excellent engine and will have all the torque you need. The engine, like any engine, needs some special work. The oiling system needs some simple mods, drill out the passage from the pump to the filter pad to about 1/2" and use a HV pump or HV/HP pump with a large oil pan. Match the main bearings oil holes to the bearings and get an RV type cam. Long tube headers and a good 4v intake will do wonders for this engine. Trust me, the 390 is well known as a torque monster, even in stock trim, the 390 puts out 427# at 3200 rpm. Bear in mind that the 390 will cost a bit more than the 460 until you consider the cost of the bell housing, mounts, headers...

 

I have said this many times in the past, DON'T SWAP FOR A 460. It's not worth the trouble and money you will spend in swap parts. Find another 390 and rebuild it to put in. I put a 460 in a 70 250 and had to do a lot of customizing , yea you can buy the parts to do it but buy the time you do that you have spent money that cuold buy rebuild kits and the other parts for the 390. the FE is a power house engine and just abuot bullet proof.

 

 

Thanks for this imfo, just what I needed to know and then some.
Beefin it up with the crank and oil delivery changes - great , I know now I will stay with the 390 and have some mods done. Lane

 

hey i have a 390 in a old 73 step van the engine is seized up from sitting for a long time, couldnt get it to turn by crank bolt. rockers are rusted pretty bad. would it be smarter to rebuild or i found a donor truck runs and drives with a ford 460 and c6 transmission could do a full swap with everything there. which would be easier and less money?

 

If this is a P series Parcel Delivery (the front doors slide back/forth), the engine has been swapped, because originally only the 240 & 300 I-6's were installed.

All the parts are obsolete, no one reproduces any of the parts, plus the body itself was not installed by Ford.

Ford sold the rolling chassis to aftermarket body makers, who installed their own bodies, that included a Class A motorhome body.

Because of the lack of parts, I'd be hesitant to spend any money on a P series.