Hi,

I've been looking at a '79 F-350 as a potential project vehicle. It's got some rust, but it's a dualie with a 4 speed (actually used to be a U-Haul truck). I looked at the tag on the pass. side valve cover, and it said it was a 330ci, from the engine family 330-361-391. I've never heard of any of those engines. Is there anything anyone can tell me about a 330? Is it at all related to the FE engines?

Thanks

 

The U-hauls came with the FT engine family.

The FT engine include 330 cid HD and MD, 359, 361, 389, and 391 cid.
The FE and FT engines are Y-block designs—so-called because the cylinder block casting extends below the crankshaft center line, giving great strength at the cost of weight. In these engines, the casting extends 3.625 in below the crankshaft center, which is more than an inch below the bottom of the crank journals.

All FE and FT engines have a bore spacing (distance between cylinder centers) of 4.63 in, and a deck height (distance from crank center to top of block) of 10.17 in. The main journal (crankshaft bearing) diameter is 2.749 in.

The FE and FT block engines weigh about 650 lbs.

The 410 FE and 428 FE are externally balanced. FT medium and heavy duty truck engines are also externally balanced.


Internally balanced means the crank, rods, pistons, are balanced together without concern for the the flywheel, flexplate, or harmonic balancer.
Internally balanced means there's enough counterweighting in the crankshaft counterweights to do the job without help from the flywheel, fletxplate, or harmonic balancer.

The crankshaft counterweights inside don't always give us sufficient weight to counter reciprocating bobweight (rod and pistons). We add counter weight to the flywheel and harmonic balancer to make up for the difference in reciprocating weight inside the block.

With flywheels, it's an integral part fo the casting. Holes are drilled in the flywheel, often opposite the counterweight, to achieve ideal dyanmic balancing.

The same can be said of the harmonic balancer, which is also drilled to achieve ideal dynamic balance. We drill flywheels and harmonic balancers to remove weight where it isn't needed.

buck
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Moved- Try the guys down here for info!

 

Buck gave you a lot of good information. The 330 is an FT engine. They are basically the same as an FE but there are several differences. The FT motor mounts are in the front of the engine not on the side as an FE is. The FT's are not great performers from the factory but they are a good, durable engine. If it runs good I'd probably stick with it in a dually f350. If it's in poor shape then I'd be tempted to convert to an FE as parts are much more readily available and you can more easily improve the performance. The 390 would be the best for cost/performance.

Good Luck

Tracy

 

Thanks for the info guys. Which parts will and won't interchange with an FE? If sometime down the road I wanted to put a 4 bbl intake and headers on it, would ones from an FE fit it?

Thanks

 

Headers for a FE won't fit an FT. There is an "extra" exhaust port between the center two ports on an FT head.

Intakes are different too. You'll end up with coolant in the oil if you try.

Cody

 

As it's a 330, it has smaller valves due to it's smaller bore diameter. You will not be able to swap to any of the FE heads.

I would advise if you're going to do anything to just get an FE 390 (or 360 and rebuild it to a 390) and be done with it. You could probably have the block sonic checked and bored to 4.050", then convert the thing to a 390, but I think it would be too much work and bother when FE's like you need are so plentiful.

 

well a FT engine would not have been used past 77 in medium duty trucks so if you post the vin# i bet it should have been a 385 series engine most likely a 370 lima engine. Also just because it says on the valve cover it is part of the FT series does not mean it is. The valve covers could have been swapped at one time. Check to see if the front timing cover is cast iron or if its aluminum that will tell you if its a Ft or a FE.

P.S. This is Mike AKA Ford390gashog posting under this name until FTE fixes my account.


MIke

 

FT's were used up to 1978, and a little longer in u-hauls I believe, so yes, it could very well be an FT. Valve covers from a 385 series will not fit an FE or FT. Someone would have had to peel off the label and stick it on the other valve cover. I doubt anyone would go to that much trouble.

 

No but i have seen plenty of people use FT valve covers on the FE engines. So a valve cover swap is possible.