Hi. I recently purchased a '71 F250 with the 360 engine. It has OK power, but I want something with more pick up. I was looking for headers for it, but cant find any? What company makes them? I also wanted to switch to a 4bbl carb, but cant find an intake manifold for the 360. If you know of any companies or catalogs with parts for this engine, could you help me? Thanks.

 

I have flow tech headers for my 390 in my 72 F250 4x4. I bought them from JC Whitney 2 years ago. You should be able to get a 4bbl intake for your FE 360 out of jegs or summit racing magazines, you should be able to get headers for you truck out of those two magazines too. good luck with it and let us know how it goes
jeff

79 F250 4x4 lariat 429
72 F250 4x4 custom 390 with 79 body

 

basically anything that'll fit a 390 will fit a 360 (just different cranks). If you're looking for parts and just looking for 360 it's not as easy to find. Edelbrock carries manifolds, cams, and carbs to fit. Also as was noted, jegs, summit, and jc whitney also carry parts. I'm currently lookin for a 428 crank to put in my 360 (punches it out to a merc 410) but they're kinda hard to find. Good luck with the search though.

Justin

1972 Ranger 360 (Grandpa's Truck)
1975 F100 Custom 4x4 360 (My Fixxer Upper)
1976 F150 390 (Grandma's Truck)
1978 F150 351W (Older Brother's-thinks he's a mechanic so why is it sitting??)
1982 F150 XLT Lariat 4x4 351W (Friend's Truck-but he's in MT and it's at my place)
1983 Bronco XLT 4x4 300 (My Daily Driver)

 

Dave, In my opinion, skip over the headers. Do add dual exhaust if the truck doesn't have it now. If you take the $300.00 that a good set of headers will cost, and apply it toward making a 390 out of your engine, you would be much happier.

There a couple of members on the header side, but many more like myself that are not. Headers are loud, add heat to the cab, burn up starters,and are generally in the way many times when you need to work on the engine. Headers are much more benficial to a engine turning over 4000 rpms, which is way over the operating range of a daily driver.

If you have to have a 4 barrel carb stay to 600 cfm, any larger and you will be over loading the engine.

I run Hooker Hi Comps on my truck with 352. Everybody that wasn't properly talked out of them should own ONE set.

John
jowilker@nc.freei.net

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

Dave- while you are considering headers or not headers, almost noone recomends the stock iron 2-bbl manifold, all 75 pounds of it. Set it aside and get an aluminum one. Trucks are generally happier with a dual plane. I'm running a ford power parts 4267-B, which is close to the 428 Police Intercepter, but an inch taller. The RPM Performer from edelbrock also looks nice. Add a 650 or so carb and you're off to a good start. DF

 

well my suggestion is DO GO WITH HEADERS, they are not THAT difficult to work around, you can add and remove them easily enough, they will improve your fuel economy. They are not $300, my set of hedmans were $135 I believe, aside from a fit issue they work and I am happy with them. You should also try to find a set or earlier 390 heads, with the bigger ports (not really needed, the small port heads are good to 450hp or so), have them rebuilt and milled, and a aluminum intake (edelbrock performer RPM or performer depending on your RPM range)milled to increase the compression and put those on. also a RV type cam would help if you have the heads rebuilt, FE heads can take fairly good lift, and the 360 with it's poor deck clearance helps piston clearance (milling the heads will shorten this clearance) but basically you can probably get away with a cam like 220@.05 duration and .533 lift. Basically my suggestions are more compression, easier for the air/fuel to get in, and the exhaust to get out. but I do agree when they said go for a 390 upgrade, the different crank rods and pistons will make a remarkable improvement in power (there is no replacement for displacement) but unless you get a higher compression ratio it could hurt fuel economy too

 

Tell me FE, how much of an increase should one expect with headers over dual exhaust? I suspect NONE!

John
jowilker@nc.freei.net

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

 

yes John I can see what you mean, those exhaust manifolds do look like they flow pretty good, probably as good as the headers huh? Headers are not that hard to install. But go to any performance FE website and ask them if adding headers is something you would do to a FE and then tell them you think you will notice no difference by having headers over the stock manifolds, I bet that they will laugh...

 

John, I see you post often and notice that you usually prefer to run things pretty "unmodified" and I appreciate that, less headaches. In this case I have to disagree, I'll tell of my experience with headers on my '66 Bronco. Installed 351w, ran 15.6sec. 1/4mile with manifolds, ran 15.0's with 1 1/2 inch tube full length headers. It doesn't spin the tires so it wasn't because of traction, I shifted the automatic at 4500rpm so it wasn't picking up the performance all at high rpm. The motor is real mild, rv cam, performer intake, 9.5:1 compression. Mileage is slightly better than before, it is louder but at cruise it's a nicer deeper tone. Exhaust is one of the biggest bang for the buck mods you can make, just don't go too big. For the 360, watch out for header mismatch with the ports. Most headers are built with performance "high-port" heads, some low exit exhaust heads may not fit correctly.

 

Sounds like an opinion to me. I have two trucks with 352s, one with a fresh engine and Hooker Hi Comp headers, the other old and tired with duals. I have be around those engines for a long time. I have also heard the many complaints over the years about them leaking and eating gaskets to never could stop them from leaking. I bought the copper resealable gaskets for my truck.

I believe that a race engine operating at higher rpms will benefit from headers but street truck engines topping out at 4000 rpms and running at 3000 and less rpms has no real benefit from running them. I will never run another set.

I do work under my truck and headers are in the way. The tranny shop was concerned weather the tranny would come out with the headers in. I recently needed to reseal my intake and wanted to drain the block, couldn't get a wrench on the plug because of the header.

This is my opinion and I stand by my statement. I do know that there are opinions where you can never spend too much for your hobby.


I hope that you have fun with your's.:-)

John
jowilker@nc.freei.net

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

71 Ford, John is right, it's mostly a opinion thing, both ways will work, the headers will make a bit more power, but you do have to worry about header leaks, clearances, etc... cast exhaust manifolds are quieter, probably cheaper used, wont wear out or rust through nearly as fast. But I still prefer my headers so far. Perhaps you should wait to put them on until you've done some other stuff you may need to like rebuild your transmission or replace your engine mounts

 

The only difference my headers make is that they look "cool". Also I took off my Holley and put an orig 4150 carb. It runs smoother at idle and easier to adjust. At low rpm runs as good or better than the 4 barrel. If there is a genuine hop-up for my FE I would like to try it sometime. Especially for gas mileage.

 

You Write>>"360 engine hop-ups"
Hi. I recently purchased a '71 F250 with the 360 engine. It has OK power, but I want something with more pick up. I was looking for headers for it, but cant find any? What company makes them? I also wanted to switch to a 4bbl carb, but cant find an intake manifold for the 360. If you know of any companies or catalogs with parts for this engine, could you help me? Thanks.<<

I think you can get the Edlebrock 2105 Intake from Jegs.com or Simmit Racing.com about $250.00-290.00
as for the carb I am sold on the Edlebrock 1406 600 cfm.
As for headers i am using the Sanderson `shorty type. they end about 2" below the pan and the muffler shop went from there. Then to Flow Masters (dual exhaust NO H-Pipe)




__JOHN__Õ¿ö
Member-
"Crusin North" Car Club
Santa Rosa, Calif.
72 F-250
ICQ#6030753
http://clubs.excite.com/72FORD-F-250

 

FE, To be fair with you, I read the FE list that you reffer to some and it is a racing mode list. You are right in your comment about making a suggestion like that over there.

I feel after being here for a while that the 61-79 list is not for racing or hot rodding, even though it is dicussed. Ken has set up a whole section where that can be done, and the area is growing.

Since you are a propontant of high performance, maybe you can help that area grow, with your imput, and help mold it into a FE2. :-)

John
jowilker@nc.freei.net

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.