Just wondering if the 360 any good for mudding?? I want something strong and that will turn up. All input welcome.

 

I guess it would probably be ok with a 4 barrel and headers. But a properly built 390 would be much better.

 

The 360 was a pig! The all time best FE engine was the 427. The bad news is they are extremely rare. The good news is that you can build something very close with stock parts! The 428 was 2nd best. The 406 was rather impressive! It used a 428 piston with the 390 crank. The 410 wasn't as good but has a 428 crank with 390 pistons. All of these components interchange with each other (except the 427, as it had a stronger block). Build up a 406! Cheap and easy with awesome performance!

 

Thanks, i just found a truck and the guy said he does truck pulls and mudding with it and all i want it for is to go mudding and it has a 360 in it.

 

Test drive it and decide if it suits you. Personally I think he stretched the truth a bit. Maybe he really said he pulls his truck with another.
Just my opinion, I'm not here to bash or insult anyone.

 

The three big reasons the 360 was a "pig" were the 2 barrel carburetor, restrictive intake, and restrictive exhaust manifolds. Put a 4 barrel "S" code iron intake, Holley 600cfm carb, and headers on a 360 and it's a completely different motor. Trust me, I had one.

 

A friend of mine did a frame up rebuild on a 73 highboy back in the mid 80's.He had a 360 he wanted me to build for him.Tried my best to talk him into a 390 but his granddad had given him the engine before he passed away and my buddy wouldn't budge.Along with the rebuild we installed a Crane cam ( I don't remember the grind number) an intake from a 428 Intercepter, a 650 Holley and headers.That "pig" came to life.Most people though he was blowing smoke when he told them it was a 360.Had I not built it I probably would have too.

 

From what I have gathered in my recent research journeys it is a fairly well known fact that with the correct parts conglomeration the 360 can run with the 390. Why not, it is basically a 390 with a shorter stroke. If anything, it should be able to wind tighter due to the shorter stroke.

I have found in my life to not disregard any engine for performance potential. My main hot rod has a 300 I6 in it and it runs pretty strong considering how they perform stock. It is supposed to be putting out 300hp,300ftlbs. Stock the 300 put out around 115hp. I also have a fortune in it.

I am personally going to build the 360 in my new to me '68 F100 and see what kind of performance/mileage I can get out of it. It is a new challenge for me.

 

Mudstepper, Don't count the 360 out. I have one in my '73 hi-boy and love it. Rusty70F100 hit the nail on the head. If you put a four barrel intake and a set of headers on a 360 you wont believe you are driveing the same truck! The stock intake is very restrictive but not nearly as much as the stock exhaust manifolds are. These engines NEED to breath. I put a cast iron 4bbl ford intake ( off of a fairlane if I remember correctly), on it, a holley projection fuel injection kit, a set of headman headers running through dual 2.25" pipes with cherry bombs, a duraspark ignition off a '79 merc. grand marquis, and an accell super coil. I have 35x12.50 tires on it and 4.11 gears and I can break the rear end loose takeing off if I try. All the internals are stock parts includeing the cam. If I swap the cam I believe it will only get better but its a woods/ mud truck and I am very please with the performance and see no need for anymore at this point. The only mod I am looking at is a NV4500 tranny to gain an overdrive. Even without the OD i am getting around 12-13mpg around town. There are pictures in my gallery, it aint no show truck...it's a sho-nuff truck! My vote is to keep the 360.

 

The 360 will wake up nicely, but does have one flaw. That is low compression. Basically, Ford screwed up and used 390 4v pistons that are .104" below deck at TDC. This gives about 8:1 compression, less if you use typical Fel-Pro type head gaskets.

I do have some ideas on that front. FT 361 (Silvolite part number 3137) have a 1.882" compression height and a 17cc dish. These would raise compression somewhat in a 360. Combine that with small chambered heads (from Dove maybe) and you'd have something. Of course, those FT pistons aren't the lightest units from what I hear.

 

i ran a 360 in the mud for a few years, and i hated it. i ended up punchin the 360 block 40 over and putting a 428 crank in it. tuned out to be pretty much a bored 410. i found a set of poor mans cj heads, and cammed it up alot. it makes way more torque than i could ever need in the mud. torque is a the key in a mud truck and a 410 has plenty of that.

 

mudracin74, what mods had you done to your 360 to increase flow before you made it a 410+? Or was it stock?

Rusty70f100, with the low quality gas these days low compression probably isn't that bad of a thing and could be overcome in other ways (ignition).

As far as flow is concerned, I have been thinking about running a single 4in exhaust on my new to me '68 with a set of full length headers and put a 4bbl intake on it. Ofcourse some kind of custom ground cam and custom curved ignition to complete the package. I bet a 360 could out run a 390 if set up right. It is only 30 cid difference.

 

i was running an aluminum intake, mild cam, and port matched the intake to the some what worked over 390 heads. it ran fairly well, but just didnt have that low end i needed to get up out of those deap mud pits

 

I keep reading how some really love the 360. Granted they are still better the the wimpy imports but my point here is that the 406, 427 and even the 428 simply kicked butt! I seriously doubt that anyone who is in love with the 360 has never felt the power of one of the others. Back in the 60s when Ford advertised "Total Performance" they weren't kidding. It doesn't cost any more to build a 406 than it does a 360, so why bother with the weaker engine?
Years ago I put a 428 SCJ into a 79 F-250 4X4 and it wasn't just impressive. It was incredible!

 

Well a 406 would cost a little more to build than a 360. First you need a block that can handle a 4.13 bore. Then try to find 406 pistons. The original forged TRW 406 slugs go for $400 used! I did see a guy on ebay who sells a 406 rebuild kit and does list a cast 406 slug. That might work out ok depending on the price and quality. Or a custom order 406 slug would need to be made. At that point I'd opt for a 428 crank and pickup some cubes and tq. If you look for original 406 parts...good luck and have a full wallet. The originals are getting expensive and hard to find.

JMO...

G.